Page 43 of Zel (The GriMM Tales #2)

“The time I had with my mother was precious. I grew to understand why someone might give up everything for a better life for themselves, and I still do not hate her for it. But it is your parents who are the ones worth emulating, Zel. In Lothar’s sanctum, when the other members of the guild rushed in, they did not hesitate for a moment before guarding you and helping you free me.

They saved themselves with our pact, but even then, before you’d first screamed your way into the world, they made that decision to save you.

I am glad you had them, and because of them as much as your own precious nature, you grew into a paramour worth keeping. ”

Zel smiled like the sun they always reminded Ulrich of and wafted up that familiar scent of sunshine too as they lifted onto their toes to kiss Ulrich. “I am glad as well.”

“Master? Mistress! Uh…” A different little girl had come over and tugged on Zel’s tunic.

“How about Zel ?” Zel corrected.

“Are you hurt, Zel?” She indicated a bit of blood on the surface of Zel’s bracer.

“Oh! No, I’m fine. It isn’t mine,” Zel added in a whisper.

The girl nodded with wide eyes before running off.

Ulrich snorted as the two of them made for the door. “You are still a little wicked, you know.”

Zel didn’t for a moment deny it.

They hit the streets again to return to the Thieves Guild. Ulrich could still port them anywhere he had been before, but he saved that for returning to the tower, where they slept, took most of their meals, and enjoyed private time together.

They did often, however, enjoy their evening meals at the Thieves Guild with Zel’s parents. Such was the plan tonight.

“Mission accomplished, I assume?” Sophie kissed Zel’s cheek upon their arrival.

“Orphans fed and thieves made an example of,” Zel confirmed.

“Still taking good care of our treasure?” Gregor asked Ulrich, gripping his forearm in decisive greeting. He made a point of doing so each time they met, like a challenge to himself to never show hesitancy.

“Always, but they too take care of me.” Ulrich did not throw in Gregor or Sophie’s faces that they had once owed him a debt. He had come out the better in the end, after all.

Gregor had taken to calling Zel their “treasure,” which Ulrich considered a fitting endearment since neither “son” nor “daughter” was appropriate any longer.

Because of Zel and Ulrich’s frequent presence in the halls, a small indoor garden had been started in the kitchen capable of growing some of Ulrich’s same hearty vegetables—including the very rapunzel that had once been stolen from him.

Although he had explained that much of its magic was depleted, and it was safe for anyone to ingest, few members other than Zel’s parents had dared to try any yet.

Twenty winters was not enough to forget someone melting apparently.

Sophie and Gregor had taken to leading the guild with fervor.

They were well liked by other members, much as many had been wary and oftentimes envious of Zel.

Some still were, for different reasons now given Zel’s magic and being wed to the fabled sorcerer in the wood instead of having slain him.

But because Zel’s parents took far better care of everyone than Lothar had, envy was mostly overshadowed by loyalty and respect.

The Queen knew the Pipers as her liaisons now.

When next her messenger had requested a mission, they had presented themselves as having taken down Lothar for her sake because he’d been planning to become her immortal equal and overthrow her.

Whether she believed them or not, her following message had given them her blessing for the change in leadership—so long as they continued to be her puppets.

As far as she knew, they still were.

The Thieves Guild was bustling as usual, but as Zel had stated numerous times, more joyful than it had ever been under Lothar’s rule.

The primary common room was packed with members, but none were yet dining, having waited for their leaders to join them.

A head table was reserved for the Pipers and their generals who oversaw each unit—the pickpockets, the elite thieves, the assassins, the guards, the whisperers, and the cleaners.

Zel and Ulrich, the lone pair instead of a solo general, led the assassins.

There was also a member allowed at the table who oversaw the youngest recruits.

Rudy appeared just as the rest of them had taken their seats.

He gave his nightly report before joining them, explaining that recruitment to the new Thieves Guild was going well.

They had to be more covert than ever or risk the truth of their end goals getting back to the Queen, but though it might take a long while, Falchovari would see a day without an evil Queen or other immortal monarch.

The time had come for something kinder, even if the road there would not be without its share of blood and wickedness.

Ulrich bore Rudy no ill will. He knew the motivation for Rudy’s actions had been love, and he could not fault someone for loving Zel. It was Zel who had made the decision to forgive Rudy, and Ulrich would always abide by Zel’s choices.

Rudy had also made private amends to Ulrich, and in a way that had been quite surprising. He’d caught Ulrich alone at the Thieves Guild a few days after the night of the full moon, when Ulrich had recovered enough to return to the city with Zel, who had refused to do so without him.

“You are giving me the pendants?”

“For you to keep one and to give one to Zel, should it not be too distasteful a gesture.”

When Rudy offered the pendants, he had bowed low, something no one had done in Ulrich’s presence since he was king.

He still awaited further elaboration before accepting the gift.

“Because, um…” Rudy had glanced up timidly upon being left waiting, “this way, the two of you can always be but a thought away from each other, should you ever be separated. It’s something that should be shared between beloveds, not used in secret by a supposed friend.

” He lowered his hands holding the pendants but did not rise from his bow.

“I have apologized so many times, and Zel professes to have already forgiven me and tells me to stop, but it never feels like enough. That’s when I realized I hadn’t ever truly apologized to you, not alone, not between just you and me.

So, please know how much I mean this when I say I am so sorry, Lord Sorcerer, for all I did that endangered your happiness with Zel. ”

“Thank you, Rudy. You are allowed to call me Ulrich, you know, as I often remind guild members. You are also allowed to stand up straight and look me in the eyes.”

Rudy had done so with the usual hesitancy he displayed around Ulrich, but once his posture was upright again, Ulrich outstretched his hand for Rudy to give him the pendants, which he did. “Um, may I ask…?”

“Yes?” Ulrich prompted patiently.

“How did you change the pendants’ properties, or whatever you did to them, to allow them to work while inside your tower with only a touch? I suppose elves, and especially one as powerful as you, are just that attuned to such things?”

“In part. There are also interesting tricks to magical enchantment.”

“Oh?” Rudy’s earnest eagerness had intrigued Ulrich.

“Would you perhaps… like to learn?” he’d offered. “It has been a very long time since I had an apprentice to pass such knowledge to.”

“I would love that!” Rudy’s hesitancy seemed to have been forgotten in the face of his excitement. “I've always had an interest in magical trinkets. Though Lothar did sour me on them a little.”

Ulrich had gestured for Rudy to follow him out of the alcove where they’d been having their exchange. “It'll be good for me to teach someone again.” And this time, he would be a far different mentor.

He had been thus far, and Rudy was an attentive student and a devoted friend to now both Zel and Ulrich.

So, since Sophie and Gregor sat at the center of the head table, with trusted generals to their left, Zel on their right, and Ulrich next to Zel, the only open seat was on Ulrich’s other side.

Which Rudy gladly took.

GREGOR

T hough weeks had passed since the events of that fateful month without Gregor and Sophie’s beloved Rapu— Zel —Gregor still found it odd at times to be seated at the head of the Thieves Guild between his wife and treasured child, while on Zel’s other side was the very sorcerer they had all once feared.

Now, Zel’s husband.

Ulrich was no less frightening than he had been those twenty some winters ago, even with his magic diluted. But then, Gregor, Sophie, and Zel were frightening in their own rights. Sometimes the world demanded fearsome figures. The only question was how and upon whom to use such menacing auras.

Rudy received no pulse of it from Ulrich, even as Zel joined the pair in conversation as amiably as if nothing had changed since they were childhood friends.

Gregor was glad to see the pair remain close despite all that had transpired.

He was also glad to see Ulrich’s friendship with Rudy continue to blossom.

Sophie’s hand came down on the table to rest over Gregor’s, and he turned to look at her, radiant as ever, beautiful as their child, with a fair face and deep warmth in her eyes, and just the right edge of a vicious twinkle to be set loose when necessary.

The scar on her cheek, faded as it was after so many winters, in no way marred her.

She was Gregor’s treasure too, and together, they had brought something special into this world, something strong enough to perhaps be one of the catalysts to change the kingdom forever.

Whatever the three had been discussing, Ulrich suddenly erupted with a boisterous laugh, bringing Gregor’s attention back to them.

Perhaps strangest of all while sharing such meals was the peace Gregor felt. The kingdom was still in the grips of the Great Famine. Much was uncertain with the evil Queen’s reign still bearing down on them. But a flicker of hope was present, like the rare chance for a wish upon a star.

One of the more recent pickpockets to have achieved full membership passed by the table with a coquettish bat of her eyes at Rudy, which he responded to with a faint blush and hesitant wave.

“What say you, Rudy,” Zel said, louder than he’d spoken during their previous conversation but not so loud as to alert anyone beyond the head table, “have you imparted the most important lesson to our newest member?”

“Which one is that?” Rudy asked.

“ Only empty pockets need filling. ”

Rudy’s blush turned bright vermillion, which told Gregor he was better off not knowing the hidden meaning.

Perhaps even Rudy was finally free to find a love of his own.

Such a fate was not for everyone, but for those destined for it, for those who could not imagine a life lived without romantic love, there were few greater joys than finding it.

Gregor knew so intimately, glancing again at his wife and leaning toward her to steal a kiss, just like this whole adventure had begun with a different attempt at theft.

More than anything, Gregor was so glad that their Zel, their surprising and miraculous babe, had found that same happiness.

Watching Zel finally remove their cloak and drape it over the back of their chair, Gregor noticed the pendant he recalled from when Zel first left for the tower. He also noticed that Ulrich wore an identical one now, which had not caught Gregor’s attention before tonight.

“Did you gift your husband a matching pendant?” Gregor asked Zel. “Or did he create one to match his bride?”

“It's a bit more complicated than that,” Ulrich answered, and he and Zel shared a companionable look with Rudy. “And I will remind you, Gregor, that Zel is my beloved, not my bride. I never did ask for a bride.”

“So we will be reminded of until we are old and gray,” Sophie interjected. “I would be angrier at ourselves if not for the outcome. But perhaps the greatest magical luck of all, beyond the power of any rapunzel was how our Zel still found their way to their true self.”

Gregor looked again to Sophie with the adoration he felt for her that would never fade, for she had summed it all up perfectly—and saved him from his error.

“Are we to hear a song from our Pipers tonight?” one of the guild members shouted from the crowd, drawing all of their eyes forward.

“That could be arranged,” Sophie answered.

“After we eat!” Gregor added with a chuckle.

“Aw, come on!” Another stood, raising her hands to urge others to join in the cajoling.

“One before!” the first called.

“While the food is served!” the second agreed, since attendants had begun to bring out the night’s fare now that their leaders were seated.

Gregor met eyes with his wife, their treasure, and the sorcerer in turn. “I suppose we might manage if our patron can assist?”

With a nod from Ulrich, a flute and two violins were summoned. Gregor claimed the former, while Sophie and Zel took up the latter, and the three stood.

“Care to lend your voice as well?” Zel asked Ulrich more quietly.

“With you in private, my love, certainly. Not here.”

Gregor had a feeling Zel would wear Ulrich’s reluctance down eventually.

“Your composition, Zel?” Sophie asked, and Zel started right in as agreement.

“ In the stillest night, at dawn’s break, a voice began to lament; sweetly and gently, the night wind carried to me its sound .”

Gregor watched Zel’s eyes fall upon Ulrich as the family continued to perform.

“ From that lonely pain, my heart wept and tears flowed down like rain, cleansing the flowers, lovely and small, to no longer grieve alone. ”

…and for a long time, they lived happily and satisfied.