A Tale of Crowns and Stars

Wheat & Air

 The arrival of Cyra's mother and father later that day was absolutely anti-climactic. The trumpeters hardly announced the couple at the doors, and no one realized they had entered until Bilka paraded down the hallways, revealing herself with her usual air of regality and loud tones.

"Take me to my daughter, please," Cyra could hear from her perch at her desk, and without hesitation, she made her way to the chamber door, throwing it open to see her mother striding down the hallway.

"Mother!" Attempting to remain composed but excited nonetheless, Cyra rushed to embrace Bilka.

"Ah, you made it here safely, and you look like you've been out in the sun!" Bilka patted at Cyra's skirts, admiring the red damask and white silk. "I haven't seen this one before... Did Halewijn purchase a new dress for you?"

"I bought this one in the city square." Cyra turned around, letting her mother inspect the back of the frock before turning around again. "Where's my father?"

"He's downstairs striking up a discourse with Alorha, as usual. He might tell a well-meant, but poorly executed joke at some point, so I'm leaving him to his own devices." Bilka looked over Cyra's shoulder, then back at her with a question in her eyes. "Where's Halewijn? I thought you two would be inseparable by now."

"He's with Eres at the moment," Cyra caught herself before she looked down in sorrow, remembering that she had to pretend the conversation between the three of them never happened. "I'm sure when he hears about your arrival, he'll join us."

"Eres and Idria are already here?" Cyra nodded, remembering that their communication had been tampered with. "Interesting. Well, in the meantime, we can catch up. How have you been since we last saw each other?" Considering the fact that she had almost died, Halewijn had nearly murdered an innocent man, and Omar planned for her to bathe in the sacrifice of the white ox, Cyra hesitated before answering.

"Things have been going fine; how have you two been?"

"Your father, of course, was worried sick about the trip down here. We hadn't heard from Eres or Idria, so we waited for a few days to travel."

"They came a few days ago; there must have been a mix-up in communication," Cyra explained as she opened her chamber door, letting her mother go past her before closing it behind her.

"Possibly." Her mother turned about the semi-elaborate room, looking at the furnishings with interest. "I hadn't expected you to be staying in such a plain room. I mean, as Omar's future daughter in law, I expected him to put you in a nicer room."

"It fits for the time being," Cyra noted, looking over at the window and observing Armantha stroll about the garden, but when her mother spotted her, she inhaled sharply, clicking her teeth against her tongue.

"Who invited that bitch to the wedding?"

"When you invited the Northern King and Queen, they sent her ahead of them as their ambassador," Cyra whispered. "But mother, she's—"

"Leon and Hannah would never—"

"Mother, she's not guilty like we assumed she was. She's actually on our side. Armantha came to the High Court because she wanted to bring down Omar, just like we do." Cyra offered, placing her hands out to stop her mother's onslaught of four words.

"And you believe this story she told you?" Her mother spat, still scowling at Armantha from the window.

"I would like to, yes."

"Does Halewijn trust her?" Bilka asked, turning away from the window and looking into Cyra's eyes.

"I would like to think so," Cyra weaved her fingers together, praying that her mother would see the sincerity behind her actions. "But Halewijn trusts me. And my word is enough for him."