Author's Note: I'm rereading the Enchanted Forest Chronicles at present, and I was trying to think about where I could insert some missing scenes. Each book only seems to cover a brief period of time, so the best place for them seems to be between books. This is my first attempt at writing fan fiction for the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, so bear with me. If you think I haven't quite captured Cimorene's voice, please let me know. I don't want to write fan fiction for a book if I can't do the characters' justice. I really don't want to butcher characters I adore. So let me know what you think, please, I really appreciate it. And I hope you enjoy! If you do…let me know and more may follow.

Daystar: Age 3 months, 2 days

Mendanbar,

I can't believe how big Daystar's gotten in only three months. We're settled in pretty well in our new home. We're not far from the Enchanted Forest. I am beginning to miss the moss there—softer than carpet and always cool. Telemain offered to setup strong defensive enchantments, but this isn't a very large town and even this close to the Enchanted Forest, there seem to be few people using magic. I don't need whatever's left of the Society of Wizards to trace Telemain's spells to me, or trace my location back to him.

I wish you were here see Daystar for yourself. He's got such a great big smile. It practically swallows his face. I don't know how anyone could possibly look at him smile and not smile back.

The town is small but comfortable, more of a village really. I haven't met anyone particularly unkind, though there are the occasional looks I receive—a seemingly single mother here and a stranger besides. I don't know exactly what I'll say to Daystar when he's old enough to ask about you. When people in town have asked, I've never said you've died. You haven't and I just can't bring myself to say that. I just say that you're no longer with us, and if you could be, you would. At least I have a while to think on what to say to him. The house is small—no long staircases to sweep down in any royal robes, I'm sure you'd appreciate that, and I'm just as sure that Willin would insist that you needed to add at least one. I miss the obnoxious gargoyle from your study, but never tell him I said that.

There's a vegetable garden that's in need of a lot of attention and I plan to give it a thorough work over. The fence is badly in need of repair, there are weeds running amuck, but some of the vegetables are still living. I can roll up my shirtsleeves and get to work. I bought some of the things to do it today, and Morwen will be by in the next week or so to loan me some books, and a few other things to help me get started. Right now I've been getting by on a few things that are already here, and a few I picked up in town. Morwen helped me give this place a thorough scrubbing when I got here, while Kazul looked after Daystar in the forest. I really can't wait for you to meet him. There's so much he needs to know, and so much he can't know until he's older.

He's sleeping now. Until the garden is under way properly and I've gotten the oven working, there will be a lot of soup and porridge in my future. Fortunately it looks like I've got plenty of time to get things in order. Fifteen or twenty years. I miss you, Mendanbar, and I hope that I'm doing right by our son. Of all the homes I've had, I miss the castle the most right now, because it was our home.

Forever yours,

Forever trying to be patient,

Forever failing to be patient,

Cimorene