Maya has been staying in a cottage on the palace grounds. Erik gave her the choice between a cottage with its own garden or living in the palace along with the other staff. She chose the cottage because her mother likes nature.
The cottages are on the edge of the woods. They are carefully designed and well maintained, with several cottages in a row but at a good enough distance that the residents have some amount of privacy.
I knock on the door I know to be Maya's, and when she opens it, I'm surprised to see how relaxed my friend looks.
She puts a finger to her lips. "Mom just went to sleep. Want a beer?"
I wait outside, sitting in one of the lawn chairs. When Maya arrives, she sits down across from me, handing me a cold one. "What's up?"
I give her a long look. "Is it just me or do you look happy?"
