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Chapter twenty-nine

Restoration

T he silence left by the worm’s flight was absolute. Scattered pebbles fell off the castle, echoing like a rockslide from the mountain face. A sniffing archer was as loud as the whipping wind. Soldiers rose to their feet and stumbled onto the patio. The dawn light shimmered over the mountain peaks.

The prince strode toward us, proudly walking despite being exhausted and depleted magically from the battle. Shea, rejuvenated from the bond, didn’t limp in the slightest.

“Shea.”

“Leon.”

I looked between the two, the familial traits impossible to miss now that they were standing so close. Of course, they were brothers.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. An archer was aiming at Shea, who was distracted by Leon. Rage filled me. I extended a hand toward him as the man loosed his arrow. Light—searing hot and focused—zipped across the space, and in seconds, incinerated the arrow. The clatter of the arrowhead hitting the stone shattered the silence.

“The battle is over,” I said loudly enough for all to hear. “The Shade is not your enemy. ”

Leon waved off his men and set his hand on a guard who’d raised a water whip in response to my magic. “Lady Aelia is right. Stand down.” He studied me warily. “So it seems that you had magic all along.”

I raised a brow. “So it seems.” I thrilled at the idea of my magic; not only was it useful for scaring off cave beasts or never being afraid of the dark, but now, perhaps I could defend myself as well. Shea squeezed my hand, his pride almost matching my own.

Doors swung open with a clatter, and the king regent strode forward, a small woman at his side.

Leon stepped toward her, hands out as if he could catch her even from this distance. “Mother?”

Queen Gemaline, for the first time since I was ten, walked toward us, though she leaned heavily on her husband’s arm. Her attendants and a scowling seer flitted behind her, wringing their hands, sloshing a glass of water, and worrying. All of the soldiers in the courtyard watched her slow progress across the stone; they collapsed to one knee, bowing when she had stopped before us. I beamed at her. Our potion had actually helped.

Keeping my hand linked in the crook of Shea’s elbow, I curtsied as usual. Leon bowed his head politely to his father. But Shea…Shea stayed rigidly upright, his glare locked with the king regent’s. A thousand emotions flitted over King Regent Harold’s face, but the queen had only one—pure joy.

She stepped forward and nearly stumbled, breaking Shea’s battle of wills as both he and Leon caught her by her arms.

“My boys. My wonderful, strong boys!” She pulled them into her embrace. Whispers began among the men. “I am so proud of you.”

Shea never broke eye contact with his father. Tension knitted his shoulders together as the shadows that cast around his feet eddied, ever at the ready. The manor mammals slunk behind us, poised and watching. Even the men seemed to hold their breath.

The king regent dipped his head, closing his eyes for a moment. “Our sons have saved us. The kingdom owes you their gratitude and respect.”

Shea took a deep breath and leaned back on a heel, pulling me closer. “The kingdom also owes Aelia a great debt.”

King Regent Harold crossed his hands in front of him. “Too true. The kingdom is saved by light and courage once again.”

Turning to the gathering crowd of villagers who had made their way out of their houses, the queen signaled to a galer to carry her voice. It only wavered a little. “Today, we have witnessed the cataclysmic end of a foreboding prophecy that we spent years preparing for. We’d even sent away our firstborn, to ready himself for this day, to grow in strength for the monsters that would come. He has played his role perfectly. As it is written, ‘Stars and sun turn black as pitch, and light must fight to cure that which has doomed us all to dark decay. Still, love must reign and find a way.’ Truly, the love of these two”—she indicating me and Shea—“and the light of the rare and powerful lumos mage, have saved our people from the monsters of the deep.”

The king regent glanced my way, raising his brow. She had skipped over the first line: ‘The ruin of kingdoms from weak ones come.’ For over a decade, I had thought that weak one was me. The ruin of kingdoms had actually come from the deep mining of a greedy and weak king regent, who was afraid of his magic and his powerful son. He would have ruined his wife’s kingdom as he worked in her stead, and she was too sick to stop him. His own weakness was not one of magic, but of character. He nearly killed us all.

She cleared her throat and continued. “My sons have worked tirelessly for our good and the protection of the kingdom. My Shea has researched healing tonics to restore our people and our lands, found a light source that does not require anyone to disturb the creatures of the deep, and my Leon has defended us bravely from those beasts of the deep along with his wonderful work making peace with our neighboring kingdoms. Together they will bring our kingdom into a new era.”

“Together?” Both men coughed out the word simultaneously.

The queen, frail and tiny, but with pink cheeks and a spark of life that gleamed mischievously from her green eyes, smiled at them. “Together.”

Awkwardly, the people began to clap—no doubt whiplashed from their long held belief that the scourge of the deep, the menace of goodness, and Death himself was suddenly not…and heralded as a hero instead. As the crowd grew, so did the volume of the cheers. The city was saved. A prophecy fulfilled. Light had won.

King Regent Harold, swayed on the opinion of the people, shouted next, “Together we will rebuild and restore. Please see your head of village to compile a list of needs. With my queen healed, she will rebuild this kingdom even better than it was before.” He regarded his queen fondly, brushing her shoulders with his thumb. Despite anything else I felt about him at that moment, at least he loved his wife.

The queen smiled, then turned her back to the crowd, her voice dropping to a murmur. “Well boys, that potion was something, but I’m exhausted. Please help me leave gracefully.”

The queen positioned herself between them and began her return to the castle. I stood uncertainly, even as Shea looked back at me.

“May I have the honor?”

The king regent stood before me with his arm out. I clacked my gaping mouth shut, curtsied for good measure, and with cheeks flaming, took his arm. He had publicly acknowledged me—an honor among my peers—after everything. At long last, I had the king's attention. It was remarkable how little it mattered to me now. What was once something I strived for daily now seemed so paltry compared to what I had found in myself, what I had found at the manor, and what I had found with Shea.

“Thank you for saving us,” he said as he waved to the people.

“You are welcome, Your Highness.”

We ducked through the doorway, side-stepping the already busy cleaning maids. He paused, his gaze lingering after Shea. “I broke him, I think, when I sent him away.” He coughed once. “It broke us all. It worsened my queen, poisoned my first son against me, and ripped out the heart of my second son. Leon loved him as a boy.” My heart ached for the entire family. He continued. “I was a fool.”

“A fool is one who, seeing the right path, takes another.” I swallowed. “If I may be so bold, you may have been mistaken, but there is still a right path before you.”

I braced for the backlash for my brashness, but the king’s eyes remained contemplative. “Even so, Aelia. I’m glad you didn’t die at the temple.”

I doubted I would get any other apology from the king. “I am too, Your Highness. For her sake.”

He faltered in his steps, regarding Queen Gemaline as she made her way through the halls of the main floor. “For her sake, I would do anything. Yet I could not save her.” His hand pulsed on mine. “But you did. For this, I am in your debt.”

I smiled. “I’m sure we can think of some way to repay it.”