Ariana POV
Her grandparents were on the phone. On video chat. Her real grandparents from Trenholm.
"Hello, Grandmother. Hello, Grandfather," she said in a emotional voice, and felt Dimitri squeeze her hand. "I can't tell you what it means to me to be talking to you. Sorry to jump in, but I've been curious about my Trenholmian family all my life."
A pause. Then, an older male, silver-haired, spoke with authority. "This is King Laurent with your grandmother, Queen Mathilde. I can see your mother in you. My God. Little Ariana. After all these years, it's you."
Tears pricked at her eyes. "It's really me."
"With the bloodsuckers?" her grandfather said, doubt in his voice.
She raises her hand that still held Dimitri's. "Yes. One of them did save my life and Aunt Sally's, after all."
An older woman with pale strawberry blonde hair with traces of gray and Ariana's turquoise eyes leaned forward. "And your mother? We heard ... we heard that Merak killed her."
