Roland folded the letter and put it away.
Meanwhile Sigrid was blocking out the sound of Cosmos laughing, amused by another of Lady Iryne’s letters. "Thorns are motherly! This letter will be a hit in the bank."
Those were the last words she heard Cosmos say before blocking him out completely and they stunned her. Who in the bank was reading her mother’s absurd letters? It made her feel like her life was movie being watched by immortals.
"If your mother had not written to me, I would never know that you read my poem ten times." He sighed. "All the time I put into studying poetry with Lord Givenchy have paid off."
Sigrid reached into the pocket of her cloak and brought out a small frame that could be folded.
"Here, I brought you a gift as well. It is a response to all the poems that you have written to me."
Roland accepted it and he unfolded it and read it out loud, softly.
"You are spring and I am the flowers
That’s why I can’t even see the cherry blossoms.
I am spring and you are the flowers.
That’s why you are all that I can see.
We are flower fields and we are spring."
Sigrid folded her lips, feeling a little guilty inside for she was not the original author of the poem. But as the original poet was not in this world, it didn’t count. The poem was hers.
A more mesmerizing thing happened. Two butterflies on the paper came to life, flying around them for a moment before returning to the paper and folding their wings.
"I used magic to create that effect, one butterfly is you and one is me. Whenever you read the poem, they will come to life for a moment and soar like the first bird’s cry after snowfall. I used some petals of the flowers you sent me to create a perfume that I sprayed on the paper.
When the butterflies fly, the scent comes to life on their wings. We are butterflies, we are flowers and we are spring." She finished off softly.
She stood up and spread her arms out, inviting him for a hug.
Roland laughed loudly, mesmerized by it all, the poem and the butterflies. Affection overwhelmed him, love for Sigrid hit him like a bell on the towers of the city walls ringing at midnight--resonant and impossible to ignore.
He went to her, stumbling over his feet before embracing her. He lifted her and swung her around, peppering kisses on her neck.
For their relationship, he had a strong feeling that winter was over and spring had come.
****
A footman run from the gardens, into the royal kitchen, shouting at the top of his voice. "It is done, the crown prince and princess have reunited successfully. They are hugging and he has kissed her on the neck."
Applause went up in the kitchen, joy rose like a large camp fire at the beach. A royal musician that went everywhere with his violin started a victorious tune.
Two maids linked their arms and started to dance, going around in circles.
The chief cook put down the pot of butter which was mid melt and she clapped her hands. "Well thank goodness and whoever has contributed to this. Finally the crown prince will stop sulking and rejecting all my food."
Ever since the crown princess left, Roland’s meals had been coming from Little Thorin and wine had become a constant partner.
"My God!" Another footman muttered, "I had never seen the Crown prince weep, not even on the day the king fell unconscious. On the first night after the crown princess left, I could have sworn that I heard him sob in his study."
A chamber maid chimed in. "I saw him on the morning of the next day. He looked half-dead and he reeked of wine."
"He did weep," An elderly maid chimed in, pulling out a chair so that she could sit and gossip eagerly. "I saw him with his face buried in his riding gloves at four in the morning. It was cold and he had no cloak on. He was sitting under one of those trees below the chambers of the crown princess."
"Well I cannot blame him if he did weep." the footman that had come into the kitchen carrying the news of the reunion spoke up fervently, "He was born to a cold mother, a father that loved the consort’s children and gave him no attention. He barely knew love and happiness as a boy.
The only real warmth he has ever got is from the crown princess. She doesn’t treat him as if he is fragile prince, she treats him like family. If he does wrong, you will hear her yelling at him in the corridors. When he does well, she will praise him to the moon and back. She cares about his health, suffers his dogs and gives baths to his cat."
"It is a panther," a stable boy said.
"What’s the difference?" The footman asked.
As the servants were gossiping about this, everywhere in the castle, so were the ladies-in-waiting and Elarin. They were watching the royal couple from the window of Mauve’s chambers in the royal castle. It happened to have the clearest view of the area where Sigrid and Roland were dining from.
Elarin was being extra clingy, holding on to Mauve as if she was afraid that her friend would disappear once again. During Sigrid’s tantrum phase, they had all gone and left her alone in this castle. No matter how many times they saw each other at the mage estate or spoke on the phone it was not enough. Physical company was always better.
"So, do you suppose they will be sleeping together tonight?" Mauve asked.
"I advised him to take it slow." Christie said.
Elarin laughed, "When have you ever known Roland to take anything slow when it comes to Sigrid? He is definitely sharing her bed."’
Mauve could only think of one time when Roland took things slow with Sigrid and that was when she had a miscarriage.
Elarin sighed tiredly, for her it would be a long night of sleeping in the royal hospital again. "The next time the three of you rebel and leave, remember to take me with you."