A LAND OF FIRE AND DARKNESS

Chapter 53

Hello my friend

I am writing to you to tell you that I am safe.

I found my Intwined Yarris, she is beautiful, kind, and has an attitude I am sure would challenge Dorica's. Her name is Gretta.

She is also married to a King here.

I am being careful though. The King does not seem too concerned about how she spends her free time and is too obsessed with his heir.

So Gretta and I spend most evenings together under the night sky as I tell her stories about our world, as I tell her stories about you, my friend.

I trust you have not told Delcallon, since he has not arrived to drag me away. I am grateful Yarris and would prefer to keep it a secret.

Keep well, my friend.

I will write to you soon.

My heart swelled at how fondly Lewis spoke about my mother. I was worried that Lewis had just been with her because of Fate, but he truly did seem to care about her.

I wish I could ask her how she handled falling in love with an Elemental, maybe get some advice on how to handle Del.

I folded the piece of paper and moved on to the next one.

Hello, my Friend.

My daughter was born today.

We named her Alinta. She is beautiful. Gretta says she has my eyes, but no one in the palace has seemed to notice.

The King believes Alinta is his, and we have chosen to keep it that way. She is going to grow up as the Princess of Utohia.

Still no word from Del, I trust you are still keeping this a secret for me.

Thank you for my friend.

My eyes were burning as I blinked back tears. I heard his voice as I read over the letters. They were filled with writings about me and Gretta, and how happy he was.

Hello, my friend.

Alinta is aging like a mortal. Every moment I cherish as it is fleeting. It feels like mere seconds ago that she was crying unable to roll herself over. Now she runs down the halls laughing and screaming away from the wet nurses who try to change her.

Gretta and I have decided to keep Alinta away from Pretonas for as long as possible. Gretta reads her stories about monsters who live across the southern seas, hoping to scare her, but I swear, Alinta's eyes only gleam with more excitement. She has no fear.

I fear Del will take her away and force her into a position she will not enjoy. I want her to make every choice of her own free will.

A tear slid down my cheek as I continued to read all the stories Lewis wrote to Yarris. Stories I did not even remember. He told Yarris about how I was as wild as any Elemental girl, which made Utohian's worry, but he could not have been prouder.

Hello, my Friend.

It has been a while.

Do you remember how we did not understand how Del could kill Eskar's father while he slept? How we felt it was cold and distant.

I understand why he did it now.

The King found out about me, he walked in and saw me embracing Gretta. He realized that Alinta was not his, and threatened to kill them both while I watched.