Elena felt like the ground had swallowed her. After the shocking declaration dropped by Calhoun, to say she was shocked would be the biggest understatement of her entire life. Courting... Calhoun wished to court her. Her emotions were a mix of happiness, shock, fear, and suspicion. She has come to know Calhoun in the past weeks, and as she had only a month to train, it would not be long before she started heading home. But suddenly, Calhoun wished to court her. She was happy, delighted that someone was genuinely interested in her, and on the other hand, she was scared and sad that even if she did agree, she wouldn't be able to spend enough time with him. Swallowing a gulp, she asked him why he wanted to court her, his reasons, and why her of all people. "What?" She said, her voice coming out breathless. She innately berated herself for seeming like a dummy. Unfortunately, what she wished to ask wasn't what came out of her mouth. Seeing that she wasn't against his

The celebration dinner was very eventful. Elena couldn't remember smiling as much as she had that day. They all had fun, with Forest always looking for a reason to annoy Calhoun and Calhoun's need to constantly attend to Elena, whether she opted for it. Old Porv provided other hints of sword fighting to her, and Elion included her points. Calhoun's men, as usual, wore a stoic expression. Though at times, they could not hide their snicker at the jokes Forest told just to annoy Calhoun. Firoza, on the other hand, was another case. On several occasions, Elena had met her murderous gaze, and instead of gazing back at her to prove that she didn't mean anything, Elena chose not to lock eyes with her. She didn't want anything to ruin her evening. All the while, Calhoun placed his hands on her laps under the table throughout the party, gently caressing her. If his hands were not there, they were at another part of her body. Once she had moved minutely, just a few feet away from him,

Darkness, Blood, gore, fire. Wazir's dream would have to be the most intense one he ever had in his whole life. His body felt like it was torched, his temperature above normal. He couldn't open his eyes, was finding it hard to breathe. The choking sounds he was hearing couldn't be him, as he couldn't even open his mouth to make a noise, but then again, he couldn't be sure what was real and what wasn't. What is causing this intense reaction? Why does he feel what he had never thought for a long while? Fear? "Arise seer! A powerful voice boomed, somehow dragging him out from the dangerous space he was in. He opened his eyes and gasped loudly, like a drowned man who suddenly had a breath of air. He took deep breaths, hitting his chest as he tried to calm down. What was that dream? Why did he have it? He looked around, thinking to call for a maid who would attend to him. Instead, he found himself in another room, everything a mixture of colors both blindingly bright and Cringely

The kingdom of Neba... The King's Palace. Wazir ran down the stairs and headed straight for his father's study. After his dream, he wasn't sure he would be able to sleep well again. His mother's maids in front of his room ran after him, begging him to calm down and stop running since he was just recovering. He paid them no heed, running as fast as he could towards his father's study. Once he arrived, he didn't bother knocking and barged inside. His father stood by his window, looking at the outer palace fields where the soldiers trained. He quickly turned his head around at the sudden intrusion, annoyance masking his expression. "What in the heavens is going on here?" He asked, looking at Wazir and the maids who had run after him. The maids bowed to the king, and Wazir looked at his father, hoping his expression told him of the importance of his visit. "Leave us." The king commanded the maids. They left the study still, bowing their heads, and quietly shut th

Svetlana stood still, watching as her uncle held out the child, his face slowly folding in annoyance. "Take the child, quick!". This time, he didn't wait for her and shoved the little girl into her arms, then walked right out the same way he had come. Svetlana studied the girl. She was at crossroads now. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to go find her father, but she couldn't leave the girl here alone. She was too little, and she doubted that her uncle would have time for her. She considered taking her along her journey, but that would be suicide. The being had a plan set out for the little girl. Taking her along for her trip, especially when she knew that she wouldn't be coming back, would make problems worse for her. She didn't want to mess with the being. She could barely defend herself from her uncle, what's more, the being who gave her uncle power. With a deep sigh, she held on tightly to the girl and walked inside, silently praying to her father for forgivene