A cold breeze drifted through the half-open window, but that was not what made the Duchess shudder. She sat upon a bed made up with feather-stuffed pillows and sheets of silk, running her fingers across a scroll beset with raised characters; her face twisted in concern, and then panic, as she read the letter.
She abruptly stood up and ran to the window, opening it the rest of the way and letting the chilled air wash over her as she attempted to calm herself; there must be a mistake, she must have read the letter wrong. Maybe it was a cruel joke? That had to be it; if it was true, why send a letter instead of deliver the news in person?
She took a deep breath and stepped back from the window, deciding that she'd speak to her lady-in-waiting, Freyda, about this.
Just as she turned from the window, she heard frantic footsteps rapidly approaching the doors to her chamber; Freyda burst in, nearly falling over but quickly regaining faer balance. Fae approached the Duchess with a worried expression, stumbling over faer words a few times before fae were able to speak.
"Madame, have you heard- oh, you got the letter" Freyda said, faer gaze shifting over to the bed where the Duchess had left it. "I meant to tell you, but we weren't sure at the time. Boyd decided to send up a letter anyways..." Fae trailed off, flicking an ear nervously.
The Duchess stared at the other blankly, processing what she'd just heard.
"M-Madame? Are you...oh, that's a stupid question", said Freyda meekly.
Without taking her gaze off of Freyda, the Duchess spoke.
"It's true then? He's...he's gone?"
"I- we, uh, we're still not completely sure, I think? He could very well just be hiding or something, you know how he is-"
"Answer the question", the Duchess snapped, baring her teeth slightly.
"Y-yes, he's gone. I'm sorry..."
The Duchess continued to stand there, frozen, before rushing to the window again, ignoring Freyda's calls of concern. She hung out of it, taking rapid breaths, mind and heart racing. She fought down the bile that threatened to come up from her stomach.
It couldn't be true, it just couldn't be. But it was.
Kimber was gone.
Her child was gone.
