It was mid-afternoon before Queen Violet returned to her apartments, dressed in an ornate silver gown and her hair intricately braided with sapphires.
As soon as the saw her daughter, the queen's icy expression immediately softened. She kicked off her shoes with the extravagant jewelled buckles and hurried over to the window seat.
"How are you feeling, my girl? Are you in any pain? Did you take all the remedies Tession left for you?"
Celia smiled ruefully. Her mother would always have a way of making her feel like a child still in the nursery. "I'm alright, Mother. I spent much of the day napping and yes, I took all my tonics. My belly no longer hurts as much, it just feels…empty."
Violet sat next to her. "That's a relief to hear. And the empty feeling is very normal. It's a good sign, actually. It's the healing of the mind that can take the longest."
Celia ducked her head. "You told Father what happened."
