Arlan had left for the entire day, leaving Oriana in the company of Evanthe and occasionally Ember, along with the elf servants. She wandered through the palace, spending some time in the north-side garden, where she could see the river encircling the palace. The gentle sound of flowing water, the calm breeze, and the beautiful scenery managed to soothe her heart, but thoughts of Arlan never left her mind.
'Building a place for us? Does that mean he's building a home? Alone, by himself? Does he have any experience in constructing a house? It will take a long time until it's finished. Seems like until then, I'll have to keep waiting for him alone like this.'
"What are you thinking about?" Evanthe asked as she arrived to join Oriana. She sat next to her on the rock, dipping her feet in the cold water as well.
Oriana shared the questions that had been swirling in her mind.