Times had been interesting for the Everhart family. The ladies of Hart Helm received the King as their guest for what they assumed to just be an ordinary visit. Little did they realize their life was going to flip upside down. The reality of their missing loved one returning hit in waves, but the more time Alice spent with Elisa, the more the ache in her heart dulled. She believed adamantly from the moment they were told that Elisa was Elisabeth. Her Elisabeth. It was a mother’s instinct to know their child. She saw too much of Zaroffi in the face of the teenager to doubt the information presented.
There were no words to describe the happiness that filled Hart Helm. Alice never believed Elisabeth died, but she also never thought she’d see her sweet baby again. To have her returned, even if it were as a young woman, was a blessing from the Mages. Alice devoted all of her time to Elisa, but tried not to hover or overwhelm the timid girl. It had to be strange for her. There were still unanswered questions, but for now, Alice was content to have both her daughters under the same roof for the first time in fifteen years.
The news of a wedding caught Alice off guard. With the death of Eunice, she expected Dorathea to go wild, not settle down. There had to be more to the story, but Alice was never close enough to Thea to be her confidant. Not like Cordelia was. She tried to be there for the girl, especially now that the cousins were getting close again as adults, but she respected the space Thea always seemed to require.
Of course, however, she would not miss the wedding. So she packed up and headed to stay at the palace with Cordelia, and in the day of the wedding, went to Redcroft with both her daughters. While Cordelia went off to do what she imagined as a difficult job, Alice and Elisa wandered the grounds. Redcroft Manor was a lovely place. It was vastly different to the style she had grown accustomed to on the coast, but it fit right in with central Fenian design. She admired the old trees surrounding the manor, a soft smile on her lips.
For the wedding, the lady dressed in a gown that shimmered between green and blue, the two colours her daughters were wearing. The dress was lined in a band of gold, with gold fabric hanging from the sleeves and center front. It was elegant, fitting her slender body and promoted the red hair that flowed down her back. While her siblings had all been born with dark hair, her inner fire was on display from birth. Her feisty personality had tempered with age, but her quick wit had her to dull.
“I am looking forward to seeing everyone. Hart Helm can be so secluded from the rest of the family.” Not that Alice ever minded the distance. She enjoyed making a life of her own, separate from her parents’ expectations. They had long since passed, but Hart Helm was a part of her identity and she never planned to move back to northern Fenia, where she grew up. “This must be exciting for you, though. An event with both of your families.”
Lady Alice Winterbourne Everhart of the Hartlands
Mother of Cordelia and Elisa | Aunt to the High King
Mother of Cordelia and Elisa | Aunt to the High King