AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My smile melted away. “How can you say that? That’s not true.”
“No, no, my darling, I don’t say that to make you feel bad.” She found my hand across the sheets. “I’m happy you found those things. They’re everything I wanted for you. Seeing your face when you talked about your king, it reminded me of the love I had with your father.
“You’re finally happy, my sweet girl, so listen to me and listen well.” Sternness crept into her voice. “Do not let it go. Do not lethimgo. Don’t stay in this place and be small, when you could be there and be great.”
“Oh, I see.” I pushed up. “You overheard me and Meliora last night.”
“She doesn’t want to go with you to a land of ice, dark, and beasts,” she said knowingly. “And you don’t want to stay.”
I chewed my lip, slumping against the headboard. It was true. Meliora held her tongue that first night, but in the seven days since I returned, she’d made her feelings about moving to Lumenfell loud and clear.
It didn’t matter that we’d live in a palace where I’d be queen, and she’d soon be free of the binding. All Meliora heard was that she, the twins, and Savia would be put away in a separate, hidden part of the castle because the inhabitants couldn’t control their urges. That is until she turned into a beast like the rest of them.
She wanted no part in the life I carved out for myself in Lumenfell. Even though I knew a big part of her resistance came from rejecting another change after a massive one ruined all of our lives. While I struggled to convince her the move was best for her, that quiet part of me had been asking for days, was I uprooting my family for their happiness, or mine?
“I’m not their mother,” I whispered. “You are. So you tell me what to do, Mama? Isn’t it better to be free in the dark, than chained in the life?”
“A profound question, but even so, there is only one right answer. Freedom is all, Calli. There’s nothing else that matters more than you five being able to love and live on your own terms, and youcannotdo that in Lyrica.
“But if you must ask again, then I say to look to nature. Meya gave freedom to bugs and bunnies. She blessed the birds with wings. She bestowed fangs and fight on the prowling lioness. Why on earth, my precious girl, would you believe you deserve anything less?”
My lips trembled, shaking the teardrop balancing on the tip of my mouth. “So, you forgive me then? For wanting to take thechildren away from all of this? Even though they may not thank me for it.”
“You don’t need my forgiveness, faywen. You don’t even need my permission. As borrowed mothers go, you’ve proven yourself the best of them. I learned to trust your judgement a long time ago.”
I roughly rubbed my stinging eyes, willing the gushing flood pushing against them to retreat.
“Mama, I... Thank you.” I tossed my head. “But no more tears, and no more speaking with such finality. I won’t have to make any decision Meli will curse me for, because the target will remain on your back,” I said, earning a soft chuckle. “All that matters now is you focusing on getting well and hanging on long enough so I can save you.”
She hummed. “So, tell me more about this Alisdair.”
“Ah!” Savia shrieked, reminding us she was a part of this conversation too.
I didn’t remark on either of their subject changes. The wasting sickness and what waited at the end of it has hung over my mother for years. I understood her wanting to speak of something else—if only for a little while.
“There’s not much more to tell. He’s strong, powerful, handsome, funny, and the biggest jackass in Elva.”
She snorted—a weak, sudden sound that was over as soon as it started. “Jackass was an addition I wasn’t expecting.”
“I may love him, but that part is undeniable.” I smiled despite myself. “Even though he drives me crazy, he’s the only one that could make me... run slower.”
“You should never slow down for anyone,” she replied, not knowing the reference. When I told her about my time in Lumenfell, I left out the terms of our marriage runes, and that Alisdair would chase me down every night and fuck me into I saw the stars.
A mother didn’t need to know everything.
“But despite his hard and prickly exterior, it’s his soul, Mama. The real and true him is... so...” I trailed off, muscles wounding tight.
“His soul,” I whispered, eyes widening. “Charm.”
“Calli?”
“Oh my Meya.” I gaped unseeingly at the bedsheets. “So, that’s it. That’s how you break the curse.”
“Calli, darling?”
I shook myself, coming to. “Sorry, Mama. I was just saying that despite how much of a raging jackass he can be, he’s my soulmate.” A small smile danced on my lips. “I know that more than ever now.”
She hummed. “I admit I understand the appeal. I loved my fair share of jackasses.”
