*Mary*
As I guide my horse along the rising path, I realize it would have been wiser to arrive at the park in the landau with my aunt and cousin. However, Stephan and I often rode together as children, and I hope that familiarity serves me well now. I haven't seen him since the dinner party, and while I don't owe him anything, I feel a sense of obligation. Not pity… he would despise that. I saw his disdain for it after my tears surfaced at the ball when he appeared. Perhaps it's charity, which he would likely also reject.
The heirs of Snow Moon dominate every dinner conversation and were the talk of last night's ball. Older ladies strategize how to keep them away from their daughters, while the daughters whisper in dark corners about occasional sightings. Some have seen Beta Raphael on t
