The Westridge crest upon the High Elven guard?s tabard, covering his armor, shone brightly in the sunshine as he ascertained the reason for the Lady?s visit and readily admitted her onto the grounds then directed her to the front doors. At her knock a rigidly correct butler dressed in severely tailored black opened one and upon determining the reason for her visit stepped back to allow her admittance to the foyer where the pattern from the multi-colored sunlight in the three stories high ceiling was gleaming upon the white marble tiles. He in turn sent a waiting footman dressed in the scarlet and black of the Kingdom off to tell the Queen?s maid that she had a visitor waiting for her.

Silvynesta tapped on the door to the Royal Suite then called out. ?Yer Majesty! There be a Lady Wyheree here...? That was as far as she got before Des had flung the door separating them wide open. The cowgirl Queen was not herself however. Her hair was tangled from her running a hand through it repeatedly, navy blue eyes were swollen and red from crying off and on, and she still had on the same gown she had worn the day before which she had restlessly slept off and on in on the balcony swing wrapped in the throw that still held her beloved husband?s scent.

She really needed to get hold of herself. Each time she tried to shove the memories back down where they belonged they rose up like ghostly warriors to defend the territory they had claimed which just so happened to be almost all of her thoughts.

She wasn?t sure she was fit company for man nor beast but just maybe if she could visit with her friend the past wouldn?t seem so very real to her and she could find a way to bury it back where it belonged because this was here and now not then.

Des could feel that Gavilean was alive and well even though she couldn?t see where he was. Magically linked as they were realistically she still could feel him and knew he was all right but her mind was playing terrible tricks on her telling her that Jean had been all right too for a time then suddenly he was dead.

She grabbed her maid?s arm and jerked her into the room with her. ?We gotta hurry so we don?t keep her waitin? down there!? She then stuck her head out the door and yelled to the footman standing in the hall that usually came in to carry out the maids that fainted in her dressing room. ?Hey you! Go on down there and tell ?em I?ll be there in just a hot minute. Show Wyh into my sittin? room and get her a tea tray and make sure some of our wine from home is on it cause she really likes it.?

The door then slammed in the man?s face as the women raced around while clothing went flying without heed to the cost of the fabrics they were made of. The Queen had her first ever visitor since they had moved to the mansion and she wasn?t about to dilly dally around getting ready!

Des hurriedly threw on one of her new gowns, splashed water on her face, brushed out her hair then piled it on top of her head, slipped her feet into slippers that matched her dress, and then smiled to her maid who had helped with the miraculous transformation from wilted to ready as fast as could possibly be with all the female trappings to manage.

Leaving a certified disaster area in her wake in the form of her dressing room she skipped down the stairs with an expectant smile and sparkle in navy blue eyes that were still a bit red although she had been holding an iced cloth on them while getting ready to take down the swelling. She didn?t want to appear distressed when she had company especially a good friend that promised to know all the latest tidbits from the Inn she had been missing out on.

She rushed into the sitting room with a happy smile, looking to make sure the staff had brought in the tea tray she had requested and was pleased to see Wyh with a glass of wine already in hand. ?Wyh Darlin?! I?m so happy to see ya. Welcome to Gav and I?s home. Do ya have everything that ya need? Can I get ya anything else??

Des hugged Wyh tightly and smiled to her as stepped back then beckoned her toward the couch. She moved to fill a cup with herb tea for herself along with gathering a plate of the dainty tea sandwiches than seated herself gracefully far more at home here in her home than she ever was out in public.

She laughed, eyes sparkling merrily, an expression of avid interest on delicate features as Wyh told of the antics of those that they both knew from the Inn. How she wished she had been there to see it all herself but instead she had been here at home where it was safe to cry when the fear and memories ran away with her thoughts before she could counter them.

Her cup was lifted for a sip of the soothing blend before she answered her friend?s inquiry about herself. She could hear and see the sincerity in the question but did she want to take the risk and let someone else see past the carefully held public face that she wore. The Lady here in her sitting room was the first person that had taken the time to come and visit though and that said volumes in itself.

Des shook her head slowly to the beautiful Ice Elemental and sighed softly while sitting down her cup and plate on the low table in front of the couch then folded her hands in her lap. She turned to her with a little rueful half smile as she spoke at last in a quiet kind of small voice.

?I?m not doing so well right now I?m afraid Darlin? so I?ve been mostly just stayin? here at home. Ya see Gav had to go on a trip and I?m just scared he ain?t gonna be able to keep his promise to come back. It ain?t mattering that I know he is fine because I can feel ?em either. I am just a mess.?

Des nodded to her friend as she held the cool hand in both of her own now that it had been given to her. It was such a relief to have that contact she wasn?t going to let go. This place felt so empty even with all the servants it wasn?t the same. It would never be the same without her beloved husband here.

?Yeah we have never been apart before. He is supposed to be back in just a few more days but I ain?t sure I am gonna be sane by the time he gets here. It is horrible! It ain?t just cause I am weak though honest.? She looked at her friend willing her to understand.

?I don?t know if spending the night would help or not but ya are welcome to stay and we could try it. But I ain?t sleeping in that bed. I couldn?t do it when Jean was on his trip either. You do know about what happened to Jean don?t ya??

Des blinked slowly as she tilted her head to one side. The cool hands held tightly in both of hers offering a measure of comfort that had been missing since her beloved husband had left. She meet her friend's gaze with her own as she took a deep, deep breath then let it out on a rush of words.

"Jean was my husband before I married Gav. We hadn't been married for very long when he got this job opportunity and he was a Pirate so he had to go to sea for this here job and he left early in the morning with the tide and he promised he would be back and we would be rich and we would never have to be apart again but something went terribly wrong and I have letters that he wrote to me that tell me all about it and about how much he missed me and about how much he loved me and I have letters that I wrote to him too and I still visit his grave faithfully and Gav goes with me and he was My Beloved French Pirate and it wasn't his fault that he couldn't keep his promise and so I know that it wouldn't be Gav's fault that he couldn't keep his promise neither that these things do happen and it is no one's fault but people die even if they love you with all their heart and soul and it ain't their fault when that happens but it happens."

Finally she ran out of breath and sat with tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks unnoticed as she tried to explain the fear that even she couldn't fully understand or get to go away.

Wyheree listened as Des told her everything in one breath, and she reached an arm around to hug her, leaning her head against hers, her own eyes misting with silver tears as she heard the story of Jean for the first time, only speaking when Des was finished, whispering softy, "It is no wonder you have been here - I had no idea - I am so very sorry, Des."

She relaxed into the hug thankful to have gotten it out into words even if they were chaotic and jumbled a bit. She nodded slightly as Wyh spoke relieved that she understood as that was another of her fears. That no one would understand this fear that she couldn't control no matter how hard she tried. "Thank ya for understanding. I don't really understand it myself and it is just not making sense to me that I can't control this feeling and it just won't go away. I hate to cry and I am crying all the time Wyh. It is making me crazy I swear to ya!"

She continued to hold Des close, still speaking softly, "It makes sense, for you and Gav have not been apart from one another, and of course you would be afraid the same thing would happen again." Wyh thought for a moment. "Do you have a way to sense where Gav is and how he is faring? Perhaps that would help with the fear."

"I can feel him and know what is happening to him just like he can me. It don't seem to be helping is my problem. Jean's death was so sudden. He was so full of life and so young. I never dreamed just a week trip and he would die like that ya know what I mean? It was just supposed to be like this here trip. A fast one and to help us for our future." And that was the very problem. The trips were both so similar in nature and so soon after she had been married and both were for wonderful opportunities for their future happiness. Far too much in common to give her any piece of mind and rest.