Emilie of the Royal Heart

BONUS: Nights Past

Hey, have you read the book yet? 

Don't read until you have!

I'm so sorry, I don't have a playlist for Emilie and Analeigh :(

Setting the stage (this is so important before you read this chapter):

Before the start of the book. Literally before all the events of the book. Instead of creating an alternate ending for Analeigh and Emilie, it's better to take a look at their relationship at the beginning. Their affections were strongest before the events of the book and so we'll take a look at them at this point in time.

Analeigh has just passed by a refugee camp and noticed Emilie among the crowds. She has a kind heart and if she could, she would help all the uprooted Zuhians, but that's not possible. Still, one day passing by, she sees Emilie and something inside her calls to this young woman. She doesn't know why, but she's compelled to reach out to her. Analeigh offers Emilie a place in her household, explaining that it's rather empty these days and she would welcome the company if Emilie would welcome a stranger's hospitality. Emilie agrees to this arrangement.

The woman's hair was knotted around her head and she stared straight down at the bottom of the carriage as it bumped the two of them around on their way to Analeigh's mansion. The Countess wrung her kerchief between velvet gloved hands, trying to keep the gesture low in her lap as she was taught to do in her manners classes. They taught you not to fiddle at all, but if you must fiddle, then fiddle little. Analeigh could live without the fiddling most days, but she felt as though this woman was judging her for her strange conduct even though she rarely looked her in the eye.

Analeigh cleared her throat, "you said your name was Emilie Edmunska, yes?"

The woman nodded.

"Miss Edmunska, I do hope you make yourself comfortable when we arrive at my home. I'll call my servants to help prepare a bath and I'll pick through some of my things to see if there's a clean dress you might fit in. If there's anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Th-thank you," she replied weakly, withering down again into silence.

Analeigh withered with her. What horrors did the poor thing witness before she fled to Fellen? It must weigh heavily on her.

The woman lifted her chin and peered at Analeigh, "it's just Emilie, please."

"Alright," Analeigh smiled kindly, "Emilie."

Her butler, Rosalinde nearly had a conniption after the other servants helped Emilie into a bath upstairs. She paced in front of Analeigh in her red suit. After the tragedy of Quinn's death, there was little formality left between Analeigh and Rosalinde and so she didn't hold her tongue on her opinion.

"What are you doing bringing an urchin into your home!" Rosalinde wheezed, bracing herself on the striped floral wallpaper.

"She's not an urchin, she's a grown woman who happens to be a refugee. I only thought I might try and spread some goodwill," Analeigh insisted.

"But why, lady? You have goodwill enough for Tilzen."

"I... I don't know..." Analeigh muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose with her soft gloves.

She wore gloves everyday, but none in the collection belonged to her. They belonged to her late wife and Analeigh simply took to wearing them to appreciate the things Quinn used to appreciate. People associated the style with her now. She still wasn't sure how that made her feel.