An exact replica of the castle made of frosting tinted in the palest of pinks, yellows, creams, greens and blues. Flowers and leaves and bunting and ribbon adorning the windows, walls, arches and turrets. I could even see little candles that would have been lit in the windows and globes, had there actually been a reception.

“Aunt Mercy did this,” Silence whispered, and my eyes darted to her. “For True. For Farah. For Wodell.” Her attention went to the cake. “Who knew icing had power?”

I felt my heart squeeze.

“Silence,” I said softly.

“She was not warm, but she was a good queen. I could have learned much from her and I sense she would have enjoyed teaching me,” she said to the cake. She then turned to me. “Now I will not, and she will not.”

“You will be your own brand of spectacular queen,” I assured her.

Again, her gaze went to the cake as she mumbled, “I hope so.”

I wanted to get to Cassius, check on the girls.

But watching Silence, I asked, “Do you want to go somewhere and sit, have some tea or a glass of wine?”

Slowly, her eyes came back to me. “I heard the men have returned. I mean no offense, my friend, but I wish to see Mars. He’s been with him and thus I wish my husband to share with me how my cousin fares.”

I nodded and smiled. “That’s understandable.” I then asked, “But before you do that, would you happen to be able to tell me where the hell my room is?”

A surprised laugh came from her, and even if it hadn’t been a day since so much was lost, it sounded strange.

Out of practice.

She hooked her arm in mine and said, “Of course.”

We walked. We chatted while we did. And Silence led me to a floor that was familiar before we bid our goodnights and she retraced her steps to find her own chambers.

As I walked down the hall to the rooms Cassius and I had that were across from the room Dora and Aelia shared, I tried to decide who to go to first.

Cassius?

Or the girls.

My decision was made for me when I arrived at the rooms, saw the door to the girls’ room was slightly ajar, and heard Cassius’s voice coming from there.

“They climbed, and they climbed, and they climbed…” he was saying.

What on…?

I approached the door, adjusted my body so I could see the bed that was set at the side, and froze stiff.

For Cassius lay on his back on the bed, Aelia down one side of his long body, her head on his chest, fast asleep.

But my Theodora lay down the other side of his body, head on his shoulder, and she was not asleep.

He had his head on pillows, his arms around both, and a book propped up close to Dora’s waist.

And he was reading.