Quiet Courage

8

Cerenae's face broke as she looked at his reflection.

"Oh Cienn I don't know what's happening to me! I think I have magic and I'm so -" she cried as she whipped around in her chair to embrace her brother, to find her blurry vision free of his shape. She whipped back around to see the mirror, and saw instead King Kadesh, standing behind her with a bloody knife.

"You know what we do to mages Cerenae. It's so sad, I thought you would have made a fine wife for Lohann. Oh well," he said as he swung the knife down at her heart.

Cerenae sat up with a short scream, awake and safe in her bed. She clutched at her chest a moment and stared at the sunlight creeping into the room from the rising sun. Another nightmare, this one more gruesome than the last. Her vision of Cienn in her vanity the night before had left her so rattled, and the dreams were clearly an extension of it. At least she hadn't watched herself bleed out on the floor this time. They had been happening all night, ever since she had given up crying and flopped unceremoniously into her bed, twisting and turning as the nightmares wracked her subconscious.

She groaned as she got out of the bed, not feeling the least bit well rested. Still the day had to continue and she would do no one any good if she stayed in her bed and trembled all day beneath the covers, as she much rather wished she was doing. Tonight was the Prince's Ball, and she had to make sure everything was ready for tonight, plus check in on the running of the household while her mother was ill. See to it Tenny got his bath today and that Tassa didn't spend the whole day reading in her private library. She was 13, high time she helped her sister with everything it took to run a house like this. Make sure Mama was doing all right. She'd finally awoken from the restless sleep she'd been in after labor, but refused to eat and didn't say much to anyone. Siram was worried about her, and Cerenae felt the same.

She wrapped a robe around her nightdress and went downstairs. The head maid and the footmen were there.

"Breakfast is waiting for you in the Dining room my lady, as well as the papers that need signing." The footman told her.

"The maids have almost finished cleaning up from the mishaps of the other night miss." The maid told her. "We'll have the carpenter and a contractor in later today to start planning the repairs."

"Thank you both. I'll take my breakfast alone this morning. Please make sure my dress for tonight is pulled and pressed by 3 o'clock." They both nodded and bowed their exits. Cerenae went into the dining room alone, surprised to find her mother sitting at the table along with Tassa and little Tenny. The boy was still bleary eyed with sleep and refused the spoon his mother held out for him.

"Mama," Cerenae said. "Are you sure you should be out of bed so soon. The labor was very rough on your body."

"Don't worry Cer," Canasena said with a weak smile. It didn't reach her eyes. "Siram said a little movement was good for me, and I needed to see my children." Cerenae gave her own smile at that.

"I'm glad to see you Mama." She said, truly feeling happy for what felt like the first time in ages.

"Me too," Tassa said from across the table, actually looking up from her book to smile at her mother. Sena smiled back.

"I will also be reassuming many of my duties." Sena explained. "From my bedside of course. But that way you have time to get ready for your party." Cerenae truly smiled at that and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"How did you know about the party?" she asked as she took a seat next to Sena.

"A mother has many secrets daughter dearest. You will learn them too someday." Sena said cryptically.