  &quot;The artists have brought me the new renderings of what the chapel will look like for the wedding, and some preliminary ideas for our costumes for that event. Would you care to see them?&quot; Dmitri inquires with disinterest I hope is feigned. Normally I hate to be disturbed while I m in the music room, but seeing how my ideas have been brought to life on paper is worth the interruption.
  	&quot;Yes, of course,&quot; I reply, gracefully ending my playing and scooting over on the piano bench so that he can sit comfortably beside me. He sits closer to me than I expected he would and wraps one arm around my waist as he drops the draft paintings in my lap. I hope that top one isn t indicative of the quality of the rest. &quot;Have you looked at them already? What do you think?&quot;
  	&quot;We can talk about it after you ve looked at them.&quot;
  	I flip through the renderings, ho

  &quot;Are you sure the roof is the best place for this? Wouldn t the training room be better?&quot; Dmitri asks nervously once we reach the rooftop garden.
  &quot;This is where I ve done all my practising thus far. I d be most comfortable here,&quot; I insist.
  &quot;You ve been practising without my noticing? How?&quot;
  &quot;I ve gotten better at controlling my energy fields. The practise with you in the training room helped with that. Surely you noticed?&quot;
  &quot;I was generally too busy getting drenched. I wish you d spend more time learning to control the water.&quot;
  &quot;If I have to get better at all of it, does it really matter where I start? It s not like we re in a war or anything, or like my skill really matters all that much.&quot;
  &quot;Fair point. What else have you learned to do, then?&quot; he sighs. He s probably annoyed with me. Oh well. I draw a few de

  Lady Berkeley s drawing room, otherwise known as Zinaida s favourite place in the mansion, is truly a terror to behold. The room is entirely decorated in pale pinks and purples, from the carnation petal ceiling to the lilac-strewn floor. The walls are wisteria and pink roses interlocked in a forever repeating pattern, and the few windows hide behind pink tulip curtains that exactly match the upholstery of all of her overstuffed furniture. Pink lace and wispy pink chiffon ruffles adorn virtually everything as well. I bite my lip to keep from hissing like a cat at this most offensive interior, and Dmitri has to subtly push me into the room. It makes my skin crawl with its overdone femininity. My wedding will not look like this.
  &quot;Welcome, my darlings! Thank you for coming so quickly on such short notice,&quot; Zinaida coos, Russian accent thick, as she rises from a chair by the fir

&quot;The artists have brought me the new renderings of what the chapel will look like for the wedding, and some preliminary ideas for our costumes for that event. Would you care to see them?&quot; Dmitri inquires with disinterest I hope is feigned. Normally I hate to be disturbed while I m in the music room, but seeing how my ideas have been brought to life on paper is worth the interruption.
  	&quot;Yes, of course,&quot; I reply, gracefully ending my playing and scooting over on the piano bench so that he can sit comfortably beside me. He sits closer to me than I expected he would and wraps one arm around my waist as he drops the draft paintings in my lap. I hope that top one isn t indicative of the quality of the rest. &quot;Have you looked at them already? What do you think?&quot;
  	&quot;We can talk about it after you ve looked at them.&quot;
  	I flip through the renderings, hoping that each page turn will reveal something close to what I envisioned in my head, but each rend

Chapter 31 Sister of Faith