The book in Asher’s hands was snapped shut, frustration seeping out of him as he got up to return it to the shelf. Having been confined to bed rest by Valentine, there was little for the prince to do other than read but unfortunately, the prince had already read every book he owned several times over. And to make matters worse, they were no longer helping him take his mind off of things. From the memories his father dredged up to the multitude of events that had transpired the day before, there was a good deal the prince was trying to avoid. 

After putting the book back, Asher couldn’t help but admire Valentine’s work on his hand. A few quick clenches reminded him once more that it was still almost as good as new, something he had questioned the possibility of mere hours ago. Sure, he had to stick his hand into the alchemist’s brew of darkness-knows-what, but it was an awfully small price to pay. Even if the smell made him question just how badly he needed his nose for a few excruciating minutes.

The prince’s attention shifted to bandage covered torso, which was partially obscured by his open robe. The mage had left him with a cracked rib and a nasty burn, but for the most part those two injuries had already been taken care of. However, it was the serious case of light poisoning that had left Asher so weak and also what caused Valentine to insist that he get at the very least a week of rest before even thinking of returning to the battlefield. Glancing back up at his collection of books, he quickly realized that there was no way he was going to make it through the day, much less a week, before going stir crazy. 

The robe quietly fell to the floor as he made his way to the dresser. Literature on his side of the border had its merits, but the prince was getting tired of its tendency to be dry and unimaginative. [color=slategray][i]Something we have those archaic vampires to thank for,[/i][/color] he noted as he pulled on a black, long sleeve shirt. No, if he was going to be confined to this room for a number of days, he was going to be reading something different. A small grimace crept into his expression as he donned a dark cloak, as that meant he needed books from the other side of the border. Which meant he was going to need a trade city that had managed to remain neutral in the war. Which meant he was going to Linore.