Goneril bit her lip. "I think I'll just be staying here." She flashed Fiona a smile. "Which gives me time to read your books and return them," she pointed out. "My...my father said it was all right for me to stay. And then we can have some more time together, and you can show me your home?"

"The books are a gift. Bad luck to give them back." She smiled in return, but her expression had a faint air of caution. "Are you going to be all right here by yourself?"

"Really?" Goneril asked giddily. "Thank-- Oh. I mean Good neighbor. Good neighbor. Really? I just..." She hesitated, and then nodded. "I suppose I'll have to get to know my sister in law," she said, with a scowl. "But I can spend time with her bard, and...I'm not sure what else. I'll find things to do." She lowered her eyes. "Write to you and Faolin."

"I'd like that," Fiona said, a little shyly. "And I must give you your inkwell." Without her cane, she caught the corner of the big bed, pulling herself to the back of a chair, and used the table-edge as a prop to move the rest of the way across the room. The inkwell itself was a milky-green, faceted glass that looked like an enormous single block of jade. It rested atop a stack of linen pages already neatly cut and trimmed, and a tiny bouquet of green ribbons for sealing. She looked kindly on Goneril. "My lady, I do not think anyone here really wants you to be unhappy."

Goneril took a deep, shaky breath. "I know," she said. "I know. I just wish you...were going to be here longer." She glanced at the inkwell. "Is that it?" she asked. "It's lovely."

"If I had known, I would have arranged to stay longer," she said, with a small sigh, "but as it stands, this was very tightly regimented. We knew not how things would play out here." Timidly, she put her light, cool hand on Goneril's arm. "In any case, it will not be too long."

Goneril looked shyly at her hand, and patted it. "I know," she said. "Faolin said the same, about staying longer. But it's fortunate that I'll be able to come see you soon. I was a little scared when I thought I would just have to go straight home."

"Eventually you will have to go home," she said a little sadly. "I should hope that a little more time will make it easier to leave it behind for a while. At least there will not be that sense of things left unfinished." She dipped her head, smiling. "At least that is how I feel about it. And between times, we will write to one another, so it won't seem quite so empty."

Goneril nodded. "I...I have a letter for you back in my room already. And..." She blushed again. "I think six for Faolin? But he's going to have rules about when he may open them; he is not allowed to open any of them until you are back, and then only one a day; will you hold him to that?"

Fiona laughed. "Shall I hold them back from him and dole them out? I can lock them up in my box, and he has no key."