"Thanks, Zogar." Ryssa plopped onto a white silk-padded sofa and covered her eyes with her hands. "You have no idea how much I needed this."
"A break? He looked around, noticing there was no trace of the house staff that was supposed to look after the Headmaster's family. "Did some noble bother you again? Is there some problem with the Academy Duke isn't telling me?"
"No to everything." She sighed. "I just need someone to talk to. Dhiral, be a dear and go play in the garden."
"But Mom, you don't look fine." The young boy had the light green skin of his Dryad bloodline and the black hair streaked silver from his human side, making Vastor wonder how someone so young could harmonize his life forces so well.
"Also, you don't like it when I play alone in the garden. You always get angry after, and I don't want to make you mad." He looked down in shame.
