![]() ![]() This parcel came by special runner from Anatyr. Galen, the head of our household guard, tall and dark with the cheekbones of one of my imaginary princes, carried a parcel. Yes? I called, glad for the excuse to postpone opening the letter. What if the envelope contained news of his death? I’d already lost Mama and Stesi I couldn’t lose Papa. He wasn’t the kind of man to sit at the sidelines of a battle. I’d hardly slept, knowing Papa’s life hung in the balance. He’d believed he could take Costas Galatien by surprise in Galantia and come to an almost bloodless victory by capturing the High City swiftly. He’d said he meant to keep the combat short and sharp. I’d spent days without a word from Papa, living in a state of constant anxiety, waiting for news of the war. The study, usually a refuge, seemed an ominous place this morning. The mahogany-paneled walls of Papa’s study seemed to close around me, making my chest tight and airless. Istared at the envelope in my hands, working up the courage to open it. ![]()
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