"Come in."
The door opened almost immediately. A maid stepped into the room carrying a silver tray. Resting upon it was a single sealed letter bearing the royal crest.
My breath hitched.
The maid approached carefully before presenting it to me with both hands. "Your Highness, this letter arrived from the palace."
For a moment I simply stared at it. Then I accepted the letter.
The maid bowed deeply. "If there is nothing else, Your Highness."
"There is not."
She curtsied before quietly leaving the room. The door clicked shut. Silence settled over the chamber.
I looked down at the familiar seal while an uncomfortable feeling settled inside my chest.
Maribel folded her arms. "Did he truly write you a letter instead of coming himself?"
I did not answer immediately because I was wondering the exact same thing. Why had he written a letter? Why had he not come? Did he not wish to see me?
Inside my mind, Nero spoke up. [We will never know unless you open it, Host.]
'Right.'
