ALTGS 37

She did not speak for the rest of the dance.

So she had not known.

The song that they waltzed to came to an end, and she curtsied to him and the room before allowing herself to be led back into the crowd. Although the Duke had initially been very angry at her sudden suggestion to dance, he would now admit that she had actually done the best she could do at that given moment.

Because she really hadn’t known.

The moment he had told her how she looked like to the outside world, Erich had felt Celestria leave. Not physically, no. She still stood beside him, a charming smile pasted on her lips as they walked to a less populated area of the hall. But otherwise, he knew that she simply wasn’t there. Like a marionette, she walked because that was what she was supposed to do. Smiled because that was what was expected.

Well, had it really been such a shock?

Indeed, Erich thought that it was strange how she seemed to be completely oblivious to romantic connotations and expectations, but now he was wondering why that was. An obliviousness that did not make sense within their society, where a lady her age was expected to already be wed.

Before he could turn and say anything to her, however, she had swiftly withdrawn her hand and immediately dashed to a small group of nobles. In all honesty, it was beyond impressive how fast she moved without seeming ungainly. Erich watched her arrive, immediately fitting right in to the group and good-natured laughter ensued.

The fireplace was the only place he could sit. It was stupidly cold anywhere else.

Rashidi sat slumped in his chair facing the flickering flame, Haelan asleep on his lap. The boy had insisted on waiting for his sister to come back before going to sleep, but here he was, already well into dreamland. Well, Rashidi was the same in that regard. He didn’t want to go to sleep quite yet. Not before he knew that Celestria had come home safe and sound.

As of recent, he had developed a bit of an anxiety in regards to his daughter leaving. Whenever she left for work, or to go to town, or to attend to anything else outside the manor, he always wondered if she would come back. If she would be safe out there. If she was okay, or if she would get hurt. It was what being a parent was about, but it had gotten so much worse recently. Ever since the night the red fog rolled in, and even more when she had cried after her first meeting with the nobles. It was unreasonable to be so worried, but at the same time, it was completely justified when you thought about who the current king was.

No, what the current king was.

“Oh my, Celestria’s still not back?” A very soft voice asked from behind him. Meabh Voltaine, his wife walked in with a blanket for Haelan.

“Yes. Maybe I should—“

“No, you shouldn’t hop on a horse and ride to the Bishmont manor to make sure.”

Although he didn’t mean to, Rashidi frowned.

“But it wouldn’t hurt to.”

“I’m positive she’s fine, love. She’s not a baby anymore. Well, she’ll always be our baby, but she’s not quite so helpless.” Meabh laughed gently, draping the soft wool blanket over her sleeping son. Rashidi moved his arms carefully around the child, tucking him in properly into the blankets.

“You’re right...”

“But you’re still worried beyond reason, right?” She sighed, resting her hand on her husband’s shoulder. In the firelight, Meabh glowed ethereally. Her hair, red like the flames she watched, fell in beautiful waves to her thighs. It was late now, so she stood in her pale creme nightgown. Her gentle green eyes stared into the fire thoughtfully. Yes. The anxiety that she and Rashidi felt towards their children were heightened as of recent. Even though nothing had happened since that horrible day many months ago, everything felt so.. precarious. Even more so when they came to terms with the fact that their one and only daughter was the one working to making life normal again for everyone in the kingdom.

“Where do you think she got it from? That... that impossible maturity?” Rashidi asked, feeling himself relax just a little bit.

“I wonder that too every day. But then again, she’s always just... been that way. Ever since she was....”

They both knew what Meabh wanted to say. But every time both of them thought of it, their throats would close uncomfortably, like their bodies didn’t want to bring it up.

Ever since she was six.

“Would she have turned out the same... if she hadn’t...” Rashidi chocked, subconsciously tightening his hold on Haelan. Meabh’s hand on his shoulder shook slightly. Every time they thought back to that moment fifteen years ago, the pain and regret still felt so raw. So real, like a fresh wound.

With a shaky breath, Meabh pushed away the dark emotions she was beginning to feel and quickly put on a smile. She didn’t want to think about that at a time when her daughter was not right there, close enough to embrace and protect.

“Wether or not she would have turned out differently is not something we’ll ever know. But she is the way she is now, and that’s all that matters. For that time... we’ll make up for that time. You and I.”

Rashidi nodded at that, his tired yellow eyes falling to look at his son. He wouldn’t let what happened to his daughter happen to his son. This time, he would protect his child. Him and Meabh wouldn’t fail yet another innocent.

Just then, they heard the door swing open, and there was a familiar rush of footsteps. A wave of relief washed over both Rashidi and Meabh, both releasing a tense breath that they’d been holding. She was back, safe and sound.

“Are they awake?” They heard Celestria’s muted voice ask, and then after a few short footsteps, she poked her head in to say hello to her parents.

“Hi mum, hi dad. I’m back.” She said, immediately moving to begin unpinning the veils covering her hair.

“Welcome back, Lessie.” Meabh smiled warmly, embracing her daughter a little more tightly than usual.

“Welcome back, Celestria.” Rashidi said, turning just a bit. He couldn’t turn as much with Haelan in his arms.

“Thank you. Is Hae... oh he’s here.” Celestria observed, having gotten the first veil off her head. Meabh shook her head with a furrowed brow. “Really, Lessie. You should stop wearing these veils when you go out. You aren’t engaged quite yet, let alone married. Covering your beautiful hair in the prime of your youth...” she scolded as she helped her daughter unpin the final veil. Maybe it was because she was close to Celestria, but she felt her daughter go still just a tiny bit. What...?

“Yeah. I think I’ll stop wearing them. They’re useless now anyway.” She replied, sounding a lot more jovial than normal. Meabh blinked as she got the last pin out and took off the cloth, feeling something amiss.

“Oh, is that so? Why do you say that?” Rashidi asked as he started to stand. Now that Celestria was here, he could put Haelan to bed and go to sleep himself.

The question was greeted by unusual silence, and both Meabh and Rashidi looked to Celestria when she didn’t answer.

Oh my.

What a complicated look she had on her face.

With a slightly furrowed brow and the mildest of pouts, one would think that she was annoyed, but her eyes were round and just a bit flustered, like as if she was asked a question she didn’t know the answer to in front of a large crowd of people. Both her parents felt their hearts stop just then, unaware of how to categorize this expression that their daughter had never shown. Was she... embarrassed?

“Celestria—“ Rashidi began, but was interrupted when Haelan whined, rousing from sleep. His adorable face scrunched up as he rubbed his eyes before they groggily cracked open. Whenever Haelan woke up prematurely, he would whine like he wanted to cry. Well, knowing him, he probably did because the call of sleep was too strong to resist.

“Lessie...” he called, reaching out to his older sister now that he saw her.

“Aw, the baby woke up, huh? Come here.” She cooed, stepping forward hurriedly and taking her little brother from her father. Both Meabh and Rashidi noticed how strange their daughter was acting, but somehow knew that there was almost a plea to ignore anything amiss. Well, just for today, they would legit go.

Although he was sleepy, Haelan fumbled in protest at her words. There was nothing he hated more than being called a baby. He was a big boy. Nay, a strong knight! More whines of protest as he struggled to lift his sleepy little head, but with a few light pats on his tiny back from Celestria, he was soon silent and fast asleep.

“I’m guessing he decided that he was going to wait for me no matter what, right?” Celestria asked quietly, gently bouncing her baby brother in her arms.

Rashidi shrugged with a sigh. Of course he did. He always does.

“Alright then, I’ll put him to bed. You two head on to sleep.”

”Mm. You too, Celestria. No staying up to work or any of that.” Meabh said, fixing her daughter with a gentle yet firm look.

“Can he sleep with me?” Celestria asked, turning away as she headed to the stairs.

“It was so hard getting him to finally sleep on his own. If you sleep with him...” Rashidi began, shuddering at the memories of a crying Haelan wandering into his room in the middle of the night. It had been so difficult to convince the boy that no dragons or ghouls or ogres were hidden in the shadows...

“It’s alright. Once in a while, sleeping with his big sister is good, right?”

“Is it?” Meabh laughed, turning round to usher her husband to their room as well.

“It is.” They heard Celestria say as she disappeared round the corner.

It was true that she was mature and acted far too composed for her age, but sometimes she would do things that made her parents think that she really was still a child. And that was perhaps the most precious thing they could ever ask for.