February 1489 PD
Sweetest Lia,
I'm so happy you've decided to reply! I squealed so loudly when the envelope popped into the room I startled Randy and he fell out of his chair! Of course, when he saw the cause of my excitement he started laughing and forgave me immediately for it (he tends to get absorbed in what he's doing that this isn't the first time I've accidentally startled him from his chair).
Again, I must apologize but I am never going to be able to return to my childhood home. I'm so glad that you forgive me, and that forgiveness means more than I can convey in words.
Honestly, I could go on about my boys for forever. Jonny, though he's only three, is already showing signs of being a wonderful big brother. He loves helping take care of Matthias, and he mimics Randy all the time, particularly when Randy insists he do things for me (really, it's my third pregnancy and I've still got two months left! I can handle normal chores, thank you very much). It's hilarious to see Jonny give me a stern (as stern as a toddler can be) look and say, "Mama, you need to rest, Daddy's orders." I have a sneaking suspicion that Randy taught him to say that, but Randy denies it every time I ask, acting offended that I "would accuse [him] of such treachery!" But otherwise, Jonny is a little angel. He looks more like his father than he does me, but he's got my silver-grey eyes instead of Randy's brown ones (though they're a rather lovely shade that I quite adore). But other than the eyes, he's got Randy's brown hair and smile. He's already showing signs of magic, too. Only little things, like making lights (remind me to explain how electricity (12) works, it's really a wonder!) flicker or make small things spin. It would probably be more if we were in Myula, since magic is a lot more difficult here in Terra. But nonetheless I'm already very proud of him.
Matthias is still little, but he's most definitely got his father's state of being. He's such a calm child, entirely unruffled by the things around him. It's odd for a child so young, really, not to start crying when a loud crash resounds through the house. Usually because of the puppy we decided to get. It's honestly more of a handful than the children! It's such a clumsy yet adorable creature, and it's hard to stay mad at it when it accidentally slides into something, knocking it over, when it couldn't stop running. It's got the puppy eyes down pat. (Jonny named it Tambo, for some reason, and now it won't respond to anything else!)
And, I must say that every child I have, boy or (maybe, one day) girl, will be able to learn their magic, and not have to sneak around nicking spell books from the locked parts of the library like you and I had to (though we were lucky Master Teseck, when he found out what we were doing, began teaching us right alongside Wil). I'll send them, once they're older, to magic schools in Myula. Not the academy in Gedonelune, though. It's a little too risky, and it's such a small school that secrets are very hard to keep hidden. I'm pleased to hear that Father finally decided to listen to Wil on the matter of opening the academy up to all children with magic, not just the ones of noble blood or the ones with parents who have deep pockets. It's a pity that the girls will have to wait another couple years to join.
You don't know how happy it makes me to learn that Wil is finally able to start moving on, and that his engagement seems to be one of the luckier arranged ones. I hope with all my heart that he'll be able to be happy with his fiancée. He deserves to be happy.
Frankly, so do you. This Luca sounds like a wonderful man. Anyone who's biggest goal is to help children is a good person in my books, and I'm thrilled you found someone to adore. It probably isn't at that stage yet, perhaps, and it may never get there, but it's fun to think about, no? I can already imagine little green haired artists running around with charcoal-covered hands, leaving grey smears all over the walls of the palace.
I've enclosed a picture of Jonny and Matthias, because I couldn't resist. I'm such a mother, and I love showing off my babies!
With all the love in my heart,
Rora
Annotations:
12) Electricity: When this was written, electricity was not at all used in Myula. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more common.