Sleeping Roses

The Greatest Treasures

"How is she?" Beldon asked as Luka entered one of the large evening rooms, set away from the rest of the castle, and the ball and guests - away from everyone who wasn't aware of what happened.

"She won't leave him," Luka said, an exhaustion in his voice as he sat down on the armchair opposite Beldon, tilting his head back and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Rosalia is with her now but she's just sitting there."

"And Kilan?"

"... Asleep," Luka muttered, "I put him in your old bedroom upstairs but... it's like when Briar was a child, they just sleep and you can't wake them." He settled his hand over his eyes and sighed. "What am I going to do?"

Beldon didn't answer him, he didn't have an answer.

Instead, his eyes travelled to the other end of the room, set far away from them.

Ryan Daily sat by the window, curled over, his face in his hands, silent and still, as he had been since Beldon had first sat him down hours before.

Brushing Luka's hand as he passed him, Beldon made his way across the room and sat down beside Daily, who didn't move to acknowledge his presence.

They sat in silence for some minutes, Daily's eyes closed, Beldon's eyes watching the window and the night sky outside.

"They're all gone."

Beldon looked down at Daily's voice, weak and small, like a child's.

"Gone?" Beldon copied.

"They're all gone," Daily repeated, "All lost to enchantment. Nico: stolen by monsters in the sky. JJ: disappeared chasing magic beans. Kilan:... cursed to sleep forever more." He let out a strained laugh. "Who puts a Storyteller into an endless sleep? They don't dream... might as well be dead."

He let out a trembling breath, his fingers curling in his hair.

"Why can't enchantment just disappear?" he whispered, "Why didn't he just listen to me? I knew this would happen. I knew Mother would do something?"

"You did?" Beldon asked softly.

Daily slowly lifted his head, though he didn't looked at Beldon.

"It doesn't matter how much someone means to a fairy, if they spot an opportunity for something amusing, they'll take it. What's more amusing then making two people swap places like that? I'm sure Kilan thinks she had her reasons for behaving the way she did. She didn't. Fairies are nothing more than simple and cruel."

He stood up.

"That damn girl should have just stayed asleep," he muttered and Beldon glanced around as Luka lifted his hand.

He straightened up and Beldon help up a hand, gesturing for him to stop before looking up at Daily again.

"You shouldn't let her out in the outside world; goodness knows what pain she'd cause."

Luka stood up and Beldon quickly rose as well, putting himself between the men even though there was an entire room between them.

Daily looked at Luka for a moment, then looked at Beldon and bowed.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave of this place," he said, straightening, "I've done what Kilan asked of me and more. I have work to be getting on with, as I'm sure you do as well."

"You needn't leave tonight though," Beldon said.

"I must return home and report Kilan's death."

Beldon's eyebrows rose in surprise. "But... he's not dead."

"He's as good as dead, it must be announced that the House of Denny has ended." Daily looked at the floor, then towards the window again, up at the summer moon. "They were one of the oldest families, it is both a blessing and curse to lose them," he muttered. He turned back to Beldon and nodded. "I'll leave as soon as my servants have prepared for departure."