In a trance, she walked across the room, stopping in front of the massive likeness of Greylen, Isabelle, and their parents.

It must have been painted years ago. Isabelle appeared to be a child of no more than eight, and they were posed in front of the fireplace in this very room. The portrait was surrounded with a thick gold frame that sat atop the mantel. It was so large it had to be life-size.

Lady Madelyn was seated in a high-backed chair. She wore a deep-purple dress and her hair was swept back atop her head. Her hands held little Isabelle in front of her, who was dressed in a plaid skirt and white shirt with soft ruffles at the neck and wrists. Her shoulder-length hair curled sassily at the ends. Greylen’s father stood to Lady Madelyn’s left, a sword hanging from his waist. He wore a white linen shirt, black breeches, and tall polished boots. He looked so proud, and Gwen couldn’t help but wonder what had become of him.

Greylen stood to his mother’s right. He was so handsome. Just what she pictured when she had touched him. But there were no traces of the lines that she knew to be on his face now. This was the picture of a young man just discovering the world. She saw it in his features, in the twinkle in his eyes, and his wide genuine smile. His skin was bronzed from the sun and his eyes were so dark she wondered if they were truly black as the painting suggested.

He was dressed the same as his father but seemed much more carefree. His shirt was open at the neck and the sleeves had been rolled up, revealing his forearms. He held the hilt of his sword in his left hand, its point next to his boot. If this likeness were true, he had to stand well over six and a half feet tall. He was built just as she imagined. His shoulders were broad and his body long and powerful. And though she couldn’t see the muscles through his shirt, she knew their form personally.

She sat in front of the fireplace, smiling offhandedly that Gavin lit it for her. She had no idea how long she remained on the floor staring at the painting, but for the first time in her entire life, she knew that this was where she truly belonged. She didn’t want to be anywhere else. Ever.