Chapter 12 Aria

• “What happened? Are you not going to work tonight? Are you sick, perhaps?” Lyra, my mother, inquires with surprise in her voice.
• I remain seated on the living room rug, playing with Elowen and Thorne. The two are building a castle with plastic pieces and pretending it is their fortress.
• “Because of the last attack on the palace. The king has been investigating several staff members, and because of that, my boss closed the hall for the next few days,” I reply, downcast, trying to push away the anxiety and fear of being unemployed.