Freya had spent the entire evening with Cossette and the Queen going over the different ideas for the Posada. She had to admit she was quite enjoying the whole thing.

The carnival portion of it wasn't what she'd originally thought. It was more in the form of games as opposed to rides. Still fun though. Even Estella seemed to light up when she heard of the plans for the event. She took meticulous notes and quietly suggested an idea or two when the rest couldn't figure out what were some of the more popular games of the day.

Freya went over the different foods they would make available with the Queen. She looked up a few different ideas online as far as traditional foods were concerned and ran across an item she'd had many times, a Mexican buñuelo.

Thinner and crispier than an elephant ear she could buy at the fair, a buñuelo was covered with cinnamon and sugar as soon as it was removed from the hot oil.

Totally messy, but delicious. She was happy the Queen agreed it needed to be one of the foods. And they'd both agreed they could have the delicious round concoction made smaller, so the children didn't have trouble handling them; also, because it would be less messy.

"Miss Sinclair?" Estella said, causing Freya to look up from the task she was working on. "You have an important call."

Freya looked to Estella in complete confusion. Who would be calling her at the Palace?

"Do you know who it is?"

"I believe it to be your mother, Miss," Estella said with a tinge of tension in her forehead.

Freya raised an eyebrow, hoping it wasn't really her mom since she probably only call if something terrible happened.

Her heart started racing as she nervously picked up the phone in her room.

"Hello?"

"It’s very upsetting, you know, to have to be screened just to speak to my daughter. Is that normal? Or was that treatment reserved just for me?"

Sure enough, it was her mother. Freya could feel her insides churning. Why would she call and open the conversation with such negativity?

"Hello, Mother," she said as polite as possible.

"Listen, I didn't call to make small talk or to be put through the wringer with question after question."

"Well, mother, you are calling a royal palace. Unless they are expecting you to call, I assume it is typical of them to screen incoming calls and callers." She cleared her throat. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Yes, well, it seems you've now managed to pull Tristan to your side, and he isn't going to be spending the holidays with the family. Of course, he wouldn't tell me where he was going, but he mentioned it to your father."

"Mother, I assure you I'm not doing anything. The King and Queen extended an invitation to him, and he graciously accepted. I told him not to feel obligated that I'd support whatever decision he made."

"You have to know he wouldn't want to leave you alone, not that I think it matters to you. But imagine how that would look, they extend the invitation, he turns it down, and there you are. He was right to accept."

"So, then why did you call me?"

"You need to figure out how to get him out of it since you got him into this mess."

"If that is what he wants?"

"Freya, he belongs with family during the holidays."

"But it was his very family...no, it was his mother and youngest sister that made it very clear to him they didn't want him. Or what, did you think he didn't tell me?"

"Obviously, I was upset. And well Claire was only trying to support me. Besides, he needs to be here because Claire is going to ask him to be the baby's godfather. It is a surprise she was hoping to ask at Christmas."

Freya could feel herself on the verge of getting upset, but she took deep calming breaths.

"I still don't understand why you are calling me? You made it very clear you didn't want to have anything to do with me, so why are you asking for my help?"

"Help? Hardly. I'm asking you to right your wrong. Pulling him from me as you have? He feels sorry for you is all. I don't know why? But he's a good son, and I don't want him somewhere far away with total strangers, all because you made a choice and now can't seem to handle it on your own."

That was it, Freya wasn't taking it anymore.

"You don't get to call me just to offend me. Sorry, but that is not how this works. If you cannot be my mom, loving me unconditionally, trusting and believing in me, then you don't have to be in my life. I can't have your hatred of me pulling me down a rabbit hole with no return.

"I love you, but I don't like you, and I especially do not appreciate the way you've been treating me these past few years. You’re spiteful, and whatever you've told Claire and Will seems to simmer within them as well. You know, I sent my niece a gift after I found out from others that she was born. It was refused.

"Refused!!! Do you know how much that hurts? No, you don't. Because you are the helm of all this negativity towards me. You, Mother. You've put the wedge between my siblings and me. Thankfully, Tristan thinks for himself. That’s why he is choosing to be here with me. But if he would prefer to spend the holidays with you and the rest of the family, I wouldn't begrudge him. Unlike you.

"I wish you all nothing but well-being and happiness. And I ask you once again if you cannot be in my life as loving pillars of support than please, stay away."

Freya took one last deep breath, "Goodbye, Mother. Be well," she said before hanging up.

She sat in complete silence. No tears. No hateful thoughts. No insecurities. Nothing. It was almost as if she were void of any emotion.

Freya finally grabbed her phone, ignoring all the messages, to make a call. "Hello?"

Her stomach was in knots. "I need your help."