He bided Mika goodbye and returned to his room. When he arrived a number of maids had already been dispatched to his chambers. Everything had been prepared and it felt much warmer.

"Can I have a piece of paper and ink?" he asked one of the maids who disappeared immediately and returned moments later with the items.

He set the table and with the maid grinding the ink for him he wrote a letter to his parents informing them to not worry and that he was in good hands; once he was ...