The sun hadn't yet arisen when King Oleron woke up that morning, his shoulders adorned in his royal red cape, the black and white fur sewn at the hem keeping him warm. When he walked into the parlour, hoping to enjoy the remains of a good book by the fireplace, he found Mirana at his feet, asleep with one arm draped around Time's shivering frame. Time, asleep as well, had thin shards of peach-coloured glass jutting out from his hands in all directions, swimming in bright red blood. The heat of the firelight had dried some of it, but not much.
"That was my favourite vase," came a mournful voice from the doorway, and the King whirled around to see Queen Elsemere standing there, her hair held back with shimmering gold pins.
"I'm sure they didn't mean any harm," said King Oleron, kneeling down on the carpet. "Don't fear, dear Elsemere. I can get you another vase."
"Well… yes, that's true," sighed the Queen, stepping into the room, her eyes glassy in the firelight. "I only wish that they wouldn't go wandering around the palace at night. One of these days, somebody's going to get badly hurt, Oleron! If it isn't Iracebeth stealing food out of the kitchen and sneaking it back to her bed at night, now it's our timekeeper breaking vases and cutting himself with glass! Whatever shall we do?"
King Oleron smiled fondly. "Mirana wants to give Time an unbirthday present. Isn't that sweet of her?"
"Yes," agreed Queen Elsemere, "only… I'm not sure that our dear princesses should be playing with Time at all."
"Perhaps not," King Oleron replied. "…Elsemere, can you get all of this broken glass out of his hands?"
The Queen nodded solemnly, lifting the clockwork being in her arms and lying him out on the bench beside the window. Using her platinum-painted fingernails, she quickly began taking piece after piece of sharp glass out of the boy's pale hands, crushing the glass to dust and brushing it away to the floor. "Dear little timekeeper," she whispered, unable to stop a thin smile from gracing her powdered face. She liked Time. Even knowing what he was in the back of her mind, what his purpose was to be, she couldn't help but like him. I suppose I have to appreciate the time and stability he'll give me, rather than what he may eventually take away, she told herself, removing the last piece of glass.
"To your knowledge, Elsemere," asked the King, "did Time ever apologize to Iracebeth for their argument over friendship, or lack thereof?"
"I couldn't tell you," the Queen answered. "In any case, Iracebeth won't go anywhere near him now. You know she never likes people who contradict her… and she doesn't believe that Time is worth her time, not anymore."
While King Oleron sat himself down on the bench beside Time, and Mirana slept peacefully on the floor, Queen Elsemere set about making a pot of hot tea, boiling fresh water and preparing her favourite silver tea set. Etched with hearts and diamonds, it had been passed down to her from her own Queen Mother, and grandmother before her, as an inherited gift to share. The tea smelled lovely, and soon it became easy for Elsemere to drift off into her own plans for the day.
When she glanced up, she spotted Iracebeth standing in the doorway, her pink linen robe trailing close to the floor, her red hair hanging in loose ringlets. "I heard a tea kettle whistling," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"You're just in time, Iracebeth," said the Queen, cheerfully beaming. "We're all going to have tea in the parlour. Wonderful plan for the morning, isn't it?"
"The sun isn't even up yet," yawned Iracebeth. "I'm going back to sleep."
Queen Elsemere frowned. "But darling, it simply won't be the same without you! Besides, Time has been asking about you quite often now. It seems that he means to apologize to you."
Iracebeth grunted in disdain. "I want nothing to do with that."
"Iracebeth," exclaimed the Queen, "I'm surprised at you. You know better than to be so cruel."
Iracebeth turned around, about to storm off… but then, with a quiet sigh, she trudged back into the room. "I'm not going to let some clockwork thing intimidate me." She folded her arms, and with a loud huff, she made her way towards the parlour.
