The records had been found late one night, delivered from Montesta overseas by a grumpy sailor who made her wait three hours before the rest of his cargo had been unloaded before handing them over. Family trees, birth certificates, heraldic armorials. As precious to Aida as any gold or silver, and perused with the greatest of care.
One in particular had caught her attention. A letter, sent from Aida and Casimir's mother, Linnea Grimstad to her sister, Aislin Ballintyne, who was also Nikola's mother. It was hastily written, yet appeared only to be about mundane things, a ball she had attended. Roses blooming in the garden.
A code.
Aida stayed up through the night unraveling the symbols, the messages. Guessing at what private keys the sisters must have kept between themselves, and came up in the early hours with a letter that painted quite a different story.
Two girls, born out of wedlock a year or so apart, sent away to Fenia to be safe when Linnea was forcibly brought back to her Grimstad husband. Their locations carefully coded, and a devoted aunt to see that they were well kept.
Except all of Linnea's children had ended up seperated by the war, in the end. Still, there was an address that Aida recognised, her heart leaping. A small manse outside of Fenia listed in the records. Later, frantically searching through Linnea and Aislin's correspondence, she found the two certificates Casimir must have discovered. Aida Ballintyne she was listed. And another. Alexa Ballintyne. So she wrote, and prayed that there was still someone to receive her letter.
Dear Alexa, You may not know me, and may not believe me, and so I enclose copies of the documents that provide proof of what I am to write. I am known now as Lady Redmoor, but that has not always been my name. I took it because I did not know my parentage, and until recently only discovered the identity and location of siblings I never thought I had. Much still remains a mystery, but here is what I know. I was born Ballintyne, having been given my noble mother Linnea's family name, after she ran away with a mysterious poet to start a new life. In that time, there was another girl born before I, you. Our family was not to remain together. Linnea Grimstad was taken back to her husband to do her duty, whilst we were to stay in Fenia and be brought up well as illegitimate aristocracy. It never came to pass, as I'm sure you are aware. Linnea had two further children after us, and a third before us, even. Warrick Grimstad and the twins Casimir and Camelia, who sadly are recently deceased. I do not know if this letter will ever reach you. My men will search the area mentioned for word of you, and if you are to be found I pray you will join me in Fenia City, to meet with me and perhaps build together what we were once denied. Regards, Countess Redmoor | ||
"I am an idiot," Aida declared, suddenly and loudly, to the alarm of several members of the record-keepers in the Cathedral. One of them, the young acolyte who had saved her life, raised his eyebrows and looked over from his desk.
"Something I can help you with, Madam?"
"No," the Vicereine stood, slamming the old records together and putting her face in her hands, "What kind of idiot sends a letter to a potential sibling and doesn't include their first name? Me, apparently! Right, I have to go. I KNOW WHO SHE IS!"
Racing out of the front door, she held her billowing black skirts around her and ran down the temple steps towards the row of cottages where her new neighbour lived.