To Family

Aria nodded her thanks at the guard and closed the door on it, what use was it to talk to a puppet. The stone floor of the pavilion seemed endless as she neared the family shrine. She grabbed the sketch Emile had made of them so long ago. They were all smiles as they held onto to the company banner Gaspar with his new eye patch and Aria with her left horn snapped in half. She remembered that day well, the heat, the drink, the food, the parade through the capitol, the beat of her heart as she asked Gaspar to marry her, his laugh and shout as he said yes and the night of mad dancing as the company gathered round for one last time to celebrate.

A knife of pure ice sunk into Aria’s heart as memories burst forth. That long journey home, the night’s spent