::A decorative blue bottle drifted onto the shore where Jewell would find it. The letter within was enfolded in an aged cut of yellowish parchment, sealed by a red bow, tied in a fancy knot. Scents of lilac and cinnamon would drift out of the bottle when it was opened::

My Empress:

A mage friend of mine enchanted this bottle so it would find its way to you, on the other side of the dark waters. There was indeed a Warlord?s Tournament this week. I won every match I fought, and with every flash of my sword I thought of you. I have experienced many emotions since your departure; emotions foreign to me, emotions I thought only existed in fairy tales.

Have I missed you? ?Missed? simply isn?t the right term. As ever, I want you. I want your lips, closing around mine. I want your Long Island Iced Teas again. I want to see that dimple on your right cheek. I want our clumsy, inebriated walks home together. I want to cradle you in my arms in the moonlight. I want our fireside conversations, and in the darkness, I want the warmth of your body, pressing against mine. I want to be the wind so I can fly through your hair. I want to be water so I can bathe your skin. I want to be fire so I can burn your enemies. I want to come to you, take you on my white horse and close you up heart and soul in the highest tower of my castle. Enough.

As far as your warnings to stay away from ?Alexander,? I was never the chivalrous type to go bounding off in defense of a woman who?s much more capable of handling threats against herself than I. Besides, drama is the antithesis of all that I am. I?m here if you need me, but otherwise a silent sentinel when it comes to family matters. That said, I will consider your warning, but I make no promises. You see, when I look at that man, I see a dog who?s gone rabid and needs to be put down. Tara had an interesting plan, but I won?t trouble you with that. I will write no more of this. It is surely a sensitive subject.

Hurry back. Both my heart and my bed grow cold without you.

Love,

Skyler