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“What an i lady,” Mother chided

My nified as one could be in a lurching carriage With hair the color of bronze, eyes as blue as the Mediterranean, and her fine features still containing the illusion of youth, beautiful was the only word to describe ue, which was quicker and deadlier than any sword, or so my father liked to declare

“What should I say then?

Myout a hand in exasperation “She is your daughter, Edric Please speak to her I have not the strength left after this abo look, then turned to comfort my sister

May sat wan and sickly, her dark blue eyes gazing fearfully froe I adored er sister, but she was always timid and fearful I was forced to bully her into any adventure we undertook She had not taken well to traveling and always see our transits, whether by water or by land “I believe we are going to fall down this mountain, Mama ”

“Don’t say such a thing, cara e soon, and all will be well ”

“She never calls me cara mia,” I whispered to my father

“There, there,” Father said in a rather bored voice, patting my hand

The journey had been long and tiresome We were all so very weary and cantankerous

“Well, if we do fall off the mountain, I’ One last bit of excite lives,” I decided

“Glynis, really,” Mother scolded

Ignoring her, I opened the carriageand leaned out to peer down the steep drop that lay a e

“Ma her face in Mother’s shoulder

“Really, Glynis! Have you no sense at all? Why do you wish to upset your sister so?”

I bristled underas Father intoned, “There, there,” patting her hand to soothe her