Hadama worked from the pool in the Court's garden, emerald eyes scanning petitions, complaints, suggestions, and the occasional request for funds to assist a long-lost prince of Stormbreak who would generously return the investment tenfold once he regained his throne.
The clerical staff usually weeded those out, but one or two always managed to make it to the side of the pool by the fountain where the day's work piled up, no matter how hard they tried.
Harper's absence was still a raw and recent wound, and the mermanta had not yet broken himself of the habit of turning to ask his co-ruler a question or his opinion on a particularly tricky matter. Now when he turned the space was empty, and he would freeze for a moment and then swallow back his words, slowly returning to his task and working through the issue himself.
It was quiet in the Court now. But if it was lonely, Hadama revealed that fact to no one.
"Sir? Sorry to interrupt, but you asked for the reports from the soldier trainings from last season." An older clerk with greying hair and a brusque efficiency brought a sheaf of papers over and bent to place them in the 'in box' beside the pool.
Hadama set aside the budget for the Court's food expenditures with quiet gratitude and scooped up the reports with a nod for his assistant. "Thank you, Mayes," he murmured, before turning his attention to the paper, idly wicking away the dampness from his fingers with a touch of magic.
It took only a short while to finish reading them and then to pull over a fresh parchment to write his orders, signing it with his name. "Mayes? Send this to the captain. They will continue their training through Flowerbirth."
And with the stroke of a pen and a single statement, Torchline's resources were set for another season.
~Fin~
The clerical staff usually weeded those out, but one or two always managed to make it to the side of the pool by the fountain where the day's work piled up, no matter how hard they tried.
Harper's absence was still a raw and recent wound, and the mermanta had not yet broken himself of the habit of turning to ask his co-ruler a question or his opinion on a particularly tricky matter. Now when he turned the space was empty, and he would freeze for a moment and then swallow back his words, slowly returning to his task and working through the issue himself.
It was quiet in the Court now. But if it was lonely, Hadama revealed that fact to no one.
"Sir? Sorry to interrupt, but you asked for the reports from the soldier trainings from last season." An older clerk with greying hair and a brusque efficiency brought a sheaf of papers over and bent to place them in the 'in box' beside the pool.
Hadama set aside the budget for the Court's food expenditures with quiet gratitude and scooped up the reports with a nod for his assistant. "Thank you, Mayes," he murmured, before turning his attention to the paper, idly wicking away the dampness from his fingers with a touch of magic.
It took only a short while to finish reading them and then to pull over a fresh parchment to write his orders, signing it with his name. "Mayes? Send this to the captain. They will continue their training through Flowerbirth."
And with the stroke of a pen and a single statement, Torchline's resources were set for another season.
~Fin~
