*Nicoli*
Nicoli moved from the bookshelf to the clock again. The postmaster was on his deliveries by now. So he only needed to wait a bit longer.
But it was challenging to sit and do nothing.
"You're going to run a line through my rug if you keep pacing like that." His father lifted his head from the desk with a knowing expression.
Nicoli stopped. But not for long. He began to fidget again.
"You think it'll come today?"Nicoli pulled out a book to put it back without looking. The book fell back with a loud thud on the shelf. He pulled out another to put it back. Again another thud.
Alexander flinched a little at the sound but said nothing to it.
"Could be today, or it could be tomorrow." He went but Nicoli shook his head at the answer not being good enough.
"You said that yesterday." Nicoli pouted and returned to the books. "And the day before and the day before that. Why don't you know?" Nicoli went and his Father sighed.
"I…if I knew, you would be the first one to know." He went but Nicoli stopped there.
"You…do think one is coming, right?"
Nicoli turned to watch his father.
"That Ana's letter is coming?"
"Nicoli…: Alexander made to smile but was silent. In truth, Nicoli already knew he had no more knowledge than he did. All they both knew was the letter had been sent. His father had made sure to check that it was.
Post Master Nettle vouched it did go, despite a slight delay. But from there, there was nothing either of them could do.
"She must write slow."Alexander volunteered at last.
"Sure," Nicoli nodded but the answer did not make him feel any easier. He grew bored again and looked to the books, but they held no more interest.
Instead, Nicoli decided to plop down on the rug. Then, he started to roll around.
"Nicoli!" Alexander complained. "I told you not to do that. A monarch does not roll around on the floor."
"You're just jealous." Nicoli rolled on.
Alexander dropped his mouth in shock. But he couldn't help but laugh.
"Cheeky little-"
A knock at the door brought both to peer up. Johan announced the intruder. It was the postmaster walking in with his golden tray. On top, Nicoli could spy the letters.
"Finally!" Nicoli shouted up and bounced over to the old man.
"Hello, your Majesty." Nettle greeted. He stepped aside to meet the king. But Nicoli was faster.
"I've been waiting for you all day!" Nicoli reached up. Nettle lifted his tray protectively. His eyes darted to King Alexander.
"Move aside and let Nettle do his job, Nicoli."
"Fine." Nicoli huffed and stepped aside. He stretched on his tippy toes to see over the tray as Nettle moved.
"You've correspondence from Duke Yon and Barren Bethlomew." Nettle lowered the tray. Alexander took both but threw them down with disinterest.
"Is that all, Nettle?"
Nettle nodded and tucked his tray to the side.
"What about Nochten?" Nicoli lifted his head to see. "Anything from my sister?"
Both men tried to hide the disappointment they knew the boy would soon feel as he would learn.
"Your majesty?" Nettle looked up. King Alexander solemnly nodded for him to go ahead. Nettle smiled sadly at the boy.
"Nothing from Nochten today, Your Royal Highness." Nettle addressed Nicoli. "Perhaps tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!?" Nicoli's face fell. He sat back on the rug.
Alexander could see he was upset but had no way to comfort him. So instead, he could only go back to the next best thing. He turned to Nettle.
"Have you concluded the investigations yet?"
"We have."
"And?"
"There was some delay from the inside castle, but the letter did indeed arrive in Nochten," Nettle confirmed.
"So it made it safe as well. " Alexander went quietly. "But if the letter has been delivered, this may not be a question of delay."
Alexander sighed then, before dropping his arms to his side and sitting back.
"That will be all, Nettle."
Nettle bowed and left. Alexander watched the door close before returning to his chair. He suddenly felt a need to be silent as well.
"There must be some way." Alexander pondered into his hands. "This silence will only make things grow worse. But what reason can we use to get involved again?" He was asking Johan.
"Your Majesty, I…" But Johan only shook his head. "I don't know. Agent Maddie…it's still too soon."
"But we must think of something." While his father mulled over any opportunities, Nicoli sat up. His blue eyes scanned unfocused over the books. It felt like a heavy weight was pressing into the small of his chest.
It was making it hard to breathe.
How many days could you hear the exact words? That there was no letter. That there still was no reply from Ana?
I wish I could just run over there. But instead, Nicoli picked at the rug.
I'd find her and hug her, and I'd never let go.
If he could do that, Nicoli knew everything would be okay again.
Ana wouldn't hate me anymore.
Thinking about it, Nicoli felt encouraged. He looked over at his father. He, too, looked grim. Nicoli thought he needed to be encouraged just as much.
"It's okay, papa." Nicoli smiled. "We'll just see tomorrow. It will come."
"Nicoli," Alexander heard the optimism in his voice. It reassured him. But Johan only stiffened his face.
"What if there comes no letter, Prince Nicoli? What if it doesn't come at all? What will you do?"
Nicoli paused to scrunch his nose up.
"If there is no letter…then we'll wait till the next tomorrow."
"Nicoli," Alexander only sighed.
"It will come." Nicoli stood up with passion.
"In fact- I'm going to write another letter. I'll tell her to hurry up. And if she doesn't, I'll write another and another until she does." Nicoli clenched his fists.
"I'll write one right now!"
Without hesitation, Nicoli went to the desk. He found a loose-leaf page and scrambled up to sit on King Alexander's leg.
"I need a quill!" He demanded. "Quick!"
"Alright, calm down." Alexander couldn't hide his surprise. But he didn't argue. Instead, he pulled out a quill from the drawer.
In a flash, Nicoli began writing with a feverous drive. When at last he was finished, he held it up. He then turned it over for his father to re-read.
"If you don't write back, I'll keep pestering you. Love Nicoli." Nicoli read the last out loud, proudly. He then looked up.
"Could I use those oil crayons?"
"My pastel crayons, you mean?" Alexander could see Nicoli was serious. So instead of teasing, he pulled them out. Nicoli stole a new piece of paper and quickly dug into the crayons.
Alexander and Johan silently watched Nicoli draw. Finally, he drew a brown person and a purple person. And then there was a -?
"What is this?"
"A bear." Nicoli didn't even look up from the paper. He was used to explaining it at this point. Though he couldn't see why.
It clearly is a bear. Nicoli thought. Ana was smart enough to remember it was.
"I'm drawing sister writing a letter and Mr. Bear as the postmaster. He's going to give it to me." Nicoli interpreted the scene aloud.
"Ah, I see." Alexander mused to Johan. Both men clearly did not see it but wouldn't question the creator. He only waited for Nicoli to stop coloring.
"Done?"
"Yes." Nicoli sounded proud.
"Then, I'll make sure this is sent."Alexander sealed the letter. Johan left to fetch Nettle back.
"Look, papa!" Nicoli pointed to the window a short time later "The post horse is leaving."
Below, Nicoli could see the posthorse push through the snow until he was far out of sight. Then, likely, moving beyond the snow till the ground was green.
And past that, till it's sand. Nicoli thought. Nicoli began to imagine what the post-horse would see.
After leaving the grassy lands of Almony, he would enter the land of sand. A stark white palace would be sitting in the middle of the desert. After that, Nicoli predicted what would happen.
He will turn the letter over to a tall vampiress. Nicoli thought. And she'll put it on their tray to carry up. She'll go directly to Ana without any stops.
Nicoli could only guess how Ana would act from there. She'd likely be surprised to see her with the tray. But she'd welcome her in. And she would take the letter.
"I'll be waiting for you, Ana," Nicoli called out. He had no doubt Ana would reply, if not this time, with the next letter. And if not that, well, that just meant Nicoli would keep writing.
And I won't stop until she does. Nicoli vowed. I'll write and write till she gets sick of it that she'll have to write back.
She can't be silent forever, right? Nicoli was confident. He looked up at the big blue sky. It was the same blue sky that somewhere, Ana would be under. Even far away, across miles and mountains and desert, Ana and him were still connected.
And Nicoli was not going to lose that connection. No matter what, they would be together again.
But until then, Nicoli could only be hopeful and wait.
- End Part I-