The sunrise of the New Year broke early on the horizon to welcome silence from the city below. The frost lifted off the sodden earth, but its chill permeated in the rooms and halls of Castle Melior. Silence was the welcome norm; few yuletide greetings passed the lips of those in the halls, and not a single smile was seen.

The atmosphere did not bother him in the least. While other faces seemed disquieted, he relished the opportunity to be truly alone with his thoughts.

And he had been left alone. Despite his "heroism" at the feast the previous night, his flight from it had been viewed as a signal. He was to be left alone. Not even the Commander had come.

The Commander… the very thought of him cause another sheet of ice to descend on his mood. The man he'd called friend… everything had changed now.

He was betrothed.

Here was an appalling thought. Its existence alone was shocking. Had this been three years ago, he would have called anyone entertaining the thought of a woman, a noble woman, who would fall for the rough, tactless Commander insane. Yet their travel with the young Princess had left an impression, and it was for that time and the bond that had grown between them that the idea was now feasible. The thought was appalling, but not surprising.

His own view on the matter? The Commander had made a decision. With that in place, his own opinion was null. He had thought that saving the Queen would demonstrate his support, but…

His friend had attacked him.

As soon as the Commander had understood, he had wanted to atone, but didn't know how. The mage himself didn't know how. After being the sole person he had trusted, the sole person he kept nothing from, the sole person he'd called friend… the Commander had betrayed that trust. It had only been for a minute, but the mage had invested so much in the Commander that he knew now that it would be impossible to recover everything.

And then there was that girl…

He shook all thoughts of her away. She wanted to be with him, she didn't want to be with him… she hated him, she had kissed him… He did not know what she wanted, he did not know why he wanted her, but he dismissed these oddities as a simple peculiarity of the female race. It was something he was resigned to never understand.

Another peculiarity; he'd never stayed in bed so long in his life. He thought that he was perhaps ill. His head was pounding with unfettered thought and his stomach cramped in on itself whenever he pictured another beorc face. He was glad that the others had left him alone.

He had known that it wouldn't last, and it was with a resigned sigh that he sat up when there was finally a knock at his door.

"Who is it?"

"Me, Mist."

The mage sat up a little straighter. He'd not been thinking at all about the Commander's sister. Perhaps she was the only company he could endure today. "…come in, then."

She pushed the door open with her hip, as her hands were occupied with an assortment of breakfast items. "Morning," she said, smiling at him. He nodded to her as she came over and placed the tray down on the table by his bed. "I was worried when you didn't show up for breakfast this morning. I thought I'd bring some food up to you."

"Hm." He looked at the small platter of fruit and bread that the girl had brought him. He'd eat the bread, but not the fruit. Sweet was his least favorite taste.

She stood there for another moment or two, studying his appearance. "Have you been in bed all this time?"

"Odd, isn't it?"

"Soren, are you feeling well?"

"I'm doing just fine, Mist."

She shifted from foot to foot. "Lucia and Kieran had a fight this morning," she blurted. He looked up, and failed to cover his look of surprise. The girl continued. "He was wondering where she disappeared to after the assassination attempt, and she wouldn't tell him, and…" she trailed off, trying to read the mage's face. She shook her head. "Sorry. I mean, this doesn't interest you, does it?"

"…no," the mage lied, reaching over and picking up a biscuit from the tray to divert the attention the girl was giving him.

She gave a slight nod. "Elincia was wondering if she could come up and see you later," she reported.

"She's the Queen. She may do whatever she desires."

"Yes, but…"

"Tell her that."

The girl nodded, watching carefully for a few more minutes to verify that the mage was actually eating this morning. "And Ike?"

"What about him?"

She picked up on the edge that entered his voice. She gave a final, curt nod, and hurried for the door. "Elincia will be up later. Hope you feel better, Soren."