"Gardener, delegates have arrived. They wait for you in the Great Hall."

Not knowing if they have come for your head or for your cooperation, the urgency of greeting them seems not so urgent. You regard Michael for a moment, noting the fresh, deep scar across his face and dressed wounds on his left arm and upper leg.

"Michael, how long did you serve as personal guard for my parents?"

"They brought me on when you were born. As their only child, I believe they felt that their legacy needed protecting. Rightly so, it seems, sadly."

"So, almost 14 years. I know you did everything you could to save them."

"If only I could have done more..." he replies quietly.

"You did everything you could, Michael. A disease has infected our countryside and there was no way to stop it from crossing our threshold. If I survive the night, I would very much like for you to continue on here at the castle. To help guide me, I mean. My parents did too much to protect me from the politics and harsh realities of the realm, it seems."

"It would be my honor, Gardener."

"Thank you, I am grateful to have a friend I can truly trust with my life. Please see that the delegates are fed. I will be down to greet them afterwards. I have no desire to break bread with my parents' murderers."

"Of course. I will wait for you in the Hall."

Once Michael leaves, you turn back towards the window. So much has changed in such a short time that there is no way to forecast what the future will hold, let alone tomorrow. You have never dealt with this much uncertainty and the mindspace is unfamiliar.

You know what you should feel - grief, loneliness, remorse, anger, fear. But the emotions are a gnarled and twisted thicket, and it is easier to feel nothing at all, numb and shut down.

A smoldering patch in the garden catches your eye, and the perfect representation of your life brings a lump into your throat and pressure behind your ears.

The family cemetery where the funeral had been only two days ago is visible beyond the walls of the large grounds, and you hope for the opportunity to visit before the night is over. Clearly, going now might be seen as an attempt to flee and the consequences would be dire to the delicate situation at hand, as appealing as the thought might be.

There is no way to make a plan without knowing what will come from tonight's meeting. But deep down you can feel something starting to take hold, even if you have no idea what that is. There is no doubt that the coming weeks, months, and maybe years will require a strength that you're not sure you possess.

Without your realizing it, the embers glowing in the dusk have planted a seed, and a small comfort waits for you with your despair.