She scoffed.
"That is actually true- well, at least in part. . .when my husband died, he left behind a huge power vaccum. Both his daughters were extremely young, and weren't expected to rise to the occasion. . .the brunt fell on me. . .so, I went all out."
Her voice cracked slightly;
"I spent days and nights in the cave beneath the castle- alone, in the dark, in the cold, without any kind of sustenance, I tried to push through my physical, and spiritual barriers- in hunger, and in thirst, naked as a newborn, I tried to ascend. . ."
Her weight shifted- resting roughly fifty five percent of her body mass on her right bum.
". . .and I ended up making significant progress in the first month. . .but there's only so much that can be done. . .especially when fueled by grief. . ."
The faint cackling sound from the fireplace continued in the background like an itch.
