Astoria

f i f t y - t w o

Antony made his way downstairs for breakfast the next morning, somewhat groggily. Between the discomfort caused by his wound, and the nightmares that had returned to plague him once more, waking him intermittently throughout the night, he had not been able to sleep as well as he would have liked.

He paused for a moment, before squaring his shoulders and pushing open the door to the dining room. He had been expecting to find his family gathered for breakfast as normal. Instead, Princess Olivya was the only one holding court at the large dining table.

"Good morning, Antony," she said, casting a kind smile in his direction.

"Grandmother," he said, nodding to her, his thoughts still somewhat fixed on the fact that his brother was being held in the palace prisons, beneath the building. It was as though he couldn't escape him. Even the thought of his brother plagued him.

"Come sit," said Olivya, gently. He made his way to the table and sat next to her. She beckoned to a servant standing nearby and the footman brought forward a plate, setting it before Antony.

"Thank you," he muttered as the servant retreated. Olivya dismissed him and returned to her meal. Antony attempted a few bites of the eggs, but soon set his fork down, his appetite nonexistent.

***

Olivya studied her grandson, the frown that was fixed on his face, the tightness of his jaw, the way his right hand clenched whenever his gaze fell on the sling which the physician had insisted that he wear. He was agitated, restless, and angry.

"Antony," she said, gently laying her hand on top of his. He turned his hand to hold hers tightly.

"It's hard..."he said, his voice broken sounding. "I'll be alright. Eventually. It's just...hard."

"I know," she whispered softly. "I watched my husband and my eldest son take the same path of evil that Jonathan has chosen to follow. It will hurt. I won't tell you any differently."

He nodded, staring straight ahead, his expression pained.

She continued. "I know you'll get through this Antony, just as I did. It will just take time."

***

The beginning of the month of December brought first cold and then snow to the Empire of Astoria.

Outside, the drifts piled high around the palace and the groundskeepers were busy clearing the walkways, the front courtyard, and the front steps.

Inside, preparations for the winter gala continued, with Therese nagging the staff constantly about what drapes she wanted where and what her specifications for the dinner ware were.

Antony spent the majority of his time in the front courtyard drilling the palace guard, or indoors in his study, almost constantly working on some sort of paperwork or intently studying the maps of the empire and the lands the rebels occupied.

Meredith herself, for her part, was growing more and more concerned for him. Since the revelation that his brother was alive, he had very much withdrawn. When she questioned him, he forced a smile and assured her that he was fine.

She was sitting at her writing desk in her room one day when she felt something cold and wet hit her in the back of the head. She whirled around to see Isabella grinning from the doorway, Kade standing behind her, his hands wet with snow. Behind him, she saw her two younger sisters peeking around the door frame. She raised one eyebrow. Isabella laughed, and Meredith smiled.

"What is this?" she asked, teasingly.

"A challenge to a snowball fight!" said Isabella, enthusiastically, her cheeks pink with excitement. She was bundled up in her warm winter coat, her hands encased in gloves and her scarf wrapped securely around her neck.