He smiled kindly before nodding to someone else.

A lady gnome walked up to me, her face also lined, her hair snow white as well, and I remembered we’d been introduced, but her name escaped me.

I panicked briefly about this rudeness, but this feeling blew away when she raised her hand, and in it, I saw a locket made of filigreed pewter that rounded two small ovals of glass.

And in the glass seemed a hodgepodge of ash, sand and…

Dirt.

“My princess,” she began, “this is a tradition amongst gnome bands when one is lost. We had not much from your land, nor the time to create a proper veneration, but some of our people had visited one of your beaches and brought back some sand. And we know of the Firenz use of incense, and thus we added some dust from a burnt cone bought from a traveling Firenz merchant. Last, we put in some ground leaves from here, with some dirt, for the daughter of the great mother who birthed our future queen has walked over our earth. So this, we give to you to hold close so—”

She spoke no more for the sob that tore from my throat stopped her.

True turned me into his arms.

I pressed my face into his neck.

“It was a mistake, True,” Baldrick said hurriedly. “Too soon. We’ll take it away. We’re so very—”

“No. Nonononono,” I said urgently, and huskily, pulling my face out of True’s neck and turning to them. “No. Please, no.” I reached out to the female who had shrunk back. “I will receive it. With gladness. And carry it with me always, with love for my mother and appreciation to you for this show of such profound kindness to a stranger in your land.”

With a tremulous smile, the female placed the locket in my palm.

I closed my fingers around it instantly.

“We do not have a chain long enough for your neck,” she said quietly.

“I’ll get her one,” True replied.

Of course he would.

I lifted my fist clenched around the cool glass to my chest, my eyes still on the female, tears trailing my cheeks.

“I will treasure it,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

She had wet in her eyes too as she nodded and backed away.

“I hope this is indication,” Baldrick began gently, “of how sorry we were when we heard of your loss, Your Grace.”

I looked to him and nodded.

True tucked me closer to his side.

I pressed my hand harder to my chest.

“Thank you,” I repeated to Baldrick.

He smiled a smile of deep compassion.

“She would have liked you and your people,” I told him.

“She would have been welcome here,” he replied.

I tried to swallow the sob that came from that.

And I failed.

True turned me back into his arms.