Homecoming
Part One At long last, the day had arrived. In the palace, men cursed and sweated as they moved heavy, ornate furniture, while women and girls dashed about, cleaning and dusting nearly anything that wasn’t moving. In the kitchen, the great ovens, cold for the first time in years, now echoed with the sounds of shovels and rakes removing piles of ash and partially burnt wood. Over all hung the smells of cleaners and fresh paint. ...