There was no surprise on her face as Cristalsa smiled gently at him. "Welcome to the family, Clovis. I hope you prove more intelligent than your father. He was also given a beautiful and rare gift as a wife. Let us hope you have the brains to appreciate it." The Matriarch expressed her views rather gently compared to what he had expected. Her young and elegant appearance didn't match the warm grandmother personality.
"I am well aware I am standing next to a rare treasure." Clovis looked over at Kyera smiling at her tenderly. The Princess was not immune to the praise, her cheeks pink with blush.
"Okay, Mom we have traveled a long way. Can we wait till after we get cleaned up and dressed for these temperatures before continuing the veiled threats?" Kyera asked chuckling a little. She was chilled to the bone. Her skin burned from the icy touch of the air, even though the thick layers she wore. Even the leather and fur she was wearing wasn't enough to ward off such a solid chill.
"Oh, of course, my dear. There are cloths about your size in your room. Take him with you and I will send along cloths for Clovis." she shooed them both away, now aware that Kyera's lips were turning slightly colorless in the arctic temperatures. It had been too long since the child had visited. Kuera curtsied and took Clovis by the hand, leading him away down the hallway.
The castle itself was filled with marble statues of cats and gods. The simple pale color scheme continuing throughout the halls. Furrs and tapestries were hung occasionally in rather interesting ways. Kyera seemed to be using these things like a road map.
"Your room?" Clovis asked rather curious at this point. Kyera grinned softly, wondering when he was going to ask.
"Yes, my room. My mother is technically the matriarch's Grand daughter. My mother's father was the matriarch's last born son. However she was born to a concubine who was actually a peace treaty bride. My grandmother wished to raise her child safely, and with love. She knew her husband didn't love her, had a second wife, and would likely not love the child. She ran away and had her daughter among our people, as princess of the Forest Knights." Kyera explained stopping in front of a tapestry and pointing at it.
There were six people carefully woven into the Tapestry. Two were older, late fortys to fifties. A man with black hair, and cold eyes dressed as a prince. Then there was the woman, beautiful and simple with black hair streaked white. Her back was slightly exposed by her pose, a young woman at her side. Clovis felt he recognized the long white haired woman, who looked much like the woman beside him. At that woman's feet were four little boys between eight and maybe thirteen years old, each standing at their mother's feet and a toddler girl sitting between them all. It was clearly a family portrait, but the grandfather had a sad look on his face and there was space between him and his family, representing the fracture in their relationship.
"That is my Grandfather there, Grandmother, Mother, my brothers and me." Kyera explained as she pointed to each figure and Clovis nodded, taking this all in. He chuckled.
"Do you realize you have more royal connections than most royalty?" he asked raising a teasing eyebrow.
"You only know the half of it." Kyera replied as she touched the crest beside the family tapestry. The shadow King's Crown seemed to shimmer at her touch, or had he imagined it?