After the bird; which was still waiting to be named, was placed to rest on a bird post behind Zenya, we continued with the final part of the gift-giving. This time, my father.

" My child, I know how passionate you are about music, and I also know that there is no one better to be your teacher, than him." Dad stood in front of her with a calm smile. An expression that I had never seen him do until now. Then he gestured toward the crowd.

Attention was focused on an older man who advanced slowly but surely through the guests. Dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, the elderly man exuded an air of refined sophistication. His suit, a deep ashen gray, reflected the success of years well lived, complementing his graying hair that framed a face etched with the lines of experience and knowledge.

Her eyes, a deep, warm shade of brown, had a soft glow that told the stories of a lifetime dedicated to art. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened as she smiled, a smile that revealed kindness, and enormous passion.

His poised posture, his measured but determined steps. Every movement alluded to a life full of discipline and passion. An attitude that spoke of his attention to detail, cultivated through years of practice and dedication.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Zenya Baelian." The man bowed graciously, gave my sister a sincere smile, and then kissed her small hand gently, showing with that act the etiquette worthy of his refined appearance. "My name, which I can deduce is already known to you, is Modeus Razart. I have been entrusted with the honor of introducing you to the music world. Keep in mind my sweet young lady, that I will devote every part of my being to guide you through one of the most beautiful expressions of art."

Zenya was speechless, her hand, which Sir Modeus kissed, had frozen. In her eyes, you could see the disbelief at what was happening. My sister used to talk a lot about her great idol, Sir Modeus Razart. A composer, the greatest composer who ever lived, and who had retired a few years ago to rest and enjoy the rest of his life in comfort. His legacy in music was legendary, and now he was standing in front of her, proclaiming himself her teacher, and guide. What girl her age would not be elated by this situation?

My sister managed to come out of her stupor, barely able to respond with a soft voice, almost a whisper, thanking Sir Modeus, who gave her another of those true knight smiles, and then said goodbye, promising her that he would soon return to begin her lessons. Zenya nodded, still unable to believe her eyes, as Sir Modeus said goodbye to my father and left for the day.

Silence had reigned for a long time in the room. Everyone seemed to doubt whether what had happened was real or not. Dad took it upon himself to "revive" Zenya who was still staring at the door through which Sir Modeus had retreated.

The host butler caught everyone's attention, calming the heated conversations over the unexpected guest.

Immediately it was Mom and Makila's turn. They both looked worried. Sarka, who had arrived next to us, was metaphorically biting her nails, worried about Dad's "gift", which seemed unbeatable at the moment. Mom and Makila were the same way, not knowing if they could get over something like this. Makila handed me to Sarka and together with my mother, they advanced towards Zenya.

They both stopped in front of her, offering her a warm smile. Zenya, for her part, had an expectant expression. If this was what Sarka and Dad's gifts had been like, how amazing would our dear Mother and Makila's be?

"My daughter, we know how much you value the time you spend with each of us." Mom said, holding Makila's hand tightly, which continued with what she was saying.

"That's why we've been striving to find something that can go along with that idea." Makila pulled from... uh... I have no idea where... One moment she had her hands empty and the next she had an object in her hands. Is it some kind of magic? Something like space magic?

"This is called a Kadotype." Makila walked over and presented Zenya with a box-shaped object, perhaps six inches tall. Its front had a round shiny piece, something that, as I realized what it was, took my breath away completely. A lens. Behind this box, there was something similar to a small hole, a viewfinder for whoever was holding the device, could see through it.

That...is that what I think it is!!!?

Zenya examined it carefully, trying to understand what its function was, but no matter how hard she examined it she was unable to comprehend it. Mom laughed in amusement at her incomprehension as she approached my sister. Makila carefully picked up the "Kadotype" moving away a bit, while Mom stuck to Zenya and they looked towards Makila. Makila then pointed the object at them, and in a flash that seemed to blind Zenya for an instant, it was all over.

A few seconds passed, while my sister recovered from the unexpected flash. Makila approached both of them and, opening the device from the back, took out a small metallic-looking "card". A photograph of both my mother and sister.

"Is that Mom and me?" she asked in surprise. A relatively clear, color image of the two of them was etched on the plate that had come out of the Kadotype. " How...?"

"It's called Lumigraphy, Dri. This device can capture an image and engrave it on this Ruto glass plate. It can only take 20 lumigraphs before you have to put in new plates, but with this, you can capture moments that you want to treasure, and the Ruto glass plates are very durable, so the lumigraphs can last almost forever without damage."

It was interesting to learn that, in this world, thanks to magic, they had already reached the technological level enough to create cameras. Although, as expected from a different world, the naming of things wouldn’t be the same.

Zenya continued to browse the Kadotype for a while longer, giving me a few fleeting glances. It was easy to tell that I would be the target of her future collection of "lumigraphs" and I felt it best to resign myself to my fate. I would never say no to her anyway. Besides, I would like to have some of these lumigraphs for myself. I want to have memories of my childhood with my family.

Zenya thanked them both with a tight hug, which colored their faces with a bright smile. They hadn't managed to get over Dad's gift, but in the end, they didn't seem to mind. They did something that made their daughter happy, and that was the main goal of the day.

With the return of Mom and Makila at Sarka's side, the event would finally conclude. But I couldn't let it all end without me setting foot on the stage, could I?

When I saw the host butler walking toward Zenya to bring the event to an end, I began to move in Sarka's arms, waving as much as I could and pointing toward my sister.

"T-tya! What's wrong?"

" Aaaa!!! Aaaa!!!"

"What's wrong, do you want to go with Zenya?"

I nodded immediately as I babbled and gestured for her to lead me to her. Sarka looked at Mom for help. She just shrugged, relinquishing the decision to her. My sister sighed and pulled me toward Zenya immediately. Before we got too close, I began to slap Sarka's arms to make her stop, which fortunately she understood immediately.

"Now what's wrong? I can't figure out what you want Tya..."

“Don't worry sister, you'll see.” I laughed internally.

Zenya who had noticed our little act, tried to approach us, but I immediately shouted at her with my babbling, stopping her advance, but placing all eyes on my little fuss. I started to feel a little pressure of being watched... but no. I had to do what I had to do, and it had to be perfect.

I signaled Sarka to lower me to the ground. It took her a while to understand, but she did it slowly. Luckily, I was placed on my feet, which allowed me to start as I wanted.

From the moment I found out that my dear sister Zenya would have her birthday at the beginning of winter, I began to "train" for this day. I had to do it always in secret, taking advantage of the days when it was just a maid, and she fell asleep in the middle of her work. There were days when I didn't get a chance to do anything, days when I was carried around for various reasons, and days when Mom, Dad, Sarka, or Makila hung out with me. But I am glad that I was able to reach my goal on time.

Sarka held me in place holding my hands, but I let go. It was time to give Zenya the only gift I was able to offer her at this moment.

Standing, barely keeping my balance, I looked towards my sister, my target, with my most serious look, and took my first step in her direction.

I had practiced this many times, realizing that the first step was the most important. If I could keep my balance, the momentum would help me move forward more easily.

I managed to keep my balance.

I took the second step and felt everything was going smoothly.

The hall was silent, with only my footsteps echoing as background music to the spectacle that everyone in the audience was admiring.

Another step.

Slowly but surely, my small body advanced toward Zenya.

My gaze was attentive to the floor, lifting my eyes slightly to make sure I was going in the right direction.

The next step. I almost stumbled, which made me stop. A muffled scream was heard. I didn't know who it was, but it didn't matter, I had to keep going. I needed to complete my journey towards my dear sister.

One more step, then another, and another. I started to go a little quicker, but not too fast. I had to be patient and go carefully. If I tried to rush, I might fall and my effort would be wasted.

The distance from the starting point to Zenya was maybe 3 meters. It wasn't too much, but for me, a baby walking for the first time in a new body could be compared to having a person drive a car knowing absolutely nothing about them.

Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

Zenya was mesmerized looking at me, yet some instinct in her made her get down on her knees, waiting for my arrival with open arms.

That simple act filled me with energy, and my motivation to complete my mission skyrocketed.

Just a few steps separated me from my sister.

Come on Orinthya, just a little more. Don't fall. Don't fall

The last step... and I stumbled.

There was a gasp of surprise. I closed my eyes, thinking I might fall to the ground and everything was ruined.

But no. I fell, but not to the ground. I fell straight into something warm and pleasant. I was filled with a sense of security. It was my sister's arms.

"Well done, Tya, well done. I'm proud of you." Words whispered with affection and pride entered my ears. Zenya held me in her arms. She hugged me tenderly, gently caressing my back. I could feel my sister's love enveloping me, a familiar feeling I hadn't experienced since I was a little boy when I was teaching my own little sister to walk. That warmth and affection...I hoped I was conveying the same to her.

But just in case...

*chu*

I kissed her on the cheek.

I couldn't talk yet. I couldn't buy her a beautiful pet, hire a famous person to teach her, or give her an artifact that would revolutionize the world of art and information. All I had to give her was myself and my sincerity, something she would be able to remember and brag about for the rest of her life.

*click*

There was a familiar sound and a flash of light illuminating us. I turned my head toward the source and saw Dad holding the Kadotype, taking a Lumigraphy of us. I could do nothing but smile and thank him internally for his quick thinking.

Zenya didn't seem to notice though, she just kept hugging me tighter. I could hear a soft laugh coming from her, which surprised me, but before I could do anything, Zenya slowly pulled away.

I saw her face. She had a big smile painted on that cute little face of hers, the biggest I've ever seen her have.

"Tya, thank you, this is the best gift I've ever received!" Those words made me smile with happiness.

This is my gift to you. My first steps. Being able to walk and being able to catch up with my beautiful big sister. I hope I have given you something you can treasure for the rest of your life, even if it is selfish of me to say so.

That was my genuine wish for her. Even if I wasn't able to say it directly, I knew she could understand it to some extent.

Immediately after, came the onslaught of kisses that both Zenya and my mother are so used to throwing at me every chance they get. Not that I'm complaining, but it's embarrassing in front of so many people. And speaking of which...

There was a big applause from the moment Zenya spoke to me. Sarka, Mom, and Makila moved next to Dad, who kept taking lumigraphs of us. Thanks to that, this will be a memory that will remain immortalized.

The host butler (someday I will know his name) took the opportunity to end the event. My whole family lined up and gave their farewells to all the guests, who were leaving little by little, leaving some last words of congratulations and some invitations for tea parties, or some other event. Most of them were addressed to Zenya, and some others to Sarka, who looked a little uncomfortable receiving them.

There were even a couple for me. There was some sort of tradition of gathering mothers with children under the age of 2 for a little tea party where they would gather all the children to play together. I didn't quite understand why, since none of those children would remember anything about it, but I assumed it was some social or cultural thing in this world.

 

---

 

By the time everyone was gone, and only my family and a few servants were left, it was late in the evening.

We were getting ready to finally go home and rest. Zenya was on the verge of falling asleep from the exhaustion of the day, so Makila carried her in her arms, while I was with Mom, who had just done something I'd never seen her do before.

Remember when I said Sarka looked strangely tousled and disheveled? Well... apparently since she saw that Zenya was doing pretty well for herself, she decided it was a good idea to sneak off to meet someone. I don't know who it was, but according to her, it was "a friend" who helped her get Zenya's gift. Makila was also quite upset with her but decided to leave everything to Mom. The look on Sarka's face was... well, just like someone who was caught red-handed.

The scolding was quite shocking. Mom was very angry. Sarka could do nothing but look at the floor in shame. Her ears were pulled as she received a terrible lecture. A moment that made me think that no matter what happened, I should never make my mother angry. She's pretty scary, and I want to keep my ears intact for the rest of my life. Well... maybe some girl could be "a little rough" with them, but that's a separate issue.

I was sure that, if it wasn't for the fact that we were all very tired from the day, and because it was an important event, Sarka would have been spanked right there and then. Not from her, but from Makila, who looked even angrier than Mom.

Yes, Makila is even scarier than my mother.

With my older sister now extremely submissive at our side, and my other older sister practically asleep, we decided to leave the rest of the work to the servants. Dad was already gone a little while ago, taking the Kadotype and the lumigraphs with him. It seemed he had some extra work to do for some reason I didn't understand, and he would store the lumigraphs while he was at it.

"M-Madam!"

Just as we had just passed through the front door of the house, a maid; specifically, one of my mother's maids, suddenly appeared behind us, with a complicated expression. She appeared to be of the same race as Ameli. Quite human-looking, with light blue hair and violet eyes. Her wings were a bit open, twitching nervously and her tail moved in a wave, in contrast to her wings.

"What is it, Rona?"

" M-Madam, something unexpected has happened and..." the poor girl was trembling like a newborn fawn, hesitating about what she should say.

"Yes?"

"Someone has arrived in a carriage and asked to see you and... your daughters."

"At this hour, when it's all over?"

The maid nodded in reply. She looked very hesitant about what to do and pleaded with my mother for help with her eyes.

"Well, who is this person?"

"I... I think it's best if you see for yourself, ma'am." Mom didn't answer, but instead kept her gaze on Rona for a while. She looked quite frightened, for some reason, but also, it was strange that she didn't want to say the name of this strange visitor.

With a slight sigh, Mom instructed her to lead the unexpected guest to one of the guest rooms on the second floor, where we would all be waiting.

After arriving, Makila immediately sat down on the couch, settling Zenya so that she could sleep on her chest. Sarka sat quietly next to her. Mom handed me to my sister and sat down on another couch, one that faced the front door.

"Who do you think it is?" Makila asked with a worried tone.

"No idea. I can't think of any important family that didn't attend that needs anything from me. Much less the girls...at this hour."

They both fell into a contemplative silence, trying to deduce who could be so rude as to show up so late at night.

We didn't wait long before Rona knocked on the door, announcing that she had brought the guest. Mom nodded to Makila and loudly said, "Come in."

As the door opened, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman. A gasp came from my mother, who immediately stood up. I saw her stunned expression, her eyes wide as plates at the sight of the person entering.

Her long, fluffy pink hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, framing her angelic face. Atop her head, standing proudly straight, a pair of velvety cat ears twitched, taking in the sounds of the room. Her green eyes, like peridots, vibrant and expressive, sparkled in a mixture of kindness and curiosity.

She walked slowly, while her beautiful pink and white dress fluttered gracefully with every step she took. Her colors contrasted with her hair in sophisticated harmony. Every detail of the dress seemed carefully chosen by a great fashion artist, from the delicate lace adorning the bodice to the subtle patterns dancing along the hemline.

A pretty and fluffy tail, also adorned with brightly colored ribbons, moved softly behind, exhibiting with its movements the elegance and splendor of the lady in front of us.

Time had stopped, everyone's gazes frozen in admiration of the unexpected presence. After hearing about her from my mother when she talked to Karla, it was impossible not to recognize her, even if it was the first time, I was seeing her. She was...

"Katarina!" my mother shouted, breaking the silence. She ran straight to the feline woman, hugging her tightly, making sure she wasn't an illusion that would disappear at her touch.

"I can't believe it..." murmured Makila, more shocked than I would have ever seen her. Even Sarka had gone silent in disbelief, as she stood frozen in place.

Katarina. Katarina Nazzik. That woman whom my mother considered her older sister. She was here, smiling so radiantly that she dulled even the brightest sunrise. A face so beautiful I could only compare her to Venus herself, and a figure that would rival Aphrodite herself.

Maybe I'm exaggerating with this description, and maybe I'm being too biased because of my tastes, but I couldn't deny that her beauty and figure were top-notch. Beyond what I knew from my previous world.

But it wasn't just her beauty that captured my attention. I was focused on the things that stood out the most to my eyes. Those ears and that hypnotic, fluffy tail. She was the real thing. The cat woman, the Kibikin. Paradise. My paradise.

"But how, why?" asked my mother, touching her cheeks with her hands, making sure that she was really standing there in front of her. Her face showed that she was unable to completely believe that her dear friend was really here.

Katarina responded with a soft laugh, amused by the question and my mother's seemingly unexpected reaction.

She was smiling like a child whose joke had been a complete success.

"I escaped." She announced calmly, her tone amused and blunt, as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Mom was silent for a minute, analyzing her expression before bursting out laughing.

"Yes, that's how you've always been. Rona, make some tea and som-"

"Oh, no, no. I can't stay. If I take too long, they might notice I'm gone."

"What? But..." Mom replied disappointedly, pleading with her voice that her denial was also part of her naughtiness.

"It's okay." reassured the Kibi as she gently stroked Mom's hands. "Anyway, I just came to say hello for a moment, and... well, I was hoping she'd be awake to give her a present."

Katarina looked up at my sister, who was sleeping peacefully on Makila's chest. An angelic sight.

"Katarina, a pleasure to see you again after so many years." Makila greeted her; finally coming out of her surprise, with a shake of her head, a little uncomfortable with the position she was in. "Please excuse me for not being able to give a greeting more in keeping with the situation."

"You don't have to, letting the girl rest is more important. Still, I'm really glad to see you once again, both of you." Her eyes returned to my mother, who was giving her a somewhat wistful smile. I could sense that she was loaded with memories, both sad and happy. Makila had a relieved expression. I assumed she was happy to see my mom reunited with her old friend.

Sarka, perhaps feeling nervous and unable to fully process the situation, stood up and bowed, giving a hasty greeting to our unexpected guest.

"Um... I... am Sarka Lara Baelian. It's a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Nazzik."

Of course, I was still in her arms, so it was a bit awkward for my older sister to give a proper bow. Katarina delicately put a hand to her mouth to hide her laughter, then returned the greeting, introducing herself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you lady Sarka. I am Katarina Dhei Nazzik." With the most charming bow I have seen so far, the beautiful Kibi woman formally introduced herself to my sister, who fidgeted as she was overwhelmed by Katarina's radiant aura. Next to her, Mom looked delighted to see this scene.

Me? I was still mesmerized by those ears. I wanted to touch them, I wanted to throw myself at her and caress them until I felt totally satisfied. I was struggling to restrain myself, and I felt like I was failing.

"Can you introduce me to this adorable little darling?"

Oh, Duchess, you're making me blush.

"Oh, uh... this is my younger sister, Orinthya." Sarka introduced me to the duchess, maintaining that odd awkwardness of speech. Katarina brought her face close and watched me with that lovely smile of hers. She seemed to be evaluating me, but in a very different way than Losward usually did. On her, it seemed more like joy at exceeding the expectations she had. Or maybe, just happy to finally meet me.

"She's as lovely as I heard. I expect great things from you" She expressed happily as she gave my nose a light touch and turned away from me, depriving me of further admiring her beauty. She moved closer to Mom, changing to a much more serious expression.

"I don't have much time, so I'll get right to the point. First, here." Katarina, just as Makila had done earlier at the party, pulled an object out of thin air, handing it carefully to my mother.

"What is it?" Mom asked, curious about the finely decorated object. A jewelry box no bigger than her hand itself.

"It's my birthday present to your daughter. These are earrings, enchanted with tracking magic. The jewelry box serves as a link for them to track her wherever she is. It's a great lifesaver for when your kids get unruly and run off on their own." Katarina winked at my mother as she explained her gift with a mischievous smile. Mom could do nothing but smile wryly at her friend's gift.

"Now." Resumed the beautiful kibi. "The other reason I came. I don't know if you've heard yet, but I also had a daughter this year."

"I found out recently thanks to some rumors here and there at some social parties. But it was Karla who confirmed it to me."

"Hmm, as expected from her. I don't tend to get out of the territory much, so news about us doesn't usually reach the ears of others, but it was easy for her when she visited me the other day."

"She always gets mad when I say it, but Karla is better at gathering information than designing clothes," Makila mentioned from her spot, eliciting a chuckle between them.

"The point is, I want to get my own plans in motion soon."

"Your plans?" Mom raised an eyebrow in confusion, something that brought a cocky smile to Katarina's face.

"The moment I heard what you were planning to do, I thought I should do something for both families, too." Katarina moved a little away from them all, pacing around the room as she continued to talk. "I thought, why not help them differently for my dear little sisters? Something that complements the plans they have."

Mom remained silent, waiting for the duchess to explain the plan she had in mind. It didn't take long for her to give an exhausted sigh. As if she already knew that what her dear friend was planning to do was going to cause trouble somehow.

"What kind of mischief are you planning?" Mom urged her on with her tone of mock annoyance.

Katarina, playing along, was offended exaggeratedly, in contrast to the drama they seemed accustomed to expressing when conversing with each other.

"How dare you think of me like that? Oh, Iri, you hurt my feelings." The three of them laughed at the antics they were making.

I could tell how strong the bonds of friendship were between them. I felt a little jealous about that. I wished I could find friends with whom I could joke around like that. People with whom I could share those kinds of smiles.

"Well, it's quite a simple thing." Katarina clapped her hands once to regain our attention and return us to a more serious mood. "I was thinking of organizing a small event at the beginning of spring. You know, a little infant party. And, I was thinking of inviting you and little Orinthya."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Mom looked happy but worried about the invitation. She changed to her contemplative expression, possibly thinking about what the consequences might be if we attended such an event.

"Don't worry too much about it. I'm thinking of inviting Duchess Fondawl and her son as well, plus other families from other factions."

Mother looked suspiciously at Katarina. Something about that comment seemed to worry her even more. Katarina responded with a somewhat sad expression, before walking back over to her and taking her by the hands.

"Iri, I know what I'm doing. Trust me. I know I can make things work out."

"..."

"If everything goes as planned." Katarina moved her gaze to Zenya, who was still sleeping peacefully on Makila's chest. Then she returned her attention to Mom, giving her a reassuring smile. "I want you to let your daughter, Zenya, attend my Yuliana's fifth birthday."

Mom closed her eyes. She seemed to be considering the offer very seriously.

"Also." She added, perhaps to push her a little harder. "I want my Yuliana to attend your daughter's fifth birthday. Now that I've met her, I want them to be friends."

Yes! PLEASE MOM, PLEASE SAY YES!

Mom remained thoughtful for a little while longer until she finally decided to ask a question. Something she needed to be sure of.

"Katarina, I know I may sound hypocritical and I don't want to doubt you, but... What is it you're after? I know you mean well, but is it just that, just to get them together so they can be friends?"

Katarina remained silent. Her back was to me, so I couldn't see her expression, but from the look my mother was giving her, it seemed she didn't have the cheerful smile she had kept up until now.

"I want, as you do, to improve the relationship between the two houses. Maybe that's just a convenient excuse, though. Maybe it's just me wanting to give my daughter a friend who can mean as much to her, as you mean to me."

Again, Katarina turned away from my mother, walking in my direction. She stroked my head gently, giving me a very motherly look before resuming her words. "I want to give them the chance to be able to relate without having to worry about that stupid conflict between families. To give them the chance that we didn't have, that we were forced to lose contact for reasons we couldn't even understand."

Her tone was melancholy, but you could sense a strong conviction in her voice. There was no doubt that she would do everything in her power to ensure that her daughter and I would have the freedom they were denied. A somewhat conditional freedom, since we would be "forced" to be friends. But I would be more than willing to do so. I hope her daughter will be too.

"When we both became duchesses, we also became enemies. Without even knowing it, without even wishing it, or being able to do anything about it. We couldn't congratulate each other at our respective weddings. We didn't have the opportunity to be there when our first children were born, nor with the next ones. We couldn't send a letter to each other because that might cause political trouble between the radicals in both families. Isn't that too sad? Should we really let our daughters have to live in that kind of environment?"

Katarina let out a sad sigh before turning to Mom and Makila again. "Irlana, Fiana, aren't you two tired of all this too? I feel regretful that I didn't do something sooner, why is it until now, when it's been so many years that I decided to do something, why was I such a coward?"

They both remained silent. Mom was the one who agreed the most. After all, it was because of all this that she had to separate from her best friend. And she even seemed to share the feeling of self-loathing that Katarina was expressing. Why was it only now that they were acting out?

Mom had a bitter expression, clenching her fists, annoyed with herself.

"I'm tired of it." Katarina resumed her words. Her eyes reflected all the determination growing stronger and stronger inside her heart. "Therefore, I will ignore all voices of opposition from now on. I will no longer be the cowardly duchess who kept herself locked in her home, lamenting while doing nothing."

She walked slowly towards my mother, stopping a few steps in front of her.

"My first step was to help you. The next will be to open the doors of my home and let my children be free." Katarina raised her hand to her front, offering it to my mother. "Will you help me create that future for our children?"

Mom watched Katarina's hand, who waited nervously and expectantly for her answer. She approached her, refusing the hand, and instead, gave her a warm hug, expressing something deeper than a simple handshake.

"Of course, I will, what makes you think I would be able to turn you down? Especially when your goal is even more ambitious than mine, but also much nobler."

Katarina returned her hug, thanking her again and again with her voice full of relief. Makila watched them with warm, emotion-filled eyes. Some tears threatened to escape, but she made a great effort to hold back.

A few minutes later, Katarina shared some details about her plans for the spring, giving us enough information to be fully prepared for that day.

"I'll talk to Hal so he's aware of it."

"Thank you, you and Fiana."

Those were her last words before she gave Mom one last hug, waved goodbye to Makila, my sister, and me, and walked out the door, leaving a small void in all of us.

Katarina's arrival was unexpected, but her determination to want her family and ours to be free of the conflict that had lasted longer than any of us wanted to remember had left an important mark on me. The Duchess had earned a special place in my heart, and as with my mother, if she were to need my help at any time, I would not hesitate for a second to offer her my hand.

What kind of future will we be able to see from now on? I'm looking forward to seeing it.