Breakfast

Brightise was led to the nursery by one of the guards.

When she asked the woman if she was the Queen's personal guard, she shot her an incredulous look.

"If the Queen needed a personal guard, she wouldn't be the Queen."

Brightise thought that was fair. "Does she have Thunder Powers?" she asked, hoping her question wouldn't be considered too nosy.

The Amazon nodded curtly, but did not elaborate. She did not seem to be the very talkative type.

Brightise wished she had asked Bronwyn the same question. She would probably get a chance to ask her a lot of things if Zelna ever got her hands on her. Another encounter with her would surely end with Brightise spending a long time in the infirmary.

The Amazon led Brightise outside through a small gate. There was a vast green lawn there and a lake so small, it probably wouldn't be found on any map. The guard walked along the wall of the fortress until she reached a small outhouse.

The tiny stone building looked like a cottage built right next to the fortress. As they walked towards it, its small wooden door opened and Mother stepped out into the sunshine. She was holding a blond toddler that was rubbing its eyes sleepily.

"Good morning, Mother," the guard said with a small bow of respect.

Brightise tried to mimic her, but she ended up looking ridiculous.

"Good morning, children." The old woman invited them in with a subtle gesture. "Your sister is having breakfast," she told Brightise. "Come join her. You too, Allisa."

The guard stepped back clumsily. "Oh, no. I have to get back. But thank you, Mother."

"I said come in," Mother repeated strictly. "All children need food. Both big and small ones."

The guard didn't seem pleased at being called a child twice in under one minute, but she followed Mother and Brightise in obediently.

The cottage was very plain inside. If anything, it had less furniture than Brightise's house back in Paldagor had before it had burned down.

"Children do not need much to grow up," the old woman said when she noticed that Brightise was looking around. "If you give them too much, then they learn to need it. That does not apply to food though," she added with a pointed look at Allisa.

The guard walked to the kitchen without a word. There were three little girls sitting around the table sipping milk from small containers. Two of them had dark curly hair and olive skin. The third one had the same red hair and pale skin as Brightise.

"Clober!"

Her sister jumped up from her chair, knocking her cup and spilling her milk on the table in the process.

"Oh, no, careful! You made a mess!"

Clober hugged Brightise silently as tight as she could. She did not even turn around to look at the spilled milk.

"Hey, it's okay." Brightise rubbed her back. "I wasn't gone."

Clober pulled back and looked at her with watery eyes. "Mother said you were sleeping and you'd come see me when you woke up."

Brightise smiled with effort. "Mother wasn't lying."

She spent about a couple of hours at the cottage, having breakfast with the little girls and playing with them while Mother looked after the toddler and the baby she had been holding the previous night.

When it was a few minutes before noon, Allisa, who had been sitting awkwardly at the table the entire time, stood up and announced, "Time to go."

Brightise kissed Clober goodbye. "I might be gone a little longer this time, but I'll be back again."

"Promise?" Clober asked with a pout.

"Promise. You just be a good girl and listen to Mother."

Before they left, Brightise approached Mother and whispered, "Did the Queen mention Clober..."

Mother nodded. "I have been informed."

Brightise followed Allisa back the way they had come. When they were back to the main entrance of the fortress, instead of going in, the guard walked past it and out onto the front courtyard.

Brightise had been right. The place did look splendid during the daytime. Unfortunately, she wasn't given enough time to appreciate it.

Allisa took a sharp left turn and then started walking downhill on a small stone path. Brightise wondered whether the guard had been instructed to lead her to a quiet location and execute her. The Queen had said that her punishment would be beneficial for her though, and she didn't see how a beheading would benefit her in any way.

"We're here," Allisa announced.

Brightise looked down where she was pointing and saw a huge stone amphitheater.