Irene thought that she would be fine, but as she began going through her family's precious belongings, it occurred to her that the last time she was there, both her grandmother and father were still alive. After a certain point, she was just moving to move, but her eyes were so blurry she could hardly see anything with much detail.
Eventually, she sank down to her knees and pulled at a knit blanket in the same pattern as one at her grandmother's house. She pulled it to her face in hopes that there would be even the faintest smell of familiarity.
There was not. Her hands were shaking as she resisted the urge to cry.
If she were back at the Duke's Tower or her family home, she would certainly have tried to escape by going outside and running these feelings off. Even swinging her sword or riding on horseback could assuage the bad feelings of grief.
