Morning arrives slowly. Or rather, the night drags on. Lenore manages to get a few hours of sleep, but it's strange to have someone next to her in bed. Not strange in a bad way, since it's Alaric by her side. Just different.
She doesn't know the layout of the townhouse, so she relies on the servants who stay there, ready to welcome their masters back and keeping the place clean in the meantime. They let her walk to the dining room slowly, trying to remember the way and admire the decorations at the same time.
The townhouse feels lighter. The foggy veil of the curse that dims sunlight doesn't reach this place. Inside, the color scheme isn't as heavy. Instead, it's filled with neutral, earthy tones without many paintings or antiques on display. As a result, the townhouse exudes an elegant simplicity.
Alaric is already seated at the table when she arrives, ready for the day without the formal outfits he wears in the morning at the duchy. He looks presentable and clearly noble, but he's not going out of his way to flaunt his wealth or status. No, Lenore knows that such statements are being saved for the banquet, the highlight of these birthday festivities.
"Did you sleep well?"
Lenore takes her seat. "I slept some. I need to get used to this place first, I think."
She doesn't add in that she's not used to sharing a bed. Somehow, she thinks Alaric already knows that she needs a bit of time to adjust.
He doesn't press the topic, letting it die off with a nod.
"Do we have a schedule today?" Lenore asks. She fills her plate. The dishes are different from those in Barrowmere, but she's not surprised. After all, fresh ingredients must be easier to find in the capital.
"Nothing strenuous. We'll welcome some guests this afternoon, assuming they haven't been delayed by unforeseen circumstances."
"Who are the guests?" Lenore can't recall if Alaric has alliances beyond his commitment to the emperor. Although, he must be at least on friendly terms with anyone else serving the imperial faction. The problem is that the books she's been reading for the sake of learning about Barrowmere don't include information like this. Especially not when the relationships between families can change without warning.
"It's not the emperor or anybody else from the imperial family, so you can treat them casually," Alaric says.
Lenore hadn't even considered that it would be the emperor visiting them, even though she knows that Alaric is his ally. She assumed that—if they had to meet—then it would be Alaric and Lenore going to the palace. "Is that something that could be a possibility?"
Alaric pauses in his meal to look at her. There's curiosity in his gaze, but also a calculating undercurrent. "Why? Did you want to meet them?"
Lenore shakes her head. "Honestly, that's a frightening idea." She already feels inadequate as a duchess. Surely, meeting the imperial family would only aggravate those feelings.
Only after they part ways when breakfast is finished does Lenore realize that she'd been so distracted by the idea of having to host the imperial family, she forgot to ask who their guests actually are.
As she waits for their mystery guests, Lenore asks her maids to help her look like a proper duchess. It makes time go by a bit quicker, but she also wants to balance looking like she fits in this position but not appearing too frivolous or vain. The result makes her match the atmosphere of the townhouse overall. Simple elegance. Jewelry used as accents instead of highlights.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Lenore has a hard time believing that she was once a girl who only wore hand-me-downs and rarely touched jewelry or had her hair styled in a simple braid. It feels different, but not in a bad way.
Once her preparations are complete, Lenore lingers in rooms near the main entrance. She doesn't want to seem too eager or anxious, but she wants to be ready and present to greet the guests at Alaric's side when they arrive. Like a proper duchess. And now that she looks the part, she needs to act like it.
It's not until after lunch that Alaric leaves the dining hall with her, leading her back to the entrance. "They should be here soon."
Lenore nods and stands with her back a bit straighter, remembering the lessons on posture she received with Alina so many years ago.
Alaric glances at her with a ghost of a smile on his lips but remains silent.
Finally, she hears the sound of carriages along the path leading up to the townhouse and the shouts of the coachmen. Lenore thought that there would just be one carriage, and now she wonders just how many guests they'll be hosting today.
But then, Vella steps into the townhouse, followed by a young man and an older couple, and tears start streaming down Lenore's face before her mind fully registers what she's seeing.
This is her family. Her sister, brother, and parents. Of course, she's seen Vella not that long ago, but somewhere in her heart, saying goodbye to someone from her family still feels like it'll be more permanent than it should be.
And it's Vella, with her familiarity with Lenore from her visit to Barrowmere, who helps bridge the gap between them by stepping forward first and fruitlessly wiping away some of her tears. "Remember when I said the duke beat you to giving me a gift?"
Lenore nods.
"What he gave was actually permission for us to stay in this townhouse with you for the festival."
When Lenore looks over at Alaric, he glances away, looking uncharacteristically shy.
"I thought it would be easier for everybody since their other options are asking to stay with Claude Rowanhart, purchasing their own property here on short notice, or trying to find an inn that's not filled. We have more than enough rooms."
Lenore's mother follows Vella's lead after some hesitation. But when she's close enough, she wraps Lenore in her arms and starts a chain reaction that ends in all of them tangled together in a hug filled with tears and apologies.
And through it all, Lenore feels the steady presence of Alaric nearby. He's not trying to interrupt or rush them, simply staying in case he's needed and letting the family have their first reunion in far too many years.