Page 81 of A Rising Hope (The Freckled Fate #3)

EPILOGUE 2

PRIYA

Seven years after the battle of Svitar. Death Day.

I scoffed, scaling the last few steep steps of the rocky cliff nestled in the middle of the cold, deep ocean. Sweat rolled on the tip of my brow, while smart, snarky remarks piled in my head, eager to come out. The wilted winter grass brushed past my knees as I made my way to the pebbled path leading to a large house on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the roaring oceans.

The house was decorated with beautiful stone. The radiant white shutters covered with flowers matched the freshly painted white picket fence standing in contrast against the grays of the horizon.

The cold winter breeze played with my braid as I made my way to the house, occasionally glancing at the two large dragons nestled together in the meadows. Like cattle dogs, their ever-watchful eyes pinned on the many children running around.

A few of the Ten warrior women lounged in the garden, deep into a conversation over a drink. A conversation that they occasionally interrupted to shout an order at one child or the other. A few of them gave me silent nods as I approached the estate.

It felt odd to be here.

And I didn’t like odd.

It was as if their happiness wounded me, reminding me precisely of the feeling I wasn’t capable of.

I should’ve turned around and walked away.

My skin itched, craving to feel relief with the taste of death. I’d bathe myself in blood just to drown in the agony within.

But I was not a coward. And perhaps a part of me cared. So, I knocked on the grand oak door that was masterfully carved with beautiful design.

“Yes, and she—” The Destroyer stopped mid sentence as he saw me. His wide smile was replaced with a hateful frown, one that I matched. The small child he carried in his arms pulled his ear, giggling each time the ear flopped back. “ Priya .”

“ Gideon .” I forced my tone to be as cordial as the situation allowed, which wasn’t very cordial.

“Have you finally decided to accept my wife’s invitation to join us this year?”

“No, I have no desire to ever share a meal with the bunch of you. I have come to see only Freckles.” I clenched my teeth. He scanned me up and down, contemplating, as he took a deep breath.

“Finnleah? Love? Your friend is here to see you,” he called for her.

“Coming!” Her voice sounded so upbeat and so at ease, it was almost unrecognizable after so many years. My heart froze as if it too was listening to her rushing steps. “Priya! What a surprise! I am so glad you made it!” Her eyes widened with excitement matching her cheesiest grin. She leaned in for a hug, but I took a step back. My brows furrowed as I eyed her terribly domesticated outfit. “Oh yes, sorry!” She chuckled, wiping her hands on a small apron she wore right above her rounded belly.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” Gideon gave a threatening glance to me, before landing a gentle kiss on her head and returning to the room of males wresting the babies and cooking.

“So do all Empresses dress like hags or is ours just poor?” I snarked at her as she twirled in her oddly constructed outfit.

“A present from Aurelia,” she laughed. “I think it’s rather cute. Look.” She raised her arms, showing off the different lengths of lace sewed to the seam of her sleeves, making it look like the wings of some magical creature. “Ouch.” She winced, glaring at her stomach. “I swear this child cannot sit still, even for a second.”

“Another one? Is this like your tenth child?” I assessed her, not hiding the disapproving look on my face. “Do you two not have anything else to do? What does he take you for? A breeding mare?” I scoffed.

“First of all, it’s only the fourth. And while I appreciate your concern, the only breeding mare in this relationship is Gideon.” Her eyes flashed with a wicked smile. “I mean, once you have that fiery dick, it’s hard to go without it. So fucking good. It’s an addiction. I am not even afraid to admit it.” She laughed, her face illuminated with such joy that even the dark, brooding anger in me stumbled, blinded by the purest delight emitting from her.

I scrutinized the golden statue of an elf, an eyesore as tall as the trees standing out in her lush gardens.

“Odd choice of décor.”

“My Elf King uncle insisted.” She smirked, her eyes wrinkled in the corners. “He is still trying to get me to sell him a dragon. But look at those two cuties.” Finn peeked at the monstrous creatures resting in the meadows.

“That’s not the word I’d use, but sure.”

“Hey, no burning your sister’s hair!” Zora’s command echoed through the valley.

“If you are going to smoke him, do it without witnesses,” Ioanna added, using a fiery rope to pull two children apart from another brawl.

“Please tell me those children are not all yours.” I glared at the group of younglings racing each other.

“No, most are the Ten’s. Those two are mine.” She pointed at the taller boy leading the group of children and at the freckled girl chasing after him, about to tackle him.

Finn watched them with a soft smile on her lips, one I had never seen before. She looked at them with complete awe and adoration.

And I looked at her, realizing that while I hadn’t changed, she had. Entirely. There she was, a woman. A mother. A queen. An empress.

She noticed my lingering pause, turning to look at me.

“You’ve come to say goodbye, haven’t you?” Her emerald eyes pierced mine, her voice somber.

“Yes.”

“I always wondered when this day would come. When Esnox would become too calm, too small. When the craving of chaos and blood would take you far away from me.”

“Somehow even the lowlifes have honor now.” I frowned with an unfamiliar churning feeling in my heart at her saddened voice.

“Where are you going to go?”

“I hired a ship, probably will travel somewhere far south, get a nice tan, murder someone new. Beatrice is going to come with me, too.”

“Shit!” a male voice sounded through an open kitchen window. The smell of burning food reached our noses a moment later.

“Look!” An angelic young woman yanked the door wide open, running towards me with a small box in her hand. “Finn! Look at this!” she squealed. “They spin! And it has the Orian stones too! Oh—” Her demeanor immediately changed, noticing my presence. Her silver eyes scanned me up and down, not even remotely afraid. “Hello,” she said, lacking the note of her previous excitement.

“Hello.” I flashed a terrorizing look at her, but she ignored it.

“What’ve you got there, Aurelia?” Finn turned to look at the little velvety box she carried.

“Earrings,” she cooly replied, still disapproving of my presence. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with this girl, but her thoughts were misshaped, words scattered, as if her entire mind was scrambled in so many pieces even I gave up on attempting to decode it.

“Wow, these are gorgeous, Aurelia!” Finn picked up a pair of the most exquisite white gold earrings in the shape of beautiful swallows. Each bird earring intricately decorated with the most precious stones to ever exist.

“Florian got them for me.” She glanced over her shoulder to the hall, unable to resist a smile at the familiar stalky figure leaning against the wall with a drink in his hand. Noticing our stares, Florian sauntered towards us.

“Nice find.” Finn smirked at him.

“I do have my ways.” He winked, giving me a greeting nod.

“Did you know that swallows bring good fortune?” Aurelia stated to no one in particular. Her eyes glued to the earnings, mesmerized by the way the stones reflected the strong winter sun. “They are so picky about choosing where to nest. But there was a stone I found once shaped like a swallow. Did you know they can fly nonstop the entire day? I once tried to not sit still for a full day and night. It was exhausting. Ah! My gods!” She sharply turned to Florian. “I know what we need to do!” she exclaimed. “You start pulling encyclopedias starting on the top shelves and I’ll do the bottom.”

“Your wish is my command, little bird.” Florian laughed, not questioning her. Aurelia skipped a step, trailing into the house. “Ladies.” He saluted his goodbyes before disappearing back into the house, following the chirping ethereal girl with a prance in her step.

“Viyak! Nizana!” Finn eagerly waved to a brawny man coming down the pebbled path with a woman in hand.

“Sorry, we are late.” Viyak chuckled as they exchanged a hug in greeting. A gesture so foreign it made my skin crawl.

“Oh, you are not late at all. Considering Orest is the only competent one in that kitchen, we might be a few hours behind. But I know he will appreciate help from someone who knows their way around a chopping block.”

Viyak laughed.

“I’ll see what I can do!” He landed a peck on the cheek of the beautiful woman by his side before heading inside the house.

“I’ll see you later.” Nizana, the woman from the Desolate Desert, sheepishly smiled, heading to the gardens to join the warrior women. A wave of female voices rolled through the air as they welcomed her, shielding her from the chaos of sparks erupting around them.

“So, this is your life now . . . ” I looked around. “You got your white picket fence and dinner parties, after all.”

“I did.” She smiled.

“Are you truly happy, Freckles?” I looked at her, so different from the woman I found half drowned on the shore one day. A part of me selfishly hoped that she’d say she hated it all, that she’d run away with me. And yet a part of me felt agonizing relief as she said,

“I am, Priya. I am truly happy.”

“I am glad you are,” I mumbled. My voice lacked the typical sarcastic undertones because for once, I truly meant it. In a blink I stabbed that moment of weakness dead, suffocating the rebellious feelings I refused to name. “I guess this is goodbye then, Freckles.” I flipped my braid behind my shoulder, soothed by the thrashing of my soul, welcoming the pain I longed for. “Next time, tell your boyfriend to build you a house in a city. It’s a pain in the ass to get to these fucking islands.” I held my chin up, twisting on my feet, ready to depart.

“Priya, whenever you are ready to come back, come back,” she said in my wake. Her somber words anchored deep in me, like a light forever calling me through the darkest storms.

“Until we meet again, Freckles.”

“Until we meet again, Priya.”