Writing to Kendrick

[Mirsada Anezka]

My trip was going well, but I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I should have been. I wished I was home. With Kendrick. I had fought it as long as I could, but finally I sat down and wrote to him.

Dear Kendrick

Several minutes have now passed since I wrote the salutation, because custom says I should open with niceties, but they just don’t seem right so I will open with why I’m writing.

I miss you.

My travels have been very productive and profitable, but everywhere I find myself I find myself thinking of you. I am in Caerdicca Unitas right now, but will be leaving for Illyria tomorrow to visit my parents. After that, I will be making my way home.

I would still like to see you upon my return and am hoping you would still like to see me. If you’ve changed your mind, send a note to my house for I will stop by there first.

You’ll have to forgive me if this letter seems scattered and makes little sense, in truth I have never written a letter like this before. I just missed you too much not to write.

I’ve enclosed a small gift, something I saw and thought immediately of you, I hope you like it.

Looking forward to seeing you again,
Mirsada

I included the finely tooled leather bracers I’d bought for him. They were narrower than normal bracers and more meant to be worn with dress wear than in battle, but they were exquisite. I sealed up the package and sent it off to be delivered, wishing I was going with it.

[Kendrick Deveroix]

The house was quiet.

The servants tiptoed around, peeking out at me from around corners when they didn't think I could see, whispering to each other when they didn't think I could hear. When Falla had died I had been quiet at first, then slowly built into a rage, having to ride out into the countryside and take my frustrations out there for fear of hurting someone here.

This time, though, I felt none of that. Maybe it was having experienced all of this before, having gone through it, knowing what heartbreak was. I didn't know. All I felt this time was hollow, as if the life had been sucked out of me. I visited the graves twice a day, replacing the flowers that adorned the top of fresh dirt that covered Julies and my fathers, and the ones that lay across my mothers old grave.

I'd just returned from finishing my nightly route and was sitting at my fathers - my desk - when a servant tiptoed to the open doorway, softly announcing a package had come for me. I stared at her and told her to put it with the others, waving my hand dismissively at her, assuming it was another consolation gift. Words of sorrow, and a welcome too, as the new Comte Deveroix.

She cleared her throat softly. "Ah, my Lord, I think this one might be different. It comes from the Caerdiccia Unitas."

My head snapped up, eyes focusing sharply on her. There was only one person I knew who was traveling there, the same person who haunted my dreams. "Bring it here," I said curtly. She scurried to me and set it gently on my desk, then turned at my dismissive grunt and left as quickly as she'd come, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

I stared at it for a long moment, my breath shuddering, hoping I wasn't wrong. When I opened it I read the letter first, tearing it from its envelope, my eyes scanning quickly first, then slowly pouring over it.

I sighed softly to myself, feeling a new emotion, something I hadn't felt since before Falla had died stir in my chest. Picking up the bracers, I held onto them and read the letter again, letting myself become lost in her words.

'I miss you.'


"I miss you too," I whispered back, closing my eyes.