  &quot;Well, I must say, it s certainly a splendid mansion. I do wish I could show you our home in India. Nothing like this, to be sure, but elegant in its own way. Everything in India is beautiful, but oh, how I ve missed Europe!&quot; Kyla chatters as we enter the guest suite that has been set aside for her and Weston. This particular suite is nearly as far away from mine and Dmitri s as could have possibly been contrived, for which I am both grateful and annoyed; grateful, because a repeat of this journey will probably not be required of me, and annoyed because Kyla has done nothing but chatter like this since we left the foyer. She is deeply unsettled and trying to cover it, but I know her well enough that this is no cover to me.
  &quot;I can only imagine. Perhaps someday I ll be allowed to travel to visit you. I really am pleased beyond words that you have managed to make it here 

  Thunder crashes over my head and rain and wind buffet me as I stand on the roof of the mansion, still wearing my fancy turquoise and gold gown from the evening s festivities. Much as I like this dress--much as my fiancé seemed to like this dress--I don t really care what happens to it. Right now I m enjoying being in the middle of a real storm (as opposed to one created by elementals), letting the wind and rain wash away all my stress from this evening.
  That s not to say that things went badly this evening. Actually, I d be hard pressed to find a better way for everything to have worked out. Well....
  &quot;Are you sure that last idea s out of the question, Torcuil?&quot; I asked my fiancé s favorite relative in an alcove near the kitchen.
  &quot;Aye, milady, though I wish for yer sake that I could,&quot; he replies regretfully. &quot;I did catch a glimpse o  yer sister earlier, in

  Sweet, alluring notes float out of my beloved piano under my skilled fingers. I know I haven t much time before someone interrupts me and orders me back to practising with magic. A harried meeting with Malina earlier reminded me that we have a mere two days until the wedding, and most of the time since our schemes regarding the wedding (and, I hope, the defeat of Xenia de Poitiers) were hatched has been spent in training. Two-hour breaks here and there provide, to some extent, for my needs for sleep and nourishment, and because of this insane schedule my sense of time has been completely thrown off. I must rely on Malina to know the date, and I cannot for the life of me determine what time of day it is currently, though I believe, based on the light that comes in my windows with the light breeze that stirs the curtains, it is at least daylight.
  I play more softly than usual, hoping a

&quot;Well, I must say, it s certainly a splendid mansion. I do wish I could show you our home in India. Nothing like this, to be sure, but elegant in its own way. Everything in India is beautiful, but oh, how I ve missed Europe!&quot; Kyla chatters as we enter the guest suite that has been set aside for her and Weston. This particular suite is nearly as far away from mine and Dmitri s as could have possibly been contrived, for which I am both grateful and annoyed; grateful, because a repeat of this journey will probably not be required of me, and annoyed because Kyla has done nothing but chatter like this since we left the foyer. She is deeply unsettled and trying to cover it, but I know her well enough that this is no cover to me.
  &quot;I can only imagine. Perhaps someday I ll be allowed to travel to visit you. I really am pleased beyond words that you have managed to make it here for my wedding. It was my one real request for the entire event, you know. The rest is just trifles,&

Chapter 59 Kyla