Then I moved down the hall only to turn down another one and see a maid coming to me.
“My princess,” she said softly then dropped in a quick curtsy before straightening and offering a creamy envelope to me. “This came in today’s post.”
“Thank you, Michelle,” I said softly, taking the envelope, she did another quick curtsy and scurried away.
I turned the envelope over and saw a bright green wax seal, pressed with a scrolled, looped, double L.
Lavinia.
I smiled, ran my nail under the seal, opened the envelope and pulled out the thick, cream paper inside, opening it and reading.
My Winter Princess,
The adela takes root!
I cannot tell you how pleased I am. As you know, I planted three branches and all three have begun to glow. They send shoots into the earth, reaching to the elfin realm. It is very exciting to have this early success.
I am away to move through my beautiful Lunwyn and plant branches before the frost sets in. It will take decades for the trees to spread but our great land will be graced by the glow of the adela once again, I will see to it.
I have received your letter and it is good to know your pregnancy does not cause you trouble as other women endure. I wish this for you for the entirety of it and I will be at your side when it is time for you to deliver our next king or our next Winter Princess to this world.
And I await stories of your next adventure, my princess.
Yours always,
Lavinia
I smiled at the paper then, folding it and sliding it back into its envelope, I moved to my mother’s old office, a smaller room, more feminine and now unused.
The door was open and I stopped in it to take in Skylar behind the desk, Penelope lying on top of it. He was bent over it with pencil in hand. She was sending her tail in wide sweeps, catching his papers.
“Stop it, cat,” he muttered.
Penelope swept her tail away, then back over his papers.
He turned his head and glared at the feline. “Stop it, cat!”
She executed two more sweeps.
Skylar emitted a little boy growl that was alarmingly like the ones I’d heard from Frey’s men on occasion and punished my cat by picking her up from the desk, cuddling her in his arms and torturing her with scratches behind her ears.
I could hear Penelope’s purrs all the way across the room.
When I heard them, I smiled.
* * * * *
Two weeks later…
Houllebec.
I sat in Frey’s lap shuffling the cards, my eyes on the occupants of the table.
Esther sat in Oleg’s lap and I was unsurprised to see, for I’d seen it before, that he was as gentle when he was with her as Frey was with me.
But, even so, he still didn’t talk much and when he did it was mostly grunts.
Jocelyn sat beaming in Thad’s lap and although Esther and Oleg were testing the waters, clearly enjoyed each other and were becoming close; it didn’t take a love doctor to see Jocelyn had fallen and when I say that, I mean deep.