The Song of the Keepers

Chapter 45 A Christmas Story

Before I knew it, Christmas Eve had come and the castle was in a flurry, preparing for the ball the many guests that were lodging overnight. Ilian, Cassian, and Jessica were on guard duty for Ranen this evening as he completed his princely duties, leaving the rest of us free with our time. Laith and Saya had decided to drag Idris and Parker to a local tavern, with plans to see if you could get a Sentinel drunk. I ordered them to wear common clothes and not their uniforms, otherwise wiping my hands of the matter. What was the worst that could happen?

I was spending the night in, not interested in running into any party-goers or watching the royal guards consume an unhealthy amount of liquor. I flipped the television on, which turned out to be just as dismal on the holiday as normal. Growing tired of hearing about a natural disaster in Flirel, a successful purge of the rebels in Cortes Anya, and an airplane that had crashed in a snowstorm, killing eight people, I opted for switching the TV off and taking a hot bath instead.

I dumped some lavender bath salts into the steaming hot water, slipping beneath the surface a moment later. The warmth was delightful after the cold of practice this morning that I hadn't seemed to ever recover from entirely. I had decided the humidity here made the cold worse when the temperatures did drop, much more so than the dry air of the mountains.

Idly I wondered what Jasper and Vienna were up to this holiday eve and if the Keepers celebrated Christmas in any fashion. I had used a disgruntled Ghost to get a message through to Jasper about meeting Quetta's scout but I hoped he hadn't risked his life in order to do so. After all, what more could she possibly need from him? I'd already recounted everything I knew about the Order and the Citadel in excruciating detail.

Several hours later, when the water had grown chilly, I finally exited the tub, toweled off and wrapped myself in a white fuzzy bathrobe I found hanging in one of my closets. I added wood to my fire that had burned low and nestled into the couch, contemplating what to do with myself.

"Have you ever read the true Christmas story?"
A voice asked from the corner of the room.

I must have jumped a foot in the air, chucking a pillow towards the sound. The air rippled and none other than Ghost himself appeared.

"Blah! You have got to stop appearing out of thin air!"
I exclaimed.

The crackling of the fire must have covered the signature whirring and clicking sound that followed him around.

"It's not my fault you're as jumpy as fainting goat."
He responded, tossing the pillow back onto an armchair.

I scowled at him, my heart still beating erratically.

"How long have you been there anyways?"

"Not long, I was down surveying the ball."

"How is it?"

"Exactly like every other ball I have seen in my many centuries. Boring with an overuse of glitter."

I snorted, finding one area we completely agreed on.

"What did you say about a Christmas story?"
I asked, processing what he had first said.

He motioned towards the leather-bound manuscript Cato had gifted me.

"I wondered if you had yet read the account of the first Christmas."

"There's a story about lighting trees and kissing under the mistletoe and giving gifts in there?"
I quirked an eyebrow in surprise.

"Not exactly, what the holiday has become has little do to with where it originated from."

I crossed the room and closed my fingers around the book, thoroughly intrigued.