It was wonderful to see her again.
The large courtyard of Meyrin Castle was filled with happy people, sharing bread, meat, and wine as in the best days of a life lived years ago.
At the center of it all was that little girl who was so tender it was hard not to love her, especially for her, who couldn't clearly see anyone else's faces, although she could distinguish that girl as clearly as when she was alive.
She stayed close to her, as she always did when she could, when she visited the castle. They couldn't hear each other, but sometimes, just being close was enough to feel even a fleeting comfort.
The people around, mere shadows to her, began to move, they were applauding, bringing the little girl a cake. She could imagine its taste, surely similar to those she had tasted in life from the same castle kitchens. Now that it was back in her family's hands. It had a hundred candles, all unlit, of course, the little girl breathed fire, this made more sense.
From the small, rosy lips of the little princess came a fire of beautiful lilac color in all directions. No one seemed to fear the flames, and even some people were touched by them without anyone seeming to notice. She herself, standing right in front of the cake, was bathed in fire, of course, it didn't matter, being as she was, insubstantial.
Suddenly, the sounds of the world cleared, the shadows turned into people, the murmurs into voices, color returned to the world as if a thick fog had lifted. People began to stir, to rise from their seats, and to shout. Pointing in her direction.“Mommy!” the little girl shouted with a smile from ear to ear. “I told you! I found her!!”
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Nothing in the world could have prepared Freydelhart for what happened that day. Eri was celebrating her seventh birthday, her second time with them, when her purple flame revealed none other than the spirit of Erina. There was no doubt, it was her; anyone who had spent more than a day at Meyrin Castle could never forget her face, especially if they knew Eri.
She was wearing full armor, her hair in a long pink braid, and she looked around as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Queen Eyren was the first to react, running towards the apparition, who opened her arms, but they were unable to touch, passing through each other like a column of smoke. King Bestolf approached slowly, his eyes filled with tears that neither his strength nor his demeanor could hold back. The apparition looked at them tenderly and said something, but the sound was barely a murmur, impossible to understand.
“She says she loves you, that she is always watching over you,” Eri said, her eyes glowing violet, using the power of the princes. “I think I can make everyone hear her.”
Eri exhaled as if in a scream, and her violet fire spread once more. When it faded, Freydelhart could see the same purple glow in the eyes of everyone present.
He himself now saw the apparition more clearly, and a very faint blue light was perceived all around.
A figure made its way through the crowd, his face almost a death mask, seemingly trying to emerge from a state of shock. Bestenar muttered his sister's name like someone begging for water in the desert, and in the same way, he walked as if his strength had been consumed by thirst.
“Erina? Is it really you?”
“Little Bestie,” she replied, her voice like an echo in the depths, “yes, it's me. Look at you, how you've changed, you're a grown man now. Where have you been?”
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“Forgive me,” he said, falling to his knees before her, his forehead against the ground. “I let you die, I shouldn't have left, I could have…”
“Well, it seems you haven't changed that much, little brother,” she replied, crossing her arms and looking away. “Everything has to be about you. Get up, idiot, you were eleven years old and barely had any meat on your bones. I thank the goddess you weren't here that day.”
“Arrogant as always, Erina. Come on, would it have been so bad? How long have you been alone?”
The ghostly woman approached the still-kneeling boy and made a gesture to touch his cheek with her immaterial fingers.
“I'm never alone here, brother.”
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Eri wanted to talk to the daughter of Queen Eyren's daughter. She felt embarrassed for barely knowing her name; it was only in Pellegrin that they had explained to her that there could be many queens. It made sense; if there were many kings, there could also be many queens. The problem was that Mom wouldn't let her get close. She said it was a family moment.
But Eri had a very important question to ask her, one that couldn't wait. She slipped out of Mom's hand and ran to where the fool had just gotten up from the ground.
“Miss! Please, you have to tell me if it's true that I ate you,” she looked at Bestenar with red, wet eyes. “Tell me the truth, I need to know.”
“You are the little one who came out of the egg. Do you know that you were the only one I could see clearly? I watched over you for five years in the throne room. I think you couldn't see or hear me. It's a shame. Forgive me, you didn't devour me, little one. I tried to kill you and failed.”
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Freydelhart remembered immediately, “My mommy was in this room,” Eri had told him that the dragon who cared for her said. “I think the goddess has punished me,” the woman continued, “giving you my face and forcing me to watch you grow, to love you as I would have loved a daughter. I couldn't leave the room until a man took you with him.”
Eri was still crying, but her smile, full of nostalgia, appeared on her face. Frey approached, also needing answers, Runaesthera was by his side, mute with anguish and anticipation.
“I am the one who took Eri from the throne room, no, I am now Eri's father. I beg you to tell us exactly what happened.”
“You are…” the young woman paused, bringing her hands to her face, “Freydelhart, the dragon-slaying hero. Isn't it? What an honor to finally meet you, I don't know what to say, you are a legend, I always wanted to be like you. I didn't recognize you that day, in the ether everything looks blurry, and the voices are like murmurs. If you are the one who has taken care of the little one, I know she will be fine. I even envy her a little,” the ghostly figure of Erina changed her body language, Frey couldn't distinguish what she was expressing, but Runa seemed upset. Frey cleared his throat to indicate she should continue.
“Oh yes, I'm sorry,” she said visibly embarrassed, she had the appearance of a veteran warrior and being a spirit made her ominous, but at that moment, she behaved like a young girl before a figure of authority, “the day of the attack I saw the castle butler running with the king's egg in his hand, it's not easy to break one, but maybe he didn't know that. He took it to the throne room, where I imagine he tried to destroy it in a thousand ways. Meanwhile, the dragon king fought three or four other dragons, they were especially large to distract him, I thought I would have the opportunity and attacked his head with my silver spear. I could only damage his right eye, and that was my downfall, he crushed me with his claw like a fly against the tower wall. Without the unicorn horn on my spear, I would have died immediately. I disappointed everyone. I'm sorry Father, Mother, I could never be the person you prepared me to be.”
King Bestolf's face collapsed, he tried to stay firm while his wife held him to keep from falling to the ground in a sea of tears.
“I lay in the courtyard until the dragon king finally devoured the others, let out a plaintive roar after searching for his egg all over the courtyard without any success, and simply left. It took me hours, but I was able to stand up and walk to the throne room, there was Master Frigg with the egg. It seemed like it was about to open, so I stabbed it with my spear before it happened, the next thing I knew the world went dark, I could see my own bones fall to the ground and my spear melt into nothing. That wasn't supposed to happen. A little later I saw her, the little baby with wings and horns that you are now,” she looked at Eri with narrowed eyes and a half-smile, “I know Master Frigg took care of you in the throne room for five years, but I never knew why. He could have taken you elsewhere, I always feared that being a dragon, you would be harmed.”
“The gatekeeper,” Eri replied, “always said I had to wait there for my dragon dad, and that if the hero came, he would hurt me. He dressed me and combed my hair so that if he came, he would think I was human. He told me never to forget. When Daddy,” she said pointing to Frey, “finally came, he always knew I was a dragon and still cared for and loved me very much.”
The scene was touching, but frustrating, Erina seemed to know even less than they did. What had they learned that they didn't already know? Except…
“Oh Goddess of Peace,” Erina exclaimed, “then that was never Frigg, a dragon dressed in his skin. I've been a fool, I always thought the old man had gone mad with grief, I whispered words of comfort to him even though he couldn't hear me.”
“Maybe you're not wrong,” Frey said, “that dragon was raving when I found him, but tell us. Where did you get a unicorn horn?”