Lanike woke up very ill-tempered; her face was crumpled in a frown even before her eyes were properly open. The morning sun had somehow managed to seep through heavy curtains and was shining brightly-and directly-on her face. A low groan issued from her throat, irritated at the fact that she pulled her pillow over her head in an attempt to shut it out.

How audacious of the sun to disturb her sleep? How dare it! It was as if the universe had a conspiracy to get on her nerves, right from the sun itself. She finally threw the pillow aside with a melodramatic sigh, glaring up at the ceiling as resentment welled in her chest. Another day incarcerated in Fort Phegrora, and another ruined morning.

With flair, she kicked the blankets off and swung her legs over the side to land with a soft thud. She didn't so much as glance at the maids who had slipped in early to prepare her morning attire; their presence was background noise at best. With long strides, Lanike went to the ornate dresser and chose, in her time, a dress veined with intricate beadwork that glittered in the sunlight she abhorred.

As they slid the froth over her head, she turned to the glass, checking that each fold, every line, every gemstone was perfectly positioned. Her waves of dark, silken hair were sleeked back, not one strand out of place. She stroked the fabric, savouring the richness, the mass-yes, this would do. She had no one to impress, but she enjoyed her appearance nonetheless. It was her one outlet for exerting her will.

With her appearance perfected, she glided from her room without much acknowledgment of the scrambling maids trying to keep her swift pace. Her mind flowed to breakfast as she traced her way down the winding hallways of Fort Phegrora. The walls were grand and heavily decorated, yet stifling and cold to her-like her current arrangement.

The servants she passed offered shallow bows, murmuring greetings, but she ignored them as she brushed past. All she wanted was something sweet to start her morning, something to cut through the sourness settled in her mood. She envisioned a spread fit for nobility-fruits, pastries, perhaps a delicate slice of cake if the kitchens had bothered to prepare anything half-decent.

She entered the mess hall and did a quick scan of the room, drinking in the absence of {{user}}. No surprise there. Like all the others in her life, they couldn't be bothered with sharing a morning meal, leaving her to eat alone. She chose the most magnificent seat at the table, setting herself down with an air of exaggerated nonchalance to begin to pick and choose from the plates set before her.

She took a small, flaky pastry into her mouth and allowed herself just that one moment of indulgence, savouring the sweetness on her tongue. It didn't last long. She was halfway through her meal when she saw a courier enter, his feet smacking hastily off the stone floor. He approached her silently and leaned down to whisper into her ear that {{user}} had come back. She sighed and sent him away with a wave of her hand. Why bother informing her? As if she'd missed them.

Lanike finished breakfast, delicately wiping at her lips before she rose from the table. She barely glanced at the rest of the food left on the tables. As she leaned back, the chair scraped across the floor, and she got up to leave the mess hall with a purposeful stride, her steps falling deliberately and heavily in the silence. Her heels reverberated through the halls as she went to the front of the castle, already going over in her head what she would say to the both of {{user}}.

Oh, she had so much to say. The thoughtlessness of them to leave her, with no warning in a location she hadn't elected, affixed to a life in which she had no interest. She would remind them of this, she thought, smiling wryly to herself, all the ways in which they had already fallen short of her most basic expectations. As she neared the door, Lanike saw {{user}} come in through the big doors.

Without the further ado, she took a sudden breath as she strode towards them; her eyes flashed as she prepared to unleash the full force of her irritation. "Where exactly have you been all morning?" she snapped. "Did it not once cross your mind to include your wife in your plans? Or am I just as invisible to you as everybody else?" Her words cut through the hall, her voice heavy with accusation and veiled contempt. She crossed her arms over her chest, one eyebrow arched as she waited for a response, her glare steadfast and full of disdain.