Apondra had poured through every book in the house now, and searched for something else to entertain herself. It would be a lie to say that she hadn’t been counting the days since Barri had left. Cooking her own meals had become more of a chore this time than she had imagined. Barri had left an abundance of wood for the fire out back, but as the nights got colder, and she could not keep the chill out with her blankets, she had almost exhausted the supply of wood he had left for her. More worrying than the lack of heat was the dwindling supply of blood meal. “Just three more days…” she mumbled to herself as she went to tend the chickens, though they began pecking at her hands more aggressively with the growing cold. As much as she was longing for Barri to come home and tell her of his visit with Bermet, she worried that he would berate her for going through the food he had left for her so quickly. Soon she would have to go against him and venture out to the pub and hope that Aremina and Berendur would give her some food to take home for what coin she still had from her last delivery. But she did not want to burden them with that; knowing Aremina, she would take Apondra in at moments notice, and give her anything she wanted. Apondra frowned in distaste at it, not that she did not appreciate Aremina’s generosity, but that it felt like charity rather than it was an act of kindness.

"The kings and queens of Galohar," she began singing to herself as she did her morning chores, the old song her mother used to sing rang through her heart, "the tears that shed for times of war. Amount to none in face of this… the fates of daughter and prince," she sighed at the memories that flowed and let herself sink into them. The smell of old stew, stale bread, and the soft, soothing voice of her mother singing on hard nights when she thought Apondra was deep in slumber.

"Hold them close oh Mother we beg. Father brought to fight in their stead. But the God and Goddess can only see, how desperate are we. How desperate are we. For one day the lands shall rise, like winged angels taken to flight. For when dark and light collide, old wrath will be purified,"

Truly she did not know what her mother's song spoke about; fates of daughter and prince? Old wrath purified? It sounded like an old wives tale, even older still than those. Even those seemed to have a hint of truth in them. Her mother's songs spoke only of fantastical happenings it seemed, so what truth was there truly? Even the song she heard children sing in the streets sometimes of a witch so torn by grief who had cursed the kings and queens first born heirs. How did that one go again? Even the melody escaped her.

The town was its usual bustling self, and the noise of it all brought Apondra to gather a plain black dress and her fur lined cloak from her room. She fussed in front of the mirror to press her tooth covers in for a moment, determined to beat her boredom by heading out into town. As she began out the door Apondra could hear Barri's voice booming in her ears and rushed back inside to take a pair of daggers from Barri's room and slipped them into her cloak. She nodded to her neighbor across the way as she closed the shop door behind her and sauntered out towards the pub.

Apondra was thankful for the good neighbors Barri had, besides Katherine who never seemed to look after anyone but herself. Apondra scoffed at the thought as she entered Aremina's. She nodded to Berendur, standing beside the bar surveying the patrons as she went to take a seat nearby. But as she went she noticed a man fussing over his hand in King's Head, a pile of coins in the middle of the table.

She smiled and stood next to him, glancing over his cards, and checking the cards in play. The man frowned at her but did not shoo her away, his opponent smirking from across the table.

"King, queen, ace to protect…" she mumbled, glancing at the man's cards, and the amount of cards that had been discarded. There weren't many. The game had only just begun.

Berendur came around and warned her not to meddle, but handed her a drink. Apondra glanced at him for a moment, noticing a subtle confidence in his eyes. Apondra assumed that he had been watching this game play out as well.

Apondra watched the man draw a numbered card and his shoulders deflated in presumed defeat. She took a swig of her drink and tapped it twice.

The man turned his attention to her and straightened up a little, discarding the card he drew.

The game progressed slowly, as most King's Head games did, and Apondra was on her fourth drink as the man slowly built his king, while his opponent still waited to place his final card.

To say his eyes lit up would have been an understatement when Apondra saw the kill card pulled into the sulking man's hand. He slapped it down and proclaimed with a relieved laugh, "The king is born again!" In his excitement, and possibly thanks, the man gripped her arm in the way she saw Berendur would with his old comrades and pulled her into a hug.

Across from them the losing man seethed, pushing himself up from the table aggressively, "You cheating bastard!" He growled as he started around the table.

She felt a firm hand grip her shoulder and her heart jumped into her throat, only to hear Beren's fierce voice growl back, "Do we have a problem? There is nothing in the rules saying that other patrons cannot watch the game. She did not offer hints, now did she?" He seemed to be pointing the question at her.

The angry man responded defiantly, "Well no… but she..!" his eyes trained on Apondra and she touched the daggers hidden in her cloak for comfort as she looked back at him innocently.

"I heard no." Beren said abruptly, "so the game was won fairly," he guided her away from the table towards the back, far enough away that the patrons would not hear her tongue lashing.

"I told you not to meddle in their game! I warned you that one was dangerous!" He growled under his breath to her, probably so Aremina would not hear them from the kitchen down the short hallway.

"But Beren I did not-..."

He closed the distance between them and glared at her, "No Apondra. You did. Don't think I didn't see you tapping your glass every time I brought you a fresh one," she downturned her head, and when she said no more Beren continued, his voice rising with his concern, "Barri trusts that we will keep you safe when he's gone kid. How can we do that when you're off doing the Father knows what in town on your own? You may be old enough to help with the shop, but you are also old enough for men to look at you differently! I am slow to bring every drink for that reason alone!" she looked at him when his tone softened again, "To make sure you have your wits about you. You're lucky that I didn't send you away when you walked in today after that incident with Barri,"

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His eyes told no lies, as he crossed his arms in front of him, "Mina, you can come out now,"

Apondra glanced towards the kitchen to see Aremina wiping her hands on the filth spotted apron draped over her front. Her soft brown hair was tied into a tight braid that trailed to the middle of her back. She came to stand beside her brother, but her sea blue eyes were gentle towards Apondra.

Even with Aremina's gentle nature, Apondra's shame did not lessen.

Aremina spoke in a light voice, but it was stern nevertheless, "If I had any say in it you would not be drinking at all," she sent a glare towards her brother, but as quick as it left the gentleness returned, "a lady of your age should have an escort. You may return to the main room, but no more meddling and not one drink. It is far too early for that,"

Apondra's shoulders relaxed, and she was surprised that the tension in her wrap seemed to go with it, had she been pressing against it this whole time? "As you wish," she began to turn to follow Beren to the main room but a gentle hand touched her shoulder. She turned to face Aremina and let out a squeak of surprise when the woman wrapped her in a tight hug.

They stayed this way for a moment, but when the sounds of footsteps approached them. Aremina released her with a warm smile and fixed Apondra's hair that had come loose before heading back to the kitchen.

Beren's voice was softer, "Seems you have a visitor kid," when her face downturned he chuckled and led her towards the main room, "Don't worry! This one I like!"

Apondra sat as straight as she could in the dimly lit booth, surprised that the prince, Elwe Soryn had sent for her. The prince lounged, as seemed to be normal at least in the presence of his two guardsmen who took up seats on either side of him.

The large table was set with a platter piled high with fresh roasted vegetables, medallions of stuffed pork roast, bread rolls that still steamed from baking, and two small serving bowls of fresh butter.

Though the guards served themselves heartily, joking between them about a man they had come across in the streets grumbling over a game of cards, the prince had not touched a morsel of the small feast. He seemed to have something on his mind, but it was improper for a lady to delve into a man's personal affairs, never mind the affairs of a prince. So Apondra quietly served herself a small portion and waited for the prince to address her.

"You are rather quiet today," the prince finally spoke, taking a forkful of potatoes as he turned to sit square with her, "is everything okay Apondra?"

She was surprised that he had even remembered her name, his pronunciation was uncanny too, normally people fumbled with her name for a while before getting it right. Everyone got it right eventually after her countless correcting that her name was not Apondora or Apondria, "Not really if I am honest Elwe," she had to reason to be false with him, he could see right through her.

He leaned towards her, and his guards understandably tensed, but he did not seem concerned, "tell me about it," he insisted.

She frowned and raised a brow at him, "You… you really want to hear what's on my mind?"

He nodded and waited for her to continue.

"Well… okay," she sighed to release her nerves and began telling him about how she felt being constantly under watch by either the friends Barri had around town, or Beren and Mina themselves always keeping close enough eye on her at the pub which she used to get away from the monotony of her home. Always guarded, never a moment to herself. It was more than suffocating it was…

"Like you're fighting a sea of raging waves and can barely get a breath before being swept up again,"

She opened her hand towards him and said with relief, "Exactly!"

The prince looked like he was searching for words but then shook his head and resumed his leisurely lean in the booth, "How about a drink to lift your spirits?"

She shook her head, and began to refuse when one of the bar maidens set down a bottle of sweetened spirits that was kept out of sight of the bar. That bottle cost more than what Apondra made in a month of deliveries!

Apondra looked up to see Beren and Mina standing at the bar together, "But… Mina said…" she muttered.

Beren saw her confusion and nodded towards his sister with a smile as she passed a tray of tankards to a bar maiden.

As the drinks came and went between the four of them Apondra and the elven prince exchanged stories between them. As it turned out, the prince was in town not only to visit with Queen Anamarie Clera, but to gather suitable warriors to bring back to Etecia on his father's behalf.

"Why does Etecia need so many recruits?" Apondra asked out of curiosity as she filled her plate for a third time, always small portions to keep from seeming gluttonous.

Elwe took up his drink and his brows furrowed with concern, "As far as the word around the castle is, my father's dreams lately have provided foresight into a battle that will rush Etecia's forces. He has been rather silent on the matter, but I see the worry in his face so I took it upon myself to seek out recruits to lessen his burden," his tone suggested that he had not been very successful in his search thus far.

"Things normally work out as the Mother wishes, it takes time," Apondra remembered one of her mother's old teachings from her childhood.

Elwe nodded and looked to the younger of the guards, passing him a bag of coins, "Colin, could you pay for the table? I would like to escort Apondra home with Dreco,"

The dark haired guard stood with them and began for the door, leaving the sandy haired guard to deal with the tab.

Apondra had spent some time arguing with the prince, as politely as she could, that she would be okay without an escort even with the sun beginning to set. After much back and forth between them the prince reluctantly agreed.

She thanked the prince, again mirroring the odd knee gesture like a crooked marionette and turned on her heel to head for home.

Elwe Soryn and Dreco watched after the girl as she walked down the road towards her home.

"I do not think we should have allowed her to go unescorted, Your Highness," Dreco's voice sounded worried beneath his gruff exterior.

Elwe shook his head in agreement, "She is a stubborn girl, I will give her that,"

"You saw something in there didn't you?"

The prince dipped his chin, lost as the Mother's warning still rang in his ears, "The man you heard on the way here. It was she who slighted him. Go,"

Dreco immediately pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, an outfit much like his own, adorned in shades of green and white markings of Etecia and stepped around the prince. Elwe watched him as he slipped expertly into the crowds of townspeople heading for their homes and blended with them.