"Neither do I," Lunise said. "My suspicion is just about everything likely guessable could be in that letter together. The two of them were very close, I remember that without exception."

Lunise walked with her arm up against Meesei's for a moment before drifting away as they reached the end of the hallway. By the look of concern on her face, she needed the small comfort, even in a place where they were not allowed to be close. The sting of it outside Artaeum was already forming.

"It is my hope that father is simply overwhelmed, temporarily," she continued. "I have no reason to believe there would be bad news in the letter."