Samantha Edwhan

End of the Winter Star

Chapter 11

A month after the loss of the Silver egg, Griffin finally returned to his duties. Gerold welcomed him back. He'd missed having his best friend by his side for the courts. It would be good to work together again.

But as they sat in the courts on Griffin’s first day back, Gerold noticed he wasn’t quite back to normal yet.

“There is a new request for financial aid to businesses over the winter months,” Freya said, reading from the scroll. “What does the crown say in response?”

Gerold suppressed a sigh. He'd finally gotten a chance to look through the finance reports for the Calndom with help of his financial advisors. But he was yet to make an announcement regarding his decision.

He looked over at Griffin and recognised the defeated look on his face. It seemed this request was a reminder of the last few months.

Gerold sighed and turned back to Freya. “I reviewed last year's request a few months ago. I'm sorry to say that the businesses will not be receiving winter aid this year. Their expenses overall do not justify the cost and the castle would risk bankruptcy if it were to provide aid.”

Freya nodded and made a note on the scroll. Gerold heard Griffin sigh beside him. Gerold wanted to ask him if he was alright, but the courts were not the time to ask such a heavy question.

Gerold worked his way through the rest of the requests, leaving most of them to be reviewed later. Once the courts ended, Gerold led Griffin out of the Throne Room and nudged him aside.

“Are you alright, Griffin?” he asked quietly.

Griffin blinked slowly at him, then looked at the ground. “I'm trying to be. I know it's been a month, and it was just an egg. But I can’t help but feel remorseful that I will never know the hatchling.”

Gerold nudged Griffin with his wing. “It'll be okay, Griffin. No one in their right mind would find such a loss easy.”

Griffin nodded slightly, but continued to hang his head. Gerold felt a tightness in his chest for his friend. One day, he would die and Griffin would be solely responsible for running the Calndom. Would he react this way then too?

Gerold pushed the thought from his mind and forced a smile. “Why don't we go for a walk? Outside of the castle. Some fresh air might do us both some good.”

Griffin glanced up at him and nodded. Gerold led the way to the main doors and outside. At the gate to the Noble Districts, he told the gate guards where they were going. Once the castle was behind them, Gerold led Griffin through the other two gates for the Noble Districts.

“Where are we going?” Griffin asked as they left the Noble Districts behind.

Gerold smiled at him. “I thought we could go to a place I used to visit as a young dragon. You might remember it from your visits before I was High Caln.”

As he spoke, they rounded a corner and Griffin's eyes widened. Gerold followed his gaze to the building before them. It was a bar. It was small, and old, and the painted sign above the door had flaked and faded. But for Gerold, it felt like he was a young adult again.

“I remember this bar,” Griffin breathed.

“I would hope so,” Gerold said. “We spent a lot of time here when I was Prinze. This is where I met Adelaide.”

Griffin smiled. “Yes. She was always behind the bar when we came here. She loved seeing us.”

“Do you remember the time she had the closing shift?” Gerold asked.

Griffin laughed. “Yes, she stayed with us for hours after closing and let us drink for free.”

Gerold chuckled at the memory. That had been a fun night.

Sometimes he missed the way his life used to be. He hadn't visited this bar since he'd married Adelaide. There were so many good memories here, and he sometimes wished he could still be making more.

“Let's go in and have a drink,” Gerold said.

Griffin smiled and nodded. Gerold led the way into the bar. As they entered, heads turned and the music stilled. Gerold realised their cloaks and crowns gave away who they were. Perhaps they should have left those at the castle.

But it was too late for that now. Gerold confidently strode up to the bar and sat down.

“Two Sunset Icebergs please,” he said to the bartender.

The bartender nodded and started grabbing bottles to mix the cocktails.

“Do we even have money with us for a drink?” Griffin asked quietly as he sat down beside Gerold.

Gerold smiled. “See, that's where having a secret compartment in the cloak button comes in handy.”

As he spoke, Gerold pulled the collar of his cloak away from him and slid open the small compartment in the wooden button. He always liked to keep a few spare coins with him. To his knowledge, no other noble had such a hiding spot in their cloak button.

Griffin chuckled lightly. “Why am I not surprised?”

Gerold placed a gold coin on the bench top. When the bartender turned around with their drinks, his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

“Consider the extra a tip for all the times we've visited before,” Gerold told him.

The bartender glanced at Gerold, nodded meekly, and placed the cocktails in front of him and Griffin. Gerold took a small sip of his drink. Sunset Iceberg was an interesting drink. There was a comforting warmth due to the alcohol and a dash of chilli, but there was also a freshness from the mint. Gerold enjoyed the feeling that it gave him.

Gerold glanced over at Griffin and was surprised to see he had already downed his entire drink.

“Wow,” he breathed. “I guess you needed that, huh?”

Griffin smiled slightly, staring at his empty glass. “I probably shouldn't drink them all like that.”

“I agree with that,” Gerold said. He nodded to the bartender. “Can you get my friend a refill please?”

The bartender nodded and took the empty glass.

“How are you doing?” Gerold asked, turning to Griffin.

Griffin sighed deeply. “I don't know. I know I should be over this by now, but I'm not. I wake up with Misti every morning and I can't help but think ‘we should have a little one with us.’”

He sighed again. The bartender placed a new drink in front of him, but he didn't even look up. Gerold stretched his wing over Griffin's back.

“I'm sorry this happened, Griffin. I, too, wish there was a little Silver running around the castle,” Gerold said. “Give yourself time to mourn. But don't forget to spend some time remembering the good parts of life. Like all our times at this bar, or caring for your son and daughter. Try to keep yourself out of a downward spiral.”

Griffin nodded and gave him a weak smile. Gerold wasn't sure how helpful his words would be, but perhaps they could spend the evening reflecting on Griffin's happier memories.