The Winter King
Page 190
“We wanted to spend more than a few weeks with you before the Calbernans arrive,” Summer said.
“Keeping them away from you these last ten days has been more difficult than you can imagine,” Wynter said.
“Ten days? You’ve been here ten days?”
“All this planting took longer than we’d planned,” Spring said, “but your husband was adamant to keep us hidden and keep everything a secret until the garden was done.”
“If it weren’t for Tildy, we might still be working,” Autumn added. She nodded to the plainly dressed, gray-haired woman waiting off to one side with Krysti by her side. “She organized us like one of your husband’s generals.”
Khamsin wiped the tears from her eye and smiled at her nurse. “I wondered what was keeping her so busy this last week.” She waved Tildy over and pulled her into a hug. “I know I’ve never said it before, but I will say it now.” She pulled back so she could look directly into Tildy’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said earnestly. “Thank you for everything. If not for you, none of this would have been possible, and I never would have known such happiness.”
The woman who had raised her from birth gave a damp-eyed smile. “I’ve only ever wanted what was best for you, dearly.”
“I know. And I want you to know that I love you, Tildy. I always have. You’re the only mother I’ve ever known.” She hugged her nurse again, wiped away more tears, then laughed and pulled Krysti into a hug, too. “And you! No wonder you’ve been under my feet all week—you were helping them keep this all a secret—making sure I never got anywhere close to the Atrium or my sisters.”
The boy grinned hugely. “I did a good job of it, too, didn’t I?”
She laughed. “Clearly.”
Spring took her hands. “We want you to know, Storm, that whether any of us choose Merimydion or not, we are all resolved to be here when the babies are born.”
“We wouldn’t miss the birth of our first nieces or nephews for anything,” Autumn agreed. “And if the Calbernan doesn’t agree to those terms, then he won’t be getting a Season as a wife.” She sniffed and tossed her auburn curls.
“Not that that will be a problem,” Summer reassured Khamsin with a comforting smile. “From everything I’ve heard or read, Calbernans cherish their women. I’m sure the Sealord won’t mind a small delay to bring his new bride joy.” She gave her other two sisters a look of gentle reproof, which was as close to a scold as Summer had ever been able to manage.
“I’m sure he won’t,” Kham agreed. “He struck me as a good man, or I would never have given him a chance to come within a thousand leagues of any of you.” She flung her arms around her sisters. “Oh, I missed you all so much.”
With her beloved family around her, filled with more joy than she’d ever known, Khamsin looped an arm around Wynter’s waist and strolled through the remaining paths of her own Sky Garden.
“Well?” Wynter murmured, smiling. “What do you think?”
“It’s perfect. It’s everything I could ever have hoped for.” She stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. “You’re everything I could ever have hoped for.”
Arm in arm, they walked towards the very heart of the garden, where Wynter had placed a perfect replica of her mother’s carved wooden bench. A new, silver-gilt copy of Roland Triumphant lay on the wooden slats, waiting for her. Behind the bench, a young, gangly Snowfire tree had been planted in a mound of moss-covered soil. Healthy, strong, already flowering with its beautifully scented white summer blooms, the Snowfire would grow in the coming years and drape its branches like a veil around the bench, waiting for their children to sit beneath its fragrant blooms to read and dream of heroic battles and noble deeds of their ancestors, and imagine the day they, too, would earn the right to protect their kingdom and discover a love to last the ages.
“Keeping them away from you these last ten days has been more difficult than you can imagine,” Wynter said.
“Ten days? You’ve been here ten days?”
“All this planting took longer than we’d planned,” Spring said, “but your husband was adamant to keep us hidden and keep everything a secret until the garden was done.”
“If it weren’t for Tildy, we might still be working,” Autumn added. She nodded to the plainly dressed, gray-haired woman waiting off to one side with Krysti by her side. “She organized us like one of your husband’s generals.”
Khamsin wiped the tears from her eye and smiled at her nurse. “I wondered what was keeping her so busy this last week.” She waved Tildy over and pulled her into a hug. “I know I’ve never said it before, but I will say it now.” She pulled back so she could look directly into Tildy’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said earnestly. “Thank you for everything. If not for you, none of this would have been possible, and I never would have known such happiness.”
The woman who had raised her from birth gave a damp-eyed smile. “I’ve only ever wanted what was best for you, dearly.”
“I know. And I want you to know that I love you, Tildy. I always have. You’re the only mother I’ve ever known.” She hugged her nurse again, wiped away more tears, then laughed and pulled Krysti into a hug, too. “And you! No wonder you’ve been under my feet all week—you were helping them keep this all a secret—making sure I never got anywhere close to the Atrium or my sisters.”
The boy grinned hugely. “I did a good job of it, too, didn’t I?”
She laughed. “Clearly.”
Spring took her hands. “We want you to know, Storm, that whether any of us choose Merimydion or not, we are all resolved to be here when the babies are born.”
“We wouldn’t miss the birth of our first nieces or nephews for anything,” Autumn agreed. “And if the Calbernan doesn’t agree to those terms, then he won’t be getting a Season as a wife.” She sniffed and tossed her auburn curls.
“Not that that will be a problem,” Summer reassured Khamsin with a comforting smile. “From everything I’ve heard or read, Calbernans cherish their women. I’m sure the Sealord won’t mind a small delay to bring his new bride joy.” She gave her other two sisters a look of gentle reproof, which was as close to a scold as Summer had ever been able to manage.
“I’m sure he won’t,” Kham agreed. “He struck me as a good man, or I would never have given him a chance to come within a thousand leagues of any of you.” She flung her arms around her sisters. “Oh, I missed you all so much.”
With her beloved family around her, filled with more joy than she’d ever known, Khamsin looped an arm around Wynter’s waist and strolled through the remaining paths of her own Sky Garden.
“Well?” Wynter murmured, smiling. “What do you think?”
“It’s perfect. It’s everything I could ever have hoped for.” She stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. “You’re everything I could ever have hoped for.”
Arm in arm, they walked towards the very heart of the garden, where Wynter had placed a perfect replica of her mother’s carved wooden bench. A new, silver-gilt copy of Roland Triumphant lay on the wooden slats, waiting for her. Behind the bench, a young, gangly Snowfire tree had been planted in a mound of moss-covered soil. Healthy, strong, already flowering with its beautifully scented white summer blooms, the Snowfire would grow in the coming years and drape its branches like a veil around the bench, waiting for their children to sit beneath its fragrant blooms to read and dream of heroic battles and noble deeds of their ancestors, and imagine the day they, too, would earn the right to protect their kingdom and discover a love to last the ages.
