CHAPTER SEVENTY
The ministers honored their word. Amidst their service to the country over the next four years, Evylin and Deckard had regular opportunities to visit family and friends.
While they often remained in Loclight due to their responsibilities—Evylin training with the Warriors and Deckard collaborating with the Mages while managing the province—every day brought something new.
Though the work was not always thrilling, Evylin appreciated the variety it offered.
Additionally, the Alliance conceded to their wish to continue residing in their home located in the Military District.
This arrangement allowed Evylin to conveniently reach the barracks while Deckard had a quick journey to the Order’s headquarters, located in the old Ephrian palace.
Each morning, they would separate to pursue their respective duties, with Brea accompanying Evylin and Thom going with Deckard.
While Norhels was a week’s journey away, they saw Ethenn and Ilain as regularly as they could—though it wound up being once a season at the most. However, they were making grand progress on the cure, with Maura’s body now transferred to the Order of the Day, where they cared for her, ensuring she didn’t succumb to death in the pursuit of her healing.
The Loxleys and Calders were quite happy.
After their short stint as interim ministers, the Calder parents sold their home in Faurna to move to East Allund with their family.
Though Vayden remained single, he enjoyed his quiet life near the sea.
He and his father bought land to raise horses together.
Reyana had blossomed into a stunning young woman, studying dutifully at her aunt’s side.
Though she wasn’t magical, she wished to assist the research for the cure in whatever way she could.
During a trip to Loclight the previous month, Ilain announced her pregnancy.
Thom teased Ethenn mercilessly about becoming a father, but the once-young hunter had matured into an immovable highlord.
He didn’t flinch at the suggestion of his impending duties as a father but proudly stated that he looked forward to every challenge it presented.
As this would be their first child, Ilain firmly believed it would be a boy whom they would name Auden. Ethenn offered no objections.
The Deckard family was quite pleased with their lives as well. The Order of the Heavens, while the smallest of the Orders with only fifteen Space Mages and a few dozen Warriors, was nonetheless known for its remarkable qualities.
Deckard proved to be an exceptional leader who dedicated himself to mastering Space magic and encouraged the Mages of the Order to do the same.
He was well-liked, as was to be expected, because he treated everyone with respect and shared his knowledge freely.
Their enclave was marked by calmness, control, and commitment to the craft.
The Mages embodied the deep peace and steadiness of Space itself.
Deckard had found a protégé within the Order, a young man named Oren Brennen.
The year prior, Evylin and Deckard had been called to West Allund to recover the sixteen-year-old, who had accidentally sliced through an entire city block while running for his life from zealous Waulden-regime sympathizers, known as The Sterling.
These zealots clung to the Faith of Eight, seeking Blount’s children—legitimate or not—as the legal heirs to his throne.
Oren was one of these illegitimate heirs.
While attempting to escape The Sterling, Oren’s magic revealed itself with unrestrained violence, and the teenage boy was terrified. From the moment they found him in Verlund Province, Deckard took him under his wing and ensured he learned everything he knew. Oren proved to be a promising Mage.
Best of all, Deckard was now utilizing his office at home. With limited literature available on the study of Space, he took the initiative to document his findings, aiming to eventually author books on the topic for others to explore. He urged the other Mages to follow his lead.
As for Evylin’s contributions to Allund, the Warriors of the Order were renowned for their immense strength, intelligence, and readiness to act.
Their techniques rivaled those of any other Order, although Evylin hesitated to claim all the credit.
She based their training on everything Hewitt had taught her and led with the support of Brea and Emmaas’s knowledge behind her.
She took pleasure in the work and appreciated the excellent company.
Eventually, Colonel Valen Reid joined the Order of the Day, carrying with him many skills he had acquired from the Order of the Heavens, which Evylin was pleased to learn were equally beneficial in Norhels.
In the third year of Allund, the Administration requested Evylin’s insights for the Orders still refining their training programs. Although drafting the letters was a tedious task, Deckard assisted her, making the work far more bearable.
Brea led the Order Guard with a strong and steady demeanor, and her soldiers admired her with deep loyalty.
She dedicated herself to ensuring that Evylin, Deckard, and the entire province were safe, while Thom, as Lieutenant General, managed the Allundan Army within the city.
Together, they formed an effective team.
Thom became the supportive brother, devoted friend, loving husband, and brave soldier Evylin always knew he could be, his daily happiness surpassing her greatest hopes for him.
In their first year of marriage, Thom and Brea welcomed their first daughter, Isla.
She was a delightful baby, and Thom became the most devoted father one could imagine.
Evylin was surprised that Brea wanted children so soon, but when she inquired, Brea replied, “I have one life, Evylin. One life to fill with as much goodness and love with Thom as possible. The best way to enhance that life is to include more of him in it. What better way than through our children?”
Two years later, they had their second daughter, Rosa.
Between the two girls, Evylin and Deckard welcomed their own firstborn. While he had wished for a daughter, she desired a son. Her wishes prevailed. He accepted his defeat the moment he cradled his son. Ryen Deckard inherited his father’s green-blue eyes, but he bore his mother’s dark hair.
The family often engaged in a lively debate about whether Ryen, Isla, or Rosa would possess magic.
Thom insisted they all would, while Brea pointed out that it was unlikely any of them would inherit it.
Meanwhile, Deckard and Evylin tried to remain indifferent.
They had one life, after all. They would fill it with as much joy and love as they could, no matter the trials they’d face.
Entrusting the province to Emmaas, the ministers, the clerks, and their Order, the Deckard family returned to Nettershire late in the year to visit Stocburrough. Every year, Deckard prioritized a trip around their anniversary, and Evylin persuaded him to visit his family this time.
“It’s not very romantic,” he contended, “celebrating your fifth anniversary in a small village surrounded by family.”
Evylin embraced him. “No, but we’ll have a built-in babysitter. If that doesn’t spark romance, I’m not sure what will.”
“Being intimate in your childhood bed isn’t exactly romantic either, Evie.”
“Then I suppose we’ll just have to find somewhere else,” she teased.
Regardless of his objections, they traveled to Nettershire with Thom and Brea.
Their family was ecstatic upon their arrival.
Serah and Meria continuously played the role of hosts, while Mathes and Vaan queried them about Loclight, the Order, and their work.
Little Isla toddled off to play with Liliette and young Jonn, while the three youngest children—Ryen, Rosa, and Ivana, Meria’s third child—played together inside the house.
They planned to stay for a week, and Evylin observed how Deckard immediately relaxed upon entering the village.
With each visit to his family, she noticed how he shed some of the burdens he carried in his daily life.
Occasionally, she felt remorse for encouraging him to leave the simpler life he once desired, but then she recalled his true nature and his passion for his work.
He was content, and so was she. She had no doubt that they’d made the best decision.
On the third morning of their stay, Evylin woke to find Deckard beside her. This unusual occurrence was even rarer during their visits with his family. However, she had expected it this morning.
“Happy anniversary,” she whispered, snuggling closer to his side.
Deckard ran his hand along her arm and kissed her forehead. “Happy anniversary, my love.”
“I have a surprise for you.”
“Do you?”
She nodded. “But first, we have to get up.”
“Do we have somewhere to be?”
“Actually, we do.”
“Oh? And what engagement have I forgotten in this meager village?” he teased.
Evylin smirked at him. “It’s more a promise than an engagement.”
“Do explain.”
“Almost five years ago, you vowed to teach me how to swim, and now you are finally going to fulfill that promise.”
Deckard fought to control a hearty laugh so as not to wake the sleeping Ryen on a spare mattress at the foot of their bed. “Evie, it’s mid-autumn. The lakes will be frigid.”
“Are you going to break your promise?” she challenged.
“Do you want to freeze?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “It won’t be that cold.”
It was that cold.
Despite the chill, Deckard taught her to swim, and after half an hour, they became somewhat acclimated to the water’s temperature.
“Was it worth it?” Deckard asked as they treaded water under the cavern of the concealed pool.
With her arms wrapped around his neck, Evylin smiled, even as a shiver ran down her spine. “Yes,” she said. “It was all worth it.”