Heavy is the Crown

11

Anetra didn't sleep. She didn't think anyone in the house did honestly. If Sasha was angry, she didn't say it out loud. Instead she just struggled to get Bosco and Kerri settled for the night, all while whatever sickness she had come down with seemed to become worse. Anetra stayed awake, sitting on her bed and staring off at the castle in the distance. The clouds seemed to be even darker over it.

The only thing that snapped her out of her worried thoughts that morning was something being dropped onto her bed beside her. She turned around, finding Loosey standing there and rubbing her splinter covered hands.

"Irene told me about everything..." She said quietly. "You're gonna have to start practicing today if you even stand a chance."

Anetra looked down at what she had set beside her. Wrapped in thin leather were wooden arrows. She stood up, carefully picking one up and running a finger over the tiny engravings Loosey had carved into it. "Did...Did you sleep at all last night?"

Loosey shook her head, sinking down in her bed on the other side of the room. "No. But what else is new? If I'm gonna be awake, I might as well be useful."

Anetra looked down at the arrows again. How Loosey even managed to make them was a mystery to her. "Thank you..." She said quietly. "I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

"Sasha has something for you too." Loosey said, curling up in bed and rubbing her tired eyes. "She managed to find it once the kids went to sleep."

"How is she this morning?" Anetra asked worriedly, changing her clothes and running a hand through her messy hair. If Sasha continued to get worse, she had no idea if she'd be able to do anything at all.

"Coughing a lot. Might be the weird weather. Who knows." Loosey's voice grew quieter as she let her eyes fall shut.

Anetra nodded, picking up the bundle of wooden arrows. She quietly thanked her again before leaving her alone to sleep.

It was unusually quiet downstairs. Anetra found Irene in the front room, gently brushing through a sniffling Bosco's hair with Luxx leaning against her side. She only glanced up from her little sister's hair to motion towards the kitchen, where Sasha was waiting for her.

Sasha stood still, silently staring out the window. Kerri clung to her leg, still shaken from the day before and refusing to leave her mother's side. Anetra looked up at her nervously. "Sasha? Is everything okay?"

Sasha ran a soothing hand through Kerri's hair in an effort to get her to stop trembling. "Those clouds are unnatural." She said softly.

Anetra followed her gaze. The clouds were dark, but she only really saw them as normal storm clouds. "What do you mean?"

Sasha just shook her head. She gave Kerri a gentle nudge. "Go to Irene and Luxx, hun. I'll be there in a moment."

Kerri was hesitant, but eventually let go of her mother's leg and ran off to join the other girls. Sasha made sure she was out of earshot before turning to Anetra. "You have no idea who you're messing with."

Anetra took a shaky breath. Sasha had said nothing when she told her about King Aldgrim and his challenge. She should've known she knew more than it seemed. "You mean the king...?"

Sasha nodded, turning away from the window and walking over to the table. "He's not what he seems, Anetra. Not at all."

Anetra was beginning to grow even more nervous. She watched as Sasha traced a hand over the blanket that had been draped over the table. "What do you mean?"

Sasha met her eyes, and Anetra flinched back. She had never seen Sasha really look scared before. If she was, she always guarded it as best as she could. But not this time. "You can't let him win." She said. "You may be playing his game, but you can't let him win."