"You will..." Vangelis assured the little girl as she asked if she might one day grow up to be strong like him. Vangelis loosened his embrace so that his sister could settle back into the bed. With large and awkward hands, he made sure that she was tucked up beneath the blanket, warm and comfortable. "Just understand Asia that one day you might be able to help in your own way. Princesses do not belong on the battlefield but they have their own strength. You will help lead this kingdom to great things."

His words were half lost to the little girl as she was already started to drift into sleep. Vangelis didn't take offense. Instead, he was pleased to see that the talk, emotion, and comfort had suitably exhausted her so that she could once more lay back and relax. A little sleep would do her good. That was the problem with nightmares... the more they disrupted your recovering hours under the gaze of Hypnos the weaker you were the next day when they came a calling again. It was a downward spiral that needed to be broken somehow.

If only by a supposedly magical bit of jewelry.

Vangelis allowed Asia to hold onto the ring throughout the night, not daring to prize it from her fingers as she finally slept peacefully. Instead, he saw about his word, leaving documents and clay tablets to one side, awaiting only their seal to be made official. He would have them finalized come the morning.

In the meantime, he worked on a smaller tablet - a simple missive to a silversmith in Chaossis that he knew to be particularly skilled. He made his instructions clear and when Asia awoke, would include a stamp of the ring he wanted duplicating. Hopefully, even if he could not be with her as much as his siblings, Vangelis could leave behind a little comfort in the form of a mystical, courage-creating ring...