-Kelvey-
Thorn went up to speak to King Kalmar. I shivered, having no idea what would happen next.
He bowed and then let his voice carry.
"King Kalmar of Anniera, I have something to ask you."
"Speak, Thorn, and it may be done," was the response that came out of the young king's mouth.
"You know I am Hollish. I've lived there all of my life. The thing I ask of you is this- give me citizenship in Anniera, and a means of living to stay."
"You ask this well," Kalmar said, and I was standing close enough to see a smile spread over his face and was close enough to hear him whisper, "Nice grammar. Mama can't turn you away now," which made Thorn blush.
"I will grant you this, and anything you ask for, a title, land, you name it." He said.
I turned away from the stage, crying. I had lost my family.
-Janner-
I had my family back.
Leeli and Kalmar, and everyone else, was out in the crowd. I was hiding in between the dragons, with my mother and Sara.
"Are you worried?" Mama asked me, seeming to read my thoughts. "People will be thrilled that their Throne Warden is back."
I swallowed. "It's not that. It's just, what would Esben think of this? Shouldn't I have accepted my fate as he did? Instead of fighting it?"
"You did the bravest thing you could have," Mama said. "Your father's death isn't your fault."
"It sure feels like it," I muttered.
Mama shook her head and walked away.
"You're very brave," Sara said after a moment. I looked over and her gaze was fixed on a singular cloud n the sky.
"Me? I'm not brave. I'm no hero. I shouldn't even be a Throne Warden. I left you in that factory. I saved myself and left you and all those kids. What's happened to them now? Are they still trapped in the factory?"
"No," Sara said quietly. "I brought them out and gave them back to their families."
I twisted to look at her. "You did?"
She nodded, still fixed on her cloud.
"I did. They called themselves my army. My orphans . . . they were so brave. And Borely. He was the first one. Later, he called himself my general."
"Wow," I said. "You did so much. And I just . . . left."
"You had to," Sara said. "And you did still help. Without you, I forgot what hope was like. You're the only reason I was able to save those children. Your escape reminded me of the days I dreamed. Of leaving, getting back home, but never acting on them."
She turned to look at me for the first time in the conversation.
Diamond eyes.