The King's Inamorata (A Queen's Tale #1)

The Letters

My Dearest, Luc,

My heart has never been so heavy. I apologize for not replying to your last letter sooner. Tomas has taken ill. A month ago he suffered a terrible heart attack that left him bedridden and unable to speak for weeks. He's been regaining feeling in his hands and feet, and today was able to ask for water. The winter it seems will be brutal. Agna has already moved into the cottage to help with Papa. 

Just a week ago, Jia gave birth to a boy but the child passed away. I was so occupied with taking care of Papa, that Terrance had to send for another doctor. She was in labor for two days and the child was poorly positioned. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and suffocated him. Jia bled out for so long we thought we lost her.

She survived, but truth be told I don't think she'll be able to have another child after such an ordeal. The guilt weighs so heavily on me that it's difficult to breathe some nights. What if I had been there that night? What if I let Agna take care of Papa, and I went to care for Jia? Could I have saved the child? Could I have stopped the bleeding? Would the village not be dressed in black?

But what if I had left and something happened to Papa? What if he had another heart attack and Agna didn't know what to do? What if he'd died? So many what ifs torture me in the dead of night and it keeps me from sleeping. I wish you were here. 

I miss you.

                                                                                                  ***

Darling Luc,

The winter has been so vicious that it's destroyed nearly everything. Fierce winds made roofs fly right off of houses and the snow is so high it reaches my waist. The roads have been blocked for miles. I haven't seen such a terrible winter since I was eight years old. I had to clear out the basement and set up cots to care for everyone that has fallen ill in the village.

I cannot remember the last time I slept or ate. This is the first time in days that I've sat down and it's only to write this letter to you. All of the mail has been delayed by weeks so you won't receive my letter for a long time. I hope your letters haven't been lost in the mail. It would break my heart if they were.

Papa calls for you in his sleep sometimes but when I wake him, he says nothing. He misses you but he won't bring himself to say the words aloud. Agna mourns you as if you were dead. Sometimes, I catch her taking your cane out of my wardrobe. She'll hold it for a moment then put it back and go about her day.

Please write to her soon. She misses you fiercely. Perhaps almost as much as I do.

Your Vivia

                                                                                          ***

Dear Luc,

My birthday passed just two weeks ago. I spent the first day of my 17th year making soup for the fifteen people all squeezed into my tiny home. I know what you must be thinking, poor Vivia surrounded by sneezing and coughing all day long. But I enjoy having so many people here. It is exhausting and tiring work but it keeps me from feeling lonely.

I have a new person to talk to every day.

Some of the snow has finally melted and tomorrow I'll go out into the fields to tend to them. Say a prayer for me. This winter was so cold I think it might've frozen and destroyed all of the crops. I'll have to salvage whatever I can.