Chapter 104 – Sleep (Sort Of)

• The rest of the evening goes much easier than the start. The four of us spend hours in the kitchen as Laila continues to make what is apparently a very elaborate and time-consuming soup. Orion does most of the talking, answering question after question as I seek to know more about this world and the politics within it. The picture that begins to develop in my mind is quite surprising – I didn’t know, for instance, that this world has rather a thriving noble class who have houses scattered all over the land and have a great deal to say in the laws and regulations.
• And while my first impulse as Queen would be to immediately strip everyone of their titles, Orion’s explanations about the roles that these people play within the world, and how the nobility can be manipulated for political ends, certainly tempers that impulse.
• Laila’s soup, when it’s finally ready, is absolutely delicious – especially when served with liberal amounts of crusty bread and fresh butter. I shift Anton back into his corporeal form and we watch curiously to see whether or not he can eat.