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The fire crackled and popped in the hearth. Harsh Silessian winds howled and crashed against the castle walls. Snow still remained on the ground despite the heralds of spring. Had Julia been the one to decide, she would have scheduled Ced's coronation for summer. But Silessian law made it clear it had to be on his birthday, right at the beginning of March. Curses.
Julia and Seliph arrived earlier in the day and took the time to settle into the castle's guest quarters. Fee supplied them with extra blankets. All the better for their southern-blooded bodies, she'd said. And she'd been right. When the sun went down, the castle grew cold. The two huddled together in front of the fire, each with a blanket thrown over their shoulders. Both of them held a steamy mug of milk in their hands.
"Julia?" Seliph stared into his mug. "I don't want to bother you by asking, but there's something I've been very curious about."
Julia blinked. She had a feeling she knew what Seliph was about to ask-- something she'd been expecting him to for a long time. "What is it?"
Seliph didn't look up. "What was mother like?"
Silence. Wind continued to howl outside, and the fire still crackled.
Julia gave a sad smile. "I've been waiting for you to ask."
"I'm sorry," Seliph said. "I know it might bring up bad memories, and I don't want you to feel--"
"Seliph." She placed a hand on his knee. "It's okay. I don't need you to coddle me. I survived it then. I can survive it now."
Seliph's eyes softened.
"Besides," Julia said. "I'm curious as to what your father was like. But you were too young to remember him, weren't you?"
"Yeah." Seliph took a sip of his milk. "The earliest memories I have of are Oifey, Shannan, and Lady Edain. So I can tell you all about them if you'd like."
"I would be curious about that. I imagine growing up in an abbey with all those other kids was much different from just me and Jules in the palace."
Seliph chuckled. "Oh, definitely. And I still think that's a funny nickname for him. Jules."
"Jules the Jewel," Julia said. "I was the sapphire, he was the ruby."
"But aren't sapphires blue? And you're, well..." he cocked his head. "...very light purple."
Julia pouted her lips. "There's purple sapphires! Father got mother one once. I remember it distinctly. Besides, amethyst and ruby just didn't sound right."
"Why? I don't see why that wouldn't have worked."
"It just..." She bit her lip. "I don't know. I can't explain it. Something just feels right about rubies and sapphires."
Seliph nodded.
"Anyways," she continued, "I've found thinking about all the good memories we had helps me grieve. So I'd love to tell you all about my memories. You must forgive me, though. Some are still rather hazy."
Seliph opened his mouth as if to speak, but seemed to change his mind. He turned back to the fire. "No. I don't blame you at all for that."
"Tell you what," Julia said. "For every memory of mine, you tell me one of yours. Does that work?"
"What if one of us runs out?"
"Well, then whoever's left just has to keep going." Julia placed her mug down and held out her hand. "Rock paper scissors? Loser has to go first."
Seliph placed down his mug. "I think whoever wins should go first, but might as well."