Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Inroads to Peace

Darya knew she didn't have to be out and amongst the crowd tonight, and for the most part, she didn't want to be.

She had learned in the last fortnight that re-injuring a serious injury was far more painful than injuring it the first time, and though she had spent none of the energy everyone else had to help save the Queen, she hadn't been mobile since her fight with the two street thugs.

Even now, as the others were walking around, she was finding it physically exhausting to do much of anything. She was stir-crazy, but not with enough energy to do more than walk a few feet to her patio to sit down.

And her pain was getting worse, dragging at her like a prison. Even without healers, she should have had some improvement.

Her sister was getting worried. She could tell by the surprised look on Val's face every time she came back at the end of the day and saw Darya having barely moved from her bed. She could also tell because her sister had pulled in a couple of the court healers to look at her.

They had done their best and advised that she was recovering.

Her body was just putting a lot of energy into doing it. Rest and food was all they could do, other than the brief shimmer of healing power that they could offer, speeding up her healing, but not by much. And usually whatever gains they seemed to make one day, her body was worse off the next.

Still, she missed the company of some of those that she had gotten used to. Darya knew she was an idiot, and that soon enough she might never see them again, but after her talk with Lianza, she had decided to be nicer to Cansal and Davanos, but hadn't yet had the chance.

Both of the men had been sleeping until the last couple days, and even now, as she hadn't ventured out further than her garden patio, hadn't come across them.

She also missed conversations with Princess Mireyana and Commander Tayver, who she had fallen into company with in the short time she had been here in the Capital. Two vastly different women, but she seemed to have more than her share to talk to them about, from Tayver's stories and insightful observations to Mireyana's calm, collected way of understanding and agreeing, but still challenging her to reconsider some things.

So, when Valencia had returned tonight and reminded her of the Court dinner, Darya had agreed to go.

Her sister, worried and protective as always, seemed torn between telling her to stay and coaxing her to go, as both options had their risks and benefits.

Val had even stayed with her throughout the dinner, but as the tables broke up and people migrated to socialise as a dance floor was set up on the cobblestone patio in the centre of the gathering, Val had been drawn away into more official conversation than making sure her sister wasn't about to keel over because Darya was fine, just recovering.

Promises of niceties or no, Darya had seen Davanos and Cansal, socialising with everyone from General Anzael, and Lady Tayver, to several of the Clairvalan Peers, to some courtiers who seemed especially dedicated to the talking to both of the men, probably in an attempt to lead them out onto the dance floor.

And Darya had avoided them, realising that she didn't know how to speak to either of them without telling them off, and was not sure she wanted to learn, or would even have the chance to despite her good intentions.

Darya wasn't even sure that she hadn't lost the opportunity to be nice to them, with all the dead air and awkwardness between them.

Besides, they were across the dance floor, and she was reaching the limit of her ability to move around, standing off to the side, leaning on the back of a chair with one hand as she watched several courtiers dance to an unfamiliar, but beautiful and peaceful song.