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ith luck, he might remember someone from back then.
“Claire,” he said, his voice relatively neutral but with enough of a hint of question that I knew I’d surprised him by calling.
I didn’t know if he’d approve of my search for answers, but, though Ivan was a friend now, he wasn’t my moral guide anymore. Even if he wanted me to give up my search for answers, I wouldn’t.
“I need to ask you something,” I said. “I want to find out what happened to Lena. The full truth.”
“I see. I’ve already told you my suspicions, but I have no truth. No one ever knew.”
I wasn’t willing to accept that. He’d had almost thirty years to resign himself to his own misery, to accept that he would never fully know.
I’d only briefly known, and I was far from being tired enough to give up this fight for answers.
“I’m going to try,” I said. “I was hoping to speak with some of the servants from back then. Do you remember any? Could you get me in contact?”
“You could just call the palace.”
“I’m trying to avoid…. letting them know…”
Ivan’s silence was palpable. I let it hang, hoping he would understand.
He seemed to. “It was a long time ago. I can only give you a few names that I remember. But I don’t know what became of them.
“That’s enough of a start for me, thank you.”
I wrote down the names Ivan provided, and then thanked him and hung up. After that, I called the registry in the Royal Pack
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10.12 Fri, Feb 13 BDB.
Chapter 184
and, after identifying myself, asked for the phone numbers for the people on the list. Some had moved out of the pack and fell out of contact. A few had died.
In the end, only one had a number to call. She was an older woman named Delilah.
< 75%0
When I called the number I had been given, the person at the other end said she didn’t live there anymore, but through a game of phone chain, eventually, I reached an older woman.
When I said, “My name is Claire. I’m looking for Delilah,” she gasped a little, but then immediately steeled herself.
“Claire like the returned princess?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “I have a few questions that I was hoping you could answer… about my mother?”
The woman was quiet for a long moment. Then she said, “Yes, I remember many things about Luna Queen Lena. But that doesn’t mean I’m eager to share any of them, especially with a stranger over the phone.”
“Please,” I said. “I just want to know what happened to my mother.”
“Dear, I have no idea if you are who you say you are. I just don’t trust this call –”
“Then come see me in person,” I said. “Alpha Gideon is holding a banquet for me. If I send you an invitation and you could see that I am who I say I am, would you tell me then?”
She was quiet a moment, as if thinking. Then she said, “Yes, I suppose.”
“Then it’s done. Keep an eye on your mail, and please plan a visit to Gideon’s pack.”
Getting off the phone with Delilah, I was cautious but hopeful of the things to come. If I could prove myself to Delilah, then maybe she would be able to give me new pathways for my investigation to take.
But, I supposed, I would have to convince her that I was the princess. I needed to look the part.
Preparing for the event, Nova tugged me into my closet to help me pick out a new dress. She went right away to a light blue gown, that also happened to be somewhat low cut.
“This is the one, Mommy.”
“Why that one?”
“Because… Daddy like this one best. He’s always looking at you in it.”
I blushed a little. “That’s no reason to pick it…” Even so, I pulled the dress out of the closet. Just to look at it! It did make me look nice.
Nova went to my jewelry box next, and returned with some beautiful silver jewelry that had been a gift from Gideon. When I moved in, he felt I didn’t have enough things befitting a princess, so he bought me an entire wardrobe of things, clothes and accessories. Jewelry included. Even though I told him it was unnecessary, I couldn’t deny the pieces were lovely
With Nova, I was starting to see a trend.
“And how should I wear my hair?” I asked her, baiting slightly, to see what she’d say.
“Daddy always looks at you a lot when you wear it up,” she said.
I narrowed my eyes ever so slight, in on her game. “What if I want to do something other than what your father wants?”
She shrugged. “That’s okay.. I guess…”
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