This did not sit well with me but I had to remind myself that I was not in my world. I was here. And Frey could have no idea I was from another world, how that world was and how it looked on these things and unfortunately was justifiably livid that I had an expectation that any Lunwynian woman and especially a wife should most definitely not have.
This sucked. It also meant that, as much as it chafed, I was in the wrong.
I just didn’t know what to do about it.
Because, although he was within his rights to do as he wished, especially since we were not married at the time he took Viola to his bed, he had asked her to serve the table right in front of me.
There was, of course, the small fact that, back when the deed was done, I had no clue he or his world even existed and he still had no clue mine did, so he was right in his weird questioning if he had actually injured me. He had not, I had just grown into my place in this world and I forgot that it actually wasn’t my place.
But still, Frey rubbing my nose in his dalliance and the mean-spirited way he did it, well… that was not nice.
And that was what was holding me back from doing anything at all.
Because that hurt. A lot.
Too much.
I’d ascended the stairs and was moving down the hall toward my rooms thinking that what sucked the most was that I missed him.
A lot.
Too much.
Logically, in the recesses of my head, I recognized this distance was probably good. Although I enjoyed spending time with the Frey I’d come to know and would have definitely enjoyed spending more time with him doing more things with him, specifically some of the things we could have been doing, the smart thing to do was keep a distance and I’d been getting in too deep.
Illogically and in the forefront of my mind, I wanted what we had back.
And that, too, was a lot.
Too much.
My girls were fun to be with, they laughed often and Sjofn was right, it was very clear they were trustworthy and they had been immensely helpful. I had a great time with them. I was enjoying spending time with Mother and discovering Fyngaard. I definitely liked learning more about this world because it was all very strange but very cool. Being a princess in a Palace, I’d learned, pretty much rocked. And I was making inroads with Father, which pleased me immensely.
But on Valentine’s line of happiness, I was no longer anywhere near bliss. I was no longer smack dab in the middle of happiness either.
I was definitely at the lower end, hovering around contentment.
And I was there, I knew, because I didn’t have Frey.
I opened my door and stopped before entering when I saw Mother in the armchair across the room, her legs crossed, her long fingernails scratching Penelope’s ruff. A Penelope who was lying on my mother’s thigh with her eyes closed, purring.
Hmm. This was unusual. If Queen Aurora wanted to spend time with me, she sent a servant to tell me she wished my attendance.
I wondered why she was there and I worried the reason was not good.
Her eyes came to me and she greeted, “Hello, my Sjofn.”
I took her in. Her face was blank thus gave no clues.
Damn. From past experience with her, I did not know if this was good or bad. She’d been warmer to me but I’d also learned from my girls that Queen Aurora could be moody, her expectations were high and those expectations were significantly elevated when it came to her daughter. Who knew what I could do to make her minimal warmth disappear and the frost return? It could be anything.
Therefore, I decided to tread cautiously.
I closed the door and moved into the room, replying, “Hello, Mother.”
She stopped scratching Penelope and motioned with a graceful sweep of her hand to the bed.
“Sit with me, daughter.”