Terrin refused to speak a word of his tale until Elurra was taken to a healer. He wished he could go with her, but he knew Lira was using her as a hostage. He wouldn’t get to check on her until Lira was convinced they weren’t dangerous. Terrin tried to sum up their adventure as hastily as possible, but it took hours due to the numerous questions from the queen and her daughter.
“Did Elurra look like me?” Raeya asked when Terrin described how he found her.
“The resemblance is impressive.”
“Ramer is dead?” Lira asked, obviously astonished.
Terrin had choked up while divulging that portion of the tale, and he only nodded to confirm it. She didn’t ask any additional questions on the subject, despite her troubled expression, so Terrin continued after he took a moment to recover.
“Did it hurt to grow up?” Raeya asked a few minutes later.
“Yes, it definitely hurt.”
“Was it scary finding a dead body?” she asked when he explained what they found in Amora.
He stuttered for a second, unsure of what to say. “Yes, but he wasn’t exactly dead,” he answered, then he had to skip forward to explain what he meant.
“Was the leviathan scary?”
“Terrifying.”
“Do pirates have funny accents?”
“They sound like they’re eating marbles and talking at the same time,” Terrin said with a smirk.
“What was Princess Elurra doing while you were away on this sailing excursion?” Lira asked, making Terrin tell Elurra’s story as well. When he reached the cave incident with the Demons, Raeya cut in again.
“Were the Demons scary? How did you escape?”
He enjoyed telling his tale to Raeya because she was awed by the details, but Lira stared at him solemnly.
“I had a necklace to protect me when I was a child, but I lost it at Garthu Vore. Elurra gave me this bracelet of terrant.” He raised his arm to show it off. “It apparently masks my presence to counter the effect of my grandfather’s curse. Tiberius, the red-eyed Demon, said something about the mark of the Demon on me, so I guess that’s what he was referring to.”
Lira stopped him, looking shell-shocked.
“How did you know about Tiberius and the curse?” she demanded, a hard edge to her voice.
“Elurra said you gave the necklace to me for protection the night you gave me to Ramer, and when we ran into Tiberius, it—”
“How did Elurra know about that night?”
“The same way she was able to teleport into your room and knows about Zavier and the curse.”
“How could you know that name?” she asked weakly, her words dying on her lips as she stared at him hopelessly.
“Elurra’s visions. Because of her close association with me, she started having a series of dreams about you and Zavier. It helped us realize why Nitiri kidnapped Prince Kai. It also helped us survive Tiberius’s wrath against us for killing the green-eyed Demon.”
“You killed a Demon?” Lira asked in disbelief.
“Yes, I killed a Demon,” he answered simply, hoping he didn’t have to go into it.
Lira’s expression made it clear she wanted every detail. Terrin sighed and went straight into the Demon incident. He tried to avoid their flood of questions by going into as much detail as possible. The rest of his story was told uninterrupted. He summed it up quickly and waited in silence as Lira thought over his tale, her face a blank mask. The first one to break the silence was Raeya, who looked like she was ready to explode. She unleashed a torrent of questions.
“Raeya, stop. You will overload him,” Lira snapped as she stood swiftly, leaving Terrin staring up at her in befuddlement. He glanced over at Raeya again and had to convince himself he wasn’t looking at Elurra. Although she was showing the signs of beginning her development into womanhood, she still had the facial structure of a child. Her blue eyes glowed with joy, and her smile radiated warmth. Looking at her made him want to smile, but it was a bittersweet feeling. Elurra hadn’t smiled like that in a long time. She always seemed tired and withdrawn. The weight of their mission was visible in her every action.
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“We have a lot to talk about, but for now, I have duties to attend to. I will escort you to your room, where you will stay until you are called for,” Lira said, giving him a forced smile.
“Lira, I—”
“You may not refer to me in familiar terms,” she snapped, cutting him off. “I do not know you. I do not trust you. I will have to investigate your story. It will take much more to convince me. Please always address me properly.”
“I apologize, Your Highness. If possible, could you please let me see Princess Elurra?”
“Out of the question. She is perfectly safe where she is,” Lira said with a wave of her hand.
“But Your Majesty—”
“I said no. I will inform you when she regains consciousness.”
“Can I at least take care of her when she is no longer in critical condition? I did grow up with a healer. I know how to take care of the sick,” he said pointedly.
The queen stared at him for a few moments, her eyes scanning him critically.
“I will consider your request, but with my help I doubt she will be unwell long,” she said curtly. “For now, you will be confined to your room.” Her expression made it clear the conversation was over. Terrin stood, ready to leave.
“Can I come?” Raeya asked, bouncing on the heels of her feet. Lira shook her head decisively. Raeya’s face fell, and she crossed her arms defiantly. Terrin grinned, as his little sister was clearly a very willful girl. She looked like she was about to argue with the queen, but Terrin interjected.
“Don’t worry, Raeya. I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere for a while.”
The little girl’s face brightened again, and she said her goodbyes before skipping off with one of the guards outside as an escort. Terrin stood and gave Lira a small grin. She grimaced and looked away.
“Yesterday, I was sure I would not see my son again for a long time. This is all very sudden. I do not easily trust, and for good reason. Many have tried to get to me in my past, but no one has ever known so much about me. I need some time.”
She sounded cool and collected, but Terrin detected a slight waver in her tone. He was grateful she sounded a little more inviting than a minute before. He had silently worried she might throw him into a cell. She gestured for him to follow as she briskly exited the room without a glance over her shoulder. Two guards were positioned outside the door. They fell into step with their queen without a word. If they were astounded by his presence, they didn’t show it.
“I spent the last decade and a half cleaning up the mess the Demons and my father left behind. Bodies littered the streets, and fear held my subjects back from helping me. No one believed the Demons were gone for good. It took almost a year to convince them. My father destroyed the economy and sucked the people dry with outrageous taxes. Anyone who opposed him was killed, and anyone who supported him became rich beyond their wildest dreams,” she said as they descended a twisting staircase.
She kept speaking as they exited the tight spaces and stepped out onto a bridge that crossed over to an outer layer of the castle. Terrin stopped, causing the rear guards to bump into him. Although the bridge was four feet wide, it had no railing and looked out over a gaping gorge. It was the only walkway between the queen’s tower and the rest of the castle. The guards nudged him forward, and he hesitantly stepped onto the walkway. Lira didn’t seem to notice.
“I spent the first two years trying to track down my father’s supporters and bringing them to justice. New advisers and staff were brought in, and our industries had to be rekindled. Trade was nonexistent. Trying to convince the other kingdoms we are no longer plagued with dark magic has been almost impossible. Many who were once in my father’s favor want to see me dead. These are not easy times for Tipet.”
Terrin tried to listen to what she was saying as she led him through the castle. He wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or to herself. The guards walked on with stony expressions and jerky movements, seemingly oblivious to her rant. He gazed out the windows they passed, dreamily admiring the landscape and maze of bridges, balconies, and gardens below. After a few minutes, Terrin realized Lira was still talking and was embarrassed he had no idea what she’d been saying.
“And now my alleged son appears out of the blue and claims a madwoman with a Demon obsession has taken over Lur Alava? I must admit, I am a little more than skeptical. I pray this tale is a fallacy, or else I have lost my closest ally.”
“That’s why we need your help,” Terrin cut in, causing Lira to jump.
She looked back at him in bewilderment as if she’d forgotten he was there.
“I apologize. I get lost in thought,” she said curtly.
She continued down the hallway stiffly. At times, she seemed warmer, only for her guard to go up again. He was afraid she’d abruptly change her mind and execute him on the spot. Eventually, she stopped and gestured to a door.
“Please refrain from wandering about. A guard will be posted at your door, and the room stifles magic. Ask if you need anything.”
Lira turned on her heel and disappeared down the hall. Terrin looked after her, a tornado of emotions swirling inside him.
That’s my mother?
He shook his head to clear his mind as he entered the room. A guard shut the door behind him, and he heard the lock slide into place a few moments later. He tried not to feel insulted, but it was hard when his mother was locking him away.
What else should I expect from her? She abandoned me with a random man in the middle of the woods as a baby.
He flopped down onto the lone bed in the middle of the room, trying to stifle the growing sense of solitude. He never thought he belonged anywhere. He’d always felt out of place with Ramer in Glan’ak, and he hadn’t made any friends there. He secretly hoped maybe he’d be accepted here. This was his birthplace. He had a family and an entire kingdom, but still felt like an outsider.
Lira wants nothing to do with me.
His heart throbbed, painfully pulsing in his chest. Black claws of sorrow welled up and threatened to crush him. He rolled onto his side and looked out the small windows lining the walls. They were each only a few inches in length, but there were many at regular intervals. As he gazed out the tiny holes in the stone wall, he found himself wishing Elurra was with him, but longing for her familiar embrace only accentuated his loneliness.