Apparently I enjoy being prolific. Ah, well.
Anyway, I wanted to get this up because I'm going to be away all weekend. So, here it is! Enjoy.
25 - HOMECOMINGS
For the next several days, a torrential downpour rained down on Frell.
No one could account for it. One minute, it had been a fine autumn day, the sun setting beautifully in the west, a cacophony of oranges and crimsons. . . the next, the clouds had rolled in as if out of nowhere, and a heavy wind had begun to blow. The dark storm had blocked out the remaining sliver of sunlight, and then it had started to pour.
It rained and rained, and there was no stop to it. The streets of Frell eventually flooded, and people were forced to leave their dwellings and seek higher ground. Many sought shelter at the castle, which had a prime situation on a hill overlooking the city. Nora made arrangements to room as many refugees as possible. Out in the streets, random objects were often seen floating by in the deluge: kitchen tables, cups and saucers, and once, even a large four-poster bed, fully made up.
Only Nora truly understood it. The proof was that the fairy Cassandra was sitting in a heavily guarded prison cell, no longer beautiful. . . no longer a fairy.
She kept forgetting that she couldn't do magic, and every time she tried and failed, she only went more berserk. The last straw was when she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a guard's shining armor, spying the first wrinkle that had appeared on her newly-mortal face.
She was utterly senseless after that. No one could get any speech out of her other than a few random babblings. More often than not, she would sit in the corner on the floor of her cell, running her fingers through her hair over and over, mumbling to herself about queens and cows and kitchen chairs.
It was enough for Nora to decide that the best place for Cassandra was a well-guarded, padded cell.
As for Algernon, he had attempted to steal away into the wild woods beyond the castle, but had made a rather grand error in the process. He had stuffed his pockets, his cloak pockets, and his large bags with all of the gold KJs he could carry, and the coins had fallen out willy-nilly as he had made his escape, creating a trail of gold that led straight to his whereabouts. He had gone no more than two steps into the forest before he was caught and hauled back. He yelled the entire way and all throughout his sentencing, but it was no use. He was banished from Kyrria, sent far away to a solitary prison that no one had ever even heard of.
All of this occurred in the few days before the royal family returned. They still had no idea what had happened in Kyrria - the magic book let them communicate with Nora, but not the other way around. As far as they knew, the curse was still unbroken, Algernon was still king, and Cassandra was still a power-hungry fairy. News was already making its way through Frell and beyond that everything had been turned on its head, and that the false-king's rule was over, but who knew if Ella, Char, and the rest would catch wind of it. When they finally arrived back in the city, accompanied by the suddenly-unnecessary Seliran soldiers, they were going to be in for the shock of their lives.
Nora was waiting on tenterhooks for their arrival, the anticipation making her even more careful than usual. She oversaw the preparations for everything herself, checking and double-checking that all would be perfect for her family. Perhaps she was even a little too involved. It was when she was ripping the sheets off a partially-made bed, determined to wash them correctly with her own two hands (starched sheets? It would never do), when Fanny finally stepped in.
"All right, that's it." Fanny grabbed the sheets out of Nora's arms, throwing them back on the bed.
"Fanny, I-"
"No excuses, young lady. I want you out of this room, right now. You're not to lift a finger the rest of the day, understand?"
"But it's not-"
"Hush. I'm taking care of things. I'll see that everything is put right."
"Really, I can-"
"No, Majesty. Out."
Nora sighed and finally obeyed. She looked back once over her shoulder rather longingly, but Fanny glared at her fiercely, so she hurried out, deciding at once to visit Raven in the sickroom.
Nora was so grateful to Fanny. She had been such a help over the past few days. Nora would never have been able to get things in hand without her. Furthermore, Fanny was one of only two servants who knew for sure Nora's true identity - the princess Eleanor Rosalyn, missing daughter of Kyrria for well over a decade. The other servant who knew, of course, was Nancy. She had recognized Nora immediately, though Nora couldn't say the same, as she had been too young to remember. The rest of the servants suspected something, it was true. They saw her face, so much like Queen Ella's, and the older servants remembered the violet eyes. Still, they remained silent in Nora's presence, respectfully obeying whatever she told them to do, but gossiping up a storm the second she was out of ear-shot.
Some of them were still confused after being cursed for so long, still believing that it was sixteen years ago, still thinking that King Charmont and Queen Ella were away on their trip to Ayortha, still thinking that the princes were young boys. Many of them would never get over the confusion, even after everything had been explained to them, again and again, even after they had seen the grown-up princes themselves and become acquainted with Nora. It was a sad fact of the matter, but such were the consequences of Cassandra's stint terrorizing the countryside.
Nora passed a particularly addled servant in the hall, stopping to gently take a rake out of his arms, assuring him that it was not needed in the royal bedrooms. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but she couldn't bear to let any of the help go, especially the ones who were so far gone. She resolved to speak with her father about hiring more servants to tend to the afflicted ones, maybe setting up a wing especially for their care - the royal family owed their long-suffering employees that much, at least.
She hurried to Raven's sickroom, a chamber near enough to the kitchens and the family wing to make it convenient. He was sleeping when she entered - he had been doing a lot of that lately. She sat down in a armchair by his bedside, sighing and closing her eyes. In a way, she was enjoying running things, but she would be glad when her parents returned.
"Long day?"
Her eyes flew open. Raven was awake after all, propped up on his pillows and smiling at her. He looked much healthier. She spied his Cerulean quartz pendant tucked into his shirt. Ever since he had reclaimed it from Cassandra, he had not taken it off.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Nah. I've been trying, but lately I'm tired of it. I want to get up and do something."
"Tired of sleeping - that's an interesting notion." She chuckled at him a little.
"You wouldn't be laughing if it was you who was confined to this blasted bed."
"Oh, do be quiet. You're almost mended - you'll be running all over the place and exhausting everyone with your energy in a day or so, just like always."
He smiled at her again. "Come here." He patted the mattress invitingly.
She frowned at him but got up anyway, primly seating herself on the very edge of the bed.
He rolled his eyes. "You're insufferable." He grasped her arm, yanking her over so she fell on her side next to him.
"Raven!" she whispered fiercely, scrambling up. "What will the servants say? This isn't proper-"
"Oh, hang proper," he said cheerfully, pulling her back next to him and planting a hearty kiss on her lips. Weakly, she let him kiss her a few more times before she disentangled herself from his arms, spryly hopping off the bed.
Raven frowned, disappointed.
"Don't worry. Soon you can chase me around to your heart's content." She sat herself back in the armchair, blowing him a kiss contrarily.
He perked up at her words, settling himself back into his cushions. "Well then, miss, if I can't have a kiss, I'd like a story."
"What would you like to hear?"
"Tell me your parent's tale again, but start with the encounter with the ogres."
Happily, she complied.
The next day, Raven was allowed out of bed and the royal family returned to Frell.
The water from the rains had gone down enough that they could walk through the city streets. Still, it was about ankle-deep, and they splashed their way to the castle, expressions of sadness and confusion on their faces. Frell, at this point, was in a shambles. Not only had it already been in a state of disrepair, but the flooding had done a fair number of damage as well, only adding to its depressed state.
Char and Ella and the rest had been perplexed ever since they had set foot in Kyrria. They had met with a few border patrols, but there had been no confrontation. A few had silently stared at their passing party, looking all the world like they thought they were daydreaming. Still more they had encountered wandering around, muttering to themselves and scratching their heads. Char tried questioning these poor souls, but could get nothing of sense out of them. Still others only saluted solemnly, standing at attention long after the royals had passed.
"Char, what can it mean?" Ella had whispered, but Char could only shake his head.
Frell. The floodwaters were alarming, yes, and so was the degradation they saw everywhere, but at the same time, there were no words for the way their hearts swelled up at finally returning. The familiar cobbled streets, the castle rising up in the distance, hearing their own tongue being spoken by people passing by - home.
At first, people only turned to stare because of the soldiers accompanying the ragged group. They raised their eyebrows, but were content to write the whole lot of them off as visiting nobles who were being obnoxiously cautious. That is, until Ella drew back her hood.
Jerry touched her shoulder, giving her a look that clearly said, Do you think that's a good idea?
She looked him in the eyes for a second, and she managed to convey to him with one look that she trusted what they all felt in the air - a lightness, like a sigh of relief, like a burden had just been lifted from the city. They didn't know what it meant, but they were all hope. Ella's uncovered head, her face clearly in view, was like a test.
With Ella's hood removed, people starting paying more attention to their group. The younger citizens did not recognize her, only paying her any heed because she was rather striking to look at - a bright face, the merriment not quite fading from her eyes even though she was not smiling. It was a face that made many perk up, unconsciously returning to their clean-up with lighter hearts. It was only an older peasant woman who turned the tide.
The woman, tending to a small cart with a scanty offering of sad-looking vegetables, was one of the variable few who turned to look at the passing group of strangers. When she caught sight of Ella, she squinted for a minute, unsure if her eyes were deceiving her.
"Oh my goodness," she finally whispered, her face going slack with shock. "Oh my goodness," she said, a little louder, which caught her husband's notice. He followed her gaze to Ella, his eyes widening with disbelief.
"It can't be!" he whispered, but his wife was already pushing toward the band of travelers. She was pointing, saying something loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in hearing distance.
"They've returned!" she was saying. "The king and queen have returned! Queen Ella - King Charmont!" She finally reached the edge of their group. The Seliran soldiers tensed up, but Ella held out her hand, motioning for them to remain at ease. Everyone came to a halt as the peasant woman stood before them, looking at them all fervently before dropping into a deep bow.
There was a swift moment where everything quieted, the bustle of the street pausing for a second, and then a murmur swept up and down among the people. Ella and Char looked at each other, deciding something. Then, as if it was planned, the rest of them dropped their hoods, revealing their faces entirely, along with Ella.
There was a collective gasp - the peasant woman's outburst had drawn many, many pairs of eyes. Shouts started to rise up from the people surrounding the family, and more and more were being drawn to the commotion to see what all of the fuss was about.
"Look! The princes have returned!"
"Is that Queen Ella?"
"They're alive!"
"They have returned to Kyrria!"
"Down with Algernon!"
The cheering spread, and people came running from all directions to see if the word traveling as quick as lightning through the streets was true.
The royal family watched in complete wonder and utter humbleness as the people went to their knees - slowly at first, but then in waves. Some remained standing, still not quite believing, but most bowed reverently, welcoming their true rulers home to Kyrria.
The party that finally arrived at the castle gates had multiplied by hundreds. The people followed the royal family as they made their way up the hill, all shouting and cheering and dancing together and throwing flowers. The flood was totally forgotten, any business or clean-up that had been in progress abandoned. The crowd accompanied Ella, Char, the princes, and Mandy right up to the castle, where Nora and Raven and Phillip were waiting for them on the front steps. A crowd of servants had formed a few feet behind them, jostling to get the first look.
Nora couldn't contain herself. She broke from the formal group and ran down to welcome her family before they could set foot on the first stair.
How surprised they were, once they learned of all that had happened to Nora after she had arrived in Frell.
"We knew something was off the second we were back in Kyrria, but we had no idea that it was so. . . so huge," Gareth was saying. Everyone was seated in the sitting room in the family's private wing, chatting together over spiced ale. A roaring fire was in the grate, and a cozy, homey feeling enveloped them all.
"It was a gamble. Things could have gone a lot differently," Jerry said.
Nora glanced up at him from her spot on the floor, her hand tightening on her mug. "I don't think you-"
"But," he said, smiling slightly, "if you hadn't done anything - if you'd waited for us like we planned. . . well, we would all still be at the mercy of Cassandra, wouldn't we? Soldiers or no soldiers, it wouldn't have made a difference. It was you. I don't know how we would have managed without you, Nora."
"It's strange," David said. "I can't imagine how we ever got on without her."
"There was a hole for all those long years, that's for certain," Ella said.
Char raised his glass. "To Nora," he said.
Nora ducked her head as everyone raised their glasses of ale in response, repeating his toast.
Next to her, Raven was smiling proudly. Char turned to him, speaking with gratitude. "And to you, Raven. You were always constant and true to her. You helped keep her safe for us. We are all in your debt for that." Raven nodded slowly, taking Nora's hand in his. Char lifted his glass again. "To Raven."
They toasted and drank, and in the second of silence that followed, Phillip spoke up. "You know, I think I deserve a toast, too - after all, who went down into that nasty dungeon with Nora, not knowing if we'd ever come out? My bravery was beyond anything. My name will go down in the history books, surely. I can just see it: Phillip the Courageous vanquished the oppressors of Kyrria, and Nora sort of helped-"
Nora threw a scone at his head. Everyone was busy laughing after that. Still, once they had settled down again, Raven lifted his glass in Phillip's direction, and they all toasted him as well.
Henry, who was on his third glass, was becoming a bit cheerful and rosy-cheeked. "To everyone!" he said, sloshing his mug.
Needless to say, it was a very jolly night.
Within a week, Char was reinstated as king, relieving Nora of her fill-in duties. They strolled through the gardens together, talking things over.
"You did well," he said. "There's not a thing you did that I wouldn't have done, myself. You'll make a great ruler someday, if your path takes you in that direction."
Nora looked troubled. "Father. . . I was wondering. . ."
"Yes?"
"Well. . . is that what you expect of me? You and mother?"
Something was nagging at her. Everyday, Raven grew more and more anxious to return to Haddora. He was not bent on returning to Foothill Knell, though - he wanted to go to the capitol, Dora. What he was looking forward to, what he was hoping for, was a reunion with his father. He had told Nora the entire story of his past in a private conversation, along with his restored childhood memories of being a young prince. Nora had been fascinated, and eager to accompany him on his planned journey. The only problem was, would her parents sanction such a thing? What was the protocol, now that she was acknowledged as a princess, and must act like one?
More than any of those things was a bigger question: would she be required to marry where it would be most advantageous? Raven had not asked her, but she knew deep down that he would, someday. She also knew, deep down, that she wanted to say yes when that someday came. Would she even be able to?
Char put his arm around her, guiding her to a nearby bench and pulling her to sit next to him. He took her hand, gazing at her with a quiet, patient expression that was a mirror of one she often wore herself. "Nora, after all you've done for us, after all you've done for this country, do you really think your mother and I would force you down a path that was not your choice?"
She looked at him, her forehead still crinkled with worry. "I don't want to disappoint anyone."
Unexpectedly, Char laughed. "Disappoint anyone? How could you ever - ? Are you forgetting who your parents are? Who your mother is? If anyone wants you to have the freedom make your own choices in life, it's her. And frankly, my sweet girl, you have earned it."
"But what about being a princess? I can't just go wander off whenever I want, can I? I can't just do whatever I please."
He sobered. "Yes and no. Yes, you are a princess, and there are certain ways you must behave, now. You will be representing Kyrria wherever you go, after all. Fortunately, you already conduct yourself with grace and intelligence, Nora. I have no worries on that count. As for wandering off, you will be able to travel, with a few stipulations. It is your life. You have earned the right to decide what to do with it."
"Oh, Father. You mean - ?"
"You may do whatever your heart tells you is right. He's already asked me for your hand, though it was unnecessary. I told him yes, of course. How could I not? He's a fine young man. Your mother was ecstatic."
Nora stared at him. "My hand? Who asked you for my hand?"
Char drew up, surprised. "Oh no, have I spoiled it? You mean to tell me that he hasn't asked you yet?"
"Asked me?" she said faintly. He could only be talking about Raven, right?
He shook his head ruefully. "It seems I've spoken too soon. Let's pretend we never had this conversation, shall we? At least, that last part."
"Of course. . . " she was still reeling. She hadn't expected this so soon.
Char kissed her temple, patting her hand. "I'll let you alone for awhile to mull it over. Don't stay too long, though; your mother wants to go riding with you later, she said for me to tell you."
With that, he left her to herself, her head still spinning.
She was returning to the castle when Phillip caught up with her.
"Nora!" he called eagerly. "There you are!"
Her heart sank. Something twisted anxiously in the pit of her stomach. What if Phillip had asked for her hand? She thought it had been clear who her choice would be, if she ever had one - which now, obviously, she did. She had not explained in so many words, but hadn't it been obvious? Her mother, at least, was intuitive enough to guess. Right? Or were her parents enthusiastic about a proposal from the wrong suitor?
She didn't have time to stew on it any longer. Phillip was grabbing her hand, pulling her down a different lane of the garden, away from the castle.
"Come on," he said. "There's something I want to show you."
Her stomach was turning somersaults. Surely Phillip wasn't so daft? He knew she loved Raven. He had acknowledged it - the jealousy she sometimes caught in his eyes. . .
He was dragging her to the edge of a pond, which was mostly obscured by the long, dangling foliage of weeping willows that crowded around its bank. "Right through here," he said, pushing aside a curtain of green. Before she could walk through, he halted her for a second, squeezing her hand. Her insides were practically pirouetting, now. What was she going to do?
He leaned forward, and for a wild moment she thought he was going to kiss her.
No, she was only half right - he merely pecked her on the cheek, smiling at her conspiratorially before he pushed her toward the tree, letting the curtain of leaves fall behind her. He did not follow.
She turned, frowning at his feet, which was all she could see of him as he disappeared from view. He was leaving. That meant -
"Nora."
She turned, startled. Raven was standing by the trunk of the tree, looking at her expectantly. She took a deep breath of relief as he chuckled at her reaction, then held out his hand for her. All of a sudden, she felt as peaceful and calm as a smooth sea - her mood now reflected the surface of the nearby pond, still and gleaming like a mirror. She eagerly closed the distance between them, taking his offered hand.
"I knew there would be no chasing," he murmured, giving her a little smile. Then he led her down to the bank of the pond, where she noticed, for the first time, a little rowboat waiting. He helped her climb in, and then followed, picking up the oars and rowing them into a more secluded area, where a willow grew out from a bank and draped its leaves onto the surface of the pond. A cool breeze stirred up out of nowhere, making wisps of Nora's hair float away from her face. She closed her eyes. It was a beautiful autumn day.
"This is lovely," she said.
"So are you," was Raven's reply. She opened her eyes. He had set the oars aside and was staring at her intently. Heat spread slowly on her cheeks, painting them pink. This was a look he had been directing at her often, but one that always made her catch her breath with its force. He considered her for another moment, then shifted forward, like he wanted to move to sit beside her. The boat wiggled precariously in response, tipping slightly with his weight. He frowned, sitting back down. "Well, that's inconvenient." He settled on reaching out for her hand again, taking it in both of his own. "Anyway, we're as alone as we can possibly be." He looked at her, his expression softening as he seemed to make up his mind.
"Nora," he said, and his voice dipped into the earnest tone that she loved so much. Her heart skipped a beat as she listened. "I can't side-step around this. I must speak, I must ask you. I've loved you forever. I'll keep loving you forever - until I die, or time stops, or the world ends, or-" he stopped, catching his breath. "Will you marry me?"
She couldn't speak, she was so happy. Without realizing what she was doing, she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. The boat, meanwhile, had other plans. It was tiny, and not meant for such moments. Their combined weight on one side made the entire vessel tip, and Nora's momentum forced Raven backward along with the boat. In one instant, the entire thing capsized, tossing its passengers into the pond.
Luckily, the water wasn't deep by the bank, but they were still in it up to their waists, dripping wet. Nora couldn't have cared less. The second they surfaced, she grabbed Raven again, kissing him with renewed enthusiasm - a little too much enthusiasm. He fell over with her arms still clasped around him, making another magnificent splash. Some of the gardeners came running to see what on earth was in the pond. They peered through the curtain of leaves at the young lovers, nudging each other and smiling.
Raven was laughing his head off, meanwhile, and Nora was intent on finally getting a satisfactory kiss. Finally, he calmed enough to lean down to assist her. A long moment went by before they pulled apart.
"That was the best reaction I could've hoped for," he said finally, grinning.
She pushed his sopping wet hair out of his face. All mine, she thought.
"I love you," she said.
Eventually, Nora and Raven were able to set out on their journey back to Haddora.
Jerry, ever the rule-follower and strict older brother, would not allow them to travel alone. ("The courtiers will be chattering about nothing else if we do. Talk spreads at court, never forget. At least you're engaged, now. That should keep a few tongues from wagging.") Unwillingly, they accepted the assembled envoy that would accompany them, which included two coaches, six servants, five guards, two footmen and four drivers.
They waved goodbye to Nora's family as the coaches pulled away. They were sad to part again, but it was as Nora had thought: they would part time and time again, but there would always be a reunion to look forward to. Besides, she knew they wouldn't miss her too much. They all had much to occupy themselves. Char was busy working out strategies to rehabilitate the economy, and Ella was seeing to the new legion of servants who had been taken on to work in the freshly established care wing, for those people whom Cassandra's curse had altered beyond recovery. Jerry was constantly at Char's side, learning everything there was to know about running a country, and Gareth, Henry, and David were occupied with military training. Henry in particular wanted to fulfill his duties as a soldier for his country. Mandy often disappeared into her private pantry and gardens and was not seen for hours at a time. Nora had a feeling that she was busy brewing up vats of Tonic. Phillip, finding that Kyrria was much to his liking, decided to stay on, and Char found him some work at the stables under the head groomsman. It turned out that Phillip was very good with animals, especially horses.
Everyone was settling into routines, keeping busy and happy. With this in mind, Nora let herself feel excited about traveling again - the freedom of an open road and the anticipation of returning to Haddora.
Dora, it turned out, was a city built of stone, surrounded by pines and firs, the woodsy smell infiltrating everywhere. In the distance, the snowy peak of Mount Dagger was just visible. When their coaches pulled up in front of the castle, Nora could only stare. It wasn't like the shining white palace in Frell. It was much more rough-looking, much more akin to a fortress. The towers and turrets were not so tall and imposing, rather, the whole castle was lower, more spread-out, encased by an impressive stone wall that looked impenetrable. The courtyard was paved with more of the rough stone, but in the very center was a circle of green, and in the center of this was a towering tree, looking ancient and gnarled, though still lush with leaves.
No one came to greet their entourage. Nora and Raven glanced at each other, uncertain. "You did send them a note, didn't you?" Nora whispered.
"I did, but I never got a reply. I figured they had nothing to object to, so they didn't bother. I hope my note didn't go astray."
What he didn't tell her was that Char had actually sent the note, and Raven had simply signed his name at the bottom of it. Char had felt a letter from the king of Kyrria would give more weight to the unspoken claim: Prince Noland, supposed dead by the general populace for thirteen years, was quite alive. The message had said, quite simply:
Prince Noland of Haddora requests an audience with His Royal Majesty of Haddora, King Nathaniel. If there is no objection, Prince Noland's coach will arrive at the castle in Dora at five o'clock in the afternoon, one week hence.
Before they could get too worried about the lack of people to welcome them, a lone figure emerged from a nondescript side-door, hurrying to their coach. Nora could see that she had graying brown hair and a care-worn face. They quickly exited the coach to meet her.
"Danielle?" Raven blurted out.
The woman drew up short, staring. "Noland?" she exclaimed, her face transforming with wonder. Before he could reply, she rushed at him, flinging her arms around him. Raven smiled, returning the embrace. Danielle stepped back, lifting her hands to place one on either side of his face. She took stock of him, then smiled. "So handsome," she said. "You were only a little boy when I saw you last. Just look at you!" She tweaked his cheek before peering around him at Nora, who was standing quietly off to the side. "Is this your young lady?"
"This is my Nora. We're going to be married soon. Nora, this is Danielle. She was my nursemaid."
Danielle reached out to warmly hug Nora. "Congratulations, both of you! Lovely to meet you, you're such a pretty thing - oh, my, I'm so sorry you didn't get a better welcome. No one knew you were coming, save myself and maybe a few other servants. We've been all in an uproar for the last few weeks, understand."
As she led them inside the drafty front entrance, their envoy trailing behind with their bags, she explained.
The king, who had become more and more reclusive with each passing year to the point where he rarely showed his face to even his most trusted servants, had left his chambers one morning about a fortnight ago.
The few inhabitants left in the castle were shocked. Many had abandoned their posts as the failing king continually lost his grip. The ones remaining were the most loyal, or too old to find new situations. They were flabbergasted to see the king wandering around. Most had not caught a glimpse of him in ten years. He was not quite in his right mind, but yet was more lucid than anyone could ever remember him being. He kept muttering to himself, over and over, "She's gone. . . she's gone. . ."
Even more surprising was when he had started asking whomever he passed the same question: "Where is my son?" The king had not mentioned Prince Noland since the month after the boy's death (or, rather, his disappearance).
At this point in Danielle's story, tears were pricking Raven's eyes. Nora touched his shoulder. He turned, wiping his face on his sleeve, trying to be discreet, but Danielle saw anyway. She stopped, looking at him in a melancholy way.
"He fell apart when you disappeared. I've never seen a man with such great sadness in him. Not long after, maybe a month, is when she first visited - the fairy. No one else knew. She used to appear in his chamber - she found me spying, once. I was going to get help, but she threatened me, and worst of all, my son. She was using the king, twisting his mind and making him confused. After her visits, he used to sit for hours in his room, just sobbing. He is no more to blame for the past thirteen years than you are. He was her puppet, her dummy. She is gone, now, isn't she? For good?"
They wordlessly nodded. Nora tucked her arm through Raven's, linking them together.
Danielle continued. "I'm afraid. . . I'm afraid there isn't much of him left, Noland. It hurts me to say this, but you must prepare yourself." He was staring at the floor, his sunny face dimmed. She leaned forward, trying to get him to meet her eyes. "Would you like to see him? I was going to let you get settled, first, but. . ."
"Take me to him," Raven said, looking up and squeezing Nora's hand. She squeezed back with reassuring pressure.
Danielle instructed their servants to take the luggage to the guest rooms. Then she turned down a different hallway, leading Nora and Raven down a corridor, through a creaking door, and up a tower to a bank of rooms far away from the rest of the castle. She hesitated once before pushing through an arched door, standing aside and holding it open so they could pass through.
The air in the room was warm and heavy. The chamber was mostly devoid of furniture but for a large four-poster bed and a few chairs. A man sat in one of them by a dwindling fire. Nora knew he couldn't be any older than her own parents, yet his hair and shaggy beard were snow-white. He turned at their entrance, lifting a slightly shaking hand to tug at his beard absentmindedly while he stared at them. His eyes were the exact same hazel as Raven's. They looked large and scared, set in his frail face.
"Majesty? You have a visitor." Danielle went and kneeled in front of him, taking his bony hands and rubbing them with her own. She spoke slowly and carefully, looking right at him. "Your son is here. Remember? You've been asking for him. Your son."
The king lifted his head, looking at Raven. "My son?" he said, his forehead wrinkled. His voice was very quiet and slightly hoarse from disuse. Nora suddenly remembered that this was a man who had once loved to use it to play notes on his whistle and tell his son stories. Oh, Cassandra had stolen much from him, and Nora's heart could only squeeze with pity.
As Danielle carefully drew away, Raven took a few steps toward Nathaniel. "Father? Do you know me?"
"My son was a little boy. . . just a little boy. . ."
Raven's voice was exceedingly gentle. "Many years have passed, Father. I am that same boy. I am Noland."
As Nathaniel took in Raven's heavy black hair, his open, earnest features, his hazel eyes, a flicker of recognition passed over his face. He didn't speak again, just lifted a tremulous hand in his son's direction. Raven fell to his knees in front of his father, letting the frail man grip his fingers with what little strength he had.
They did not speak for a long time, and eventually Nora and Danielle tip-toed out, leaving them alone to try to recover pieces of what should have been.
Hand-in-hand, Nora and Raven walked through the castle together, exploring. Raven had already shown her his old bed chamber, as well as the stables - his old pony, Lightening, was still alive. Raven had been delighted to find him, and they had spent three-quarters of an hour currying the beast and feeding him bits of carrot.
Many of the old servants that had been at the castle when Raven was small were still there, and they all wanted to grasp his hand and clap him on the shoulder. He knew each of them by name, even after so much time.
Now they walked slowly through an echoing hallway, examining a gallery of large oil portraits of the past kings of Haddora. Nora stared at each in turn, trying to find a bit of Raven in his ancestors, but Raven was distracted.
"Nora," he said quietly. "There's something we must discuss."
"Your father," she said. They were standing under his portrait, a much younger version of Nathaniel, possibly how he looked when he first took the throne. His hair was thick and the same texture as Raven's, but it was sandy brown instead of black. His face was stern and rather serious, but the painter had managed to capture some sort of elusive twinkle in his eyes. They were beautiful eyes; Raven's eyes. Green and amber and gold ringed the pupils, even a few tiny flecks of blue.
"Yes. He. . . he's not fit to rule. He hasn't been for years - Cassandra took complete control, eventually. We were lucky we stopped her when we did. He was that close to losing his mind. And. . . and I'm the prince. I have a duty to my country, to him. I know we haven't talked about our future in much detail, but-"
"But you want to fulfill that duty."
"Yes - Nora, I know this isn't what you signed up for, when you said you would marry me, and I hope you know that I would never-"
"Hush," she said, pressing her fingers to his lips. She looked at him carefully for a moment before she continued. "When I said I would marry you, that meant that I was ready to throw my future in with yours. That hasn't changed. I want to be beside you, always." She shrugged. "Anyway, after you told me about your past, I anticipated something like this. A prince always has obligations, but then, so does a princess."
"That's true. It didn't quite become real to me until we came here, though." He looked soothed, but still slightly apprehensive. "So, the thought of being a queen doesn't. . . frighten you? After all, we're both entirely new to this whole 'royal' thing. At times, it seems like the most daunting position in the world. At times, I find myself longing for our simple peasant existence. . . when I was just a blacksmith's apprentice, and you were just the girl from the forest. But-"
"But things have changed. We can never go back." She paused. "I don't want to."
He looked down at her face, and he read the quiet certainty there. She had chosen her path, and she would walk it with him.
"Neither do I," he said.
He firmly took her hand again, and they continued together down the hallway of ancestors, of whose ranks they were one day destined to join.