Page 107 of The Moon Blessed King
‘Our cousin,’ Elician announces. He holds his arms out wide and steps forward. When he embraces her, he does so gingerly, so as not to dirty her dress with grime from the road. He whispers something in her ear and her cheeks dimple with a smile she is trying to conceal. And then Elician turns to Lio. They embrace with a bit more enthusiasm as Adalei bows once more to Alest and he returns the gesture.
The party then turns towards the first pavilion for refreshments while the remainder of the Alelunen delegation dismounts and prepares for a long stay at the Kingsclave. Clerics and servants and workers rush this way and that to accommodate any questions asked, but Fen allows all that to fall into the background. She follows her family into the pavilion and smiles as Adalei delicately removes her crown and tilts her head left and right to stretch her weary neck muscles.
‘You look beautiful,’ Elician tells her as she sets it to the side.
‘I like the…dangly bits,’ Cat offers awkwardly, pointing towards the shimmering stars.
‘It weighs more than a cast-iron pot, so thank you, but I prefer it off for an extended discussion,’ Adalei reveals, eyes crinkling at the corners. She reaches to touch his arm. ‘You look so well, my king.’
‘Thank you,’ he says, before pausing. He looks at her for a long while before awkwardly shuffling a little closer. ‘I…have always wanted to show you my affection and…it was not possible before. So I…’ He leans down and kisses her cheek. Fen gasps on instinct, and even Lio has a momentary pause of alarm. But nothing happens. Cat flushes as he backs away, Elician watching at his side with nothing but fondness in his eyes. ‘Thank you…for all you have done for us,’ Cat finishes.
Adalei touches her cheek where he kissed her. She asks, ‘You’re no longer a Reaper?’
‘I am,’ he replies. ‘I always will be. But…I learned something that makes it easier for me to…beme.’ Fen’s hands go to Cieli’s arm. She saw it all too. Her eyes are wide with shock and awe, and Fen grins.
‘You could do it too!’ she whispers excitedly. ‘You could learn how!’ And at the exclamation, Cat looks their way.
‘Fen, Cieli,’ he greets kindly. He doesn’t get farther than that.
Lio steps forward and takes him by both arms. He turns him around so they are facing each other fully, and without hesitating, Lio kisses both of Cat’s cheeks, then his brow. His hands come up to cup Cat’s face.
‘You have always been loved, my king,’ Lio tells him. ‘And we have always felt your love in turn, even before today.’
Adalei leans in and returns his kiss with her own. From there it feels only too natural to step forward, so Fen wraps her arms around him. He holds her close, burrowing his head into her neck. ‘I’m so happy for you, Cat,’ she tells him.
‘Thank you,’ he whispers back. He glances around the tent, then asks, ‘Where’s Marina?’
‘She and Zinnitzia are finalizing things for tomorrow,’ Lio replies. ‘She said to tell you she will meet with you later tonight if you want to.’
‘Yes…please,’ he adds politely. Then he walks towards Cieli and they embrace. Fen still can’t understand their language, but she hears their hissing tones. They’re always so quiet and gentle with one another.
A hand touches Fen’s elbow, and she finds Elician there, waiting for her. She greets him and doesn’t let go until long after he’s loosened his grip around her back. ‘How have you been, little sister?’ Elician asks.
She glances towards Lio and Adalei, who seem rather resigned to the fact that they might not have a better opportunity than now to explain. ‘Dealing with your progeny,’ she tells him. Elician’s browsfurrow. He slants an eye towards Cat, but Cat is not really paying much attention, too focused on Cieli to bother.
‘The woman you helped on the way to Kreuzfurt a couple of years back,’ Lio explains. ‘Hamad tried to put her daughter on the throne and remove Adalei.’
The confusion snaps off Elician’s face in a moment. He goes frightfully still, jaw clenched and muscles rigid along his sides. Fen winces at the change. ‘Did he now?’ he says. He is looking only at Lio, who nods curtly in response.
‘Fen handled the particulars,’ Lio said. ‘I was only there at the end to take him into custody.’
‘The woman and child?’
‘Both back in Himmelsheim with their family and both safe now. It’s been handled. Neither were killed, but a lie was put in place that they were and Fen brought them back. The daughter is now ineligible for the throne as a result. The mother wants it that way. As for Hamad, he and his co-conspirators are in custody. His son seems not to have been involved, but he’s under probation for now, until you give your final judgement. There are…several openings in several provinces for new leadership to be assigned.’
‘And none of that could have fit in a letter?’
Fen winces. Lio is not cowed.
‘It wasn’t exactly something that belonged in a letter.’
‘Morsen was just a prop then, eh?’
‘Elician…’
He holds up a hand. One finger, in truth. It stays in the air between them as he very clearly pulls his temper back in check. When he turns back, he looks each of them in the eye one at a time: Lio, Adalei and Fen. ‘You willneverhide something like this from me again.’
‘Understood,’ Adalei says, avoiding any arguments or justifications.
