"I hope now that you are a wife, you have not lost your fun side. We need a day of fun with the three of us, Ally, and Lily. Each passing day feels boring since we do not see each other often," said Julie.
"You are always welcome to my home, and if you give notice, you can meet with Lily or Rue. Becoming a wife has not changed me. I am still fun," Penelope assured Julie.
"Do you still sneak out to go around the town?"
"No," Penelope said, avoiding Julie’s gaze. "Fine, you have caught me. That has changed, but I still know how to have fun. I have the freedom to do things without asking my mother or father. I only need to be careful of how it would affect Tyrion."
"That is the boring part," Julie sighed. "To have to think about your husband. How does it feel to be married to a prince?"
"I don’t feel a special kind of emotion. Tyrion has always been my friend, so it feels like our friendship has grown. He hasn’t asked me to change to suit what others want," said Penelope.
"For a cursed woman, you sure are lucky," Julie joked.
How many could get a prince to leave the palace for them?
"Rue, since you are not looking for a husband and I am not searching as well, we should meet often. I won’t trouble you about men or dresses," Julie promised. "You can also tell me about the border."
"I would like that," Rue said, relieved she could have a normal talk.
"Do not believe her, Rue. She will question you about the men at the border," said Penelope.
"Well," Julie drew closer to the pair so her words would not be overheard. "Is that so wrong? I am quite interested in using a sword. Could I join you on the days you and your guards train?"
Penelope shook her head. "Your intentions are clear."
"You may, but I don’t train with the men. I can invite you over so you can sit with me to watch them. It is a splendid sight," Rue said.
"Rue!" Penelope gasped.
"I am not looking for a husband, but it doesn’t mean I don’t look. Surely you cannot expect that with men running around half-dressed, I would not look. There are plenty around our age or a little older," Rue shared with Julie.
"We must talk about something else," Penelope said, laughing at the pair.
"It is not our fault you have a husband, so you cannot look. I won’t tell if you don’t-"
"This is an interesting group," Thalia’s voice disturbed the conversation.
Julie frowned. "And there goes a good day. Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?"
"I do. Unlike some people, I am preparing to meet with a man who wishes to ask for my hand. I hope that one day you will know the feeling, so you don’t end up a spinster. Or do you intend to become one of the women in your grandfather’s business?" Thalia inquired.
"I pity the man who has been captivated by the act you put on before him. I worry about what will happen when he realises your heart isn’t pure," Julie responded.
"I am a pure woman. That is not something every lady can say," Thalia said, glancing at Penelope. "If you knew what was best for yourself, you would not surround yourself with Penelope at this time," she advised Julie.
"If you were wise, you would see that Penelope is a fine lady to have as a friend. You shouldn’t act on jealousy," Rue spoke in defence of Penelope.
Thalia chuckled. "I will not be told what to do by a-"
"Say it, and I will cut out your tongue to show you how foul it is. Do not be fooled by me not having a sword. I will succeed," Rue promised.
Thalia folded her lips as if to protect her tongue and stepped back to be hidden by her maid.
"That was enough to scare you? I was going to use my pet to scare you," Rue said, revealing her spider.
Thalia’s eyes widened upon seeing the tiny creature in Rue’s hands. A cry filled the area as Thalia backed away so the spider wouldn’t get near her.
Penelope examined the spider in Rue’s hands. "Did you truly have it with you all this time? From the moment I went to your home? You did not grab it off a wall?"
Where was Rue hiding it all this time?
"He has been with us. If I leave him where there is nowhere for me to cage him, I will lose sight of him, and he is hard to find," Rue explained.
"I am sure it is hard," Penelope replied.
"Do you not have any pets?" Rue asked.
"I do," Penelope said, thinking of the animals she wanted to bring home. "I have been thinking of the right time to move them. They will be without their friends. I have a black cat while Lily has a white one. I also have a dog and many birds."
"There are fish," Penelope continued.
"There are many," said Julie.
"My mother is a lover of all animals, so I have developed love," said Penelope.
"My mother loves all animals as well. She is more fond of spiders and snakes. Don’t worry," Rue said, hiding her spider. "I won’t surprise you with one."
"I don’t mind if you have them around me as long as I am warned. They will frighten me, but I see why you adore them. They work well for sending away troublesome people," said Penelope.
Penelope was relieved that Thalia did not stay around them for long. The day was going well so far, so Penelope didn’t want it to be spoiled by arguing with ladies.
"Oh! How could I forget? Sarah’s parents have moved," Julie shared.
As promised, Julie inquired about Sarah’s family. She had learned plenty.
"They have gathered all that they own and left town. I heard their home has already been bought. It surprised me, but did you know her family was burdened by debt? Their struggles were known, but then one day it seemed to be in good order," Julie revealed.
"They must have borrowed money, but I won’t have any way of learning who gave them money. Maybe life was becoming hard for Sarah, and she thought targeting you would earn her parents money," Julie shared her guess.
"No," Penelope said, shaking her head. "She mentioned someone was after my family. If anyone lent her family money, I think her death before me was the price her family could not repay."