…
New York City
…
In the days that followed, not much was said in James's household.
Margaret refused to speak to anyone, but she had taken to drawing people and creatures from the Underland. Her creations now covered the walls of the penthouse. James was surprised his wife hadn't torn them down yet. He'd caught Grace staring emptily at Margaret's creations more than once.
Lizzie had declared immediately after the news about Gregor was broken to her that she was going to study Environmental Science and Politics in college, with the goal of becoming an advocate for the Underland. He'd hardly seen his elder daughter out of her room since. New textbooks had arrived in big boxes at the penthouse every day since her declaration, and James had no idea how she was reading so quickly.
He was perhaps the most concerned about his wife. He'd known her long enough to know that her coping mechanism was to feign normalcy. Now, she wasn't even doing that. James was doing all of the cooking and cleaning now, and Grace hardly had the energy to get out of bed and take a shower.
James was the only one out of all of them who was functioning semi-normally. After all, he'd gotten the chance to say a real goodbye. He'd had time to come to terms with Gregor's departure. The rest of his family hadn't had that chance.
Still, he was devastated. Sometimes he'd be walking down the hallway and glimpse Gregor in the family photo on the wall, and his heart would clench. Or he'd be doing something entirely unrelated to his son, like reading a book, and he'd suddenly feel a pang of sorrow.
It would be a long time before he healed, if ever. More importantly, he wasn't sure if what remained of his family would ever heal from the loss. James took some comfort in knowing his son was alive and at home somewhere far beneath his feet. He prayed every night for Luxa's recovery. Still, it was the fact that the forever separation of their worlds had been avoidable that gnawed at him. If only the Overlanders had been a little less selfish, a little less ignorant, and a little more willing to bridge differences… James's fists clenched.
James was jolted out of his thoughts by the ringing of his phone. Another interview? He sighed, not checking the caller ID and answering. "Hello?"
"James…" a familiar voice said over the phone. "Can we talk?"
James's blood went cold. "Mrs. Cormaci," he said. "What could possibly remain to be said between us?"
A pause. "I want to apologize… and offer an explanation."
Holding the phone close to his ear, James left the family room and shut himself in the empty guest room, where he was less likely to be overheard. "Go on," he said once he was settled.
"After the earthquake," she said, "I knew that it would only be a matter of time before the Underland would be revealed to our world. I wanted to stay out of it at first. I knew that if I said anything, your family would be implicated, and that was the last thing I ever wanted."
A deep breath came through the phone. "And then Gregor came through the door, determined to go down there and wrench your family apart again. So, after he left… I called the police."
James's hands tightened around his armrests. "Not only did you sell us out… you started all of this," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"I didn't know what they'd do the Underland, or to you and your family," Mrs. Cormaci pleaded. "I thought that they'd bring Gregor home, and negotiate a peace with the Underlanders."
James laughed. "Gregor never learned how to live in the Overland again after the War of Time, not even after five years in Virginia," he said. "Who are you to make that decision for my family?"
"What Gregor did was selfish," Mrs. Cormaci insisted. "He never let the Underland go like he should have, so he never even gave himself a chance to fall in love with Virginia. He was determined not to be a part of your family because his mind was trapped in the past. Just like my late husband."
So there it was. "Gregor is not your husband," James said. "Who am I to tell him where his home is? My job as a father is to empower him to live the life he chooses for himself, regardless of my own personal feelings. Doing anything but that? Now that is selfish."
A long silence. "Maybe you're right," Mrs. Cormaci said finally. "But you cannot argue with the damage I know his decision must have caused."
James said nothing to that.
"Do what I should have done years ago," Mrs. Cormaci said. "Gregor has chosen his path. Let him go. Leave New York, leave Virginia, leave everything of the past behind. Let your family settle in a new place, with new names. Start over, together."
James said nothing. The idea was appealing. With the sheer amount of interviews he'd given, with the insane amount of international attention he had drawn, he'd never be able to live a normal life again unless he did as Mrs. Cormaci suggested.
But yet, he'd made a promise to his son—to remain in Virginia for the rest of his days. Maybe it was foolish, but he hoped that one day, if Gregor knew where to find him, he'd visit. Even if it was just once, it would be worth staying and suffering as a celebrity.
"I will support my daughters and wife in whatever they decide," he said. "I will live with them, and rebuild my family the best I am able. However, I will always maintain a tie to Virginia, because that is where I told Gregor I would be if he needed me."
Mrs. Cormaci laughed. "You're just like your son, aren't you? You know, Mr. Barwell took my sons—once I made that initial call, I didn't really have much choice but to turn you and your family in. But now I see that perhaps this end was inevitable from the start. You shouldn't live for Gregor anymore—the boy you love is gone. He's never coming back. You know that. Yet, you won't accept it. Maybe you will once your daughters are damaged enough. I hope it isn't too late by then. I wish you the best of luck, despite yourself."
A sharp click, and the line died. James pulled his phone away from his ear and saw that Mrs. Cormaci had hung up on him. He sighed. It would be all too easy to blame Mrs. Cormaci for everything, yet this mess was far beyond her. She was another victim, damaged and blinded by her own trauma. As was he.
How could his family start over and be whole again? He had no idea, and maybe it was impossible. However, it certainly wouldn't happen if he sat around all day doing nothing to try to make it happen. One step in front of another.
So James stood up, walked out of the room, and set about gathering his daughters and wife for a family discussion in the living room.
…
Uncharted Lands
…
Gregor sat alone in Gorger's old cave, his hands running over the rusted cuffs still lying on the floor.
"Hey, Dad," Gregor said. "I know this is kind of a bad place to think about you, but… this is where I feel closest to you down here." He took a deep breath. "Two years, seven months, and fourteen days. That's how long we all lived without you."
Gregor listened to his voice echo in the cave before he continued on with his rambling. "Now it's me, down here, away from all of you," he said. "I promised you. One day, I will return. I haven't forgotten about all of you. Even though the Underland is where I belong, it shouldn't mean that I have to be forever separate from all of you."
Gregor leaned back against the wall, where he knew his father must have hundreds of times during his imprisonment. He fiddled with the gold band on his hand. "I'm getting married today, Dad." He smiled. "Luxa. She lived. Together, we're going to build a bright future in the Underland and all its creatures. No more war. It's going to be a golden age, Dad."
He forced a picture of the Virginia farm into his mind. "I wish I could have been happy there, Dad. It would've been easier for all of us. I chose the path I did because it was the only one my heart allowed me to. The Underland is my home, and Luxa is the one for me. I don't think anything could have ever changed that. Maybe it's selfish, but I need to live for myself. What I was doing before wasn't working. I'm sorry."
Gregor thought about all his Dad had done for him over the past couple months during the conflicts with the cutters and the Overlanders. "Thank you," he whispered. "You're stronger than I am, and you've taught me so much, even just through your actions. You came out of your imprisonment here stronger than you were before. That takes a special kind of person. One that I can only hope to be."
Gregor stood. "I'll tell you in person one day, Dad. I'll tell you all about what I built and accomplished down here. You'll meet our kids. I can't wait to hear about what you'll have done with your life," he said. "That's a promise."
Gregor the Underlander took off running down the tunnel, the old route coming back to him immediately. He rounded a corner, and that cliff was once again before him, except this time he didn't have an army of gnawers on his tail.
Neptune startled from his perch by the cliff as he saw Gregor running towards the edge.
"Catch," Gregor grinned at his bond. He reached the end of the cliff, and so one final time, Gregor leaped.
…
Regalia
…
Luxa knelt by the river, running her hands through the clear water.
"Hey, Vikus," she said. "I'm getting married today."
A beat. "To Gregor. I know Solovet is probably angered by this. Tell her that it was never going to be anyone else. Tell her that we will build such a peace in the Underland together that it would withstand even a young her and a young me put together." She let out a laugh.
A long moment passed, and Luxa gradually grew somber. "All of this would've been so much easier if you'd just lived a few months longer," she whispered. "Maybe you could've prevented all this bloodshed."
Her hand smacked against the stone ground. "It's my fault you died," she croaked out hoarsely. "I broke your heart after what I did in that gnawer rebellion. I still see your face sometimes when I close my eyes. How you reacted when you heard the news."
She forced her mind back to that dark time. The last of the rebel leaders, the Bane worshippers, refusing to come out of their cave, hiding behind their pups. If she had delayed, they might have been able to get away, or reinforcements might have saved them and prolonged the conflict. So instead of that, she had smoked them out, hoping to get them to flee the cave and into the swords of her soldiers. Except they'd never come out. When Luxa had eventually entered the cave with her men, she'd puked at the sight.
Pale and cold gnawer pups, dead and curled at the feet of their dead rebel parents. Forty-one of them in all.
She shivered. "You were right all along," she told Vikus. "The sword was never a path to peace. It hurts the innocent most of all. I know that better than anyone. That's something I'll have to carry with me, forever."
Luxa bowed her head low, her forehead and golden crown pressing against the cold stone, the water gently lapping at her skin. "I'll carry your voice with me forever, Grandfather," she said. "You taught me so much. I only wish I had listened sooner. Wish me luck, will you?"
She stood, and began her long walk alone back to the palace.
…
Many hours later, Gregor stood at the altar, overlooking the sea of people and creatures that filled the grand Regalian courtyard. It was the largest gathering of Underland life Gregor had ever seen in a time that wasn't war. Hundreds upon hundreds of humans, and just as many gnawers; hundreds of fliers, with Queen Athena and Nike both in attendance; many spinners, led by Queen Wevox; tens of crawlers, led by Temp; and there was even a small contingent of diggers in the back, led by their King whose name only Hazard could pronounce.
Outside the courtyard, hundreds more filled the streets of Regalia, the full-on celebration of Luxa and Gregor's marriage already begun. Even though the actual marriage was still minutes away. But in a way, the marriage was more than just them. It was the first positive thing to happen to the Underland in months. Beyond that, the marriage marked the beginning of a new era. There was an infectious energy in the air, and everyone present could sense it.
Seated at the front of the sprawling crowd were the ones Gregor and Luxa cared about most. Neptune, Hazard, Nerissa, Stellovet and her siblings, Helena, and Mareth. All were smiling up at him, and Gregor could only tap his foot in anticipation.
Far away, the crowd parted, and Gregor's breath caught.
Luxa wore a gorgeous, long, flowing white dress, adorned with her family's jewels and emblems. Howard walked with her, his arm linked through hers. Her violet eyes shined from behind her thin veil. As she moved toward him, she almost seemed to glide over the ground. Gregor had no idea how she managed it, with her body still in recovery from the bullet wound and the stampede.
She was perfect.
Slowly, she ascended the steps to the altar, coming to a stop across from Gregor. Howard sat down in the front row next to Stellovet. The crowd finally fell silent.
"We gather here today to witness the marriage of our Queen, Luxa, to Gregor, Protector of the Underland. Let this day be the first of many joyous ones in your life together," the priest said. "Let this day welcome in a new era, a time of peace in Regalia not seen even under Sandwich."
The crowd roared its approval. The priest held up his hand, smiling. "I see there are no objections, so let us carry on. Gregor, you may now say your vows."
Gregor met Luxa's eyes with a smile, which were watering. "I, Gregor, take you, Luxa, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
Luxa held out her hand, and he slid his ring on her finger. Scattered cheers were quickly shushed.
"Now, Luxa," the priest said, "You may recite your vows."
"I, Luxa, take you, Gregor, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death," she choked out. "This is my solemn vow."
As Luxa slid her ring onto his hand, the crowd roared, drowning out what the priest was trying to say next. However, Gregor didn't need a prompt to know the next step.
Gregor lifted away Luxa's veil, leaned in slowly, and enveloped her into a deep kiss.
And thus, from that day forth, Regalia finally had a King as well as a Queen.
…
Many hours later, Gregor and Luxa laid in their bed in each other's arms, after a long day of festivities. Their naked bodies, long since spent, were intertwined.
"You know," Gregor said suddenly, interrupting their content silence. "The cutter queen had an unhatched female larva. I didn't kill it. There's going to be another cutter queen someday."
Luxa rolled over to face him, her eyes shining with pride. Her response was immediate and without hesitation.
"Good."
…
The Fount
…
Three days after the wedding, Helena stood on the brow of a ship, squinting out at the dark sea ahead of her. Giving up on her weak Overlander eyes, she instead cast out her senses with her echolocation, and was startled to find that there truly was nothing for miles in every direction. Maybe the Waterway was truly endless.
It couldn't be though. One day, Helena would find its end. One day, Helena would return with notes and maps of all she found out there, and the Underland would grow an equal amount. And then she'd be off on her next adventure. The jungles, the Firelands? There was so much to see, so much to record. Luckily, she had a good team with her.
Mareth stood to her right, holding her hand softly, his gaze warm. Behind him, Araxes flared his massive wings as he landed on the boat. Twenty loyal human volunteers, ten on each side, manned the oars. They were ready.
From the dock, a small crowd had gathered to see them off. King Gregor and Queen Luxa waved at her, so she happily waved back. They'd generously given her a month's worth of rations for her expedition, after which, her crew would have to fend for themselves. They'd also helped her gather the volunteers.
She looked to Mareth. "Thank you for coming with me," she told him.
He smiled back at her, giving her hand a squeeze. "There isn't anywhere I'd rather be," he said.
As the boat set sail, Helena didn't look back once. Her gaze remained fixed on the horizon, imagining the endless possibilities.
"This is what I was born to do," she said aloud to no one in particular. "To explore. To record. To admire. To preserve." She took a breath. "Life is not about what the world throws at me, or what tries to break me. It's always about the next step. And that—that I have control over. This life is my own."
So the boat sailed on, away from what was known and into her brave new future.
…
Author's Note
There will be an epilogue, but this chapter marks the end of the main story. I hope you all enjoyed the ride, and the payoffs at the end. I've done my very best to keep the themes, characters, and plot consistent. I'm pleased at what I've been able to create, especially after a six year hiatus. Let me know how you think I did.
In case you are wondering how true I kept to my original vision for this story, check out the cover drawing that I made for this fic all those years ago. See the boats in the cover? The last scene of this chapter is what I had in mind ;)
There will be a more lengthy author's note after the epilogue, but from the bottom of my heart: thank you for reading this story, and for being patient with me while I found it within me to finish it. I'll see you all soon for one last update.
- Gyltig
