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This was the subject of one of the letters I sent to Carsina I judged it neutral enough that her parents would not disapprove, and that her father er brother would one day attend the Academy Twice a month I sent correct missives to her, in care of her father I wrote thee that they would be paternally perused before she received the not to be able to share all that overflowed my heart, but I knew that her father must consider me a purposeful cadet and a man of focus if I wished to win her Flowery phrases and reminders of how I cherished that tiny lace handkerchief would not win me his respect The brief missives I received from her in response were very unsatisfactory She always inquired afterwell in my studies Sometimes shea new eirls as they put up berry preserves for the winter I cared very little for embroidery or preserves, but those stiff little notes were all I had to sustain me

I carried her token with me always, folded carefully and wrapped in a sheet of thin paper to preserve its scent At first, I spoke little ofThen one evening I walked in on a conversation between Kort and Natred They were speaking of ho a tiny square of linen with a forget-me-not embroidered on it Natred’s token from Kort’s sister was a cross-stitched bookmark in the Academy colors I’d never seen hiarded it as too precious for such a e relief and pride in presenting iven to me I confided to them that I, too, missed my sweetheart more than was seeed yet In the course of discussing how carefully I must tread in that situation, each of them sheepishly produced a small packet of letters Kort’s was bound with a lavender ribbon and Natred’s was scented with violets They were in league with their sisters, who received letters froed them Thus Kort and Natred not only could write of how they truly felt but also were privileged to hear fros without any parental censorship

The obvious solution to my dilemma immediately presented itself, but for several weeks I procrastinated Would Yaril go to my mother withto evade Lord Grenalter’sof my correspondence? Most difficult of all was the ethical question of whether I was leading my sister inover it when I received a very peculiar letter froood chance of receiving at least one letter a week Yaril’s notes had been dutiful and rather perfunctory up to that time The hed the envelope in ht a waft of scent that was at once unusual and yet delightfully faardenia, and I was instantly transported back to arden with Carsina

Inside was my usual dutiful missive from my sister But folded within that letter was a second letter The borders of the notepaper had been painstakingly decorated with butterflies and flowers Carsina had used violet ink, and her pene and very ornate Her spelling errors would have been laughable in al, but soe as she told e until I shall puruse your face agen" The intricacy of her illustrations spoke to es she sent me, and I studied every tiny picture She had a wonderful eye for detail, and I could name the various flowers she had so carefully reproduced

Yaril had couilty word of her own to paper, and so when I replied to her, as I did immediately, I made no direct mention of the enclosure I did iven a day’s liberty in town at the turn of the semester, and that I would be happy to buy her soht please her, for it always delighted me to be kind to a sister who had in turn done so h Carsina’s father ht be te it on to Carsina, I spent an agonizing two days co my first missive to my love

I tried to balance manliness with tenderness, respect with ardor, and passion with practicality I spoke of our future together, the children we’d have, the hoether I stopped when I realized I had run to five pages of finely written script I folded it inside my letter to my sister, and sealed it separately fro that th nor prouilty, I then co and detailedour ht prove a distraction from the letter I sent Yaril