Charles had flipped the envelope over. It was addressed to "Io", his nickname. When he was younger, he wanted to be called Io, short for his middle name Ione, because he thought Charles was too common a name. Only one person ever obliged to call him that.
Did no one see this? Charles wondered.
Charles broke the seal and pulled the letter out. The edges of the parchment paper were lined with gold. He ran his index finger over the gold border and watched as a few tiny gold flakes stuck to his skin. This determined that the letter was authentic. He read the letter.
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Dear Friend,
I hope time has treated you well since last we spoke.
