The Travellers Chronicles Book Eight: To Be A Friend (On Hiatus)

Chapter One

Late April 1946

The family arrived late one evening at Fontainebleau where they were greeted by an excited Niko, and their Steward, Monsieur Bertrand. After Niko had been passed around and set back down, he looked around for Lisette. Not finding her, he began to whine loud. Sybille took him back into her arms and cuddled him. "I'm sorry, My Boy, but Lisette won't be coming home." As though the dog understood, he howled.

When they went inside, and before Sybille went to bed, they told Bertrand and the other staff about their harrowing time in the war. All the things they did and couldn't do. Everything that they hated doing and what had brought them joy. Sybille wasn't very talkative while they did that, and Tatiana worried that she had gone into her own mind; somewhere Sybille hated to be.

Living with Bipolar Disorder wasn't easy for Syb. Every night, she had trouble sleeping without sleep aids because it was hard for her brain to quiet down enough to sleep. Throughout the day she was subjected to images of her past traumas and went through phases where she was deeply depressed and others where she was manic. When manic, she barely slept and worked far too hard on things, never stopping. Her meds had regulated her really well, but after losing Lisette, Tatiana knew that Sybille was stuck with memories flooding her mind. A mind that was like a labyrinth and hard to get out of.

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Every step towards Duke's tomb was like walking on glass. Sybille wasn't ready to say goodbye to her last child, nor was she ready to think of Duke with all of their children again. Duke's casket was well and truly full by now. Not only were his and Sybille's children's ashes in there but their childrens' spouses as well, and if, God forbid, Sybille were to ever die, hers would be placed in there too.

The Father opened the tomb for them, and some aids pulled out Duke's casket. Royals' bodies were always accessible, especially Duke's, in case they needed to be studied or to find DNA matches. Their reason was to be able to place their families ashes in with him.

Placing Lisette's modern urn in with the older styles, was like putting an end to Sybille's life with Duke. It was now over and like it had never even happened. In that moment, Sybille finally felt like Duke was at peace.

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While racing each other in the gardens one night, Alexei stopped Tess. He stared into her eyes intently.

"What is it?" Tess blushed. "When you stare like that I get ideas."

Alexei smirked; glad he could cause such a reaction in the woman he loved. Without a second thought, he knelt on one knee before Tess. She gasped as he pulled out a ring box with a gold ring that had five tiny diamonds in place of a large one. "Therese Elise Hardy, being away from you for so long made me think about the future I want with you. I've loved you since I was a child; you have taught me so many important things about how to live, and what kind of person I want to be. I'll never love another the way I love you. Will you marry me?"

Tess couldn't speak as she cried, so she simply nodded her head enthusiastically. Alexei stood and placed the ring on her finger, pulling her in for a deep, passionate kiss.

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"You want to marry when?" Tatiana asked after hearing the bomb that had been dropped on the family.

"On Lisette's birthday." Tess answered. "We want to make it a day of celebration again, instead of a solemn day."

"I like that idea." Anya told them. "I think it's the perfect way to keep the day joyful."

Tess crossed the room to her best friend, knowing her opinion mattered the most. "Syb?"

Her friend sighed and looked at Tess. "I understand your reasons, and because of those reasons, I think it's a splendid idea. Lisette would have enjoyed it as well."