Chapter 186 - 185: The Good News

Eleanore knew, deep down, that it wouldn’t last. There could be no real peace in her life, not yet. There were still too many things left unresolved, and that uncertainty gnawed quietly at her, eating away at the edges of her contentment, making her fear that this stillness was nothing more than the silence before an overwhelming storm.

She looked out the window, though the smile still lingered faintly on her lips. She was sitting with a cup of tea gone half-cold by the windowsill when Marina appeared a short while later, carrying a small stack of correspondence. One envelope sat carefully on top, marked with familiar, elegant handwriting.

"This one came by private courier not an hour ago, my lady," Marina said. "From Lady Stella, if I’m not mistaken."

"You’re not," Eleanore said, already reaching for it, recognizing the stamp of Sinclair, the swan, before Marina had even finished speaking.

She opened it eagerly.

|| Dear Eleanore,

Hael and I would love to have you and Caelestis over for dinner this week, nothing formal, just the four of us, now that things have finally settled enough to actually enjoy each other’s company without a crisis interrupting every conversation. May we as a family have heartfelt memories carved that day.

Let us know what evening works. We’ve missed simply being around you both, without the weight of everything else hanging over it.

With love, Stella ||

Eleanore folded the letter carefully, a warm, contented feeling settling over her as she set it aside, already looking forward, for the first time in longer than she could remember, to an evening that promised nothing more complicated than good food and easy company.

She penned her reply before the tea had even finished cooling, choosing Thursday without hesitation, and sent it off with Marina.

The Sinclair mansion was warm with lamplight by the time Eleanore and Caelestis arrived, the low hum of easy conversation already drifting from the dining room before they’d even fully stepped through the door. The carriage ride over had been quiet in the comfortable way rather than the tense one, Caelestis’s hand resting loosely over hers the entire way, and Eleanore had spent most of it simply watching the city lights slide past the window, feeling, for once, entirely unburdened.

Hael greeted them personally, looking more relaxed than Eleanore had seen him in months, his usual watchfulness softened into something closer to genuine ease. "You arrived at a good time," he said, taking their coats himself rather than summoning a servant. "Stella’s been fussing over the table arrangement for about an hour now. You’d think we were hosting the royals themself." He laughed.

"I heard that," Stella called from further inside, and Hael grinned, feigning fear, leading them through to where Stella was already seated, practically glowing.

"You’re both finally here," Stella said, greeting Eleanore with a warm hug and Caelestis with a friendly handshake. "I was starting to think Victor had buried Caelestis under paperwork permanently."

"He tried," Caelestis said dryly, settling into his seat. "I fought valiantly."

"He ran away the moment Victor went on patrol," Eleanore corrected. "It wasn’t valiant."

"It was strategic." He argued

"There’s a difference between strateging and cowering, Grand Duke," Stella said, and Caelestis simply smiled.

Eleanore was filled with warmth, seeing that whatever had once stood between the two of them had long since been sorted.

The first course arrived not long after a second, a herbed soup that Stella insisted on describing in unnecessary, delighted detail, having apparently overseen its preparation herself out of some newfound restlessness she blamed, only half-joking, on being cooped up indoors too often lately. Dinner unfolded easily after that, the conversation drifting comfortably between old memories and lighter teasing, none of the usual tension or crisis hanging over the table for what felt like the first time in ages.

"Do you remember," Hael said, gesturing with his fork toward Caelestis, "the first winter after you took the title, when you tried to reorganize the entire eastern archive by yourself because you didn’t trust anyone else to do it properly?"

"That was a reasonable precaution."

"You were buried under paper for three days. Victor was so worried he sent out search parties."

"I found what I was looking for."

"You found a headache and a torn ledger," Hael said, laughing. "Eleanore, has he told you about this?"

"He has not," Eleanore said, delighted. "Please, continue."

Caelestis shot Hael a look that promised retribution later, but he ignored it, and the story unfolded in full. Stella added embellishments that grew steadily less believable with each retelling, until even Caelestis was laughing along, no longer minding that he was the joke.

It was somewhere between the second course and dessert that Hael reached over and took Stella’s hand, something meaningful passing between them before Stella turned back to the table with a smile she could barely contain.

"We have something to tell you both," she said, glancing at Hael, who nodded encouragingly. "I’m pregnant."

The table went silent for exactly one beat before a smile broke across both their faces. Eleanore was up out of her seat almost instantly, rounding the table to pull Stella into a tight hug, laughing with genuine delight.

"Since when? How far along?" Eleanore asked, pulling back to study her properly.

"About two months," Stella said, practically beaming. "We wanted to be sure before saying anything, especially given how things have been around us. But the physician confirmed it was safe, just this week, and we couldn’t wait any longer to share it."

"This is wonderful," Caelestis said, clasping Hael’s shoulder firmly, genuine warmth in his expression that had nothing to do with performance or careful composure, just simple, uncomplicated happiness for his friend. "Congratulations, truly. Both of you."

"We’re thrilled," Hael said, looking at Stella with an expression so openly adoring it made Eleanore’s chest ache pleasantly on their behalf. "Terrified, obviously. But thrilled."

"To be terrified is normal," Eleanore said, returning to her seat, still smiling. "I imagine most people would feel that way."

"Says the woman who was just discussing children with her husband three days ago," Caelestis said, a teasing glint in his eye.

Eleanore shot him a look, her cheeks warming slightly, while Stella’s eyebrows shot up with immediate, delighted interest. "Oh? Something you two want to share as well?"