As they passed through the doors into the main hall of the home he had grown up in, the scent of soap and fresh flowers tickling his senses, Herrick felt Maude pause. When he turned to ask what was wrong, he saw she was looking at Bryn standing in the doorway, her fingers knotting together. Hakon passed off the unconscious sergeant to one of the soldiers, ordering them to bring him to the dungeons and lock him up until they were ready to speak with him while Dahlia hovered near him, her watchful eyes taking in every detail of the Palace of Ocean and Clay.
"It's probably not a good idea that I'm here," Bryn said, glancing over her shoulder to the open air. "The Queen and King won't like it."
"They knew who Maude was and still welcomed her," Herrick explained. "They don't hold your parentage against you. You're with us, and that will be enough for them to trust you."
"Whose parentage are we not holding against them?" His mother's clear voice rang out through the marble halls from where she stood one floor above them.
Even from here, Herrick could see her glittering gold eyes that he had inherited sparkled with relief as she took in her sons standing in the hall. She disappeared behind the railing briefly before reappearing on the stairs. Wearing her fighting leathers, the blue and sage swirls around the runes for the family crest stark against the worn black, their mother quickly enveloped them both. She threw her arms over their shoulders, pulling them in tightly.
"My boys," she whispered. "Thank the gods you have returned to me."
Herrick stiffened.
The gods had nothing to do with their return, he wanted to snap. But he held his tongue, instead releasing his mother so he could stand back and greet his father, who had appeared behind her.
"What strays have you brought with you this time?" His father asked. "We know Maude, of course. Welcome back."
She nodded her greeting before stepping forward. "This is my sister, Brynna Helvig."
His mother paused and turned away from them before eyeing the young woman. Bryn was much like her sister in that she didn't balk under Alva's heavy stare. If anything, her spine seemed to straighten. Instead of lowering her eyes, the woman inclined her head at his parents with a fist over her heart.
"She's been with us since helping us escape Logi and our father," Maude explained, her eyes narrowing on the Queen.
His mother nodded once before softening her features. "Of course, welcome Brynna."
"You can call me Bryn, Your Majesty," she said with all the polite airiness of someone used to conversing with royalty. "If it is okay with you, I'd like to begin interrogating the sergeant. He may have intel on Helvig's plans."
Herrick held his breath as his mother's eyes narrowed. He was about to speak when Maude said, "My sister can be trusted to interrogate a Flame Soldier as shehas been working with the resistance in Logi for years, feeding themvitkito escape before they can be imprisoned."
"I meant no disrespect," the Queen said demurely, though her eyes narrowed on Maude now. "We should catch up, Maude. It seems a lot of interesting things tend to happen around you."
"I'll go with my sister," Maude said instead before nodding and walking down a hall that led toward the dungeons.
How she already knew where they were could be credited to her sneaking around when they had been here in the spring. Herrick smothered a chuckle as he turned back to his parents. Hakon was introducing Dahlia to them as a healer whom they'd met in their travels. When the time came to reveal who she and Maude really were, Herrick would want all of them present. Until then, he followed his brother's lead as Dahlia excused herself and followed Maude and Bryn.
His mother turned her attention back to Herrick and Hakon as she raised an eyebrow. "Where are Gunnar and Liv? They are usually your shadows."
He and his brother exchanged glances before Herrick responded, "They are gathering reinforcements elsewhere."
The truth, even if it was vague.
But their parents nodded before leading them into their private Council Room. The fact that his mother had not even mentioned Eydis yet turned his stomach with disgust. They must have been so glad to see she wasn't present and hadn't even asked why that was.
In the Council Room, as his aunt had taught him, the big decisions were made. The War Room, in another generation. Herrick expected his Lieutenant General to be present but found Svend was still missing.
"Where is the lieutenant?" he asked before finding his spot in front of the map of Ahland.
"Svend just left," his father answered. "He reported that the surrounding villages had been evacuated to Veter and left to finish securing the border he's set up."
Herrick nodded. Good, he had stuck to the contingency plans he'd left for him when he'd started searching for thedalkr Hela. He and Svend disagreed a lot, but at least he knew he could count on him when their kingdom needed it.
"You've made it back in excellent timing," his mother said, her words teasing out the real information she was looking for.
How did they get here so fast with no word of their attack?
"A lot has happened since we left here last," his brother said between his teeth.
The man who stood at Herrick's side may have looked like Hakon, but his posture and his tone were all wrong for how he acted when they were home. Typically, Hakon slipped back into his Heir of Rivers persona— charming, irreverent, polite to damn near annoyance— as he had with the soldiers they encountered outside.
