There was no surprise on her face as Cristalsa smiled gently at him . "Welcome to the family, Clovis . I hope you prove more intelligent than your father . He was also given a beautiful and rare gift as a wife . Let us hope you have the brains to appreciate it . " The Matriarch expressed her views rather gently compared to what he had expected . Her young and elegant appearance didn't match the warm grandmother personality .
"I am well aware I am standing next to a rare treasure . " Clovis looked over at Kyera smiling at her tenderly . The Princess was not immune to the praise, her cheeks pink with blush .
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"Okay, Mom we have traveled a long way . Can we wait till after we get cleaned up and dressed for these temperatures before continuing the veiled threats?" Kyera asked chuckling a little . She was chilled to the bone . Her skin burned from the icy touch of the air, even though the thick layers she wore . Even the leather and fur she was wearing wasn't enough to ward off such a solid chill .
"Oh, of course, my dear . There are cloths about your size in your room . Take him with you and I will send along cloths for Clovis . " she shooed them both away, now aware that Kyera's lips were turning slightly colorless in the arctic temperatures . It had been too long since the child had visited . Kuera curtsied and took Clovis by the hand, leading him away down the hallway .
The castle itself was filled with marble statues of cats and gods . The simple pale color scheme continuing throughout the halls . Furrs and tapestries were hung occasionally in rather interesting ways . Kyera seemed to be using these things like a road map .
"Your room?" Clovis asked rather curious at this point . Kyera grinned softly, wondering when he was going to ask .
"Yes, my room . My mother is technically the matriarch's Grand daughter . My mother's father was the matriarch's last born son . However she was born to a concubine who was actually a peace treaty bride . My grandmother wished to raise her child safely, and with love . She knew her husband didn't love her, had a second wife, and would likely not love the child . She ran away and had her daughter among our people, as princess of the Forest Knights . " Kyera explained stopping in front of a tapestry and pointing at it .
There were six people carefully woven into the Tapestry . Two were older, late fortys to fifties . A man with black hair, and cold eyes dressed as a prince . Then there was the woman, beautiful and simple with black hair streaked white . Her back was slightly exposed by her pose, a young woman at her side . Clovis felt he recognized the long white haired woman, who looked much like the woman beside him . At that woman's feet were four little boys between eight and maybe thirteen years old, each standing at their mother's feet and a toddler girl sitting between them all . It was clearly a family portrait, but the grandfather had a sad look on his face and there was space between him and his family, representing the fracture in their relationship .
"That is my Grandfather there, Grandmother, Mother, my brothers and me . " Kyera explained as she pointed to each figure and Clovis nodded, taking this all in . He chuckled .
"Do you realize you have more royal connections than most royalty?" he asked raising a teasing eyebrow .
"You only know the half of it . " Kyera replied as she touched the crest beside the family tapestry . The shadow King's Crown seemed to shimmer at her touch, or had he imagined it?
Chapter end
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