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

Where We Come From

The next day as Vivia was getting dressed she put on her necklace from last year's summer market and tied her hair back. Two of her patients were heading home today and she did her best to conceal her excitement. She didn't want to offend anyone but she was overjoyed. She was dying to have her home all to herself again. And with fewer people to take care off, she could fall back into a normal routine and figure out what she was going to do. 

She and Agna switched places today. Vivia was taking care of the bank while Agna was playing the role of dutiful housewife, cooking, and cleaning, and doing all the things she hated. 

Paolo was helping her manage the books when he exhaled deeply.

"What's the matter?"

"I've never seen so much debt before in my entire life."

He was right. At this rate, the bank wouldn't have any more money to loan out in a few weeks. Businesses were beginning to move into the city. Vivia was watching her little town crumble right before her very eyes and she wasn't sure what she could to stop it.

"Isn't there supposed to be an emergency fund for times like these?" he inquired. "Aid from the Crown?"

No one had heard any news from the palace, or other towns for that matter, in months. The emergency fund was a possibility but they would have to wait it out. There was still no way of knowing for sure. She went into her purse and dropped two coins in Paolo's hand. 

"Why don't you get yourself a hot chocolate? I have to be on my way soon to pick up mail for Papa. I think we can close early for today."

"A hot chocolate doesn't cost this much—"

"I know," she pushed his hand back, preventing him from returning the money. She smiled.

Paolo's family had suffered considerably this past winter. She knew that Tomas hadn't paid him in weeks for his services and she was not about to let his family undergo further tribulations because of the bank's inability to pay him for his services. 

After closing up the bank she made her way to the postman where she picked up a letter for Tomas. This one was rather thick and it had the same strange insignia on the back. She'd never seen a wax seal like that before. It was sparkling purple with the letters AE intertwined in beautiful script.

She wondered who Tomas was writing to.

                                                                                             ***

For many nights, she sat down with Tomas and he told her bits and pieces about her parents. In truth, she was angry with him the first week for lying to him for so long. A part of her felt betrayed and mislead. But she had to trust that what Elda and Tomas did for her was for the best. And that they knew what they were doing.

He told her, her parents names:  Zinnia and Daric.

She scribbled their names several times all over pieces of paper, waiting to form a connection to them. She felt the sounds of their names rekindle the embers of a fire deep within her—one she never even knew had gone out in the first place. Tomas told her how her parents first met.

It was for the celebration of the final full moon of the year and Zinnia had been wearing a periwinkle dress. The moment Daric had laid eyes on her, he couldn't bring himself to look away. Tomas told her that the name Vivia had been Daric's choice because it meant my life in their favorite forgotten language. And that was what Vivia had been to her parents before passing; their entire life.

Although she'd not trade her life with Elda and Tomas for anything else in the entire world, she felt herself mourning two people she had never known. Before, her parents were just ghosts of he past she never gave any mind to. But now they were real people, vibrant and alive in her mind's eyes.

She imaged Zinnia with hair even dark than hers that flowed past her tan shoulders. She imaged her mother's feline green eyes, and pointy nose, and full lips. She pictured Daric, tall and handsome with golden hair and olive skin like hers. She imagined their eyes were both round but his were soft and brown.

She wondered how it was they died.

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Hey guys! Sorry for the five day chapter gap. I've been busy with BookCon this year! It was AMAZINGGGGG!!!! <3 Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

QOTC: Who is your favorite character so far and who would you like to see more of?
  

AOTC: I'm really torn between Agna and a character you've yet to meet. I want to see more of Agna but she's so damn hard to write.

XOXO Lilly