[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

The queen sat straight in a high backed chair, as Habeth pulled the brush slowly through her thick dark hair. Miaama sat a respectable distance away, her head tipped to the side, blue eyes watching the small sparks and poppings the brush set off in the queen's hair.

A paw to the face made Miaama retaliate sharply, cuffing Arye with a quick paw. The smaller cat sent her a contrite look. Ow, Miaama, I was chasing the sparks... the kitten waved a paw tentatively toward the crumbs of light as though to demonstrate. A change came over the older cat's expression, a smug mischievous look, that should have warned Arye what was coming.

"Yeeeeoww!" Arye shrieked, but his protest was muffled, as Miaama landed on top of him, her tail playfully thrashing back and forth as she pinned the younger cat to the floor. A disdainful sneeze brought Miaama's attention away from the mock battle, and her entire body stiffened at the sight of Huine coming through the flap in the wall, delicately dragging a piece of paper toward Beruthiel.

Even with her lips pulled back as far as she could from the paper, Huine's expression was still condescending, and Miaama's fur prickled. So intent was she, that she didn't notice the dark shape of her mistress rise up over her, and pluck the struggling Arye from beneath Miaama's paws. Robbed of her victim, she tumbled over ungracefully and felt the Huine's supercillious gaze turn to silent laughter. Offended, Miaama pulled herself up straight, and forcefully licked her fur back into line, strictly ignoring the other cat's laughter.

Huine crossed the room and sprang lightly into Beruthiel's lap, dislodging Arye who looked disgruntled to have been moved from his warm seat. Dropping the paper on her knees, Huine curled up tightly while Beruthiel read silently. A moment later, Miaama's bad mood vanished at the sight of Huine's surprised expression as she tumbled roughly to the floor.

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Beruthiel held the paper between stiff fingers as she rose from the chair. Her eyes were fixed on the paper she held, her brother in law, Tarciryan's writing. Habeth's face paled as Beruthiel spun and ordered her out of the chamber. She opened her mouth as though to speak, closed it again and inclined her head respectfully. Scooping up Huine, who was staring at the queen with an expression of wounded dignity, Habeth left the room.

Alone with her cats Beruthiel relaxed the muscles of her face. Her expression no longer mattered, her friends would not betray her. Emotions chased each other across her face, one after another. Anger, that Tarannon would have his brother, his closest ally here to work against her; betrayal, that Earnil would take her place as Tarannon's highest responsibility; despair, that when a child finally came to the King's House, it would not be her own.

Uncannily sensing her distress the cats in the room pressed against her, rubbing on her legs, springing into her lap. She lifted Pirro, rubbing her cheek into his dark fur, letting it wipe away the mist in her eyes that threatened to become tears. After a moment, Beruthiel composed herself, reading the letter over a last time she slipped it into the fireplace and watched the paper blacken and curl to ash.