>>6085196It's a familiar ceiling that you find yourself waking up to. As dawn's light reaches you under warm sheets through red curtains. You're still rather tired but haven't felt this rested in a while. Though your hand is unreasonably sweaty at the current moment. Your eyes are heavy, but with a great force of will, you force them open and sit up in your bed. The force of your rise causes one of the two figures in your room to stir, the one tenderly holding your hand. Your mother, Carroll de Lindan, sitting in a wooden chair she's brought next to your bed. She blinks the sleep out of her eyes before leans over to place a hand on your head analyzing your entire body, "Oh, darling, are you alright? Everything is fine now; you're okay now."
"Mom?" You stutter out in a dry voice.
"Yes, sweetie!?"
"W-water."
"Ooh, right!" she says before frantically looking around behind her until she finds a gold-encrusted goblet on your nightstand. "Here!" She practically shoves the chalice into your hands.
You drink slowly as you survey the state of your room. Everything seems fine, just as you left it. The curtains are all closed, so you can't see the city's outside or state. Though you know another silhouette, you're not exactly used to being here. She stands near your grand doorway, one foot pressed against the wall. A red cloak draped over her body, showing tiny but her face and gray hair, and two ears poked out from under her hood. You know this woman, for she is an Adamantite adventurer, the future queen of Lindan, an uncouth barbarian, and your sister-in-law, a wolf demihuman simply listed as "Red" on her adventurer card. She nods to you, but it is informal where one's head goes up instead of down.
"Yo," She says with a slight wave as she watches you.
You give a confused glance to the woman and then to your mother as you hydrate your chapped lips and dry throat. Why is she here? That is all you can think of, for you've had very little interaction with the commoner, primarily due to your father's general dislike of her and her tendency to leave the royal grounds at her leisure to take on more quests.
Red makes no intention of explaining herself, forcing Mom to speak. "She's been watching over you since you returned last night, seeing as-" She hesitates, and in that moment, Red takes the initiative.
"Seeing as ya ran away from home and returned the followin' day half-dead and covered in other people's blood. Gotta say, kid, I didn't know you had it in you; nice work," It's her honesty that's the worst part. From her smirk, you can tell she's genuinely impressed by your escapade.
"But what about the Stranger and the-" Your mom is the one to cut off your hoarse question.
"Shh, darling. We can talk about all that later when you're feeling better. You still need to rest." Unknowingly, you make a face at that, causing Red to respond again.
