The letter arrived at noon, sealed with black wax and the Valtor hawk.
Kaelen read it standing in the courtyard, the wind pulling at the parchment, the snow melting on his boots. The paper was thick and warm, as if the messenger had held it close to his body during the ride. The ink was dark, nearly purple, and the handwriting was sharp and precise.
"Caelus. The king has signed the decree. Our marriage will be announced at the next full moon. You have two weeks to prepare."
"L."
Kaelen folded the letter, his hands were steady but his heart was not.
He looked across the courtyard. The goat was on the roof, eating frost off the tiles. The pig was in the gazebo, sleeping, his horns poking out of the pile like twin spires. Sprite, was on his shoulder, its ember eyes watching the horizon.
"Two weeks," Kaelen said.
Sprite chirped.
"Yes," Kaelen said. "I know."
