***
Her steps soft against the cobblestones, Gwen slipped silently from the castle, walking away into the tall tree lands where the dense forest stretched endlessly across the fields.
She was alone. She needed to be alone, away from the relentless presence of her maid and manservant, who she suspected reported to Alexander of her daily activities. She needed to be away from the overwhelming feeling her argument with Alexander had brought. Neither the castle and its imposing walls, nor her bedchamber and its quietness could offer the peace she needed.
She had gone as far as to borrow a poem book from the library, but the rhyming sentences did nothing to ease her troubled thoughts. It was all in vain.
The air around her was cold and humid. Spring was ending, she thought, sighing, soon to be replaced by the warmth of summer. Since the end of winter, she had been at Mainecroft Castle. Her sister was married at Carlisle Crest, while her parents remained at Westside Manor.
