[ARDEN ESTATE, 140 MILES FROM BOSTON]
[That Same Night]
The sun hovered low and appeared like a golden coin pressed firmly against the horizon.
It’s golden rays of light spilled across the ocean of trees painting them mustard yellow and orange.
The sky above them flashed in a beautiful array of colors that ranged from amber, rose, violet, and blue as the sun sank deeper.
There was no time to stop, however, and marvel at the beautiful sunset.
The driver and the passenger were on an urgent mission, too urgent to waste time appreciating the beauty of a perfect sunset.
To two drove in silence…there was no time for words, the only sound was the purring of the engine and the whisper of the wind against the window as the black Mercedes-Bens EQS speed through miles of sunbaked asphalt.
She loved her car, and loved how it glided through the country roads.
The car was like her shield against the wilderness…it was her ark, and with it she felt she could overcome any flood or storm.
Kristan and Wain spoke little, their thoughts were solely on Neva.
Kristan accelerated through the cracked asphalt with urgency as the sun set lower in the horizon.
After 30 additional minutes, they arrived at a familiar driveway through a forest of trees and greenery.
In the distance, the skeleton of a building could be seen.
Steel beams framed the massive panes of tinted glass, like a palace of glass designed to stop the elements while allowing those inside to gaze out toward the beauty of the forest.
The mansion was built like a retreat from the world, quiet, grounded, and deeply connected to the landscape.
It was a place where mornings felt slow yet full of promise, and evenings felt soft and fulfilling.
The Arden Estate.
She had been here before many times…they were always happy visits where she and Wain enjoyed dinner and the company of the mansion’s hostess.
Today was different though.
Kristan and Wain parked the car and stepped out.
The doorbell rang like a war drum announcing their presence followed by faint footsteps approaching the door.
The front door, an enormous slab of matte black steel opened with a soft hiss of hydraulic cylinders.
A familiar face greeted them with a pleasant but worried smile.
He said, “Ms.
Kristan, Mr.
Wain, I’m glad to see you.
She is not taking the news well.
Please feel free to go upstairs and see her, I will bring some tea.”
The temperature difference was immediate, like jumping into an artic ice bath after wandering around inside an oven.
The pair knew the mansion well and needed no help navigating.
They quickly crossed the foyer with its cathedral ceiling and headed up the spiral staircase and through the hallway.
The hallway was the aorta artery of the mansion, it connected and provided access to the main living room, courtyard, a maze of bedrooms, leading to the master bedroom.
Without knocking, the two entered the master bedroom.
Like Neva, the room was elegant and efficient with wide-plank oak floors stained to a warm honey brown, soft wool rugs, and stone accents including a stone double-sided fireplace that created a small seating area opposite the bed.
On other occasions, the wall of windows surrounding the master bedroom were open exposing a full thirty feet of floor-to-ceiling glass frame.
The forest and the Hudson Valley were visible for miles on a clear day.
Neva loved the open view and often had the sliding glass doors open, welcoming in the smell of pine, damp earth, and the faint sweetness of wildflowers in the spring. This chapter was taken from NovelPing without permission.
Today the doors were closed, and the curtains were drawn, closing the room off from the world.
It was a silent retreat.
In the center of the room was a king-sized mattress perched on a walnut wooden bed frame, elegantly carved and designed as part of the forest.
The bedding was minimalist but luxurious: cream-colored linens, thick wool throw, and pillows in muted forest tones.
Curled in a ball on the massive bed was Neva.
Her entire body could be seen vibrating with her gentle hushed sobbing.
“Neva?
I’m here.” Kristan said in a gentle voice as she entered the bedroom.
She removed her shoes and climbed into the bed.
She wrapped her arms around Neva and held her close.
Neva didn’t resist, she willingly wrapped her arms and legs around Kristan and sank lower so that her head rested beneath Kristan’s jaw.
It was like a mother holding her baby.
Kristan gently combed her hair with one hand and rubbed her back with the other hand.
She planted soft kisses on Neva’s forehead as she comforted and soothed her.
No one spoke for a long time.
“Wain, I think she fell asleep.
I will stay here with her tonight, ask the butler for a room.” Kristan whispered softly careful to not wake up the sleeping princess.