Dear Emrys Gray, formerly known as .rd Alpine Gray of Whitney, Eerie, Gheny,

First and foremost, I am glad to hear that you are in good health and have not only met your hopes and dreams, but exceeded them. I must admit that I found your claims dubious when I first read your letter. Through our discussions, I knew you to be an honest and forthright gentleman, but the long ordeal you wrote about was of a fantastical nature. Impossible, I thought, but I should have labeled it just ‘improbable’. I ask your forgiveness in my doubt and I wish to convey the most sincere congratulations to the King in his return and to our mutual friend Mizz Anladet, who has rose herself to incredible heights.

As for the matter you have written about, I have accepted your offer and have fulfilled it beyond your request. There were some loose ends that needed tying that I felt would benefit your conscience. If I have erred, I apologize, but I feel that a man with your character will appreciate my efforts.

Of the matter of your debts, they are paid in full. There were some outstanding loans to Amandorlam and some taxes due in Whitney that were covered by your share of the reward. I have spoken to the school and they would like to express their understanding in the matter and that there is no ill will towards your unique situation. If you would like to return to Gheny at any point, the school would open an opportunity for you at any point. I gather, however, you will be far too busy in Arvonne for a return trip. And if you aren’t, or if diplomatic reasons find you journeying home, know that my palace is always open as well.

When my men were inquiring about your financial situation, they came across an interesting case. I confess that I was not aware that you had been married. Not all of our countrymen wear wedding rings, but many do and I do not recall seeing a band on your left hand. My men tell me that shortly before our paths crossed, you had a falling out with your wife over her affections straying. I am sorry to hear that, Emrys Gray, but I personally do not find infidelity to be a reason to abandon your wedding vows. That being said, it is your choice on how to conduct that business. If your wife were still alive, I would have sent her. Sadly, she died of consumption on the fourteenth of October, 2009 and was buried in Lafrimont’s Garden in Parrin’s Cove, Whitney.

To be concise, my men checked to see if you had any issue from your marriage. It seems that you had a daughter, Marniva, who was given to a local orphanage when her mother died. We managed to find her and she was brought to my palace, where she stayed for some time. Unless she took all her traits from her mother, I do not believe you are that child’s sire. However, since you are listed as her father in the records of Gheny and because I do not think you would like a child who has some connection to you to linger any longer than necessary in that place, I have arranged for her excursion across the sea. I have outfitted her with some of Silfa’s older clothing as well as a few dolls she has outgrown. Silfa took quite a liking to your daughter and would love to hear about her in the future.

As for Anladet Auchindol, now known as Queen Anladet of Arvonne, she had no outstanding debts to consider. We did have quite a difficult time with the other matter connected to her. When my men went to New Wextif to seek the records involved with her brother, even with persuasion there was nothing with the Nui-Breckin Alliance. At my behest, my men then spoke with the Cumber, since you did say they had promised your companion to look out for him. The Cumber, too, hadn’t found trace of him in New Wextif. With their cooperation, and some expense, we managed to track the Queen’s brother down to Cataya. It seems that before a Mrs. Crishold sent her adopted children away, a Cavter Rimar decided to unburden her by one child, who happened to be Garlin Auchindol. He had been raising him as his ward after overhearing Queen Anladet’s relationship to the boy. He was under the assumption that she would call upon him to help with her brother, wherein he would have revealed that he had taken him in for her. He was quite puzzled when she did not inquire. My men thanked him, repaid some of the costs of boarding, and suggested that in the future he keep clearer communications in situations such as that.

I hope all the matters have been solved to your satisfaction. There is a little money leftover, which, as you have requested, will be given in King Caudin and Queen Anladet’s names to a local orphanage that desperately needs funds.

You have made it clear the displeasure the King and Queen have for the Nui-Breckin Alliance. I will make it known during my next council meeting that Arvonne is not a country Gheny would wish to lose a trading partnership with and that perhaps we could look at modifying the law. I shall write with any developments in the future.

As always, please feel free to continue your correspondence with Lady Silfa. She still holds you two dearly in her heart and her joy soars when I inform her of a letter from either of you. I will also feel warmth keenly at any exchanges in the future.

Yours Respectfully,

Iasont Frenrell, Duke of Sharka

“Al, what is this about?” Anla asked as she, Telbarisk, and Caudin followed him in the palace.

“Just a little surprise. I think you’ll be quite pleased by it.”

“I hope this won’t take long,” Caudin said. “We have a meeting with some of the city’s guilds in a half-hour and you never want to upset the people who are cleaning your streets and sewers.”

“It won’t take long.”

They walked down the staircase of the main atrium and through the large, double doors of the long and tall room known as the Hall of Ancestors. The room, which took up a half a wing, was covered in busts, statues, and portraits. There were several notable areas that were bare that the curator of the recently reopened Arvonnese Museum in Eri Ranvel was trying to fill with any originals he could find.

The Hall of Ancestors looked out onto the front courtyard through dozens of double-storied windows. On the other side were several rooms for different functions. Al opened the fifth one down, the one dedicated to entomology. Inside the spacious room were comfortable chairs, desks, and close to a hundred white plates of insects pinned to boards collected by Caudin’s great-great aunt.

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Sitting on a chair facing the door was a little girl. Her brown hair had been done in curls and pulled back in a blue satin ribbon that matched the belt and gloves of her outfit. She swung her feet back and forth, shiny, black shoes buffed for the occasion. “Dada!” she said, smiling as she launched herself from the chair and into Al’s waiting arms.

He picked her up and hugged her. “Guys, I want you to meet Marnie. Marnie, these are my friends Telbarisk and the King and Queen of Arvonne.”

She laid her head on his shoulder and sucked her thumb as she looked at them.

“This is your daughter I take it?” Caudin asked, waving at her with his fingertips.

“Yes, well, Burdet and Aggie’s daughter. I received a letter from the Duke and he said that Burdet died and that Marnie’s been in an orphanage since he retrieved her. It was astute of him to pull her out and send her here. With your leave, I’d like to raise her as my own.”

“Of course!” Caudin said. “You didn’t even have to ask. Your room already has an adjoining room, so she can stay there. And we’ll get her a governess.”

“Thank you,” Al said, putting her down.

“Um, Wizard,” he began, but Al grinned and put up one finger.

“Okay, you can come out now!” he said.

A boy jumped out from behind a chair that had been facing away from the door, excitement and anticipation written across his familiar face. In response, Anla gasped so deeply she must have stolen air from her soul and sank to the floor, her arms reaching out for the boy. He blinked a few times then ran to her, knocking her over.

“Anla!” he yelled and she cried almost to a keen. She pulled him towards her shoulder and rocked back and forth, hugging him as the tears streamed down her face.

“Well, there goes the guild meeting,” Caudin said. He looked over at Al and saw his expression. “I’m jesting, Wizard. Well done. I especially liked the bait-and-switch.”

“You’re welcome, Your Radiance.”

“By the way, it slipped my mind in everything that you are totally free to return to Gheny, if you wish. Isken allowed me to take one last contract before I left. It seems that lady from your old work, Ember, had taken a theft contract out on you for the chalice.”

“Oh?” he asked, surprised.

“Yes. And since I died in the line of retrieving it, no other trirec can be hired to steal it.”

“Thank you, Sire, for plotting to steal something that was partially yours from me.”

Anla wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at her brother. “Garlin. How was your trip?”

“It was fine,” he said. “What is this place? Why are we here?”

She pulled the two of them to standing. “This is Dilvestrar, the palace of the King and Queen of Arvonne. This is Caudin, my husband and your brother-in-law. He’s the King of Arvonne.”

Garlin gave a very dashing bow, likely practiced with children his age in daring adventures involving plots like the one he was now living.

“Well met,” Caudin said, shaking his brother-in-law’s hand. “My house is yours. I believe some of the servants have children living here that are around your age. The best places to play hide-and-seek are along these rooms here and upstairs near the library.” Though she smiled, Anla also gave him a look. “I mean, we will be getting you tutors, so that will, of course, be outside of your lessons.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Ah, they like it if you use the right terms around here, which is ‘Your Radiance’. Your sister is ‘Your Highness’, even though she’s not very tall.”

Garlin laughed. “Yes, Your Radiance.”

“Now, Emrys, we must leave for a meeting.” In Anla’s ear he murmured, “You’re excused.”

“No, I should be there. Garlin will be here when I return.”

“Perhaps Telbarisk would be so kind as to show the children around and answer any questions?”

“I would be honored,” he said. Both Marnie and Garlin followed him outside.

Anla had her cosmetics reapplied quickly and the three of them left only a few minutes later than they would have. Along the way, they took in the sights of the city. Al pointed out repairs to buildings long neglected and the increasing tidiness of the streets. There were more people out walking with outfits appropriate for the weather. There were far fewer people leaning against walls with their hands out or families sleeping in alleys. Eri Ranvel wasn’t devoid of suffering, but there was less of it.

There was a small smirk on Anla’s lips as she watched the people on the streets. “Ainle, what’s on your mind?” Caudin asked.

She turned back to the two of them. “I’m thinking of when I was Marnie’s age and the tidbits of memories I have of my mother being pregnant with Garlin. She later said she knew immediately that he was a boy because everything felt different. She was very nauseous and dizzy for several months. When that lessened, he started moving and kicking all the time. My mother was afraid he was going to be a terror. He’s a good boy, but he will need to be supervised. I remember a few instances where he got into tussles with the other boys and came back home with bloody knees and a fat lip.”

“It’s always going to be a tough world for him,” Caudin said. “We’ll provide for him as much as possible, but you’ll have to help him navigate the rest.”

“I know. To be honest, it was never my heritage that was the problem, just the class. I hope that gives him a great enough advantage to thrive.”

“He’ll do well. He seems like a bright boy.”

There was a lull in the conversation for a few minutes while they waved at some of their subjects on the streets. “Do you think it’s true about boys giving mother’s a harder time in the womb?”

“I don’t believe so. My mother actually thought I was a girl since I was rather docile. She was content and happy. My father said she was that way with Petulet and I, less so with Aubin and Ebridet. I’ve heard that it depends on whose child it is. I was close with my mother, as was Petulet. We were hers from the beginning, contented to be close to each other.”

Anla bit her lip. “Then I’m sorry to say that this one must be mine.”

Caudin froze, then slowly turned back to look at his wife. Even Al, who had been engrossed in some additional papers about the wizardry school, looked up and at her. “Clarify,” Caudin said to her.

“It’s been two months.”

“You could have told me earlier…”

“Alistad recommended that I wait until today, to make sure it wasn’t illness or too much work.”

“You’re with child?”

She gave him a nod as he gently grabbed the sides of her head and kissed her. He touched his forehead to hers and gave a small laugh.

“Congratulations, you two,” Al said. “When would you like to announce? Or would you like to?”

“I suppose we have to, don’t we?” Caudin said.

“That all depends on where you think this falls. We do have that clause in your coronation covenant where any matters you feel are family matters are outside the jurisdiction of the churches of the Twelve and the realm. You don’t necessarily have to announce it, though I’m sure it would be a great omen for the country.”

Still looked at his wife, he said, “It would be. Unless you object, I think we should. We’ll have to make it before we go to Biashka, first amongst the Council, then in the papers.”

“Biashka?” Al asked.

“Yes. It was recommended that we take a holiday, to help conceive. I still think it would be a good idea regardless.”

“Well, perhaps you didn’t get the notice, then.”

“What notice?” Caudin asked.

“Empress Mayasena will be arriving in two weeks time.”

He sighed. “Sorry, ainle. That’s going to be an important meeting. Seems we’ll need to push that off again.”

“It’s not a problem,” she said, moving her lips close to his ear. “We will have other children.”

Caudin smiled. “In case I haven’t told you enough, I love the way your mind works.”