Magnus was worried about Freya, but his mother said it was best if she were the one to follow her. "Sometimes a woman needs another woman to speak freely," she'd said. It made no sense to him, but he complied.

He'd drilled Cossette over and over for every word that had come out of her mouth, trying to decipher what had upset her.

Nothing made sense unless Cossette was holding something back and not telling. But he just didn't see it, especially in her condition and with how well she'd taken to Freya.

"How are you feeling?" He'd almost forgotten to ask his sister.

"Better. I'm going home today."

"Are you sure you are ready?"

"Magnus, I'll be fine. I'll have my moments, I'm sure. But I'll be fine. Plus, I promised Freya I'd talk to someone if I felt like I wasn't coping very well." She gave her brother a loving, reassuring grin that seemed to work. Or maybe it was the fact that Freya had been discussing something so important like that with his sister. It was a sign she cared and was a good person, another reason he loved her so much.

Gerard tapped and opened the door, just barely so he could signal for Magnus to come out, so he excused himself from his sister and found his way out to the hallway.

"Your Royal Highness, I apologize for interrupting, but the de la Cruz family are downstairs, hoping to come up to visit with the Princess."

Magnus' mood immediately changed. He went from concern to anger. He started telling Gerard that under no circumstances where they allowed to see his sister when the elevator opened and out stepped his mother, Santiago's parents, and Freya. Unsure of what was going on, he asked Gerard to give him a moment and walked toward them to avoid Cossette hearing anything, just in case it got loud.

“Your Majesty, I was just giving instructions that the de la Cruz family not be allowed up. I don’t believe it to be wise at this moment.”

“Maria Celeste, Marco, will you please give me a moment with my son?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Marco, Maria Celeste’s husband, replied as they both walked back toward a window past the elevator.

“Magnus, it is okay, son. I’ve been speaking to them, and as a matter of fact, your sister had a brief chat with them at the ball. She wanted them in the baby’s life. And I think it is important they be allowed closure here as well. They were really looking forward to being grandparents.”

“If you don’t believe it to be impertinent, then I respect your decision.” He wasn’t about to argue with his mother, especially not in front of those people. “Mother, if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay out here for a moment to speak to Freya.”

The Queen reached out and firmly gripped his arm. “Son, I understand you are eager. But please. Give her a little space for now. There will be time to catch up later.”

He wasn’t sure how to read his mother’s request, but again, he wasn’t going to argue. Instead, he stepped to the side to allow for her mother and the de la Cruz’s to move through. Once they’d all passed him, he waited for Freya so they could walk in together. When he reached for her hand, she took it reluctantly which only caused him to worry more. But he didn’t let go. He needed her to know that he was there for her whenever she was ready.

When they arrived in the room, Cossette quickly moved in a more upright position in the bed. Her gaze immediately turned to her mother, then Freya, who somehow understood some unspoken request and released his hand to move to be at his sister’s side.

The Queen, too, joined Freya but was more reserved and didn’t approach the bed so closely.

“Your Royal Highness pardon our intrusion. We just had to be here and see you for ourselves. We are very sorry for your loss,” Marco said. “We truly are.”

“Princess, how are you feeling?” Maria Celeste asked also.

“Thank you, I’m better now. Sad, but better,” she said as she looked to Freya for reassurance.

“Completely understandable, Your Highness. Is there anything we can do for you?” Maria Celeste asked.

“No. I think I’ll be okay. But I appreciate the offer. I’ll be returning to the Palace today. In fact, the nurses will be in shortly to help me get ready. I’m very thankful for your visit and so sorry I must cut it short. But I really want to go home.” She offered a warm smile. “Perhaps you can visit me at the palace in a few days if you are so inclined?”

Magnus was surprised by his sister’s offer. She was extending an olive branch. Cossette didn’t have to, but she did.

“That is very kind of you, Your Highness. We’ll send word to coordinate a visit. We’ll go now and allow you to prepare for your departure from the hospital.” Marco smiled, “Come, my dear, let us go now,” he said to his wife.

“Your Majesty, thank you for allowing us to see her. We really appreciate it,” Maria Celeste said to the Queen before she turned to follow her husband.

Once the door clicked, Cossette took a deep breath. “That was easier than I thought it might be.”

“Were you expecting them?” Magnus asked.

“No. But I figured they’d find their way here or to the Palace soon enough.” She smiled. “I think I’m ready to go home, Mother.”

“Very well, I’ll see to it that you leave with us. I’ll be back in a moment. Why don’t you come with me, Magnus?”

It wasn’t a request, even if she had asked in question form; Magnus knew his mother all too well. It was a command, and he knew it was to explain to him why she didn’t want him bothering Freya, so, ever the obedient son, he followed his mother.

“Doris, we need to talk.” Mark, Freya’s dad, said sternly to his wife. She’d been rambling for days now about Freya this and Freya that, occasionally bringing up Tristan until he’d had enough.

“By your tone, one would think you were angry. I can’t imagine why. What is it?” she said, annoyed.

“Come over here and have a seat.”

“I’m busy, can’t you see? These Christmas cookies and candies don’t make themselves. I can hear just as well from where I’m at.”

“Fine.” He stood and made his way to the kitchen island and stood straight across from her as she filled a silicon mold of different Christmas figures with chocolate.

As she moved about busily doing her thing, he could hardly recognize her anymore. Or was it that he was finally seeing her for what she was? He couldn’t tell. But he was done. If she wasn’t willing to change, which he was sure she was not, he was leaving.

He’d spent the past thirty years catering to the woman’s every whim, tolerated her constant bickering and gossip, and inadvertently allowed her to push his daughter out of the family. That was the straw that had broken the camel’s back for him.

The way she, Claire, Will, and even Penelope spoke of Freya, who’d done nothing wrong, was sickening. He couldn’t understand where all the hate and resentment stemmed from, but if he had to take a guess, it was the career-altering injury, the fact that Doris no longer could control her daughter who'd been so close to her. Freya's needs had changed. It was evident to everyone except his wife.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me like you are about to drop a bomb on me?" She laughed. "Well, spit it out!" she demanded.

"Doris, I'm leaving."

"Where are you going? I need a couple of things from the store," she said as she placed the piping hot chocolate down and wiped her hands off on a kitchen towel.

"Doris, look at me," he waited to have her full attention, "I'm leaving you."

She didn't immediately react. Instead, she stood there waiting for him to say it was a joke. It wasn't. He was done.

"I'm grabbing a few things, and I'll be back for the rest once I've figured out where I'll be staying. Don't do anything you'll regret later. I want to do this amicably. But I promise you, if you split this family apart more than you already have, it won't be pretty."

Mark turned and walked away.