HOMEPLOT I: the city of elua, early morning

[loveasthouwilt]

I awoke with a soft sound of enjoyment, stretching my toes out to the edge of the bed and tracing a hand down Joscelin's side. It was cool, a cooler morning than I'd awoken to in quite some time, and were it not for the sun falling on my face I would think it was still night. My eyes opened and for a moment I did not notice anything amiss, focusing

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[queenysandre]

"My lady?"

The sound of the familiar yet not recently heard voice roused Ysandre from her sleep, and before she opened her eyes she knew she was no longer on the island. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, and she sat up, schooling the expression on her face to prevent the exposure of the torrent of emotion she was feeling. "Yes, what is it?" she said to her lady-in-waiting, managing to keep her tone even.

The woman curtsied, and Ysandre knew she was truly home. "My lady, you asked me to wake you at this hour so that you might be fully prepared for the Cruarch's arrival in the city this afternoon."

Drustan. Ysandre's heart leapt at the news that she would be seeing her beloved husband that very day, and she nearly gasped aloud, covering with a demure cough. "Yes, of course, thank you," she said to her lady-in-waiting. As she curtsied and made to leave the room, the thought suddenly occurred to Ysandre: if she had returned home, was it possible that the others had as well?

"One moment," she said to the lady-in-waiting, who paused and looked up at her. "I'll be needing a pen and paper immediately, please," she said to her, and by the time she had risen and pulled on her dressing gown, she had both waiting. She sat at her writing desk and penned a swift note in an elegant script, making it clear enough that its intended recipient would understand what she was talking about but vague enough that if she had no recollection of the island, she would not notice anything amiss. Either way, she would not misread Ysandre's summons.

Sealing it with wax and impressing the royal seal, she called for her most trusted messenger. "See that this is taken to the Comtesse de Montreve with all haste," she said to him, handing him the sealed note. "It is to be delivered into her hands only, and no other's. She will be returning to the castle with you; any others she cares to bring with her are to be welcomed."

"At once, your majesty," he replied, and gave her a bow before leaving swiftly.

Immediately upon his departure, Ysandre called in her ladies-in-waiting. Phedre was sure to be arriving before the morning was out, and Ysandre wanted to be ready for her - whether she remembered the island or not.

[loveasthouwilt]

When the message from Ysandre arrived, we began moving at once. I needed to don a different gown more fitting to my place at court, and my maid hastened to help me as Joscelin called for my coach to be readied. A mere half an hour later (short time by my standards, though I supposed the island had accustomed me to low maintenance) I descended the stairs to find the three young men waiting for me. Joscelin and Hyacinthe turned toward me, and that same bittersweet pang struck my heart again as I looked at them; one dark, the other fair, both equally dear to me in ways that were vastly different yet at the same time exactly alike. I took their hands and squeezed, smiling, and tipped up to kiss Alcuin's cheek. "The Queen awaits us," I said, "so let us not keep her waiting."