Chapter17: Magical Touch

*Bexley* After breakfast, I go back to my room for a warm cloak and mittens. I decide against wearing a hat, even though I know I’ll be colder without it. I don’t want to look silly in front of the king. Anna is at my door as I bound out. She smiles and says, “I thought maybe it would be helpful if I show you to the gardens, dear.” “That would be wonderful.” We walk down the same staircase as usual and down the hallways I’m familiar with until we are almost at the atrium, and then she turns a different direction down a path I’ve never explored . As we go, we chat. She asks about my mother, and I ask about her duties here at the castle since she’s already told me she has no family. She’s so sweet, and being around her is sort of like having a mother or a grandmother here, even with mine so far away.  We arrive at an exterior door, and she pushes it open. “Enjoy, dear.” She pats my shoulder, and I step outside into the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen. A thin layer of snow dusts the