#prestonxsitara*

[second2onespring]

@shvdwscng

Preston was bored. No, he was beyond bored. Bored Preston was bad enough, but this, this was borderline abuse in his mind. He tossed and turned in the too-soft bed that filled the chamber he had been staying in since they had arrived for the coronation. The walls of the room felt like they were closing in, so a nighttime stroll to find a stiff drink was in order. He pulled on a shirt before sliding into the shoes beside the bed. He was careful to be quiet as he slunk through the halls towards one of the rooms he remembered seeing a selection of the finest drink. If he was lucky he might even run into someone that might be able to fill in the gaps of what was going on around here.

While he had mildly hoped someone else might be around to glean information from, he was a bit relieved to see no one in the sitting room when he entered. He made quick work to power himself a glass of the amber liquid. He drained half of it, savoring the slight burn he felt as it rolled down his throat. It was then when the light scent of another reach him, female for sure, but not one he was familiar with. He turned to see it was the queen mother nodding his head slightly to her, before taking a second drink from his glass. "Shall I pour you one as well?" He asked her. "It would be rude of me to drink our liquor without offering you any."

[second2onespring]

Preston wasn't sure how to approach her. She was a powerful woman in this city and had the ear of the newly crowned king, she was his mother after all. "Of course your highness." He responded, grabbing a goblet and pouring a healthy portion of the dark red liquid. He refilled his own glass before handing the goblet to Sitara. "To good health and long life." He said as he held his glass, tipping it to her and taking a drink.

What he needed more than anything right now was to find out what information she might have about this situation. Did he think she had to know something she wasn't sharing? Yes. Did he have any proof that she was involved? Absolutely not. But it is her city and while she may be the widowed queen and the queen mother, she certainly had to have her sway over things. And if she truly knew nothing and was as in the dark as the rest of them, then there was an unknown force out there controlling things, and Preston did not like unknowns. He shrugged his shoulder slightly at her question. "As well as can be expected I guess." He tells her, allowing some of his frustration to come through, but showing her only what he wants her to see. "How are you holding up?" He asked hoping to get a small sense of her true state of mind at the moment, knowing that he might not get anything more than the mask she chooses to show.

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  she  could  do  for  herself  and  her  son  was  to  ensure  she  was  always  at  her  strength,  that  meant  attempting  to  sleep  at  decent  hours  even  when  it  was  entirely  impossible.  she  imagine  most,  if  not  all  were  in  a  similar  state,  unable  to  rest,  nor  sleep  out  of  fear  of  anything  else  outwardly  occurring.  she  did  however  manage  to  fall  asleep  at  the  oddest  hour  of  the  day,  which  she  took  advantage  of  when  she  could.

  sitara  had  been  in  an  rather  lengthy  chat  with  some  of  her  own  citizens,  and  after  it  had  ended,  she  decides  to  remain  in  the  sitting  room,  the  book  she  had  brought  along,  she  resumed  until  she  felt  the  presence  of  another.  closing  her  book  once  more,  she  looked  to  find  the  spring  court's  commander  himself.  if  she  were  being  honest,  sitara  never  quiet  knew  what  to  expect  from  the  inner  circle  members.  some  were  rather  amiable  and  other's  well,  not  entirely.  ever  the  picture  of  a  gracious  mother  to  the  current  queen,  she  offered  the  male  a  friendly  smile  as  the  other  went  about  fetching  a  drink  for  himself.  "thank  you,  commander  preston,  i  will  have  the  wine."  she  did  not  drink  often,  certainly  not  when  she  wished  to  keep  her  wits  about  her,  but  it  would  be  rude  to  decline.  "it  would  not  be  rude,  however,  the  drinks  are  there  for  anyone  if  they  please.  how  are  you  doing  today?"  the  widow  imagines  about  the  same  as  rest,  but  it  was  expected  of  her  to  ask.