Page 36 (1/1)

One bright spot in ers I’d sent into the Alvernian Mountains (two of the Guard well equipped to deal with the harsh hills) had returned two days ago froe fro and spend a month of the fall with ht it would take blacket L off that mountain of hers I couldn’t wait for Haydyn to meet her I wouldn’t push L to meet anyone else in society if she didn’t want to I knehat their reaction to her rough speech and unladylike ould be, and she was too good a person to be subjected to that But, deep down, I secretly hoped that after travelling through the provinces (in style – I was sending a carriage for them that would meet them at the bottom of the mountains) L and her fa a new life in Vasterya with me and Wolfe and Haydyn I smiled inwardly; it was a bit of a fairytale, I knew But I could hope And if L and her family did decide to return to the Alvernian Mountains, then I’d make sure they were sent supplies every er home constructed for them Wolfe had already told me to rein in my plans for the Moss’ in case I overwhelmed them But I wanted to overwhelm them They’d saved my life

"When does the Princezna plan tomy back

I shivered at his touch, still amazed that he had this effect on me "As soon as the rookery is depleted and rebuilt as a civilised town And she has architects overhauling one of the mansions in Pharya for her arrival She’ll no doubt live in the fanciest mansion we’ve ever seen until palace construction is co," Wolfe assured me softly, as if he heard the concern that was in my heart, in my words "In control She appears to knohat she’s about"

"She is," I agreed quietly She’d surprised me over and over these last weeks "She really wants toI told her"

Wolfenoise "Still annoyed she didn’t take your advice?"

I slapped at him half-heartedly And then after a ers digging into the rich grass below us I shter than I’d felt since lazy summer days by a brook in Vasterya "No"

He exhaled heavily, reaching up to brush the hair off lad You set out to wake the Princezna up… and that’s exactly what you did"

I grinned, proud and happy; re of contentined loving Wolfe; how in doing so I was finally putting the past behindrown up Never would I have i friends with Alvernian Mountain people; or thought I’d have the strength to accept what could and couldn’t be changed; or finally come to terms ho I was as a person; who life had shapedthe so look in my eye

"…I woke up too"

The End