She didn’t say anything and we stayed like that on the floor until the fire across from us was nothing but glowing embers. I stood up slowly and brought her with me. I pulled her to the big bed behind us and patted the space beside me. “It’s okay to not be alone tonight. You can stay and we can cry together or we can sleep.”
“Do you miss him?” Her question caught me off guard and for a moment I didn’t know how to answer.
“Yes,” I whispered into the darkness as she climbed into the bed beside me. She tucked the thick blankets around her chin and stared at me in the dying light. “I miss him more than I ever thought possible.”
I didn’t want to admit it to even myself, but I constantly wondered how our lives would have been different if he hadn’t died. I wondered if we would be marrying, if there would be a coronation, the advice he would give me.
“I miss him too, I also miss Ash. She would know what to do. She would be dancing around half naked handing out ale to anyone that needed it.”
“She would be rebuilding a pub faster than anyone else,” I giggled around the emotions suffocating me.
“Are you kidding me? She would be done with it already!”
“The castle makes a good ale,” I whispered, like it was a secret.
Reva kicked the blankets off and crawled across the bed.
“What are you doing?” I tucked my robe around myself a little tighter.
“Finding the kitchens,” She cocked her hip out and placed a fist on it.
I eyed the table that was usually full of any kind of food or drink that I needed but tonight it was conspiringly empty. Iknew since Alric forced me out that the magic wanted it too. As I slipped from the bed, I placed my feet into the fuzzy slippers that felt like heaven and followed Reva out of my bedroom.
Down the stairs we went and to the left of the long hallway, there was the huge kitchen I hadn’t bothered with looking for until now. Edna, the woman who was a cook, stood in the doorway with a steaming mug of ale and a content smile on her face. She didn’t need to cook for anyone just yet but she was enjoying finding her way around the castle and this magnificent kitchen. It was constantly stocked full of food and ingredients. If she wanted to try out new recipes, nothing was holding her back.
With regret, I realized I’d been neglecting the people living here and trying to figure out their new lives too. I’d been so caught up in myself that I forgot there were others here struggling. Others that had lost a lot more than I did. I didn’t know anything about these people. Had they lost their children? Their entire families?
“Needing a drink?” Edna nodded to the stove where a big pot was sitting with a spoon spinning lazily in it. No one was manning but the magic in the air.
“How’d you know?” Reva threw herself onto one of the wooden barstools next to the sink.
“I was in here thinking of my time back in the keep when all of a sudden things started flying through the air and a big pot of spiced ale was cooking right before my eyes. It’s probably the best I’ve ever had. Honestly, I didn’t even know there was a wine cellar here.” She pointed down at the floor by the back door. “This place is full of surprises.”
A mug floated through the air and landed in front of Reva before another made its way to me. The warmth of the ceramic cup in my hands was a welcome feeling. I took a long sip from the mug and closed my eyes. It was exactly what we needed. The warm liquid slid down my throat and Edna was right. It wasthe best spiced ale. I’d never tasted anything like it before. You could hardly tell there was any alcohol in it, which made it extra dangerous.
Edna hobbled over to the stove and loaded a tray down with a few mugs. Reva immediately stood up to help her but she waved her hand for Reva to sit back down. “Don’t worry about me, dove. I’m going to bring these to the rest of the castle.” Reva didn’t sit back down but instead, opened the kitchen door for her and Edna was gone quickly despite her limp.
Reva sat back down and I found a worn chair in the corner that I sunk into. It smelled like stew, spiced ale, and… chocolate? I tucked my legs under me and took another long sip.
“Ash would have killed for ale like this,” Reva closed her eyes and inhaled the steam coming off of her cup. “I think we are going to have to move some of this magic into the bar when we get it up and running.”
The spoon stopped stirring the pot and Reva laughed. “Only if you want to.”
The stirring started up again and I wondered if it would go with Reva to at least make ale.
“Do you think we will come to love it here?” Reva looked down at her bare feet swinging beneath her.
“Yes, eventually. I think we will heal here when everything is behind us.”
She nodded. “I think so too.” She lifted her mug in a toast. “To new beginnings. To healing.”
“To grieving.” I agreed and held my mug up with hers.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JUNIPER
The next few days seemed to go by like a crawl. I forced myself out of the bedroom that I knew would keep me safe, especially since the magic was no longer filling the table with food. The magic was forcing me out too. I didn’t mind as much anymore. I would have been angry before Alric forced me out, but now I realized it was for the best.
