"Be safe, my lady," Ariel said, standing in front of the carriage.
"Have a safe journey," I replied as she nodded and climbed in. I watched the carriage leave before turning to follow Sienna inside.
...
After Ariel left, I spent the rest of the day with Sienna in the sitting room, chatting over tea. She must have been quite bored alone in the house.
A light knock on the door caught our attention. A butler entered and bowed before speaking.
"Your Grace, they are back," he announced. Sienna's face lit up with excitement.
"Faina, let's go. Keith's back with the kids," she said, standing up. Keith? I wasn't in the mood for his teasing.
I followed Sienna reluctantly as we made our way to the entrance. I stood at the top of the stairs, watching as Sienna embraced her family. I braced myself for Keith's inevitable jokes.
"Faina?" I heard his voice.
"Good…"
"Did you get taller?" he asked, making me pause. Had I heard him correctly? "You look taller," he continued. Was Keith losing his touch? "No, I'm wrong—still short," he said, laughing. If only my imagination could stay in my head; I knew exactly where to hit to make him stop.
"It's been a while," I said, trying to ignore his comment.
"It has," he agreed. "So, how tall are you now? Still 126?" he asked. Could we discuss something else?
"Keith, stop teasing Faina," Sienna said, laughing. I didn't find it funny.
"Okay, okay," he said, still chuckling. "Kids, meet the tiny aunt I've been telling you about, Faina," he said to the children who had been staring at me.
"Good evening, Aunt Faina," the boy said. He was adorable, and I felt shy.
"Y… yes," I managed to reply.
"Come on, Lylah, say hi," Keith urged, but his sister hid behind Sienna. They were both so cute.
"Dax, let your sister be," Keith said, picking her up effortlessly. "Don't mind Lylah's shyness; she'll warm up to you once she gets used to you," he said, smiling.
"Let's go inside," Sienna said, taking Dax's hand.
I followed them with my head down, dreading Keith's relentless teasing. His return meant my brief relaxation was over; he'd seize every chance to make fun of me.
I glanced up and met Lylah's eyes. She quickly looked away but peeked up at me again.
"We'll freshen up first," Keith said. "It's really good to have you here, Faina," he added as he walked away. I hoped he'd give me a break.
"Lylah is always shy around strangers. Once she gets to know you, she'll be more talkative," Sienna said, and I nodded, watching them go.
...
We had brunch together in the sitting room. Keith had been glued to Sienna's side since his return, and while they made a lovely couple, it stirred an unsettling feeling in me.
"I heard the second prince is in the South," Sienna said.
"Yes," I replied.
"He already has the entire nation on his side. I don't think there's any reason to fear the emperor anymore," she said. That might be easy for her to say.
"We still have an emperor, and whether you like it or not, he's a threat. They'd have to force him to abdicate to end this peacefully," Keith said.
"In the end, they'll have to do what I suggested," Sienna replied confidently.
"A coup isn't as simple as you make it sound," Keith countered.
"It is, especially since he has widespread support," Sienna shot back.
"Not everyone," Keith replied.
"Rosen and Vernin are nothing compared to the entire knight order and the North," Sienna said confidently.
"It's better to find a way to win the emperor over," Keith suggested.
"The emperor despises the Waison blood in the second prince, and the Waisons dislike Alden. It's wiser to court the Waisons' favor than the emperor's," Sienna argued.
"Winning the emperor's favor would end this conflict faster. Even the emperor knows how ineffective the first prince is," Keith said with a sigh. "If he were serious about opposing Alden, he should have at least made an effort," he added.
"It's pointless to search for something that doesn't exist," Sienna said.
"You have a point," Keith conceded. "Faina," he said, turning to me. I had almost forgotten I was there.
"Yes?" I replied.
"Do you know why we're involved in this struggle?" he asked. I shook my head.
"I know that the second prince is your friend and that the situation wasn't looking good for him," Sienna said. "If anything happens to Alden or the second prince, it would affect you. So, in a way, they should thank you," she said. Thank me?
"We don't want you to get any shorter from stress," Keith added. How is that even possible?
"Thank you, Sienna," I said.
"It's nothing. Just know that you'll have to stay here for a while in return," she said.
"Okay," I replied with a faint smile.
"Speaking of staying," Keith said, whispering something in Sienna's ear. "He's really predictable."
"Why did you do that? You should have forced him to come," Sienna replied. I felt like an outsider in their conversation.
"Faina, do you want a tour of the North? It's best to do it now before it starts snowing," Keith said. I wanted to stay indoors, but…
"Okay," I said.
"Then let's go now," he said, giving Sienna a look that made her smile brightly and stand up.
"You're right; we don't know when it will start snowing," she agreed. "I'll get the kids. You two go get ready," she said, rushing off. I had a feeling they were up to something.
I stood up, pushing aside my doubts as I headed to my room to change. A tour sounded nice, but I wasn't feeling up to it. My body had changed significantly after my last trip, and not for the better. I'd been feeling quite ill lately, and though I knew why, it made me uneasy with no apparent solution.