Role

Chapter 23

Dearest brother Thavis,

It's a wild time these days. Thera's moving and shaking, even in my circles.
The Lich Emperor Gaspare was laid to rest. I think I told you how dear he was
to Daphedee. She sacrificed a lot for him. She's very broken up, and there
doesn't seem to be much I can do to help. She lost others, too, in the same span
of days. I told her, whenever it hurts, to try and think of a reason to smile.
She's not doing it, though. She had a keepsake from Gaspare that seemed to make
her feel better, the hourglass that once contained his wife's soul, but it was
lost after being stolen by the worst person ever. Daphedee seems ever more
fatalistic now. Cousin Tanzer has been there to help, but now? He's become a
godling. We're fifty-seventh cousins forty-three times removed to an honest to
the gods god. I'm rather proud of him. But when you're already mourning like
Daphedee is, having a cherished presence suddenly set apart...? Well. It must
be a lot to deal with. I'm doing my best, but I feel so useless. How do you
help when you can't help? The gap between who I am and what she's gone through
is too big, and maybe there's no amount of "I love you and I want you to be
happy" that can ever bridge it. All I know how to do really is BE there. She
stepped down as High Herald, too, and Raltevio passed the mantle on to me. It's
bittersweet, but if I can be even half the High Herald she's been for me I'll
consider it my greatest accomplishment.

Continued...