48. Topaz
It’s much later when a sound rouses me from my sleep.
“Este,” a parched voice says.
I bolt upright.
It takes a moment to realize I’m back in the king’s suite, and there is a baby basket hanging near the bed. The hallway between the king’s and queen’s suite is open.
I hear sound from the other room. I wish I could say that it doesn’t jerk the tears straight from my ducts, but it does.
“Miki,” I say, wiping away the moisture and nearly sprinting into the other room.
He’s propped up on the bed, clutching his sides. He looks awful, but he is clean and alive.
I rush to the bed.
“?Qué pasó? Did you hurt something? Are you hungry again?” I ask in our language.
He smiles, and then coughs. “I… I am okay. Where am I?”
I take a deep breath. My mouth opens, but I don’t know how to explain everything to him. It’s been so long since we were together.
An entire lifetime.
I am a new person.
I take his hand, and he groans.
“Oh no. What’s happened?” he asks.
I frown. “I don’t only hold your hand when something’s wrong.”
He grins through his split lip. “Yes, you do. You do it when I’m hurt, when you told me you were coming to the mountains, when my fox Friji ran away…” He winces.
And I purse my lips. “Maybe you are right.”
He takes a stuttering breath. “I already know I’m hurt. So the news can’t be that bad.”
“We’re in Enduvida. The Enduar city.”
His eyes go wide. “We aren’t with the elves?”
I shake my head.
He looks so confused. “I… gods I can hardly remember the last few months.”
I think of the witches, who Rholker had said had been tending to him. Smoothing some of the hair from his face, he jerks back, mock annoyed.
“The elves are not so great. Be grateful we didn’t end up there—though I do like some of them. Mikal, we are free, with the trolls.”
He blinks. “We are captives of the trolls.”
I shake my head. “No. We are free.”
He goes still.
“But the trolls…”
I shake my head. “I am married to a troll—not that they call themselves that anymore. I am…” My voice catches on the words, feeling ridiculous saying them outloud. “I am the Enduar Queen. And we have been liberating the slaves.”
He looks at me like I’ve gone mad, and then his eyes go wide.
I look over my shoulder to see Teo standing in the doorway, carrying the baby. Any fear he might’ve inspired in Mikal is ruined by the rough cloth thrown over his shoulder for spit-ups. He looks between me and Mikal and dips his head slowly.
“Mikal. My name is Teo. I am your sister’s mate,” he says slowly.
Mikal looks at him, and I see the protectiveness there. He doesn’t respond to Teo, just looks back at me.
“You married a king,” he says flatly.
“I did.” I reach down and touch the Fuegorra on display. “You have one, too.”
He reaches to his own breastbone, and his eyes grow wide.
“Hostia puta?1,” he curses.
I smack his arm. “Don’t curse in front of the baby.”
He gives me a lopsided grin. “Do I have powers now?”
Teo cracks a smile. “Perhaps. Your sister does.”
Mikal gives Teo a more assessing glance. “She has always had the power to annoy everyone who spends more than three seconds with her.”
I groan. “Gods. I spent months trying to save you, and that’s one of the first things you say?”
He laughs, and then grunts in pain.
Teo smiles. “How does eating sound?”
I like how he directs the question to both of us.
“I’m fine,” I say just as my stomach growls.
Teo scowls.
“Let me change.” I look back to Mikal. “You’re coming,” I say, pushing a finger into his chest.
He smiles but still needs my help standing. I pick out his clothes as he walks carefully.
I don’t know if it is a blessing or a curse that his memories are more faded than mine, but I hope, for his sake, that it is for the best.
The next morning,Mikal wants a tour of the caves. Teo comes, holding the enormous baby, which I’ve given the nickname Peque, or small one.
Mikal keeps glancing over him, and I nudge him slightly.
“What’s wrong?” I ask finally. Mikal looks at me with his large yellow eyes and smiles.
“I just keep thinking about how that child could be… my half nephew,” he says.
I blink. “He is your literal nephew,” I say after a few more moments.
Mikal nods, and we walk to the Ardorflame.
We are once again stopped by no fewer than a hundred curious eyes. They greet Mikal, bowing to him as if he were royalty.
It’s rewarding to see how he takes each step in stride, looking around the cave like a blind man seeing light for the first time. As we approach the temple, he reaches out and touches it.
Then he smiles. “I like this light. Does it come from the lava below?”
Teo perks up and furrows his brows. “Perhaps it is a part of the same magic, but no, it isn’t lava.”
Mikal asks another question I don’t hear as the patter of little feet sound behind me. I turn just in time for Rila to launch into my arms.
Worry splashes over my skin, for the Ardorflame is near the edge of a very large cavern.
“Mi vida, be careful,” I chide.
The young Enduar girl doesn’t listen, her hair coating my face as she looks over my shoulder at my brother.
“Who are you?” she says in perfect common tongue.
I smile, somehow already missing her broken attempts from earlier.
Miki comes over and holds out his hand. “I am Este’s brother.”
Rila grabs his hand. “Rila.”
I turn just in time to see Mikal smile, and I set the girl down. She reaches into the pocket of her tunic and pulls out one stone the size of her fist.
“For you,” she says to Mikal and then disappears.
When I turn back to my brother, he’s looking at the stone with a confused look on his face. “What’s this supposed to mean?”
I laugh. “She wants to be your friend.”
Mikal looks up at me, and his eyes are tortured. I’ve spent so long watching over my brother, and he’s spent most of his time around men much older than him.
It breaks my heart to see how his childhood had been snatched from him, and now he gazes down at the stone with such a boyish face.
Gods, he’s so young.
I grab his face and pull him down to kiss his forehead. “Welcome to your new life.”
He jerks away from me in mock irritation and gives my shoulder a little shove.
“You don’t have to keep doing that,” he says.
I grin. “Of course I do. I couldn’t for so long.”
We are interrupted yet again by another voice. “Your Majesties.” This time, it’s Svanna.
When I turn, I find her attention is fixed on Mikal.
“You have the look of a future hunter about you. Do you know how to hold a weapon?” she asks.
Mikal puffs out his chest. “I have chopped trees since I was eleven.”
Svanna laughs. “Excellent. Would you like to join us today?”
Mikal nods once.
“Good.” She jerks her head toward Hammerhead Hall. “Go help with lunch, and we’ll find you later.” Then she turns to me and says, “There’s need for a meeting in the throne room right now.”
I look at Teo, who bobs alongside with the sleeping child. Without thinking, I reach up and tuck a bit of hair behind the child’s ear.
We don’t even have a proper name for the boy yet.
“Very well,” I say and follow her through the rooms.
Everything is a blur until we walk in and find… two thrones.
I suck in a breath and then look at the others in the room. Teo hands me the child as we walk up the steps and sit.
Those before us look on, but Thorne has a small smile playing on his lips.
“Congratulations,” he says with a bow. “Parenthood suits you.”
I blink, somehow shocked to hear the words on his lips.
“Thank you, Lord Thorne,” I return.
Mrath laughs.
“Thorne isn’t a lord. He’s just my favorite assassin,” she says.
Thorne’s face darkens but he doesn’t say anything more, so I press my lips together and avoid responding.
“It is good to see you all alive and well,” Teo says, taking over the conversation. “What is the matter?”
Ner’Feon raises his hand. “From what I gather, King Ma’Teo, a lot is the matter. Permission to speak first?”
Teo acquiesces with a nod.
Ner’Feon begins to speak, and I’m struck with how good it feels to be back here. The weight of the child in my arms is almost welcome.
“We have nearly finished evacuating the ninth battalion from the ocean,” Ner’Feon starts.
“Excellent,” I say just as the baby burps onto my arm. Mrath curls her lips, but Fira grins.
“We have discovered… another group underwater,” Ner’Feon continues.
Teo freezes. “Another? How? Did you not see them during the five decades you spent underwater?”
Ner’Feon tenses. “Apologies, My King. They were in a different section of the ocean. One of them was injured, and he brought us back to meet with the other soldiers.”
“How many?” I ask.
Ner’Feon takes a deep breath. “Five hundred.”
I blink, but Mrath smiles. “If there are five hundred of them, surely there could be other battalions.”
Ner’Feon nods. “It is… possible.”
Mrath looks gleeful, and Teo’s attention turns to her. “You look awfully pleased, ally.”
She grins. “I very much am. The more of you, the better our plans for my brother’s city, Shvathemar.”
I take a deep breath, frowning. The war continues.
I’m not ready for that again, but… that was the price for our relationship.
Teo nods. “Is that what you hoped to speak about today?”
“You might call me presumptuous, but I think it’s in our best interests to act sooner rather than later,” Mrath insists.
“Mrath,” he starts.
Her smile fades and cocks her head to the side. “What is that tone you’re using?”
“We have every intention of helping you with Arion, but surely you must know that we need at least a few months to recover,” he says.
Mrath’s lips curl downward. “Do you think word will not spread of the help I gave you? All it takes is one survivor, and he will hunt me to the ends of the earth.”
Teo takes a deep breath. “You are right, but still we need time. You have the artifact now. Won’t that help you keep him off your borders for a short period? Besides, we have begun to speak with the swamp ogres. Do you not want time to try and enlist their help?”
Her face flushes with annoyance. “No more than three months.”
“That isn’t enough time. Do you wish to end this war? Or merely thwart your brother’s advances,” Teo asks.
She takes a deep breath. “We must be prepared?—”
“And we will be. We have done much to help you, and I have given you my word that we will assist you in what is to come. Ogres and all. But please… my wife is with child.”
Mrath sneers, pointing at me. “That is a damned giant.”
Something primal rears up inside of me.
“He is mine to care for,” I spit at her and press my hand to my stomach. “But Teo doesn’t lie. There is another babe.”
The Enduares in the room go silent, and then, one by one, begin to bow.
Mrath looks at them, exasperated, but misses how Thorne bows his head in a soft smile.
“Fine. I will give you the time you ask for. Use it to train these underwater dwellers and forge on with the ogres, but I will not leave you unsupervised.” Then she turns to Thorne. “Would you stay and be my blade once more?”
My eyebrows rise, as do Ulla’s.
I see her eyes cut straight to him, but he doesn’t take his eyes off of Mrath.
“I will be your blade.”
The leader of the sisterhood nods, and then, calling Ayla, leaves the throne room without the silver haired-elf.
With them gone, the meeting goes quiet.
“How far along are you, My Queen?” Liana asks, her eyes unnaturally glassy.
I smile and place my hand on my belly. “Perhaps a month.”
She grins, then pulls a chunk of quartz out of her robes. The words pour out of her mouth, a chant at first, and then a melody when Ulla joins in.
Tears fall out of my eyes.
When it is over, the hugs start. First from Ulla, then Fira. Liana and Vann come right after each other.
Even Thorne. It’s a stiff embrace, but I am appreciative of his friendship, nonetheless.
“Thank you for staying,” I whisper. “I wouldn’t want any other elf slicing my throat.”
He pulls back, smiling. “I have a few crystals I haven’t had the pleasure of harvesting quite yet.”
“Now, if that’s enough celebration for the moment, I propose a feast this evening,” Teo says.
I grin at him, and every member of the council raises their hands in agreement.
“Done!” he says. “Now, a few things have been on my mind. First, any word from Ra’Sa or Melisa?”
Liana shakes her head. “No, but we won’t until they arrive. They used the last of their speaking stones to send us Rholker’s plans, and the crystal only shows me visions of snow and dirty feet. Have faith, my queen.”
A pit forms in my stomach, but I push it aside.
“Are there enough houses for all these new men?” Teo asks.
It’s Lothar who steps forward next. “Currently, no. But we have six months to build up this city. It once housed thousands of our people.”
Teo grins, stands, and claps the quiet diplomat on the back.
“Yes. And so it shall again!” Then he looks at everyone else, his eyes landing firmly on Vann. “That reminds me. Any new mates?”
Ulla nods excitedly. “Yes. Of the thirty-three human women who arrived with Estela a month ago, all have decided to stay. Eight of them have begun the mating song.”
My eyebrows lift, and the small sleeping boy on my chest takes an opportunity to start crying.
The sound shocks the rest of the sleepiness out of me. And then, I am scrambling while a flurry of people come over to help me situate the boy.
Eventually, he’s taken to Iryth to be fed, and I am pushed out of the room to go get ready for the feast.
When Teo comes up behind me, I find us pushed together in a way we haven’t been since before the battle. Our eyes meet, and heat spreads through my core.
In a second, he scoops me up and carries me back to the king’s suite.