*Briella*
The cacophony of hammers and saws and shouts jolted me from sleep, a symphony of progress that was as harsh as it was necessary. I groaned, rubbing the crust from my eyes. Did they have to be so rude though?
The room was already bathed in the soft light of dawn. Kryzen's side of the bed was empty. Slipping out from under the sheets, I planted my feet on the cool stone floor and stretched, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.
"Morning already?" I muttered to myself.
Kryzen was a shadow moving with purpose across the room, his back to me as he slipped into a shirt. His movements were quick and efficient, a mirror to the urgency that seemed to have wrapped itself around him like a cloak. My heart swelled with a mix of pride and trepidation. He carried the weight of the kingdom on his broad shoulders now.
"Sleep well?" I asked, my voice still thick with sleep as I watched him.
