35. Thirty-Five
With the boys having a night-on-the-town, Eris and I seize the opportunity to explore the castle library. We slip through the double blue doors and simultaneously gasp at the wondrous sight.
Just as I”d heard, the ceiling is a glass dome that runs the length of the cozy library. Stars twinkle brightly above us, but it”s the roaring fireplace that draws us in. Each wall is lined with floor to ceiling dark blue shelves and upon closer inspection, there”s not one free space left for new tomes. There must be tens of thousands of books perfectly organized and I wish I had enough time in my life to read each one. In front of the fireplace is a lounge; a white area rug anchors the reading space with a three-seat white couch and two blue velvet armchairs directly across. A white and gold coffee table sits between the seating options and there are blankets folded neatly and stacked underneath for guests to use.
After we mosey through the library, we snatch a couple volumes about Frost Elf history and sink into the couch, snagging fluffy blankets to wrap around ourselves as we read in silence. Without us having to ask, one of the servants tending to the library brings us mugs of hot cocoa and when the hot beverage touches my tongue, I moan, knowing there couldn”t possibly be a better feeling than this.
We”re not the only ones here. There are several Frost Elves weaving around the space, grabbing what they need and leaving once they”ve jotted in the enormous leather tome at the entrance what books they”re borrowing. I”m not sure how long we sit in peaceful silence reading and drinking our cocoa, but I completely lose track of who is in the library. It isn”t until footsteps approach and stop beside the couch that I peel my eyes from the book I”m reading and dare a glance upward.
”Well.” Sylvane smiles, clutching a leatherbound book close to her chest. ”It”s nice to see I”m not the only one who enjoys a late-night read by the fire.”
Eris and I drop our books and begin to stand to show Sylvane respect, but she waves her hand, stopping us. ”Please don”t. There”s no need to trouble yourselves with royal frivolity when you both look so comfortable. What are you reading tonight?”
”We were reading about the History of Elowen,” I explain, flashing the cover of the thick book in my lap.
”Ah,” she bobs her head, shifting her weight from her left leg to her right. ”Is it as boring as you were expecting it to be?”
A giggle escapes my lips and I nod, placing the book on the coffee table. ”Worse, I”m afraid,” I lament, infusing a humorous tone into my teasing. ”I was expecting a lot more dragon lore, but it”s more political than anything.”
”If fantasy is what you”re seeking, you”ll have a better chance at finding those books at the library in the city,” Sylvane explains. ”This library is filled mostly with familial and political records.”
”And if one was looking for a good romance novel” – Eris wiggles her eyebrows – ”where would those be?”
My mother laughs and her voice fills the space, drawing the librarian”s judgmental gaze. But the second she sees my mother, her face immediately softens, and she returns to dusting shelves. ”Romance books can also be found in the city library.” She takes a step closer and whispers, ”Might I suggest, To Tame Your Dragon? It”s an invigorating read, if I do say so myself.”
Eris giggles, and even though she”s not in her true form, her smile remains the same. ”Noted.”
The wrinkles at the corners of my mother”s eyes has me staring. I”m not entirely sure how old she is, but she doesn”t look more than twenty years my senior. She”s truly gorgeous, and taking her in, I see my features reflected back at me. Her grey eyes, her smile, her long, white hair, even her laugh was passed down to me. I”m suddenly filled with a longing to get to know her better, believing maybe I will discover more about myself.
As if she can sense me watching her, my mother”s eyes slide to meet mine and her wide grin fades. She clears her throat and says, ”I”ve intruded on your reading time long enough. I will take my leave.” She pats the book in her hand. ”I plan to curl up in bed and refresh myself on dragon warfare tactics before I fall asleep. One can never know too much.” She bows her head, ”You ladies enjoy the rest of your evening.”
”Wait,” I say before I can overthink it. ”Why don”t you join us?”
My mother glances from me to Eris, who grins and bobs her head. ”Please,” Eris motions for her to take the armchair across from us. ”We would love your company.”
After a moment”s hesitation, Sylvane sets her book on the coffee table and slips into one of the blue, velvet armchairs. We stare at one another for what seems like a small eternity, before I finally break the tense silence and ask, ”Would you be open to answering a few questions?”
”I was wondering how long it would take for you to ask.” She nods, settling into her seat, clearly gearing up for a long discussion. ”Ask your questions.”
I take a deep, steadying breath. ”How did you and Enver Sol meet?”
At the mere mention of my father”s name, she lights up. ”Twenty years before the Great War, he and a delegation of Celestials visited Stelara as part of a tour of the Six Kingdoms. I know it sounds cliche for me to say it was love at first sight, but that”s exactly what it was. The moment my eyes met his, something within me just knew.
”Celestials weren”t known for frequently visiting Dalerin, but Enver made a point of staying in Elowen a few times a year. He”d find different reasons for his visits, but every time he came, he”d spend most of his time with me. We would walk through the city and grab pastries from one of the bakeries, attend festivals together and he would watch me practice with Corvex, who took a strong liking to Enver.”
Suddenly, her eyes darken and the light fades from her face. ”Enver always had a feeling that something was brewing in Malvolio, but no one took him seriously.”
”What is Malvolio?” I ask.
”The Underworld,” she eyes me skeptically. ”The Midorians didn”t teach you about our history, did they?”
I feel my cheeks heat and I shamefully shake my head.
”How unfortunate. They did you such a disservice.”
”Did Enver Sol visit Malvolio?” Eris asks, and I know she”s doing her part to alleviate tension.
Sylvane”s focus turns to Eris. ”Yes, he visited once. He, and a small delegation from Orabelle, attempted to speak with Drogon about the mortal realm. Enver knew the demon king would never forgive or forget the defeat his ancestors suffered one thousand years prior, but he had to see for himself what the underworld was capable of, should Drogon wage war. What he found terrified him.”
”What was it?” I lean forward.
”An army unlike anything he had ever seen before,” she says. ”Your father, General Naziri, and my brother, Eiran, spent the next year going to each kingdom in attempts to unite them.”
That name rings a bell and I suddenly remember Atlas telling me outside of Draaksten about General Naziri and my father being at odds during the Great War. After he was broken out of the camp prison, he led his sand wielders and dragons on one final assault before disappearing.
”My father knew General Naziri?”
Her eyes brighten that I recognize his name and she nods. ”Alem Naziri and my brother were Enver”s most trusted counsel and his oldest friends.”
That explains why Enver fought so hard to have General Naziri freed. They were friends.
”What happened once they visited the kingdoms?” Eris asks, propelling the story forward.
”My brother advised the united kingdoms post lookouts, spies if you will, near the portal to the underworld. The moment Drogon marched his unholy army through, Enver was alerted. It was outside the mountains of Durne, that Drogon unleashed hell upon the mortal realm.”
She inhales deeply, clearly reliving memories she had buried years ago. ”I was there. I fought alongside my kin against Drogon”s forces. It”s where Corvex received his scar. We hit those evil creatures with everything we had, even though we were outnumbered. For months, we battled, and each time we thought we”d gained ground, Drogon would gain reinforcements. In the fifth month of war, I watched my aunt die. Losing her was more than I could bear, and I became violently ill to the point I couldn”t leave my bed for days. Enver was so worried he had a Bavan Healer brought in to examine me. That”s when we discovered we were expecting you.”
Her eyes meet mine and she offers a warm smile. ”Your father and I had secretly eloped before the Great War. If we were to face the destruction of the mortal realm, we pledged to fight it as man and wife.”
”What happened once you discovered you were having Shaye?” Eris leans forward, rooting her elbows to her knees, fully hooked to every word my mother says.
”I made the hardest choice of my entire life,” she whispers. ”I agreed to leave the front and return to Elowen. It”s what Enver begged of me, and I could not deny him anything. Mind you” – she chuckles, her eyes teary – ”Enver and I spent an entire week arguing about it, because I didn”t want to abandon him. He reminded me I wasn”t the first female sent home for falling pregnant and I wasn”t deserting him or our allies, I was giving our unborn child a fighting chance of surviving. Never before had there been a child born of both Frost Elf and Celestial blood. You had to be protected, no matter the cost.”
”Did anyone know?” I find myself asking, curious.
”Other than Alem and Eiran, we kept my condition between us, but when I prepared to leave, my father discovered I was with child after marrying Enver in secret. He was furious and my brother had to physically restrain him from attacking me,” she admits. ”But for the first time in my life, I didn”t care what he thought. I was blessed with a child – a feat not common amongst Frost Elves. And not just any child – a Celestial”s child.”
I”m not surprised the Frost King was angry. His views on keeping the Basilius line strong and pure is well-known. ”Did my father ever meet me?” I press, not sure which way I hope she answers.
A sadness overtakes her features, and she slowly shakes her head. ”No. He never got to meet you, but he was so happy you were coming.” She takes a second to gather her thoughts before saying, ”He made the ultimate sacrifice, not just for you and me, but for the Six Kingdoms. With the armies of the mortal realm on the brink of defeat, Enver pushed himself to the point of death, using his Transcendent state. Along with Alem Naziri”s sand dragons, and Eiran leading the Frost Elves, they made their final stand and destroyed the creatures Drogon commanded. Banishing his demons back to Malvolio, your father sealed them inside and shattered their portal. Enver was well aware the portals shared a connection, and his portal would fizzle from existence within a few days” time. So, he made his way to the portal to Orabelle and smashed it from the inside.”
”Why didn”t he stay?” I ask, teary eyed. ”Why did he leave us?”
”Enver is the Father of Light. Orabelle not only strengthens him, but it also sustains him. Whether or not he destroyed the portals, he would have had to split his time with us and his true home. He was well aware minions of Drogon could have survived the Great War and if they escaped being sealed in the portal, they would come for him. His blood is the only key to unlocking their master.”
”But I also have his blood.” It”s the first time I am feeling anger toward Enver Sol. ”He left me here to face his enemies?”
”He left you here because I asked him to.” Tears well in her eyes and it makes my heart still. ”Call it selfish, but I couldn”t lose both of you forever.” She takes a moment to gather herself before pushing forward. ”My brother, Eiran, died during their final stand and Alem Naziri flew into the desert and disappeared. My kin were dead, my only friends gone, and Enver was going to do what was necessary to keep the realm safe. All I asked in return was to keep my daughter.”
”How…” I”m not sure how she”s going to feel about this question, but I need to know the truth. ”How did you lose me?”
”I didn”t lose you, Aure – I mean, Shaye.” She huffs an exasperated breath, before continuing, ”You were stolen from me.”
”Will you tell me what happened?”
Her eyes glaze over, and for a moment I think I might have pressed too hard, asking her to relive a trauma I couldn”t imagine bearing, but she says, ”You were three months old. I hadn”t left your side for the entirety of your short life, but once I was cleared to ride again, I reluctantly went to Fendruil to visit Corvex. I”d received reports of his growing depression and restlessness with my absence and knew he needed my attention, so I went for a late-night ride. It was far too cold to bring you, although I wanted to. You were heavily guarded by four of my most trusted soldiers and were under the supervision of my lady-in-waiting. You were safe, and you were protected. At least, that”s what I thought.
”I was only gone for an hour, but when I returned to my quarters, I found a bloodbath. All four guards and my lady-in-waiting were dead. Their throats had been slit and their bodies were strewn around the room, painting the picture of a struggle. I sprinted by all of them to your crib, terrified you”d been murdered too, but I found no trace of blood. Not even your sheets had been disturbed. You were just gone. Someone had taken you and went through great lengths to ensure no one would be able to tell me what happened or who was responsible.
”I don”t remember much after that. I dropped to my knees before your empty crib and screamed, before running into the hallway alerting everyone in the castle that you”d been taken. The entire city was searched, every home, business, tavern and boat docked in the harbor, but we could not find you. Every citizen and visitor in our kingdom was questioned, but none of them had seen any suspicious people, and none of the boats in the port had left since earlier that afternoon. It was like you”d just vanished into thin air, and there was nothing I could do about it. You were gone.
”I spent the better part of the last two decades investigating your kidnapping and if I had a whisper of a lead, I would search for you until I hit another dead end. Most Frost Elves told me you were probably dead and encouraged me to let you go. Even family members insisted I grieve your loss and move on for my own mental and emotional health. The only person who didn”t think I was crazy was Thrane.”
”Thrane?” I can”t help my outburst.
Sylvane quickly bobs her head and continues, ”Thrane is ten years your senior, and when you were born, he fell in love. He came to visit you every day and even brought you handmade gifts. He whittled you a dragon made of wood and set it in your crib while you slept. You were the sister he always wanted and never had. Hael wasn”t prone to playing, preferring his own company, but when you came along, Thrane”s world seemed to brighten. When you disappeared, Thrane went from being a joyful and outgoing child to a stoic and cunning one. Trust was earned, not given. Love was hard to accept, and he embraced being on his own. Within the span of a few months, he not only lost you, but lost his father, Eiran, as well in the Great War.
”In our grief, we both turned our focus to our dragons, training harder and more frequently with our affinities in order to keep what remained of our kin, and our people, safe in times of uncertainty. When my father passes, Thrane will make a fine king, and one I would willingly follow into battle should he ask it of me.”
Sylvane takes another brief pause, twiddling her thumbs in her lap, before her gaze suddenly darts to meet mine. ”I didn”t sleep and barely ate for months fearing one of Drogon”s minions had gotten their hands on you. Despite our best efforts to keep your birth a secret, rumor of your existence spread and most believed your blood could open the portal and release Drogon from the dungeon your father sealed him in. However, after years of the portals remaining broken, and no demons or underworld creatures having been spotted, I knew they hadn”t gotten to you. It was a small relief, but not enough to bring me peace.
”From the moment you were taken, it became a nightly ritual before I went to sleep, that I would call out to you. I would remind you that I would find you one day; a promise I worked hard to keep. It wasn”t until recently that I felt a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, you had heard my cry. And now you”re here. Home, exactly where you should be, and everything seems right for the first time in twenty years.”
I hadn”t attempted to stop tears from streaming down my face while she told me of her pain and torment. My heart breaks for her, even though I”m sitting feet from her. With a deep exhale, I do my best to keep myself together, but in that moment of wrestling with my emotions, my mother slides out of her seat and kneels in front of me. She gently reaches up and swipes my tears from my cheeks. Her touch is nurturing, and the brief contact alone feels as if she”s mending my soul as only a mother can.
”I”m sorry,” I whisper through sobs.
”Why are you sorry?” Her voice shakes.
”I”m sorry you had to go through all that pain.”
Slipping her hands on either side of my face, she forces me to meet her teary gaze. ”You are not responsible for my pain, Shaye. You are the reason I am healing. My prayers have finally been answered and I have you back. I understand you might never see me as your mother. Whether she had a hand in your kidnapping or not, I know you had Keres Kitarni to fill that maternal role, but I would be more than happy if you considered me your friend.”
I throw myself into her, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing as tightly as I dare. She holds me, not letting me go until I slowly pull back, now kneeling with her.
She swipes hair from my tear-stained face and offers me a small smile. ”I did not mean to make you cry, Shaye.”
”I would very much like it, if you called me Aurelia, Amma.”
The Frost Elf word for mother brings tears to Sylvane”s eyes and then, surprisingly, she begins to laugh.
”Did I use the wrong word?” I blush, my insides burning in embarrassment.
”No, Aurelia.” She shakes her head, flicking tears from her cheeks. ”It”s just the first time I”ve been called amma before.”
I press my hands to her cheeks and smile. ”Thank you for never giving up hope. I”m blessed to call you my amma.”
”My little dragon rider,” she says softly. ”I know your father is proud of you.”
Sniffles from beside us draw our attention and I see Eris curled up in her blanket with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes are red and puffy, and I know without her having to say a word that she”s been trying her best to keep her cries muffled so as to not disturb our moment. I extend my hand and when she takes it, I drag her down to the floor and wrap my arm around her shoulders, forcing her to join us. With my mother by birth and sister by choice embracing me, I finally feel at home.