He lay upon the heavily pillowed bed, pondering the important question of whether to rise and summon breakfast prior to his beloved wife’s awakening, or to wait and avoid wakening her any sooner than necessary. Although the rising sun would not touch his balcony until it began its descent, he could tell by the shadows that they were well past mid-morning.

Khepri had not slept comfortably until well into early morning, and while they had been in Karendar for almost two weeks now, he knew the journey had been tiring, even with all that his crew could do on the WS Windstar for their captain’s beloved.

He smiled, as the decision was taken from him. It mattered not that they spent so much time apart due to his travels, when they were together, he was attuned to her every move, and the slight change in her breathing meant she had awoken.

“Good morning, my lovely,” he said.

The very unlovely snort made him smile broadly, as he shifted to prop up some pillows, and help her get into a more upright position.

“Shall I get us some breakfast then?”

“What I really want, you miserable cretin is some of that brandy that costs a fortune at home, that you seem to have barrels of here.” The word choice greatly belied the loving tone in which they were uttered.

As he climbed out of the bed, “Ah, yes, well, I am sure that I can find some spiced orange cider, maybe even a selection of juices, all finely crafted I am sure.” As he reached for his dressing gown, a wisp of air floated the pillow aimed at his head to the side so it flew through the gauze like pale blue drapes hanging across the exit to the balcony.

“That is not what I asked for,” she said.

“Yes, my darling, I am well aware of that. I am well aware of the fact that you are the master of all things brewed for five hundred miles around our home. I am also aware that no one would listen to me when I asked for it, because none would contradict Kaloryien, let alone Valerus. On top of that, they all happen to agree with them.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she kissed him back, before hitting him with yet another pillow. The short pillow fight quickly turned much more amorous, and he forgot about breakfast for a while, the dressing gown once more removed.

Nearly an hour later, as they lay in each other’s arms, she looked at him, “I’m glad you finally talked me into coming.”

He smiled for a long moment, “I am extremely happy that you agreed to come.” After pausing for a bit, “I know you have always been concerned about, well, how the Marquise might react, but hopefully that has been put to rest.”

“I don’t know about the  rest, but I am happy that we have come.”

As he was about to respond, his ears picked up the sound that could only be the creaking of sails and the slight grown of masts.”

“What is it Tolaryian?”

“Sounds like someone is coming into dock.”

“So? Your family is the preeminent sailors of Karendar, as you so often remind me,” the sarcasm muted by the shining smile with which she accompanied the words.

“Yes, that is true,” he replied absentmindedly, “but we are well upriver from the estuary, and the waters are much shallower, much more difficult to navigate, and it requires special ships. It’s not really worth it for most people.” He leans over, kissing her quickly, before hopping out of bed, grabbing the silk gown, and saying, “I’ll be back in a few minutes, and we can get that spiced cider.”

As he walks out onto the balcony heading towards the wider veranda, his aunt Valerus comes around the corner, and he is about to speak when she gasps loudly.

Turning as he joins her, he sees the ensign of the approaching finally flutter into view, the extremely light breeze barely pushing the sales towards the dock.

“A Stormbreaker ship,” he mutters, “what in all the Fates are they doing here?”

A dark haired rogue standing at the rail of the bow, next to a similar attired female holding a crossbow, looked straight at Valerus, “OATHBREAKER!!!! Your family will finally pay in blood for your traitorous actions!”

“What in the….” he started to say when the female sailor raised the crossbow, and the click of the trigger mechanism was suddenly loud in shocked silence.

He shouldered his aunt aside, at the same time summoning the winds to his defense, knocking the bolt aside.

To his horror, he feels, more than hears, the thunk of the bolt slamming into a body behind him.

As he turns around, he hears a muted pain filled questioning “Tolaryian?” Before he can do more than step, Khepri crumples to the ground, the bolt sticking out obscenely from her body, just above her distended, very pregnant belly, the silk robe having done nothing to protect her from the assassin’s weapon.

 

---

 

He shudders awake, once again inside the ruined temple, sensing the rest of his friends awakening from their slumber nearly simultaneously, before he hears Valerus’s piercing scream. He scrambles to his feat, turning to move towards her. He sees the blood pooled around her body, but as he steps forward, it shimmers, fading into nothingness, and he hears Khepri’s voice as a whisper, as if she stands next to him, “It’s not your fault, we are all free to make our own choices.”