I woke up with a promise on me.
This is the worst way to wake up.
Worse than pain.
Worse than noise.
Worse than Penelope.
Pain fades and noise stops and Penelope eventually goes to class.
A promise simply sits there, fully formed, waiting.
I had told Elizabeth Aurelius I would check on all five of them.
Today.
I had said it out loud, in a courtyard, voluntarily, while nobody was holding anything sharp.
'Was I unwell.'
[You were embarrassed.]
'I don't get embarrassed.'
[You said the word "quest" to the First Princess of the royal family and then spent nine seconds attempting to convert it into "question."]
'That was a linguistic accident.'
[It was the least convincing thing you have done in five years, and I include the time you told your father you had been meditating.]
I pulled Dream Haven over my face.
It did not help, but it did reduce the amount of world available, which is most of what I ask from anything.
***
Here is the thing about five people.
