XXVII

Rosalie

The idea of having to meet with Estelle was soul draining. I had no wish to have to be in her company for longer than absolutely necessary.

Not knowing if she was even still in Castle Black, which seemed unlikely given the tone of what was happening here. It would be just my luck that she had up sticks and left to return to her own home in Wales.

I sent for a messenger to try and track down where she had gone. In the meantime, heading for the one place that I had been absent from for far too long.

The nursery.

We had not had the homecoming that we had hoped for. After a week of not seeing or being able to speak to our children, it should have been the first priority when we arrived back in the castle.

Unfortunately, life seemed to have other plans. Foisting a mountain of issues in our laps which had meant that seeing the small group that came before all else, was delayed.

Standing in the doorway, peering into the bright room that housed our growing brood, it was enough t