A wondrous Performance

In the wake of the discovery of Rowan's true nature, a subtle tension within the keep released and vanished and Adelia realized just how cautiously the topic of monsters had been handled around her before.

How it had been avoided entirely unless she had mentioned something first and even then they had tried to tell her as little revealing information as possible.

As she joined the kitchen staff for breakfast, they answered her questions readily and gushed about how much they looked forward to the next full moon. She now also got to see the blood dishes that were getting prepared for Rowan and the night guard, carefully timed so everything was ready for them once they rose. From blood pudding to blood soup, there were a whole lot more dishes than she thought possible.

"It doesn't replace their need for fresh human blood," Ada explained. "But it is a nice treat and it soothes the parts of them that have been mortal once."

After breakfast Adelia sought out Sorceress Iva, who had come back from tasks that had taken her away from the keep and the sorceress was still up and about when she knocked. Today the older woman was dressed in flowing lavender embroidered with purple and blue flowers and gleaming, gem-studded butterflies, and a beautiful, flower-embroidered lavender headband pushed her curly hair back a bit.

"I was given this by Alexzander," Adelia said as she pulled the cloth-wrapped stone from her pocket. "I was meant to show it to Rowan and likely cause him harm with it." Or, at the very least, force him to reveal his true nature, whatever that would have looked like.

Mayhaps he would have transformed into the large, winged creature that had crashed onto her balcony so many moons ago, giving her quite the fright in the process.

She would have been a lot more unsettled after such a display, though she thought she would have calmed again regardless. There was something about monsters that was not terrifying to her, but rather fascinating.

The sorceress's face immediately turned from friendly if a bit tired after her long night to one of disgusted annoyance. "That little worm really remains nothing but a headache," she muttered, waving Adelia in. "Let's see what you got."

They headed up into her workroom and Adelia set the cloth-wrapped stone down on one of Sorceress Iva's tables at her guidance and with an elegant wave of her fingers the cloth unwrapped itself to reveal the same golden, sunrise-and-sunset stone from before.

The sorceress's brows rose before she frowned and she performed a couple of quick spells, the sigils and runes on that particular table glowing before fading to dark wood again.

"Fascinating," Sorceress Iva murmured and she coated her hand in a fine layer of magic before she reached out to touch the stone itself, its golden glow warm on her face. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you managed to carve a piece off of the sun itself."

No one could touch the sun, Adelia knew that very well. At least not physically. Not that people hadn't tried throughout history, but they weren't even able to touch upon clouds without the aid of great magic and the sun was even farther beyond that.

"I wanted to reach out to Lord Ivan, in case you thought his input might be helpful," Adelia added and Sorceress Iva hummed.

"It might be worth a try," the sorceress answered with a decisive nod. "Clerics and sorcerers don't share the same strand of magic, but considering how sun-like this gem feels he should take a look." She glanced at Adelia. "Would you mind me holding onto this until he comes around? I'd like to run some experiments."

"Of course, please," Adelia answered right away. "I trust your knowledge and experience explicitly."

Sorceress Iva smiled, the crows feet around her eyes crinkling deeper and giving her a look of years-long enduring joy. "That makes me glad to hear." She lightly clapped her hands together. "Now, unless there is anything else, please allow me to be rude and throw you out. I've been on my feet for an entire day and I need to get some rest."

"There is nothing rude about it," Adelia answered with a smile of her own and stepped back towards the stairs winding down to the entrance room of Sorceress Iva's domain. "Thank you for your time."

The sorceress waved her off with a little chuckle and Adelia left with sweeping skirts, pattering down the winding staircase of the tower to return to her duties. She made sure to pen a letter to Lord Ivan, asking him if he was willing to visit to discuss some unexpected discoveries.

She had that letter sealed and sent off with a servant after proofreading it, before she turned to her awaiting tasks.

"We should set up an office of your own," Steward Lambrecht said once she was done. "Not that I mind sharing mine, but we will run out of shelf space sooner or later."

"That would be lovely," she said and he gave her a curt nod and a small hint of a smile.

"I'll have one made ready by tomorrow," Steward Lambrecht promised. "You are welcome to decorate the room as you like."

Her own office sounded pretty nice. She got up with a grateful smile and they said their goodbyes. With her tasks done for now, she headed up into her rooms to write her friends back home.

Looking at the letters once she was done, she realized just how much happier her letters sounded. Her gladness for secrets revealed, to be trusted and welcome and taken seriously translating itself easily onto paper. She drew larkspur paired with begonias, followed by apple blossoms paired with zinnia.

She loved her friends so dearly, adored them for all the care they had shown her over the years and their concern and willingness to be there for her, to aid her as much as their positions allowed, no matter what. Even to their detriment at times, risking getting a scolding and light punishment from her parents to save her from hers.

"I love you," she whispered over the letters before sending them off.

The next moment, an idea found her and she rose to her feet and she grabbed her tools and materials, bringing everything down into the workshop in one trip when some passing servants saw her with two baskets of things and immediately insisted to help.

Once she had everything put away, she could sit down and work on her inventions. Out in the open, with her own dedicated work space. No longer did she have to hide or fear anyone's reactions or come up with new and creative hiding spaces.

For Katrina she designed a budding little rose that opened into a blooming one if the stem got twisted and for Izabel she designed a bumblebee brooch that flapped its wings if the small chain at its belly was pulled.

Her sketches started out a little messy at first but soon solidified, all the pieces coming together in her mind before they were put on paper.

They were going to be fiddly little creations and it was a joy to design them and once she was done, she got so lost in carefully selecting and assembling the pieces that she forgot the time, right up until someone knocked at her door.

"Dinner service," Rowan's voice called out and she bid him to enter, surprise lacing her voice. How had time slipped by her in this manner? She had never dared to lose track of time back home. It startled her, for just a moment, before she slowly relaxed again. This was a good thing, she decided. She preferred this to the constant fear of her old home.

Rowan entered, effortlessly carrying a platter of food and two crystal chalices as though it was nothing. "I thought I could find you down here. Would you mind some company or should I let you be?"

He meant it, she knew that. If she told him to go, he would and he wouldn't be upset with her for having her own space. He would understand, would smile at her and care for her just like before.

She had never worked with anyone at her side, had only ever stolen away a bit of time here and there before sunrise and after sunsets, and between lessons and whenever her parents had been occupied for a couple of hours for sure while they attended to their own business.

She had never been able to show anyone her process, the trial and error phase, her gleeful successes and frustrating failures.

The only one who had ever seen her work with metal was the blacksmith and she still deeply regretted getting him involved, just like she carried the pain over her lost horse locked in her heart.

No, not lost, murdered. Murdered for the crime that she had dared to try and build something for herself. Murdered for the crime of being loved by her, her horse's existence boiled down to how much pain its loss would bring her.

There was hatred in her heart as a result, cradling the pain, and while it didn't ease the hurt of loss and grief, it kept the determination alive to never again let her father hurt her like this again.

To keep her heart safely away from others until they had proven themselves. Which Rowan very much had. He also couldn't get hurt by her father, not only because he was a warlord, but also because he was a vampire. She could make all the mistakes she wanted and still know he'd be at her side.

"Take a seat," she said, daring coursing through her blood as she took all her fears and pain and held it beneath her fluttering heart, willing to teach her most wounded parts that there was goodness and safety, still. That there was room for her in the world, for her joy and her desire to create things that hadn't existed before.

Rowan pulled a backless chair from one of the neighboring tables closer, setting the tray down at the edge of the table.

"What are you working on, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked as he sat down beside her without crowding her or being in the way and she reached for her sketches, handing them over.

"A rose and bumblebee," she said and his gaze seemed to light up, a red glimmer going through the darkness of is eyes.

"They look beautiful," he said. "You have quite the artistic talent." He smiled wide enough to reveal a hint of fang. "If you ever want to draw together, don't hesitate to ask me."

Adelia thought of the paintings in his rooms and then of the paintings hanging in the halls of the keep. "Did you do any of the paintings in these halls?"

"Certainly," Rowan answered, returning her sketches and he started to plate a bit of the food, ensuring it stayed away from her work. "The first portraits that I hung up were of my mother and sire, they're right in the entrance hall."

Adelia remembered the two beautiful women well and she could guess which one was his mother. The dark haired woman with kind eyes and a loving, hopeful smile. That meant that the other one, pale as a winter morning, was the vampire who had turned him.

"I was starting to forget what my mother looked like," Rowan confessed, waiting until Adelia scooted back a bit from the table before handing her the plate. "I had a few sketches of her but they were fading, as well. I didn't want to let her memory vanish into obscurity, she deserved to be remembered."

He leaned forward to tap the table with his fingertips, a smile on his face. "I think we're alike in that sense. If someone or something is worth remembering, we try and make it last as long as we can. To last longer than we do, if possible."

Adelia thought of her clockwork horse, her desperate attempt to honor her companion, to hold onto the memories she had left and try and make something of the love that had gotten left behind, with no choice but to become grief.

She looked at the rose and bumblebee, her attempts to turn her love for her friends into something tangible so she could give it to them and let them hold on to it. To let them know how much they mattered to her even when she wasn't beside them to remind them herself.

"We are," she agreed and looked back at him. "Do you fear it sometimes, living longer than most?"

Rowan was quiet for a long moment, running his fingertips along the edge of the table. "I am ready to grieve," he settled on saying at last, voice soft in a way it hadn't been before.

Soft like he could already see graves of his loved ones, could watch snow settling onto cold earth as yet another winter passed, the world turning, unheeding of anyone's pleas and wishes and ideas.

Soft like he knew how fleeting joy was and how important it was to cherish people while he could, hoping for one more tomorrow with everyone at his side.

"I don't know how long this life of mine will last and I have lived a long time already." His smile was a little wry, a little melancholic. "I've learned to appreciate the high notes and to survive the lowest points. And who knows, maybe one day I will tie my life to a mortal's and die alongside them. A far more peaceful end than the touch of silver blades or sunlight would be."

His smile was warm now as he looked at her, soft in a different way. Not like someone who knew the touch of death and the long, silent presence of grief and pain that didn't fade as life continued to grow around them, but soft like a hopeful morning, like the sun just rising and flowers blooming open. Soft like a breath of fresh air and a feeling of possibility dancing at questing fingertips.

He tapped the table again. "Now please eat a bite and then I would love to see how you're going to turn these amazing sketches into clockwork creations."

She took a couple of big bites, ensuring she leaned away from the table to avoid getting crumbs on anything. He grinned at her like she was delightful and it made her feel flush with warmth and a downright preening sort of emotion. Like she might just be a little bit invincible.

Polishing off the plate in no time, she wiped her face and fingers on a napkin, before she started to explain the process to him.

It was a fun, long evening, with Rowan watching closely and with admiring curiosity, while he sipped on a chalice of wine. When Adelia suddenly remembered their waiting correspondence, Rowan waved her off.

"I've been having a lot more time to myself ever since you came here," he said with a smile, something captivating in his gaze as he looked at her. "Enjoy yourself, this night is yours as long as you want it to be."

She could only smile back and return to her work. By the time she was about to fall asleep sitting upright she had finished both gifts, carefully testing them a few times to see if they worked reliably. They did, the flower bloomed and the bumblebee's wings buzzed.

"Beautiful," Rowan said with a shine in his eyes. Something young and almost innocent, full of downright childlike joy and admiring awe. "May I?"

She handed both items over, not doubting that he'd be gentle with what she had made. Trusting him and his hands. He ever so careful twisted the rose into blooming and lightly tugged on the fine little chain at the belly of the bumblebee, his expression lighting up.

It was then that Adelia decided she would make something for him, as well, even as she yawned so hard she teared up.

"I fear I'll have to retire for tonight," she said and Rowan laughed softly, warmly, as he handed the gifts back to her.

"My dear Adelia, it far past midnight, I think it should be around two or three in the morning." He rose to his feet, gathering the used plates and chalices onto the tray before offering his free hand to her. "Allow me to accompany you to your rooms?"

"Certainly." She took his hand and a little laugh slipped out as he hoisted her up with enough strength that she found herself bouncing a little on the balls of her feet, her skirts swishing.

With a downright impish grin, Rowan took one step back, still holding onto her hand and he raised it above her. Adelia found herself grinning as she went with the movement, twirling once, her skirts billowing out a little.

"We should hold a celebration in the keep," Rowan said as he bowed gallantly over her hand, like a knight in a story who had gotten to dance with his favored lady, before letting go. "Just for fun."

It sounded like a great idea. "I would love that," she answered, still grinning and he sketched a playful bow. "And this time I will invite my friends as well."

"As my lady wishes," he said, dark eyes twinkling. "Well then, shall we?"

She picked up the gifts and left her workshop together. The keep was silent around them, but she caught a glimpse of a night guard for the first time, the dark skinned, hooded vampire pausing long enough to offer her a polite bow before they were gone again, silent and swift.

The exhaustion of the late hour caught up with her on the way to her rooms, though they detoured briefly to the kitchen to drop off the tray and she was more than eager to head to bed when she reached her door.

"Sleep well, my lady," Rowan said, his voice warm as he smiled at her. "I shall see you again when you rise."

"Have a good night," she answered, sleepily smiling back at him. "Until tomorrow."

For once it felt like a good thing that the winter months had only a handful of daylight hours as she stepped into her rooms, glad to know that it would take a while for the sun to rise once more. It meant she could spend more time with Rowan.

Writing a quick little note on two strips of paper, she placed them and the gifts in the box and closed the lid one after another, swapping the gem as she went, her heart glad and her body halfway asleep already.

As soon as her head touched the pillow she was out like a light.

*.*.*

She woke to answering letters from her friends waiting for her, though Adelia could admit that she felt tired still, her body heavier and her mind a bit sluggish. She wasn't really used to such long nights. It was dark still outside, however, snow gently drifting down and her rooms were warmed by a merrily crackling fire.

Once she had freshened up and gotten dressed for the day, she sat down to eagerly read the letters. Her friends had been overjoyed at the gifts and they had clearly picked up on her good mood.

They were very happy for her and ever since she had been able to convince them that Rowan was good to her, they had been nothing but relieved and glad.

Katrina had mentioned once, just a few days ago, that it gave her hope for her own marriage. Her parents were intently searching for a husband for her, one of higher station preferably, and she had to sit through polite conversations over tea as some of the other noble families accepted her parents' invitations.

Katrina hadn't mentioned anyone catching her eye so far and Adelia couldn't remember any of the young bachelors ever drawing her friend's attention in the past. While her friend had enjoyed conversing with the young men that were fun and kind, while carefully avoiding those that weren't, she had never spoken about them in a way that implied she might fancy them.

Then again, Katrina had always been of the opinion that she would never risk falling in love when her parents were going to choose whoever was the most fortuitous match regardless of who she liked.

Love was not necessary for a good marriage, Katrina's parents had always said that since she had been young. So long as their daughter got married to an appropriate gentleman, they were of the opinion that she ought to love her status in life enough that it would make up for the lack of love in other areas.

Today, however, Katrina's letter felt lackluster despite her gladness for Adelia's joy and compared to her complaining and exasperated love for her parents that had previously colored her flowery writing.

In fact, she didn't speak of herself at all, only asked Adelia if she could openly build clockwork creations now after thanking her for the beautiful rose and telling her that it was getting a place of honor in her room.

No flowers were sketched either and while, granted, they didn't always draw onto every single letter, somehow the naked corners of the paper felt like they carried a downright tangible silence. Adelia knew, just like her friends, that an absence of something spoke just as loudly as the presence of poisonous plants.

Maybe Katrina was exhausted by the constant tea and cake afternoons with varying degrees of pleasant noble company. Still, Adelia tried not to worry as she penned an answering letter to her friend.

She was asking through sketched flowers more than words if anything was wrong, carefully inking her worry and her promises of aid and support in delicate strokes along the edges and sides of the paper.

That was all she could do, though she wished she could whisk her friend away from whatever troubled her. Maybe she was coming down with something, Katrina had always gone quiet whenever she had gotten a cold, preferring to retreat and sleep off whatever ailed her, which usually took her a week or two.

There was, objectively, no reason to worry about a single flowerless, lackluster letter.

It was a gut feeling more than anything else that made Adelia's worry for her friend hook into her heart. Izabel must have felt the same way, for she asked Adelia in her letter if Katrina had spoken to her in private, if she knew of anything that was going on.

Adelia decided to wait a bit to see if Katrina would perk back up again before she started her worried prodding in earnest and as soon as she had sent her last letter she got up to attend to her duties. The little hook of worry remained, however, quiet and steadfast.

Rowan was still awake when she asked for him and they ate breakfast together, the kitchen staff joking and laughing around them, involving them easily in conversation or letting them be, the atmosphere light and easy and comfortable.

It was a far cry compared to the deferential quiet and hasty bows and careful words that surrounded her parents whenever they showed up in the kitchen. They usually only stayed as long as it took to give the staff orders and there was always an audible breath of relief when they were gone again.

Rowan brought up the topic of throwing a party, one that the staff could attend this time and Adelia could see everyone perk up.

"We would all welcome a night off," Ada said with a grin. "Plan it right before the full moon if possible, we wolves would love to greet our lady goddess on a full stomach."

Rowan laughed. "Very well, I shall get everything organized."

Steward Lambrecht showed up a moment later and before Adelia knew it, the party was planned right there in the kitchen, at one of the big tables, the staff crowding close to give their opinions and before long, the day of the next full moon was decided as the day of the party. Everyone was welcome to gather in the afternoon after they were finished with their tasks for the day and party until late at night.

"If you still want to invite your friends, they are more than welcome," Rowan told her as they headed up to his office. He had about two hours left before the sun would rise, though if the clouds in the sky were thick enough to choke out the light for longer, he sometimes cut it a little close.

"I shall do so" she decided, hoping that Katrina and Izabel would accept. She would love to show them her new home and to give them a night where they didn't have to worry about who watched them and listened to them. A night to just be themselves. "I would need Sorceress Iva's help to bring them here in time for the party, however."

If her friends had to travel here by horse it would take them at least six months.

Rowan nodded with a small, warm smile. "Of course, I'm sure Iva will be happy to help. As I said, bring anyone you want."

She glanced up at him and found a small, teasing smile appearing on her face. "Even Lady Miriam?"

He made a bit of a sour face, then sighed. "Yes, of course. If having the little nightmare here makes you happy, then I will welcome her." His smile turned wry. "With both you and Iris being her friends, maybe the two of us will even learn to get along one day."

She couldn't help but giggle, a little pep in her steps and Rowan smiled like he was glad for her joy. They spent the next two hours working side by side in companionable silence, before Rowan had to retire for the night.

For perhaps the first time Adelia found herself gripped by the desire to give him a hug as she offered to accompany him to his rooms for the first time.

"Marvelous, our positions seem to have reversed," Rowan remarked with a happy little smile. "How could I say no to such a lovely escort?"

Adelia, gripped by a moment of mischievousness, offered her arm and Rowan swept into an unexpectedly elegant curtsey that made her laugh before he took her arm, tucking his hand into the crook of her elbow.

They walked together, an easy, comfortable feeling in the air and when they reached his door, Adelia stepped back, bowing like Rowan usually did. "My lord, your residence."

He laughed, dipping into another curtsey, pretending to take hold of skirts he wasn't wearing as though to make them flare elegantly. "My thanks, noble lady. I couldn't have asked for better company."

They stood grinning at each other and, emboldened and encouraged by the entire morning, Adelia found herself asking, "May I hug you?"

Rowan readily opened his arms, answering near immediately, "Of course."

She stepped forward with a relieved, glad smile. His arms closed around her, seeming to gather her into a gentle embrace and she pressed her cheek to his chest as she held him close. He wasn't warm and he had no heartbeat, but he smelled of warm fires and ink and parchment and he was one of the safest people she knew.

It was one of the best hugs she had ever gotten.

"Sleep well," she said quietly when she pulled back a moment later, his hands on her shoulders, she found her fingertips lingering at his sides, before she let go. "I will see you later?"

"Most certainly, have a good day," he answered and reached for his door without looking away from her.

They smiled at each other one more time before he entered his rooms, closing the door softly. Turning on her tiptoes, her skirts slightly flaring around her ankles, Adelia left with a bright, happy smile on her face.

Instead of returning to her work right away, however, she went to visit Sorceress Iva both to ask her if she was willing to teleport her friends over for the party at the end of the month and to ask if the crystal Alexzander had given her had revealed anything more to her yet.

"Of course I don't mind fetching your friends," the sorceress said. She was wearing clothes of gleaming, glittering gold and shimmering azure today, like the sun and ocean had decided to wrap around her and bring out the beauty of the older woman, her dark skin dusted with a few golden freckles that glittered on her cheeks.

Her expression turned a bit miffed the next moment. "I don't understand this stone, not yet, at least. There is something unnatural about it and yet it is not enchanted nor is it a piece that got removed from an ancient relic. Though I am currently wondering if he managed to get his hands on a piece of a warlock."

Adelia thought of the green heartbeat-glow in Lady Miriam's chest and found herself frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Warlocks trade a piece of themselves for power. Some give their eyes, others their souls, others again years of their life, it depends on the creature they're making a pact with." Sorceress Iva frowned. "Though I have never heard of a sunlight warlock, usually they are found by dark and dangerous beings that either are gods themselves or manage to skirt past the notice of the gods to live at the borders between their realms."

That was pretty fascinating, Adelia hadn't known that. Perhaps she should indeed make use of Lady Miriam's offer of friendship and conversation to ask her more questions about the Deep and her connection to it.

Sorceress Iva sighed, sounding both intrigued and a little frustrated. "But if he did manage to tear out a warlock's point of power I doubt he would give it away willy nilly. It's not malicious, I tested it too extensively for that, but I also can't figure it out beyond that."

The older woman glanced at her. "Have you heard from Ivan yet?"

"Not yet," Adelia answered. "But he also took some time to answer the last time we reached out to him."

Sorceress Iva snorted. "Believe it or not, but that boy loves company and while he governs his lands well and leads his temples, he also uses every chance he gets to escape his paperwork for an hour or two. No, if he's not answered yet he's dealing with something more important."

Adelia couldn't help but frown. "I will extend an offer of aid, just in case," she decided after a moment. She did like Lord Ivan and his sun-goddess brightness and his easy cheer and casual, powerful fierceness, but beyond that it also would be good to foster positive relations with the other warlords.

"Let me know if I can help in any way," Sorceress Iva answered. "And let me know once Ivan answers, I'll make sure to set aside my other experiments when he visits so we can look at this mystery together."

A sensible request and Adelia was only too happy to agree. She returned to her rooms to write Lord Ivan another letter, before she penned invitations to her friends for the upcoming party. She let them know that Sorceress Iva was willing to pick them up, in case they worried about the long journey to the Wilds.

She was reasonably certain that her friends' parents wouldn't forbid them from attending, if only to avoid angering the very warlord King Harold was so deeply fond of.

Adelia hoped to lift Katrina's spirits, as well, and offer her a night of distractions.

Afterwards, she looked at Lady Miriam's stone for a long moment. She had only been half joking about inviting the pirate warlord, for she would like to see the other woman again, and she would also like to extend an invitation to Lady Iris, as well, even if Rowan was likely going to do the same.

Adelia decided on reaching out to Lady Miriam first. She penned another invitation before she fetched the stone Lady Miriam had given her and approached her washbasin. She filled it with water and gently placed the stone within, carefully disturbing the water as little as possible.

As soon as she withdrew her hand, a drop falling from her fingertips to ripple across the surface, she watched as the water seemed to fill with a deep, green darkness, as though a piece of the endless ocean had gotten carved out and placed before her, the stone giving off an impossible, black glow.

"Hello?" Adelia called out carefully after a moment. She flinched back in surprise when she heard a sudden crack and a loud, metallic twang.

"Oh shite, my bad!" a boyish voice that was decidedly not Lady Miriam called out. "You that fancy lady from the main land? Just a sec, I'll get the capt'n!"

She heard light steps rush away and she peered into the bowl, but it seemed too small to allow her to see what was going on on the other side. She should probably invest in a bigger bowl. A minute later she heard the confident, steady stride of Lady Miriam, followed by her voice.

"Adelia, how lovely to hear from you so soon!" the woman called out, a smile audible as she spoke. "What can I help you with my dear?"

"We're planning to host a party in the keep the day of the next full moon," Adelia answered. "I would like to extend an invitation to you, if you'd like to attend?"

"Of course I'll be there," Lady Miriam answered, sounding delighted. "Is there a set time at which I should arrive?"

"I have a written invitation here," Adelia answered. "I could send it to you if you'd like?"

"Put it into the water and hold on to it until you feel a tug," Lady Miriam said. "It will arrive safe and sound on the other side."

Blinking in surprise, Adelia decided to do as the other woman had suggested, even if a part of her balked at the idea of drenching the invitation. She carefully putting it into the water and to her surprise the invitation didn't get wet at all, remaining crisp and dry and a moment later it was tugged from between her fingers, vanishing entirely.

"My, your handwriting is rather gorgeous," Lady Miriam mused as Adelia heard the rustling crinkle of paper being unfolded. "My crew could learn a thing or two from you. They're always writing like they're in the middle of a storm, it's barely legible."

Adelia couldn't help but laugh and after a moment it sounded like Lady Miriam was folding the invitation up again as she answered, "I shall be there. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Adelia hesitated for just a moment before she forged on, "I know that Rowan is a vampire."

Lady Miriam hummed, sounded darkly and sharply delighted. "I knew you would figure it out. My apologies for not telling you directly. It was not my secret to spill, especially since Rowan isn't one of those horrid blood suckers that deserve to get staked by silver or roasted by the sun. I was of the opinion that he ought to tell you himself."

The warlord paused briefly, before she added, her voice more solemn, "Though I would understand if me keeping quiet made me less trustworthy in your eyes."

Adelia was quiet for a moment, taking the time to properly think things over and Lady Miriam waited patiently and quietly. Ever so faintly Adelia could hear the creaking of wood from beyond the bowl and the steady, downright muffled crash of waves. The sound of a ship at sea.

"I will decide that going forward," Adelia answered after a moment, daring to be honest in a way she usually only was around Katrina and Izabel. An honesty she was starting to share with Rowan as well.

"That is perfectly acceptable," Lady Miriam agreed. "Now, if there is nothing else, please excuse me, I have to go back to my crew and I want to show them what proper penmanship looks like."

"Is your handwriting not up to par?" Adelia found herself asking and Lady Miriam laughed, the sound raspy and of pure mirth.

"My dear, my writing is worse than theirs. I will see you soon, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything and I will do my best to be of aid."

"Have a good day," Adelia answered and a moment later the water in the bowl cleared, the stone ceasing to glow. She reached in to remove it and she carefully dried it off, though it still felt wet anyway. Magic really was a strange thing.

Putting the stone back in its spot, she sat down at her desk to write an invitation to Lady Iris.

With the letter written to her satisfaction, Adelia handed it and the one for Lord Ivan to a servant to be given to Sorceress Iva to be sent out at her earliest convenience. With those things taken care of, Adelia returned to her duties, answering letters and giving advice to a visiting mayor who was struggling with two feuding guilds.

Lunch was eaten with Steward Lambrecht and afterwards, he waved her with him, showing her to the new office he had prepared for her. It was as large as Rowan's, with her work already transferred, something the servants had likely taken care of while she had been busy with her meal.

Ledgers were neatly shelved in the large bookshelf and more empty ones were waiting for her use, neat stacks of paper filled her drawers and everything she could possibly need was in place.

A thick, warm rug covered the floor and the large windows behind the desk showed a beautiful view of the snow covered landscape.

"It is wonderful, thank you," she said with a smile and Steward Lambrecht looked quite satisfied, a calm contentedness to him.

Steward Lambrecht left and she wrapped up the rest of their work and by then, Adelia received an answering letter from Lord Ivan, accompanied with a little wooden instant-teleportation disk she could place on a shelf, so she could send her responses to him directly from now on, without having to bother Sorceress Iva about it.

In his letter Lord Ivan sounded rather grim. He told her about more sun goddess temples shattering into crystal, this time in Lord Cynar's domain. He had examined some of the crystal pieces, but had been unable to make any headway.

He was currently organizing a bit celebration at his temple, for his goddess had called on him to spread light in her name after all the tragedy and darkness and he would be regretfully busy for a couple of days. He would have dropped those preparations if she hadn't asked him to soothe the wounded and grieving and for all that he wanted to really take a look at the crystal he needed to care for his people and his goddess first.

He would be able to properly get away from his lands for an in-depth examination of the crystal in ten days, he said and asked her when she could meet him.

When she spoke with Steward Lambrecht about the timetable in around two weeks, he suggested sending Lord Ivan an invite to the party, as well.

"He can arrive in the morning," Steward Lambrecht suggested. "That should give the two of you and Iva plenty of time to poke at the stone before you're expected to show up."

He gave her a small smile. "If anything unforseen happens while you are busy that day, I can deal with it myself easily enough." His smile got a slightly proud edge. "I have been organizing all of Master Rowan's parties in the past, after all. Do leave it to me."

She couldn't help but chuckle softly, a bit of subtle tension about the planning and the sun-crystal easing out of her. "Then I will gladly count on you. Thank you, truly."

"Of course," Steward Lambrecht said, looking like he was sitting up a little taller in his seat. "Now, if that is all, I believe it is time for me to usher you out of my office so I can go and plan our shopping so we have everything delivered in time for the party. We will see to it that everyone is well fed."

Taking Lord Ivan's letter with her, Adelia excused herself to return to her new office, penning a swift answer to the warlord, along with a formal invitation. She carefully placed both on the wooden disk, only to gasp softly as the letters vanished into a shower of golden sparks that themselves faded to nothing. Well, that was quite pretty.

It made her wonder if magic could be replicated with clockwork art in some way. Or perhaps, if her inventions could be enchanted like the boxes that allowed her to speak freely with her friends. It made her wonder what else she could create if magic was involved.

She'd have to speak with Sorceress Iva about it when she had a free moment to see if any of her budding ideas had any merit.

With last of her duties now attended to, Adelia found herself back in her new workshop, sketches spread out on one table as she carefully assembled the smallest clock she could make on another.

Now that she could be herself, now that she could do what she loved most without fear or reproach, she couldn't stay away from it even if she had tried. She wanted to sink into this and create and create until her mind no longer could come up with anything more.

She imagined that this must be what flying felt like.

*.*.*

Adelia found herself so wrapped up things and the now freely pursued joys of her life, that she nearly forgot about the opera invitation Lady Iris had extended to her. Nearly.

Thankfully, she had arranged her schedule ahead of time and she found herself selecting a dress that she hoped was neither too overdressed nor would leave her looking like she didn't care. Because she cared quite a bit.

The lessons her parents had instilled within her, about her public image, were louder than ever as she picked a necklace next, matching the little sapphires to the blue and silver dress she was wearing.

She hadn't touched any of her green and gold gowns or dresses since her arrival, though by now she was certain that Rowan wouldn't care if she were to wear the colors of her father's house.

Married ladies were supposed to show their loyalty to their husbands, after all, to adhere to their ideals and desires. To wear their colors and represent their ideas and opinions.

Rowan never demanded anything of her, never expected her to be clad in red and gold. He didn't tell her to do anything for him, really. She was the one who had no desire to wear green and gold, not at this point in time at least.

Maybe she could adjust the dresses, add a bit of colorful embroidery to reclaim what she associated with her parents. A little pink to fill out the golden outline of flowers, some dark red along the bodice that would resemble rubies. Or blood. She couldn't help but like that image, a little hint of red along half hidden thorns embroidered up the bodice.

As if she could make herself a little dangerous that way, could show that she had survived her father's cruel demands and her mother's silent compliance. As if she could make herself more than a golden flower ripe for the picking, to be plucked from green leaves, helpless to do anything but hope that the hands that held her wouldn't deem fit to crush her.

She'd rather sting the hands that reached for her without her leave, to prick fingers and spill blood if anyone dared to be careless with her.

As she got ready for a night out with Lady Iris, she couldn't help but glance at the letter boxes. Izabel and she remained worried about Katrina and how quiet their friend had gotten. Furthermore, Adelia had noticed the way the the letters had gotten folded, as though someone had read them before sealing them shut. Someone who didn't fold the papers as carefully as her friend.

Katrina's parents hadn't read her letters in years, saying that they trusted their daughter to be sensible. Had something happened?

It worried Adelia and she couldn't wait for the party to arrive, for her friends had both agreed to come. Izabel had mentioned that her parents had been anything but happy about that, but they didn't wish to insult King Harold's best friend by snubbing his wife's invitation.

That Izabel, Katrina and Adelia had been dear friends for years, that they might wish to continue being friends and to occasionally see each other, seemed to be a mere afterthought in that conversation. It made the coal of anger that still lingered in her chest flare and burn a little deeper into her flesh.

Still, Adelia was glad that her friends would come visit, that she could hug them and see their faces once more. That she could hold their hands and show them around and usher them into her rooms to giggle together over this and that, relaxed and flush with comforting peace and a calm, quiet sort of contentedness.

She glanced at the mirror one last time, ensuring she looked presentable, before she stepped out of her rooms. Murky daylight fell through the windows as evening settled across the land and a grey cover of clouds leeched more sunlight even before the sun was gone.

By the time she reached the entrance hall, Lady Iris had just arrived.

The warlord looked quite dashing, with elegant, black, knee-high boots and black pants that held the faintest shimmer, like a raven's feathers. Lady Iris wore a black shirt with an ivory vest overtop, which was embroidered with white-gold thread. Her long, tight curls were braided today and decorated in silver clasps and beads, a dusting of silver-white across her cheeks.

She looked like she had gotten kissed by winter, reminding her of snow glittering in a beam of moonlight, surrounded by a night-black, frosty forest.

"You look wondrous," she found herself saying and Lady Iris grinned, lifting her arms to show off shimmering jewelry on her fingers and wrists, turning once as though to display the grandeur of her clothing.

"Why, thank you ever so much," Lady Iris said and then smiled at her. "You look beautiful as well, Adelia. Well then, shall we? I fear if we linger too long Lambrecht or even Rowan might show up and then we'll start chatting and if that happens I will forget the time."

While there was such a thing as being fashionably late back home – never later than the king, of course – it was frowned upon to show up to performances after they had already begun. No one wanted to have a play or music piece interrupted because of another's tardiness.

Lady Iris offered her arm with a grin and Adelia took it with an answering smile. They left the keep together, a gentle bit of snowfall drifting down from the sky and the air was frosty and cold. Lady Iris's mage waited for them, poking at one of the lights with a thoughtful expression.

"Alb," Lady Iris called out, her mage startling and turning around. "To the opera, please."

"Certainly." They swept into a greeting bow, shimmering, embroidered robes billowing out for a moment with a little more flair than the movement should have allowed and Adelia was willing to bet that a minor enchantment was at play.

Sorcerer Alb clapped their hands together and the snow around them rose suddenly in a massive wave, Adelia clutching Lady Iris's arm subconsciously, startled, and then the waves of snow fell over her and she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, only to feel warmth envelop her.

Laughter and faint music greeting her ears and she blinked her eyes open to see that they were standing in the entrance hall of a grand opera.

"I'll be back in four hours," Sorcerer Alb said, clapped once more and looked like they vanished into themself, before they were gone.

"Apologies, Alb's teleportation always feels a bit like getting swallowed by your surroundings," Lady Iris said. "It differs from mage to mage. Personally, I think that Iva's teleporting is far more gentle, but don't tell Alb that, it will hurt their feelings."

She said it with a joking quality, but Adelia nodded still. She had no desire to compare mages, when she was incapable of wielding so much as a speck of magic herself. Mages and sorcerers were all very powerful and skilled across various areas.

Adelia glanced around curiously, at the floors and pillars of the entrance hall made of polished marble, thick, dark-red carpets bordered in gold muffling countless steps as visitors streamed inside.

Portraits hung on the walls, depicting fantastical scenes and various performers. In between the paintings enchanted lanterns were mounted on the walls to spread a fireless glow and flowers and small statues were placed on thin podiums all around the walls of the entrance hall.

Three grand chandeliers hung above, illuminating everything along with the mage lanterns in a soft, gentle, buttery-golden glow.

Numerous well clad people were arriving and walking through the front entrance, the cold somehow staying out even though the three big wing doors were kept wide open to reveal a snow covered walkway, carriages waiting in a neat line to drop off whoever they had brought.

A handful of other people appeared in the space near Adelia and Lady Iris, the spot marked for teleportation and Lady Iris gently led her away so they wouldn't risk having someone bump into them when they appeared out of thin air.

Adelia was glad to see that she had dressed just fine for the opera. Everyone else looked to have arrived in finery, wearing glittering dresses and waistcoats, jewelry glinting on necks and wrists and hanging from ears.

"I got us great seats," Lady Iris said as she led Adelia through the entrance hall, past politely conversing groups and smiling couples that were on their way to their own seats.

Everything here looked to be for the gentry, for the well bred folk of polite society, and Adelia couldn't help and be quietly surprised. She would have thought that an opera in the Wilds would carry the same rough charm as the keep and Ravenburg did, but this place was easily on par with the opera in the capital back home.

It made her aware of the fact that she hadn't really seen much of the Wilds outside of her new home. Mayhaps, if the nightmares could be harnessed for such a task, she and Rowan could go on trips through their lands and her husband could show her more sights and more places.

"Where is this place?" Adelia asked and Lady Iris grinned at her, all sharp fangs and joyful pride.

"In my lands. We're in my second-largest city right now," she answered. "Oh, remind me to show you to other places around here the next time you visit, I have two art galleries and an ancient castle that I believe you would like."

"That sounds like a great idea," Adelia answered and felt herself perk up a little at the idea.

The seats Lady Iris led them to were on a private little balcony, overlooking the entire stage from a near perfect vantage point. Adelia watched as the orchestra finished fiddling with some things as they waited for the performance to start, while the other visitors slowly sought out their own seats, a low, downright gentle rumble of murmurs and shuffling steps filling the large room.

The walls were decorated here, as well, gold gently glimmering along white marble and red satin curtains surrounded all the little balconies to grand further comfort by ensuring no one had to see the person on the balconies beside them. Only the stage was perfectly visible.

"You seemed a bit pensive earlier," Lady Iris spoke up as Adelia sat down beside her after having peered around. "Is everything alright?"

Adelia hadn't spoken much about her worries for her friend. Rowan knew, she had aired out her troubled heart over dinner one evening and he had been quite the kind listener. Though, not even he had been able to offer a solution to the problem, since the questions she hid in her letters to Katrina went unanswered.

All Adelia could do at this point was wait until she could finally see Katrina again and ask her directly, away from prying eyes and ears.

"One of my friends seems unwell," she answered, her brows furrowing slightly. "Her letters have been... quiet. Subdued."

"Has she been struggling with something recently?" Lady Iris asked, growing more solemn and focused and Adelia found herself spilling everything she knew. Lady Iris was frowning as she listened and once Adelia was done, she asked, "Would her parents force her into marriage?"

"She does not have a choice," Adelia said, quieter and softer. "Much like I didn't, even if I am glad for my husband now. A lady's place is in a man's household, after all." Her voice was faintly bitter as she said it.

Lady Iris's eyebrows rose. "That sounds like you're considered possessions." When Adelia merely inclined her head, she leaned forward a little. In the gentle light of the lantern above them, the silver-white make-up glittered like kisses of frost. "I could have her kidnapped."

Adelia stared at her new friend, startled, and Lady Iris was quick to reassure her, "With her consent, of course. Alb could smuggle a message to her, they are very good at not leaving any traces behind. The next time your friend leaves her home, I can have some of my friends waiting for her. She could be snagged right up."

"You would get into terrible trouble," Adelia said, though at the same time, there was a strange kind of feeling rising within her. What would Katrina do if she didn't have to bow to her family's wishes? However, stealing a lady away was not so easily done. "King Harold would retaliate as soon as he heard your name."

Lady Iris gave her a reassuring smile. "I am not taking your friend as a warlord of the Wilds," she said. "A group of unaffiliated bandits will do it, or so eyewitnesses will say. And once they have her, they will vanish off of the face of the earth."

Adelia felt that kindling kernel of hope die out again. "She would not agree to leading a life where she'll have to hide, to never be seen again." And if word got out where she was, it would spell trouble for everyone involved.

It would see people punished, Katrina's parents first of all. Even if her parents would be innocent, King Harold wouldn't care as long as he got his pound of flesh for being deceived and his kingdom stolen from.

Because the gentry allowed a man to murder his wives, but it would not allow said wives to run from him. She hated it, but she couldn't force her friend into a lifetime of hiding, either. At least not without speaking with her first and talking at length about what Katrina wanted to do.

She wouldn't be another person who took Katrina's choice from her, who treated her like a doll to drag around and put in places her friend looked prettiest in.

"There are other countries she could go," Lady Iris said, then she leaned back into her seat with a soft sigh. "But I understand if she would say no. I grew up here in the Wilds, I've never known another place and I wouldn't want to leave, either."

Lady Iris was quiet for a moment and the light dimmed, heralding the beginning of the performance. She nudged Adelia's knee with her own and whispered, "If she wants a safe place to hide, though, don't hesitate to let me know. My keep is warded against magic, much like Rowan's, so no one would be able to track her down while she's in it. It may not be a forever hiding place, but I would offer her sanctuary for however long she needs."

"Thank you," Adelia whispered back, feeling genuinely touched at Lady Iris's offer. An offer without the unspoken expectation that she be owed a favor in return.

Talking with Lady Iris hadn't solved the problem, but Adelia still felt a little more settled. She felt better to know she had plans in place should Katrina need them and she was glad to know she could count on more people than her husband and their staff if trouble arose.

As the curtains pulled open, revealing a gorgeous sight straight out of a fairy tale book, she found that her worries had quieted enough for this moment to let her immerse herself fully into a story about a human lady and a fae prince.

A wondrous, if slightly strange, a little darker and sharper love story than the ones she was used to from back home but one she appreciated all the more for it. It was a story of trust and love and deep friendship and fantastical, clever foes.

There was a half an hour long break in the performance that Lady Iris and she used to sample various drinks and foods on offer and Adelia found herself delighted by the smallest, cutest little cakes she had ever seen, that had the most delicate sugar butterflies perched on top.

When the performance resumed, she was all too eager to return to her seat, Lady Iris grinning happily, glad that she now had a friend to share this passion of hers with.

The story ended with a softness and a hopefulness Adelia hadn't expected and she found herself tearing up as the couple embraced, their friends dancing around them before drawing to a stop and throwing petals in the air.

The moment the curtains fell and the lights returned to full brightness once more, she clapped as enthusiastically as everyone else, loud cheers and whistles rising from the audience, a far more unrestrained display of joy compared to the measured clapping and delighted murmuring she would have heard back home.

Then again, the gentry had to remain perfectly poised and elegant at all times and freely expressed joy was reserved for private moments among friends, or when the young men snuck out to visit taverns and theaters, sometimes bringing lady friends or siblings along if the parents were particularly lenient.

"So," Lady Iris said as they headed back towards the entrance hall. "I take it you'll come here again with me?"

"Gladly," Adelia answered, a happy grin on her face. "Any time, ask and I will agree."

Lady Iris laughed, joyful and happy and wrapped an arm around Adelia's shoulders to pull her closer for a moment. Sorcerer Alb was already waiting for them when they reached the entrance hall and whisked them away, the carpet rising to fold over them and this time it was not so startling and strange now that Adelia knew what to expect.

A flurry of snow greeted them and Lady Iris bid her goodnight at the steps of the keep.

"I will see you at the party," she said and Adelia nodded with a smile, before Lady Iris and Sorcerer Alb vanished, a few disturbed snowflakes spinning through the air in their wake.

She rushed back inside to escape the cold and she headed straight for Rowan's office, finding him working diligently. He looked up at her entrance and she must've looked as flush with joy as she felt, for his smile was warm and glad grin and it was the most beautiful one she had ever seen.

"I take it you had a great evening?" he asked and she sat down on the chair beside his, now permanently a part of his office so she could join him at his desk.

"The best," she answered and his smile widened, revealing his fangs and his dark gaze glittered with happiness for her.

"Good," he said softly. "Tell me about it?"

She found herself recounting the entire story, gesturing to try and describe the actors, the singing, the music and the various designs of the stage across the play.

He listened, his gaze warm and his smile softly happy and Adelia basked in the afterglow of the evening and of the most beautiful and touching performance she had ever seen.

She felt deeply and truly happy and when she fell asleep she dreamed of dancing through a cove of trees, the air shimmering with magic, Rowan's hands gently holding hers and his steps silent, his eyes red and his smile fanged.

*.*.*

Lord Ivan arrived on the morning of the party with glimmering sparks of golden light, no shirt in sight yet again and he was about as cheerful and bright as the last time Adelia had seen him despite the tragedy the other warlord had been dealing with.

It would have been the height of scandal and strangeness for her to be alone with a half clad man as she led the way to her workshop, but here it was hardly anything to bat an eye at.

Sorceress Iva had handed over the sunshine crystal in the past days after she had run exhaustive and extensive experiments and had gotten no results. Adelia had kept the stone in her workshop since in a wooden chest, making sure it remained securely wrapped.

Lord Ivan looked very curious as she opened the door to her workshop and then he brightened once he realized what she was working with.

"You do clockwork art," he breathed out, gaze bright and downright glimmering with hints of golden, glowing magic. "Please tell me you'll be willing to work with me from time to time? I've been so very eager to see how far magic and clockwork creations can be combined or one even replacing the other."

Adelia felt herself brighten a little in return. She had been wondering that herself, though with how busy things had been, she hadn't been able to sit down and discuss things with Sorceress Iva so far. "I do believe I am open to discussions."

He laughed, bright and toothy and clapped his hands together. "Marvelous, oh Cynar will be so glad to get me out of his hair. My beloved is wonderfully patient but also holds no interest in playing with magic whatsoever, having me talk his ear off must be terribly dull at this point."

"I am certain he would disagree with you on that," Adelia answered and he grinned at her like she had hit the nail on the head.

She picked up the cloth wrapped crystal from its chest then and unwrapped it. Lord Ivan's brows immediately rose sharply, his gaze sharpening and all jovial lightness vanished.

"Now, what has Alexzander done here," he mused to himself as he stepped forward, all sinuous grace now, reminding her of a prowling mountain lion. "May I?"

She held out her hand and he plucked the stone from the cloth that covered her fingers and turned it between his, his focus a downright palpable thing in the air. A moment later, the crystal glowed brighter and warmth spilled into the space between them.

Lord Ivan inhaled sharply and then exhaled slowly in a rather controlled manner. His expression was a complicated thing, something between wonderment and something dark that almost looked like vicious anger.

"This feels like my goddess," he whispered, his free hand rising to press over his amulet. "But all I sense from this is grief and pain."

That was something. "Can you tell what it's made from?" she asked and his frown returned. "Alexzander believed it would be harmful to Rowan."

"It would have burned him like real sunlight," Lord Ivan murmured, making Adelia's spine stiffen. She had feared as much, but hearing it confirmed awoke the coal of anger in her chest and she was almost startled at the vicious protectiveness that rose within her.

Lord Ivan's frown deepened. "What was Alexzander planning, handing this over?"

"Nothing good," Adelia found herself saying, voice coming out a little sharper than intended and Lord Ivan barked out a brief, humorless laugh.

"He reeks of vileness," he agreed. "My goddess stirs in his presence, which does not happen often, let me tell you." He turned the crystal between his fingertips once more and all at once his expression lost its darkness and turned into something calmer and more thoughtful.

"Say, how much of your time may I steal before the party?" he asked. "I'm having some ideas regarding this stone, if you're up for it."

"Certainly," Adelia answered. "I have some time." She stepped aside to retrieve paper and quills, setting down pots of ink and Lord Ivan immediately plopped down on the seat beside her, pulling a piece of paper close.

He was running through possible ways the stone could have come into existence when Sorceress Iva showed up and the three of them sat together for two hours, only to come to one conclusion: this stone shouldn't exist.

It wasn't an enchantment, Sorceress Iva could rule that out. Lord Ivan confirmed that it wasn't a piece from a warlock, because ripping out that kind of magic from another person required a deal with the being they were getting said power from.

None of the powerful forces in this world gave up what belonged to them without being promised a bigger reward and even then most of them would refuse anyway.

There was no creature in all the books of the world that was made of sunshine, either, so it wasn't some sort of strange eye or scale or claw.

"I will commune with my goddess," Lord Ivan said when they had to stop, all of them looking frustrated. "Might I take the stone with me to my temple? I will be sure to return it right afterwards."

"Certainly," Adelia agreed easily enough and Sorceress Iva got up, excusing herself with a thoughtful expression.

Adelia and Lord Ivan said in silence for a moment, before he turned to her and suddenly his expression turned into something brighter, his usual liveliness alighting again. "So," he said. "If you aren't terribly busy right now, would you mind discussing your work with me?"

Adelia found herself smiling and they set their theories of the stone aside to grab new papers and as she started to show how her creations were put together, Lord Ivan showed her how he enchanted things.

His way was different from Sorceress Iva's and less enduring, he mentioned, but Adelia couldn't help the way her mind sparked and soon they were both scribbling on the same papers, scrawling notes on top of each other as they theorized how enchantments and clockwork creations could be joined.

It wasn't like mages and sorcerers hadn't already tried, Lord Ivan mentioned, but the movements of the clockwork creation ruined enchantments every time, for magic was soaked up by something stagnant, something that didn't change form and end up tearing apart what the enchantment was meant to do.

Considering the size of the scrawling sigils and runes something as simple as a sliding panel already made enchantments fizz out because the alignment got shifted into a nonsense pattern.

Before she knew it, she got fully absorbed by ideas and sketches, by diagrams and teaching and learning.

Lord Ivan was as eager to understand what she was doing as she was to understand what he was doing and she only realized how much time had passed when someone knocked at the door.

Rowan poked his head in after she called out and he blinked, taking them in, before he laughed.

"Oh my, you are two peas in a pod," he chuckled as he entered. "Ivan, must I worry that you will steal my wife away?"

"She is brilliant," Lord Ivan answered in a bright grin, gesturing at the table covered in notes and ideas and something that resembled a distant possibility of a working mechanism. He turned back to Adelia, something sun-bright in his blue eyes. "I must demand that we be friends."

Adelia couldn't help but laugh as Rowan came to a stop behind her, his hands settling onto her shoulders, gentle and big and while they lacked warmth, his touch was welcome and pleasant all the same as she leaned back against him, comfortable and relaxed.

"Agreed," she answered and Rowan leaned forward.

"Then I demand that you bring Cynar around when you steal more of my wife's precious time. Your partner has been making new paints, I heard?" he said and Lord Ivan's expression filled with pride and love at once.

"He is brilliant," he sighed. "You should see what he made. His carvings now glimmer and shimmer as though I enchanted them." Upon seeing the spark of eagerness in Rowan's eyes he grinned. "Looks like the four of us are quite the fitting pair. I'll let him know to bring a little gift basket."

"Lovely," Rowan said, all satisfaction and eager anticipation, before he ducked his head to meet Adelia's gaze. "I've come to let you know that your guests will arrive at any moment and the staff is ready to let loose."

Adelia raised a hand to cover one of his. "Thank you," she said and he gave her shoulders the gentlest squeeze before letting go so she could get up. She turned to Lord Ivan, who rose as well, and she gestured at the notes and sketches, asking, "Shall I tidy these away until your next visit?"

"Yes, please," he answered. "Though, I will make copies once we have something more substantial. Well then, I'll go and find Iva, she's always such a delight and I've been so curious how her latest experiment turned out."

With those words and a flourish-y little wave he left, humming as he closed the door behind him. Rowan helped Adelia gather everything despite her reassurances that he didn't have to, cleaning quills and putting everything away properly once more.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm and she accepted it with a glad smile, stepping up to his side.

They walked out of her workshop and down the hallway towards the stairs that would lead them to the entrance hall when he spoke up, "You're happy, aren't you? I've noticed that you've been smiling a lot more recently."

"Yes," she answered easily, smiling up at him. "I am happy. More than that I am... I feel peacefully content a lot of days now." She was quiet for a moment, carefully selecting her words. "You are part of that happiness, Rowan," she said, her voice a little softer as they ascended the stairs. "I don't think I could have asked for a better husband."

His smile was honey sweet. "I'm glad," he answered, his voice just as soft as hers. "I do have a request, though." At her curious glance, he said, "May I paint you? I have wished to do so for quite some time, if I'm being honest."

"Of course," she answered, feeling touched. "I'd be honored." Which was when she remembered something she had forgotten all this time, "How is your violin practice coming along?"

He grinned, looking rather proud of himself, "Better and better. I will play for you soon, if you'd like?"

She nodded just as they reached the top of the stairs and they stepped into the entrance hall, just in time for the front doors to get pulled open, to admit their first guests.

Her heart felt like it skipped a painful beat before it began to race, fear creeping through her bones like a flash of frost, all the more terrible after it had been absent from her life for a time now as she stared at Lord Emmertal.

When she registered Katrina at his side, pale and wan and with a terrible, lurking fear in her eyes despite the perfectly sweet and soft smile on her face, her hand tucked into the crook of Lord Emmertal's elbow, Adelia's fear grew teeth.

With a sharp snap it became a ravenous thing as it hungrily went for her heart and burrowed into her stomach. Lord Emmertal smiled at her over Katrina's head, cold and terrible and he lifted his free hand to cover Katrina's on his arm.

All at once, Adelia knew why her friend had grown so quiet, so distant in her letters. All at once, she knew what husband her parents had chosen for her.