Awaiting Uhtred

Words of victory still rang in her ears as the princess made her way to the chambers for what she hoped was one final long lonely night. Tomorrow he would, God willing, be with her again, and she would sleep in his arms. The low quiver of excitement stayed with her though the Queen's words had settled her into a deeply thoughtful state.

First and foremost, you are Garnett Valenti.

Wordlessly, with the help of her maidservant, she shed the fine gown the Queen had gifted her with, carefully hanging and stowing the items...the servant dismissed when just the gown was off. As much as she missed Uhtred, as much as she needed him home, she'd become used to the privacy of her own thoughts in his absence, and she felt the weight of so much left unsorted and unsolved.

She wondered who Garnett Valenti was underneath it all, the masks Synaria and she had spoken of becoming layer after layer of fragile half-truths designed to gain what was needed and hide what could never be known. Garnett Valenti had secrets. Garnett Valenti manipulated a servant boy out of a wolf pup not out of love for the pup but so she could use it to protect her. Garnett Valenti revealed the jester's secrets to the King out of loyalty to her husband, the jester mistrusted because of his own mistrust of Uhtred. Garnett Valenti told lies without a hint of guilt for them for she did not trust others with the truth.

This new princess, this thing she had become, prayed to a god she, at best, doubted the existence of and, at worst, hated. She worshipped him because he was the god of her husband. She crafted a facade of paints and powders, spoke pretty words, and did her duty with good will. She trusted her husband.

But before she was Garnett Valenti, she was Garnett Farquhar, eldest daughter to King Gregor.

Was there any that remained of that girl? Her gods abandoned, her family out of reach, the world she'd known before coming to Nharati little more than a dream. It faded with each day, but still..the memory of the scared girl meeting with the Crown Prince drew a smile to her lips. She'd not been painted then, more often than not fumbling and stumbling and certain they would send her away.

But it had been Garnett Farquhar that fell in love so completely with Uhtred, and it was in so many ways, he who had changed her...or perhaps she had changed for him. He'd never asked it of her. No, that was wrong..he had. He had insisted on secrets and lies, and she could not begrudge him those, the necessity of them all too apparent to her. Even then, she had trusted him.

As her thoughts wandered, so did the princess, the transition from her court clothes to a sleeping shift and dressing gown happening through rote movements, scarcely noticed. She rested with her head against the cool pane of glass, staring out into the misty night. How far was Uhtred yet? Would he truly be home on the next day?

Trust me