I am writing this from my new rooms in Amber. They are right across the hall from Mirelle's, and she has allowed me to share her maid. You have no need to worry about me here! I'm having a wonderful time.

You might already know that we arrived rather sooner than expected. Please, do not worry about anything that the guards might say. Mirelle is not a witch --she merely has magic of a type I haven't seen before. It appears to run in her family.

You see, she was working her magic while we traveled to her home, and things seemed to be changing around us. I'm still not entirely certain how she was doing it, or what exactly she was doing, but I do know now it was necessary in order for us to arrive in Amber. However, the guards became nervous after we had only traveled a couple of hours. They threatened her, drawing their weapons, and Mirelle panicked. She drew a card from her pocket, something they call a Trump, and used it's spell to take us directly into the courtyard of Castle Amber.

We were still on horseback, but everything else had been left behind, including my trunk. Mirelle looked intensely proud of herself as she faced the others in the yard.

There were two men, and we soon found out that they had arrived by the same Trump magic as we had only shortly before. Both were tall. One had skin the color of dark chocolate, but his hair gleamed like burnished gold. It even looked metallic. The other made me think of home, looking almost like one of the village priests, except for the rat on his shoulder. They looked equally surprised to see Mirelle, as did a dour faced woman who stood in a doorway looking a lot like Annie used to look when I came back from riding after I fell off the horse and was covered in mud.

Mirelle performed introductions, and I met her brother Rowan, and his friend Artor, as well as the housewoman, Lindra. We sent the horses off to be stabled, and still arguing over the fact that she left all my things behind, including everything except my broadsword which I had kept strapped to the horse, we went to get changed.

Dad, I have to confess something. Mirelle is far more comfortable wearing slacks than wearing dresses. But in Amber this is allowed! In Amber everyone has the freedom to dress and behave as they wish. Women may fight, and I even saw women among the castle guard. I like Amber a lot, father, and Mirelle has said she will introduce me to the nobles so perhaps I may yet find someone that both you and I approve of. Mirelle thinks her own family members would be unsuitable. I am not certain if this is because they are royalty and I am not, or if it is because it appears that many of them are illegitimate.

After changing, we went down to lunch. There I met more of Mirelle's family, including her full brother, Random. Mirelle's father has been married numerous times, and has also had what appears to be many affairs outside of those marriages. According to Mirelle, her family is very long-lived. Considering the size of her family, I can find it easy to believe this, though I have not seen any proof.

Some members of Mirelle's family are quite nice, but others are, admittedly, quite rude. Selwin is one of her brothers, older, I think. (Mirelle has even more brothers than I do, but she has sisters as well). At first, I thought he might be a good prospect, until Mirelle warned me off and until he opened his mouth to speak. You see, he is terribly beautiful looking. He is tall, and broad-shouldered, with brown hair. At first, I was fascinated by his looks, despite Mirelle's dismissal of her brothers as prospects. I stared at each of her relatives in turn, and Selwin was the first who spoke to me.

"Who is your father?" he asked me bluntly.

I didn't understand, but everyone seemed to be waiting for me to reply. "Samuel Harcourt," I said simply, and when he demanded to know my mother's name as well, I answered, "She was Amelia." I cocked my head, still not entirely willing to believe that he was truly that rude. "Why?"

But he was no longer interested in me. Confused, I looked to Mirelle, who was explaining, "She's my friend from shadow. Like Rowan has Artor, and like Chyle."

"Shadow?" I asked curiously. I continued to look at everyone around the table, while Mirelle stammered something that didn't actually explain anything. I was getting terribly confused, so I concentrated on her family instead.

She had three brothers and one sister there at lunch. Flora was very beautiful, father. Perhaps someone you'd approve of, as she was dressed impecably for the situation. Then there was Random, who kept scowling at Mirelle. He was quiet, and seemed annoyed with Mirelle more than anything. And of course, there was Selwin, who was just plain rude, and Rowan, who I'd met earlier. He was nice enough.

I also met two of Mirelle's nephews, who looked like they might actually be older than us. Maybe. I'm a little confused still about how old people are, and I'm not too sure I want to ask. But I liked her nephews. There was Jerrym, a handsome slender redhead dressed in pitch black. He was mostly silent, though. But Brennan and Alex were different. Brennan was tall and broad and red-haired and very very kind. Alex looked a little like Jerrym, a similar build almost but with longer hair, with white at the temples. Both of them were very nice to me, treating me more like Mirelle did. And they tried to explain a little about what Mirelle kept saying about shadow. And they asked me a little about myself.

I cheerfully told them about how I met Mirelle, and about my visiting court, and then coming with Mirelle and how we ended up so suddenly in Amber. I glared at Mirelle as I finished my story and reminded her, "And we still need to go back and get my stuff!"

Brennan looked at me curiously. "What did she do with your things?"

"When we used the card to get here, she only brought us and the horses," I explained. "She left my trunk behind."

"That's okay, you can get new clothes!" Mirelle happily reminded me.

"I can't replace my swords," I grumbled. "I want to get my stuff."

"Who gave you the swords?"

"A friend of my dad's." I didn't bother to say more than that. Didn't think they'd care. "Why does Mirelle keep saying I'm from a shadow?"

Brennan's look was dark as he gazed at Mirelle. She somehow managed to look innocent and guilty at the same time. And finally Brennan explained. Its Amber, you see. That and the family. Amber is real, the most real place anywhere at all, and everything else is just a shadow. Although Mirelle said home is more real than other places, I guess. And there's this Pattern thing, that only people in Mirelle's family can walk, and that gives them the ability to go from shadow to shadow, which is like going from reality to reality. Mirelle only walked the Pattern a little bit before she met me.

When the Pattern was mentioned, Selwin smiled, not so nicely, and offered to take me there and see if I could walk it. I shook my head. If you aren't part of Mirelle's family and try to walk on it, you will die. So you don't need to worry, father, I don't plan on going anywhere near it.

After lunch was over, I felt I understood a little more about this shadow and Amber and reality stuff. And everyone had basically accepted me, and I had accepted them. So it was time to explore!

Mirelle took me on a tour of the castle, from top to bottom. Its a wonderfully huge place, and I'd love to try to ferret out all the hidden passageways that must be here somewhere. I'm going to love it here while I visit. I wish you could come see it too. Maybe sometime after I come home we could visit again. Or if I marry a noble here, you could come see me.

We ended the tour in the library, a room covered in books. Off to one side stood a case that contained several decks of cards, all with a unicorn on the back. Just like the card Mirelle had used to bring us to Amber. She took her deck of Trump out of her pocket and placed it in the case, taking a new one. Then she ruffled through it, grinning as she held up a card. On it was Mirelle, almost smiling, but far more sober than I expected. "That's me!" she announced proudly. Then she thumbed through and produced another card, this one showing her newphew, "and that's Brennan. You see, when someone walks the Pattern, they get a Trump, so you have to exchange your deck for a new one with the new Trumps in it. And Brennan and I both just walked the Pattern recently." She started to put the deck of cards back in her pocket, then hesitated. "Do you wanna see them?"

I was curious about her family, so I nodded. She went through the cards, telling me about her brothers, and her nephews and nieces. Then she flipped over one card, and I grabbed her hand in surprise. The card pictured a man standing tall and thin, straw colored hair hanging long. "Who's that?" I asked quickly.

"My brother Benedict." Mirelle was looking at me, a sort of dawning horror on her face. Her voice was suddenly very quiet. "Do you know him?"

I nodded. "He's my father's friend."

She paled. "The one who gave you the swords?" I nodded again, and Mirelle gulped. She shoved the cards into her pocket and grabbed my hand, dragging me out of the library. "C'mon. Let's go get your stuff!"

I was surprised, to say the least. I'd been trying all afternoon to get her to go back and get my stuff, and all of a sudden it was like she was desperate to do it. But I wasn't about to argue! We hurried back to her room so I could borrow some clothes. A dress wasn't going to be very comfortable to go riding for a couple of days in.

Mirelle threw open the door to her room, and then stopped in shock so I almost bumped into her. In the middle of the room was my trunk.

She turned to me. "Is that yours?"

"Yes!" I grinned happily. I immediately went around her and opened it up, checking to see that everything was still in it. "This is wonderful." I unearthed my rapier, happy to see it again, and without a lot of trouble on our part. It had sounded as if getting my things back was going to be a lot harder than losing it had been in the first place.

"Does your stuff normally follow you around?" Mirelle asked quietly, looking very sober.

I frowned. Now that was an odd question. "No, but then, I've never really lost my sword before. Why?"

"Maybe Benedict brought it." She muttered to herself. Her hand went to her throat, and she seemed to pale even more.

She looked upset, so I offered my favorite idea to cheer myself up. "When I'm in a bad mood, Mirelle, I like to practice fighting." If anything, she seemed to pale even more, and I just knew she was about to say no. "Please, Mirelle? I don't get to practice with very many people, and now that I've got my sword, and it always makes *me* feel better. Please?"

She finally agreed, and I changed quickly and we headed outside to the courtyard. On our way down, we met Brennan, and I waved cheerfully to him. He stopped us, taking in the expression on Mirelle's face. "Is something wrong?"

"She knows Benedict," Mirelle answered despondantly. The two of them stepped aside briefly to talk, and when Mirelle returned, she still didn't look too pleased.

We had a wonderful workout. When she realized that we were about equal in skill, Mirelle seemed happier. Jerrym was working out himself on one side of the courtyard, and he watched us as we fought. He came over to us when we finished, and Mirelle again told him that I knew Benedict. It appeared that this was important somehow, the way she kept saying it, and I knew it had upset her. She seemed to think he was going to be upset with her, violently upset, that I was there. But Jerrym seemed to be somewhat more pleasantly disposed towards me once he knew I knew Benedict.

We practiced until nearly dinner time, then hurried inside and upstairs to get ready for dinner. Lindra met us outside of Mirelle's room and informed me dourly, "Your trunk has been moved to a room across the hall."

"I'll meet you after I change," I told Mirelle and headed to my room. *My* room, father. They have given me a whole room to myself for as long as I am here, and its wonderful being right across the hall from Mirelle. They are truly being very nice to me.

However, I ran into a problem when I tried to get changed. I have never dressed without a maid before! Try as I might, I couldn't reach the buttons. I had to change back into slacks and run across to Mirelle's room to ask her for help.

I knocked, and then almost yelled in surprise when the door was opened by Benedict. I greeted him enthusiastically, and glanced at Mirelle. She looked somewhat quiet and upset still, but she seemed to be faring well. "Don't be to terribly hard on her, Benedict," I cautioned him. "She is worried that you'll be upset with her. But father knows I am here with Mirelle, so everything is quite allright." I grinned happily.

He merely looked back at Mirelle, and said something I don't quite recall to her, then he nodded and left, saying he would see us at dinner.

"See! He's not angry," I told her.

She had one finger against the side of her throat, taking her pulse. She seemed surprised to still be alive. I *knew* she had nothing to fear. Why would Benedict be upset that I had come here? I think its wonderful to meet his family, and tomorrow he has promised to give me a fighting lesson. We see him so rarely that this is a treat.

Mirelle loaned me her maid, who seemed to enjoy helping me. She complained that Mirelle needed her help so rarely, and I assured her that I had a definite need for a maid, if she wouldn't mind helping me. And then we went down to dinner.

Benedict was at dinner, and I sat between him and Mirelle. I took advantage of the time to tell him all about Gabriel's upcoming wedding, and about my introduction to court. I filled him in about how I met Mirelle, and how we happened to come back to Amber. That part of dinner was quite pleasant. But Selwin was there, rude again, and I also met Moira.

Somehow, while I was talking to Benedict, the subject of his family came up. And Selwin turned to Benedict and asked, "So, is it possible that she is..." he paused significantly, "an Amberite?"

I glared at Selwin, then turned to Benedict. "Do you see what I mean? He keeps insulting me and my family."

Benedict ignored me. And father, I didn't like his answer very much. "There is a possibility." What did he mean, father? I mean to ask him tomorrow during my lesson. He did tell me, when I tried to ask at dinner (quietly, so Selwin wouldn't listen in) to speak to him later about it.

And then there was Moira. She is a princess, about my age I think, just come up from Rebma. Now father, Rebma is an unusual place. They tell me that it is a kingdom entirely under water, and that this is Moira's first time ever being in the world of air. She has been rude to everyone, and is terrible to those who come from shadow, like myself. She had some of Mirelle's family gather together animals in a room, caging them as her own personal petting zoo, and she had the audacity to be upset when the animals were returned to the wild. She is self-centered and horrid. I don't like her a bit.

But after dinner I had a lot of fun. Some of the members of the family have a band, and I joined them in their "jam session" and learned how to play some new instruments. We had a wonderful time playing until very late. I finally had to leave and go back to my room since I wanted to write to you before I slept, and Benedict expects me for my lesson around dawn tomorrow morning.

Oh father, thank you so much for allowing me to visit with Mirelle. I'm having a wonderful time! I hope to hear from you. Ask Mirelle if there is a way that we can continue to write. I do miss you and Gabriel already. But Mirelle will hopefully deliver this letter for me when she goes to check on the time frame at home and the guards. Again, she meant well with her quick form of travel, and she is not a witch.

With love,

Your dutiful daughter,

Adrienne