Monday, May 11, 2015

The Arrival of Princess Selena

(This is document is to be entered into the public history of Winterfell) 

June 27th 2012

 Dearest Uni,

It has been far too long since we have seen each other.  I hope the urgent matters that pulled you from our fair land will be wrapped up soon as I have pressing need of your council. I will be sending this letter to you on the wings of one of my dream ravens in hopes that it is able to find you wherever you may be.

After a long week of working on the affairs of Winterfell, all I wanted to do was stumble to my tower and flop down on my bed for a well-deserved rest.   I rowed my little boat from Laudanum to my tower, I must have been deep in thought because I didn’t notice the distinct feeling that I was being watched.  This is not an unusual feeling for me to have, being the Senechelf of Winterfell, I am used to having people watch me from time to time so I didn't think too much of it.  That feeling of being watched turned to something stronger, something I could not ignore, so I stopped and looked out over the water.  I didn’t find anyone approaching, the water was still and the night quiet but I could see the wispy fingers of The Mist receding from the waters of Anodyne.  It is not unusual for The Mists to be out and playing its little tricks upon the land and I wondered what tales I would hear in the morning.  But being far too tired to consider the matter much more, I resigned myself once again to bed with the intention of investigating in the morning.

As I turned to my door my ears started to tingle as I noticed the door was ajar slightly.  My breath caught in my throat as the feeling of being laughed at tickled in the back of my mind.  At that very moment I knew that The Mist had not visited some other resident of Winterfell, but had come to pay me a visit.

With great trepidation I pushed my door open and took a careful visual inventory of the room... everything seemed in place.  The cats were sleeping, all the art was intact, the carpet was rumpled and the mantel needed a good dusting, but that wasn't new.  Relieved that nothing was amiss I moved to pour myself a glass of wine before turning in for the night, and that is when I heard it.  A mumble?  No.  A murmur?  No. There it was again!  A gurgle?  Yes, that is it… a gurgle!

A gurgle!?  What in the world? 

Quietly I tip toed around the sofa to see what it could be.  Fully expecting to find some sort of other worldly creature nibbling on the leg of my favorite table, but no, all I found was a white woven basket with something carefully wrapped inside.  I cautiously pulled back the white fabric that was tucked over the parcel and I am sure I must have gasped because, my dear Uni, you will not believe what was in that basket!

A BABY!

A plump little elven baby with the softest fluff of white hair covering its round little head and shining little eyes blinking up at me.  In my surprise I dropped the fabric back over the baby and stood up straight and turned to look out the window.  The feeling of being laughed at again tickled across my skin and echoed back at me through the tinkling of that child’s laughter.  

A baby in a basket?!  The Mist?!  And then I suddenly remembered making an off handed joke at Mr Drinkwaters rezday party about having a baby. I do like to see him sweat and try to be diplomatic about such outlandish things and you know how wonderful he is at finding the most ingenious ways to divert the conversation to more proper topics.

I ran to the window, still able to see the very last fingers of The Mist evaporating on the horizon and I called out to it "I WAS KIDDING!!!!". 

A little laugh bubbled from the basket as I made my way back to the basket and carefully pulled back the fabric.   Certainly it was cute and tiny and laughing at me.  Imagine my bewilderment as I inspected the little creature and found a card pinned to its dress that read "Selena".

Uni, The Mists have played an awful trick on me!  I have dire need of your counsel.  I can just see your amusement at my predicament, but this is no laughing matter!  The Mists have always tricks on us.  Varied, unpredictable, playful and sometimes edging on violent and dangerous, but this is all together something new and I am not sure what to make of it.

Please hurry home!
Your friend, Serra

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