It was only a couple hours after the King's caravan left that the gates opened once more, this time to welcome in Nathalya the seamstress. Nathalya carried with her several bolts of fabric, and the woman that walked beside her carried a small trunk—likely full of sewing supplies. Aster and Rowan met them in the courtyard, and Aster greeted Nathalya as if she were an old friend.
“Thank you for coming here on such short notice!" Aster said as he pressed his left cheek to hers.
“I wouldn't miss an opportunity like this for the world, Your Highness," Nathalya chuckled. She gestured to the smaller woman beside her. “This is my mate, Lyla."
Lyla, a vibrant young woman with pink ribbons plaited through her twin braids, smiled wide and bowed before the future spouse of the king. “A pleasure, Y
