By late afternoon, the three sisters had returned to the chamber they had shared within the royal castle.
The room no longer looked as though three girls had lived there for several days.
Outside the tall windows, the day was slowly descending toward evening.
Their departure was approaching.
The sisters' traveling clothes had already been prepared.
They were not as extravagant as the gowns they had worn during Camellia's coming-of-age celebration, obviously, but Ulrich had not permitted anything plain or cheaply made to be packed for them either. Their dresses were practical for the journey, warm, layered, and made to withstand the cold air that would settle after sunset, but every stitch still carried the refinement expected of ladies from House Rubenhart.
