The afternoon sun is high above Awenela as she steps out of her coach in front of Herst Castle. Her long blonde hair blows with the wind as she holds a light-blue, wide-brimmed hat down against her head. She quickly makes her way to the large front doors, escaping the wind.

  One of the doors is slowly pushed open, ten staff members quickly run out, and begin unloading her six large luggage trunks—two more than she originally left with.

  “To your room bela’Epp?ns?” Asks Ferran, the head steward of Herst Castle.

  “Yes please, that would be excellent.” She smiles gently and steps back, allowing the servants to pass. “Would you happen to know where Gekaryna and the others are, mer’Biv?c?”

  “In the Queen’s Library, I shall escort you.” He bows, and the two head to the queen’s library.

  She gently opens the door to the Queen’s Library and steps inside. “Oh, Gekaryna, I’ve heard the news of your father; I’m so sorry. Have you been well? have you been eating? I must imagine that this is quite tough for you. Have you had time to grieve?” Awenela quickly walks to the couch, sitting down next to ?nnywella; she plucks the cigarette from her mouth and embraces her, pulling ?nnywella’s head against her chest.

  “I am well, as well as I can be.” Says ?nnywella, voice muffled by the frills of Awenela’s blue dress. “I trust you had a good trip?”

  “No, no, don’t you worry about me; we shall discuss this after. Tell me of what has happened since the passing of King Athalric.”

  ?nnywella briefly recounts the past two weeks, omitting the details relating to Drewer.

  Awenela releases ?nnywella, and for the first time since she arrived, she looks around the room. “Where is Mina?”

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  “She has gone to Sc?dstan with Dyder; he is going to propose to Ilsenila. Mina wished to go along as well, so I allowed her.” ?nnywella places her book down next to her and fixes her garments.

  “Oh, I’m so happy for both of them. When will the wedding be?”

  “There will be two, the first at the College on the 17th of the next maiden, and the next in Sc?dstan, three days later, on the 20th.”

  “I hope we are all invited.”

  “We are invited to the one at the College.”

  “Excellent, I have brought gifts and dresses with me from back home; I feel as though the dresses will be excellent for a late autumn wedding.”

  “Tell us about your visit home; I’ve heard Ianor? [1] is beautiful in the summer.” Says Enlynn, who has been sitting quietly in the northernmost chair since Awenela’s arrival. While she is happy about Awenela’s return, she is jealous, very jealous, of the others, as she is the only member of ?nnywella’s attendants who has yet to see or step foot in the ocean.

  “It was excellent, very calming slow days, just as I’m sure you would expect. I spent most nights with Tyes on the Letser estate, watching the sunset on the cliff's edge; it was very romantic. We also found out Lydy is with child; she is quite excited; Bereas hopes it is a boy, but Sister hopes it is a girl; they were heatedly discussing names when I departed on the 18th.” Awenela wished she could lament about how she misses Tyes and wishes he was not so far away, but due to the distance of Sor?n, she knows she is in no position to do so.

  “We must visit when the child is born; it is only proper of me.” ?nnywella says.

  Enlynn’s face lights up. “Yes, we must. I can write my mother; I’m sure she would be happy to knit a swaddling cloth for your sister.”

  ?nnywella side-eyes Enlynn; she has no intention of leaving the woman behind; she knows exactly what game she is trying to play.

  “Oh, yes, that would be excellent!” Awenela puts her hands together in front of her. “I’m sure she would love that! On the topic of gifts, if you two aren’t too busy, I would like to show you what I brought back for both of you!”

  ?nnywella and Enlynn agree and head to Awenela’s quarters.

  Footnotes

  [1] Ianor? (Pronounced: ee-AH-no-rae) is the third largest coastal city in Iania. The name has changed very little since its founding in 4211EotTS, and translates from the old tongue to: “The Edge of Iania”. Last recorded population was 50,334 in 1057EotG.