(A/N I'm not even going to adress how late this is, I think you all know the schtick. If someone's reading this, please tell! Low action chapter. Already working on the next one. Hopefully, it will be published at the very least this year xD)

Chapter 34: Reunification

Odale really, really didn't like traveling by boat. She was constantly sea sick, but Philip - Honoria's brother- made her feel better. He had been tasked with escorting her back to the Castle, making sure she was safe. Philip was sweet, and his face somewhat resembled that of a teddy bear, with large features and innocent eyes. He was funny, too, but in such an innocent way that Odale almost thought that he was just acting. Almost. Yet the world needed people who were more like him, people who were kind without demanding anything for it. "How are you holding up?" he asked her now, as she leaned on the railing. The Wizard Tower was getting closer and closer each day and, she'd been told, they'd be there within a day or two. Although she'd only been gone a month or so, it felt more like it had been a year since she the last time she was there, and Simon and Lucy's wedding felt like it had been an eternity ago.

She was getting restless. Home was so close, but yet so far, if she'd even feel like home there anymore. Not that she thought anything as home. Everything in her life, Odale thought, was temporary. Her home in the Tower was temporary, as soon as she'd complete her apprenticeship she'd have to leave. Back when she lived with DomDaniel, she'd always known that it was temporary, even if she'd just been a little kid. That sooner or later her master, who she'd adored, would turn on her. Now, maybe she'd have a place in the Eastern Snowplains she'd have a home, at the very least until her grandfather would pass. Then what? No one knew who'd be the next emperor or empress, and that person might not like her sticking around. "Lady Odale?" Philip very gently touched her shoulder, "How are you?"

Odale blinked twice. "Oh... sorry, I got lost in my thoughts," she said, "I'm, er, fine, thank you."

"You're not nervous about going home, are you?" Philip asked.

Yes. In a way. "No," she replied, "Not at all."

She'd never considered lying about feelings to be lying at all. It was protecting. Herself, her secrets, and other people. Besides, why would Philip need to know that she was afraid that she'd no longer be apprenticed to Marcia, to anyone once she'd be back? Not that she thought Marcia annul her apprenticeship, but maybe she would have had to. She had, after all, suspected that Odale'd been badly hurt. Maybe... No. No, she couldn't think like that, she couldn't think about that. "I mean, I guess I could've stayed a little bit longer," she admitted, "But I have-"

"Duties elsewhere, yes," Philip said, "Everyone understands that. But will you be coming back?"

Odale nodded. "Yes," she said, "Definetly. As soon as I can. But I've missed too much... stuff."

She drummed her fingers on the railing. "And," she added, her voice trembling, "I miss my aunt, I miss Septimus, I miss my mum, I... miss home, I guess."

"She likes you a lot, you know," Zamir said. "Not romantically, but she has a lot of respect for you. That's not easy to accomplish."

Zamir was laying on his back and Septimus sat on the armchair next to it. It was late. Both of them were exhausted. It had been an extraordinarily long day. Septimus sighed. "She likes you too, Zam," he said.

"Sure, but she doesn't respect me like that," Zamir replied. "I-uh-oh."

He sat up, rubbing his temples. Zam, it was Odale's voice, Zam, are you at the Tower?

Septimus was giving him a worried look. Yeah, I'm at the Tower. With Septimus. What is it?

I don't know the new password, she sounded apologetic. I can't materialize inside, I don't want to wake the whole Tower.

I'm coming, Zamir stood up.

"What is it?" Septimus asked. Zamir hesitated for a few seconds. He didn't know why. Maybe, he thought, he would've prefered to meet Odale first by himself. Without Septimus. Was that jealousy?

"Odale's here," Zamir said, "Downstairs, she needs to be let in."

He hurried downstairs. Septimus followed. They didn't bother waiting for the stairs to move downwards, instead the walked all the way down. It was Zamir who opened the doors. At first, none of them realized who it was. The girl outside was wearing strange clothes in red and gold, her long darke hair was put up and she was wearing kohl around her eyes. "Zam?" she put down the big box she was carrying and threw her arms around Zamirs neck, threw almost all of her weight against him. He staggered, but hugged her back. They hugged eachother for a really long time. Zamir buried his nose in her hair, drawing in her scent and she was running her fingers through his long hair. Odale, for the first time in a while, allowed herself to cry.

Finally, they pulled apart. Septimus also got a hug. "Your hair's too messy," Odale quipped, "Can't run my fingers through that bird's nest."

Those final words were clearly poking fun at Marcia. Septimus smiled, picked up the box that she'd dropped on the floor. "I'll carry this for you," he said. "Are you coming up?"

She frowned. "Oh, Sep, I don't know..." Septimus noticed that she was holding onto Zamir's arm. "I don't feel like waking her up and going through all that stuff. I mean I feel like being well rested for that. Zam, could I..?"

"A sleepover sounds great," Zamir said. "Sep..?"

"I'll be going back," Septimus replied. "Should I bring this up for you?"

"Yes please," Odale said, "Thank you, you're so kind."

They all took the stair up, but while Zamir and Odale got off at Zamir's floor, Septimus continued up. "How are you doing?" Zamir asked Odale, closely studying her face. She was different, he thought. Her face and hair seemed polished and thought through down to every detail, in sharp contrast to her former self. If he'd seen her like this back when she was going by the name of Laurine, he'd never have recognized her. He almost didn't now. Still, the wave of affection and adoration he'd felt for her then was unchanged.

With a heavy sigh, she sank down on his bed. "Exhausted," she replied. Her attire consisted of several layers of clothing and she carefully removed the red overcoat with gold pattern and the overskirt out of gently rustling silc. "How's everyone here?"

"Anxious, I think," Zamir said, taking his place next to her, "About the ring and all, even though Marcia says that Marcellus will be ready to destroy it very soon. And we've been worried for you."

"I wish I would've been able to get back sooner," Odale said, twisting the bracelet on her wrist. "But... strange as it sounds... I'm glad I got to be there."

Zamir nodded his head. He'd also liked visiting the place where his family was from, if only for a little while. "I missed you a lot," he told her. He'd hated the fact that they'd been fighting before she left, and had trembled in fear of the idea that it might have been the last thing they ever did together. Odale grasped his hand.

"I missed you too," she said and yawned. "Almost as much as I've missed sleeping in the Tower. Do you mind if..."

She pulled at the cover underneath them, crawling underneath it. Zamir joined her. They'd slept like this maybe a hundred times, back in the day. When they were kids, out of missions, spying and worse. It had been a good way to keep warm, when the both of them were too tired to be able to guard a fire. Even then, they'd been able to joke with eachother, even though Odale had been a little frosty at first. Or Laurine, as he'd known her then. Under the covers, Odale grasped his hand again. "I'm sorry we fought," she murmured sleepily. "You're my best friend, even though you're an idiot. Most of the time."

Zamir had to smile. This, he thought, is my Odale.

Odale was the first one to wake up the next day. She rubbed her eyes, smudging kohl on her hands. It still felt as if the world was swaying like a ship, from being on that boat. Especially in the morning. Zamir was sleeping heavily next to her, snoring lightly. His eyepatch had slid upward slightly, showing the roughened skin pulled it down, knowing that it was what he would've wanted. She wished she could find something that would help him control it, even though she suspected that it was only half the reasons why he wanted to hide it. Zamir was ashamed of his condition, but she wished he wasn't. It wasn't like he had any control over it. Not wanting to wake him up, she quietly gathered all of her clothes and put them in a pile on the chair next to his bed then went to wash her face clean before going upstairs to meet Marcia.

Everything in Zamir's room seemed tiny to her, after she'd spent a week at the palace, where everything was big and vast and far apart. Here, she could barely take three steps before stepping into the bathroom. It was cozy, in a way. She prefered this to that massive amount of space.

"I've missed you," she heard him say as she was gathering her things. He was still in bed, peering up at her from underneath the covers.

"I missed you too," she replied. "Look, I have to go. Marcia will want to see me. I hope she's not mad at me."

Zamir snorted. "You kidding? She's been worried sick! 'Course she's not mad at you," he said. Odale wasn't so sure. Of course, getting caught hadn't been her fault, even though she was aware that she might have been tempting fate. Marcia had in fact told her not to go out alone and not to pick fight with the rebel boys. She just hadn't listened, and if she had... well, much would be different. Different, she thought, not necessarily better. She wouldn't have met her grandfather, wouldn't have met the Porters, Davilius, or... Her cheeks turned red. Alistair. They had parted in such a weird way, an awful way really. He had been cruel to her, her, as if they hadn't known each other. As if he hadn't saved her, as if she hadn't then saved him in turn. As if they'd never knew each other. It hurt, she had to admit.

"Really?" She was aware that she shouldn't be surprised. Marcia was her aunt, she about her after all. "See you later, Zam. I... uh, see you later."