The winter has dragged on for many days now. It has kept us all indoors; the snow is simply too thick for any sane person to travel to. The cold served as a reminder of the chill that had enveloped me as I had watched my uncle tear his own child and mistress to pieces. I did my best not to dwell on such thoughts, but it was especially difficult when those thoughts crept into my dreams and gave me nightmares.
My sickness had only progressed and I was thus confined to my bed. I was becoming sick of it, too. I longed to move around freely as I once had, but a strange heaviness prevented me from doing so.
On this particular night, however, I woke up from yet another nightmare and decided that perhaps the bed had soaked in my thoughts and was torturing me in my sleep. So I stood up and found that although my head ached, some of the heaviness had been lifted from my body, and I could walk.
I made it to the door, but as I held the knob of my door, I heard voices from the other side of my door. Voices that belonged to my nightmare. I pinched myself, hoping that this was a dream but it was not.
“Funny that she would end up here,” I heard the voice of the man I had believed to be my father all my life.
“Indeed. And you are right about her, she is an ungrateful wench just like her mother.”
“The lunar eclipse is a year away, you only have to keep her alive until then. It is important she does not suspect a thing.”
“You have nothing to worry about. She's too fixated on Charlotte's betrothal to think of anything else. She must be glad for the rather full weather that has made it difficult for Alpha Raphael's emissaries to visit.”
“I wonder if there is a way to speed things up, Alpha Raphael's money would be very helpful.”
“There is no way to speed things up, we must wait for this dreadful weather to blow over.”
“And those rumours flying about…”
“You need not worry about them.”
“Alpha Dagen has made it his life’s mission to uncover my secrets. He usually does not concern himself with such things, I wonder what changed.”
The mention of Alpha Dagen filled me with apprehension.
“Some say he is going crazy because of the loss of his children.”
The voices began to grow distant as I fell into another unconscious loop.
Several nights after that, I woke up to see my grandmother seated on a chair beside my bed. I stood up in my bed, surprised to see her sitting so calmly by my side. I was about to say something when she put a finger over her lips, motioning for me to be quiet.
“I take it you are done with the diary?” she asked me in a whisper loud enough for just me to hear.
I nodded my response.
“When are you leaving?” she asked me.
“Once the weather clears…”
“You cannot wait that long, you must take advantage of the cover of winter. Napoleon will not expect you to leave in this dreary weather. If you leave now, search efforts will be at a minimum, and he will think you dead in a couple of days.”
“Where will I go to?”
“You will travel North, I have a sister in Normandy; it is a human land. You will live there as though human. You should be safe there,” she told me.
My eyes went to where my children lay, how was I to travel with them in this dreadful weather?
“Have you reviewed the map? Not much has changed since Marilyn drew it. Much of the journey would be underground, it will shield you from the snow. You cannot allow anyone to suspect you leaving, understood?” she said in a firm voice.
“Will I ever see you again?” I asked her, sad to leave without getting to bond properly with her.
“Child, we do not have time for such sentiments. Go, child, and send my greetings to my sister. When you get to Normandy, seek an old lady called Halle; you will be fine with her.”
With that said she was gone.
*******#******
Tristan looked at me with doe eyes like he knew I was going to leave him in this strange and funny land. But I had no choice, it had to be done.
“You'll be a good boy, won't you?” I whispered in his ears and patted his side, he weighed softly to tell me of his displeasure.
“I know, I know. We'll be united someday, I promise,” I said to him.
The goal was to leave without drawing attention to myself. Therefore, traveling with Tristan would be conspicuous, and I could not risk that.
“See who's outside,” I turned to see Emily at the foot of the stable. I gave her a smile. I was going to miss her greatly. It sucked that I could not even give her a proper goodbye.
“A pity this weather, one cannot even go riding,” I said.
“Indeed it is. Come to the drawing-room; the ladies of the palace are having tea,” she said, and I followed her.
When we arrived at the drawing room, I was surprised to see Grandmother sitting at the table. I tried not to look at her but even when I did, there was no glimmer of recognition in them.
“Grandma Tristan, meet Regina. She is your granddaughter,” Emily introduced us as though it were the first time we met. The old woman barely had a smile on her face as she acknowledged me.
“You have to excuse Grandmother’s eccentricities. As you well know, she is not quite well,” examined Emily.
“I understand,” I returned with a smile, but to be honest, I was having a hard time reconciling the grandmother I knew to the version that was seated quietly in the corner. I have to say that she was a good actress.