“As your son’s mate, I consider both of you my king and queen,” I replied. I did not know how the words came to me nor how I gathered the courage to respond to the king, knowing full well what happened the last time someone contradicted him. But I had to try.
They both remained silent, mesmerised by the sheer nerve I had, so I took it as my cue to continue before either of them had the chance togive an order I was not very fond of.
“My Queen, my King, I came here seeking your help. Ansgar is still alive in the Fire Kingdom and I have the chance to go to him.” I said the words quickly, barely intelligible but they both grasped the meaning, since their faces shifted slightly. Damaris and Takara exchanged puzzled looks, then pointed their gazes at me once more. Baby Ansgar was the only one who looked at me curiously, though I couldn’t tell for sure if because he was actually curious or if the position his mother held him made the baby rest his eyes in my direction.
“Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy,” I said without thinking, remembering the ritual and what Ansgar told me about his brother wanting a male heir.
“Thank you, Anwen, that is very thoughtful of you,“ Takara answered with a small smile, genuinely proud of her son while Damaris tensed his jaw but struggled to mutter a thank you.
“He has a beautiful name…”
Damaris huffed in anger, but Takara stood from her seat, claiming everyone’s attention. Silently, she walked to me, slowly and decidedly, the silk of her gown creating a shadow of dense colour behind her steps.
“Would you like to hold him?” The kindness in her voice made my knees buckle and my eyes automatically shot to her.
“Are you sure?” I heard my voice tremble, but the healer nodded and passed baby Ansgar to my chest. I initially didn’t know how to react, didn’t know how to hold him, but once his mother placed him in my arms, the baby settled himself and looked at me with big and curious green eyes.
I chuckled, a tear making its way down my cheek. A happy tear, for once, and somehow, I felt it. That rumble, that connection that made my heart race.
“Ansgar gave quite a bit of his energy that night,” Takara answered, as though she could read my mind. “He will always be present,” she spoke again, making the baby turn his head towards his mother’s voice.
Vikram cleared his throat and took it upon himself to tell the story. Of how he’d been summoned by Matthyaz, how he found me in Evigt, and what I had told him. Through it all, they asked questions and made me clarify the moment of Ansgar’s death with as many details as I could over and over again.
We must have stayed there for an hour or two, in the meantime, the youngest member of the family was put to sleep for the night, while I remained standing by the door and going over the details until my knees gave out and I made a falling motion before I rapidly forced myself to recover.
“You can take a seat,” the king finally spoke and took away a heaviness from my heart, knowing he did not plan to harm me and accepted me in their company.
I pulled a chair on the left side of the table and only when I accommodated myself, did Vikram make his way across and took the seat next to mine.
Then he approached and whispered softly into my ear, “That’s where Ansgar used to sit too.” When I turned to him, he looked at me with pride and a dash of understanding, admiring whatever had made me pick that seat. And I allowed myself to move my lips just a millimetre or two, trying to form a smile.
The chair suddenly became a lot more interesting to me and I relaxed, feeling the back support and imagining Ansgar’s muscles casually resting on the same wood, like he had all the time in the world to do it over and over again.
“I have this,” I remembered the initial reason for my visit, the one that with all the events, memories and explanations had remained sealed in my jeans pocket. “Rhylan gave it to me,” I said as I opened the small pouch and placed it on the table, displaying the golden locks hidden inside.
Both the Queen and Takara gasped as they jumped to grab a few strands of hair and analyse it by whatever means they had. While they did so, I explained how Rhylan gave it to me as proof of Ansgar being alive and his suggestion to have it verified by the royal family. By them.
I waited patiently while the females analysed the structure and the queen shed some kind of magic that made the hair float and illuminate the air, then Takara burnt a few strands using the dining table candle and read the echoes of smoke coming out of them. Until I could not take it anymore and had to ask.
“So?” My heart beat fast, a hummingbird catching wings inside it and struggled to escape. The blood in my veins boiled from the anxiety.
“It’s his,” the Queen replied and I spotted tears in her eyes, which she rapidly blinked away. Then, her entire attention turned to me.
“Are you willing?” she asked hopeful, a dash of understanding and compassion illuminated her harsh features.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation, not fully understanding what she referred to but knowing that I would do everything to see Ansgar again. And she had just ignited my hope.
“You will not be able to leave easily, maybe not at all.” It was Damaris who voiced it, speaking for the first time since I’d arrived. He had kept quiet, analysing and envisioning everything we had said, forming plans and understanding rather than questioning.
“Rhylan can bring me back,” I replied, even though concern already started to form. Nothing in my contract stated our release once I got into their kingdom.
“You need to learn some spells,” Takara offered with an encouraging smile.
“She needs to be back by midnight,” Vikram reminded me. “Fear Gorta is picking her up. And we do not want him rattled just yet.”
“We must make haste then.” It was the queen who spoke.
Two hours later, I found myself in Ansgar’s room, sitting on his bed, which he had last touched when I'd been there and relished in the orange and fresh earth scent he had left on the pillow.
