Lady Vesparia Drago

“Gods know I haven’t a clue. Your mother, most likely,” Daemon chuckled, plucking at a stray feather from his cloak and flashing her a grin.

Vesparia laughed and shook her head, “The things we do for her…” She blew a feather speck off her lip. “Why you put up with it I have no idea.”

“I’m probably the last woman you should be asking for fashion advice, my lady.”

Vesparia sighed, “Why can’t I just have a manikin sent instead of having to do this myself? It is so tedious.”

“I’m afraid I‘m not sure on women’s fashion, my lady.”

“You men are certainly useless.” Vesparia joked, “I don’t even know why I drag with me.”

“I think I’ve been away long enough.”, she giggled back, trying to make her absence seem light hearted. “I’m just happy to be back now.”, Roslin lied.

Vesparia smiled, “I missed you... And it is nice to converse with you without being called an imbecile.”

“I would offer tea but it looks as though you need something stronger.” Vesparia moved closer, “Would you like to talk about it?”

“If they are, I’m doomed. I look bird-like enough all on my own.”

“Well then all you will need is a beak and then you can fly away.”

Break Away

by Kelly Clarkson

“There will come a day when I’m actually King and I’ll be able to do whatever I bloody well please” Max retorted, he knew he wasn’t exactly being gentlemanly but his sister was missing damn it he had a right to be a little out of sorts! He took a few deep breaths, just like his combat instructors had taught him to when he got too wound up during training. Vesparia was right. Storming around like a bull wasn’t going to help get his sister back. He turned to look at her “I suppose I owe you an apology as well. It’s just…she’s my little sister Ves. Not knowing where she is, what’s happening to her…I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I don’t deal well with being afraid and powerless it just kind of translates into anger.”

 He remembered when he had hauled her up off the floor and cast a glance down at her wrist “Did I hurt you?” Dear gods he hoped not, even if it had been accidental it would still be getting just a little too close to being like his father which was something he never ever wanted to be.

Vesparia felt a pang of sadness and she knew it was because she missed her own brother terribly. There used to be time when he would have reacted the same way as Max, even worse, had Ves gotten hurt but now... Vesparia was not so sure anymore. "If you just take a moment to breathe. I know it is difficult Max but you need to think clearly now, not with anger." Vesparia tried to smile reassuringly though she had no energy left for facial expression.

“Have you managed to fix my silver hair comb?”

Elena smiled fondly as she watched Ves with the baby, laughing softly at her whispering. “That is very true, it is his loss,” she nodded, saying more for her own benefit over anything else. “Well it is about time I became more popular because of my daughter, we would love that,” she smiled. It was strange to think that she used to be so incredibly anti-social, not she was desperate to just get outside again. How the tables had turned.

"Well with a girl like this you will be invited to all the garden parties and, when she is older, the matchmaking mama's will try and reap her up for their boys." Vesparia laughed, "Maybe I should ask the blacksmith in Illyrium to create a weapon for you - just in case." She winked.

“I’m…not entirely sure.” Robert sat up and rubbed his head, turning to see his reflection in the mirror. His body was sore and it was clear that he’d been in a fight. A soft growl left him, unable to recall the fight that had left him so battered. “I..apologize.”

Vesparia chuckled before schooling her face into a mask of indifference. She leaned down and helped the Lord up, "You either had one extremely fun night or one terrible."

“She couldn’t possibly hate you for something your mother set up, Vesparia,” He said, watching her. “It;ll be worse if she hears it from someone else and I couldn’t stand it if she hated either of us.”

Vesparia sighed, “Lyra and I bonded over our overbearing mothers so she knows what it is like but... She will say that I still have a choice and to her it will feel like a betrayal."