Chained to old wounds

CH116

Morgan.

I gasped, opening my eyes and looked up at Anya who looked down at me with concern.

“Lady Morgan, are you all right?”

back

The memory began to dissolve, the sounds retreated back into Pyra’s memories, but I could shake the image of Siora’s face contorted in shock. I could still smell the blood in the air. Her lifeless body ripped apart and thrown everywhere as the war raged on around her.

I swallowed and forced a smile, nodding. My heart pounding, tears stinging my eyes.

“Sorry, I just… had a vision, I think.”

Anya’s eyes widened. “You’re a seer, Lady Morgan?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly.”

I took a deep breath and stood. “Why don’t you rest for a little while longer? We’ll reconvene about this council business closer to lunch.”

She nodded with a thankful murmur before lying back down. Pyra was oddly still and quiet in the back of my mind.

“Do you know where Tsuneo is?”

Haruka smiled. “Second lesson: listen to the palace.

I chuckled, nodding, feeling silly. I reached out, searching for him, when I found him growling and pacing in his office. He looked up as if he could feel me searching for him, then he vanished.

“You needed me?”

I turned, gasping as he appeared behind me.

Haruka squeaked. “When could you do that?”

He chuckled. “Recently.”

“I do,” I said and took his hand. “Could we speak privately for a moment?”

and we floated and drifted through the shadows of the

CHIÊ

palace until we were back in our chambers, the fire was still crackling softly in the hearth. Tsuneo guided me to a chair and kneeled beside as tears started to slip down my cheeks.

Morgan,” he whispered, his voice grounding me in the present, but the memory still echoed in my mind.

“It was her daughter,” I murmured, my voice barely audible. “Pyra’s daughter… Siora. She looked just like Anya. She… she was killed in the war.”

Tsuneo’s brow furrowed, his eyes searching mine for answers. Another light flickered in his eyes,

but he blinked it away.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning, Morgan.”

I nodded, trying to make sense of what I had seen. “Anya looks exactly like her. I saw… I saw her death. Siora’s. A tiger-

Tsuneo went stiff. I eyed him. “You know this story already.”

Tsuneo looked away, his expression blank for a moment before he clenched his jaw.

“Anya is an iridescent dragon, but I had never imagined…” Tsuneo shook his head. “We can talk at length about… the last time there was a Convening of the Celestial Compass and the hell that broke out, but… is Pyra okay?”

I winced. “She’s quiet… I don’t think she meant to remember. I’m not sure if she meant to show it to me either.” I shuddered. “It’s like she’s grieving all over again. Seeing Anya brought it all back.”

Tsuneo clenched my hands. I looked at my hands. The weight of Pyra’s loss settled heavily on me, but along with it came a deep understanding–of her pain, her silence, and the fire that burned inside her. Pyra had lost so much in that war, and now, as we faced the Convening of the Celestial Compass, her grief and rage were a part of me, just as much as her power.

And now, I understood her fury, but what I didn’t understand was this low–level and persistent sense of fear. What had scared her so much?

Tsuneo and I parted again and I went to find Haruka. She was already sitting with Maya in her private parlor, laughing over tea and snacks. There was a stack of records on the table as well.

“Morgan, I hope everything is alright?” Haruka asked.

I nodded. “Sorry, I just… needed to…”

d

to say. Pyra still wasn’t speaking to me.

2/4

“Anya will be here soon.”

I was about to say something, fear and worry rushed through me, but I held it back. Anya had been through a lot, she had suffered greatly, but she was strong. Pyra’s desire to coddle her was understandable, but she wasn’t Siora. If she felt ready and able to contribute to the kingdom and the path forward, whatever that would look like, she deserved the chance to do so.

So much had already been taken from her. I sat down and poured myself some tea.

“Sounds great.”

Haruka

As Morgan joined us, I took a deep breath and basked in the memories that came flooding back. This was the place where I had spent so much of my time in the palace when I wasn’t with Hayato. I’d never had a formal council of ladies, the harem had never liked me enough, and I never found any of them trustworthy enough. There had been Maya, of course, but Anya had been too young for so long.

“Lady Anya has arrived.”

I looked up as she shuffled into the room, bowing her head and freshly dressed in new robes that fit her station. Her scales hadn’t come back just yet, but they would now that she was healed. She sat. Morgan poured her tea and I smiled at them. It would be so nice to ensure that Morgan had the support I didn’t..

She had a lot more going against her than I ever did.

“We have a lot to discuss,” I said. “The Convening of the Celestial Compass is coming and with us. just starting to prepare in winter, things could get complicated, but before that, let’s talk about something galittle more uplifting?” I looked at Morgan, “You still haven’t gone on your honeymoon as I understand it.”

Morgan flushed. “That’s hardly that high up on the priority list.”

I sipped my tea. “I’m the queen, I get to decide what the priority list is.”

and Dad

She scoffed. “There is way too much to do for Tsuneo and I to be bothered with a honeymoon right now.” Then she paused and looked at me. “But… this would be a good time for you to have some real time to yourselves.”

I went still, my eyes widened. “What?”

3/4

CH116

Her eyes softened. “It… can’t have been easy pulling yourself to breakfast this morning… and now you’re trying to jump into palace matters? Tsuneo was already heading all the preparations for the Convening, I doubt you’ll have a better chance in the coming days.” Morgan smiled. “I know you’re… eager to nudge out relationship along, but I think Tsunco would agree with me when I say that it would better serve the kingdom if our king and queen were happy, rested, and hand some time to themselves after everything.”

I didn’t know what to say, but I laughed incredulously, my eyes stinging. It had been torture to ring that bell and leave Hayato’s chambers. Hayato had said nothing about it, but I knew that was just because he was content to have me back.

It wasn’t fair to him and how lonely he’s been all these years without me, but he was still the king and there was work to be done.

I set my jaw. “You… You really think you and Tsuneo will be alright?”

I be alright?”