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Everything in the house was just as Nanna remembered. The front door was still creaky, the sun still shined through the window on the side, the smell of lunch still wafted in from the kitchen. As always, Eyvel and Mareeta enthusiastically welcomed Nanna home. Eyvel was busy putting the finishing touches on the casserole that she was making; in the meantime, Nanna sat down with Mareeta to chat.
She looked around the house. In retrospect, there was so much about it (and about her father’s home) that she was ignorant of due to her young age. Like most houses in Fiana (and unlike those in Leonster or other cities), this one must have been hand-built either by Eyvel or whoever lived there previously, and the lower quality was apparent. If nothing else, the amount of spots where leaks had been showed that. And the rooms! The room that Eyvel had to herself and the room that Mareeta had were practically the size of a large closet in Leonster.
And yet.
Nanna had successfully made the transition to court life in Leonster as well as she could have though she had the luxury of Leif by her side to aid her. Others had not made the transition as smoothly. Mareeta didn’t have the burden of needing to take some sort of office so she returned to Fiana with her mother after the war ended. Not that Nanna could blame her: from time to time, she did look upon her years in Fiana with nostalgia.
“Mareeta! Nanna! Food!”
That familiar call brought an end to their reminiscing in the foyer. They both came to the kitchen where Eyvel served the casserole for them. Then, they sat down and began eating at a table which seemed to be a size too small for them now. The only thing missing was that neither Jeanne nor Tanya were there.
“I hope that life here isn’t too slow for our little princess,” Eyvel teased.
“No, not at all. I’m happy to be back here,” Nanna replied.
“Really? I’m glad to hear that. I fear that life here in Fiana is too quaint for you.”
“Relax, Mother. It’s probably a good break from watching Lord Leif drag his feet on popping the question,” Mareeta quipped.
Nanna turned beet red from that remark. “Leif is just taking his time,” she clarified. “With the rebellion in Agustria and the unrest in Luthecia, it’s not the right time to marry yet.”
“Don’t worry, Nanna,” Eyvel reassured. “I’ve never known the Little Lord to go back on a promise.”
“I know he won’t, but it’s frustrating that we have to wait.”
“Patience is a virtue, my Little Nan,” Eyvel said.
After that, Mareeta and Nanna took their horses out (Mareeta had learned how to ride a horse in the meantime since the war) and trotted around the seaside, just as they did in old times. They talked about many different topics, one of them being Nanna encouraging Mareeta in her pursuits (she suspected that she knew who Mareeta’s beloved one was, but he was having troubles with rebuilding his own country). When they returned, Nanna decided that she would sleep over in Mareeta’s room rather than return to her father’s (abandoned) house. And just like old times, she and Mareeta both chatted well into the night before they went to sleep…