This must be a dream. Rikilda talked to herself in sleep.This is a dream, she thought when Braden came closer to her. Rikilda twisted her head at other direction, trying to hide her blushing at the same time.

She felt a warm breath fall on her cheek.

It should be Prince Tudor instead of him. She glanced sideways and attempted to keep her eyes fixed there. Then she felt the point of many needles crawling on her cheek.

The uneasy sensation converted into pain and she woke up, holding her scratched cheek. She removed her hand after feeling lines of scratches on her cheek.

There was no blood but a four limbed beast was staring straight at her.

Wolf! She crawled backwards. The scream she was about to let out died within itself as she saw the beast wagging its tail.

A smile was on its snout too.

"Trov." Rikilda hugged her dog, "How did you find me?"

Trov barked.

"Ssshhhh….everyone's asleep."

Trov moved his head towards Gisella and rolled near her. Gisella – who had fallen asleep moments ago, didn’t take long time to get disrupted.

"My boy." Gisella smiled.

But getting expressions full of happiness was not enough for Trov. It had been days since he had been stroked. And maybe months being stroked by Gisella. He sat beside her the mother, rubbing his back on her palm. Trov folded his limbs inwards when she started caressing him.

Gisella saw strands of his brown fur on her fingers. There was a bit patch of naked skin on his back.

"He is balding." Gisella sighed, "Age doesn’t spare animals either."

"How old were you when father brought Trov?" whispered Rikilda, hoping to not wake Nortze and Saer.

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"All I know is I was young." Gisella said, "We don’t age much inside our house so, unfortunately, I can’t answer you."

"I thought you would answer me this. You had told me the same excuse when I had asked you the same thing some time ago."

"Gervase had learned to walk, you were still in my womb…..so around seventy years ago. Seventy years according to rest of Ouskerus."

"I forgot I had elder brother." Rikilda scoffed in disappointment.

"He would be delighted to hear you remembered him."

"Remember?" she giggled, "I would trade him for Trov's collar. I also feel Braden is filling his spot in a good way."

Gisella stopped moving her hand, "Trov was with Braden during the wedding. Braden had told me he was going to tie him in our home. I didn’t see Trov with Braden when he returned."

"How did they get in the house?" Rikilda turned pale.

"Oh lord, they have caught Braden."

"How can it be?"

"Why wouldn’t it? You, I, Nortze and Braden are those who can get in our house."

"Come, we should free him." Rikilda stood up.

"Don’t be silly."

"What is silly in this?"

"Wernh'An is in there too. Nortze will find a diplomatic way to resolve this. Don’t forget we are also Lacroix's prisoners."

"I can't wait for diplomacy. Wutke is hovering over heads and those stupid guards can open the vessel if they have in our home."

"Vessel." Gisella nodded, "You are right. I will tell your father –"

"Mother, every task doesn’t require a man to do it." Rikilda said, "You can teleport although I can't. We just need to go there, steal the vessel quietly and leave political strategies to my father."

Gisella squinted at Trov. He was asleep now.

"Come." Gisella said.