“It wasn’t on purpose, Your Majesty,” Cerian says, not meeting his eyes.
“Gerault. And it hardly matters how it came to be. It’s beautiful.” He turns back to Tharios. “Explain to me again how this will work so I can speak to the hotel owner before I leave tomorrow.”
Arisanna stiffens beside Cerian. “You’re leaving tomorrow?”
The king draws her close again. “I wish I could stay. But Nunia needs her king.”
She doesn’t argue. But then she never would. She understands duty and sacrifice better than anyone.
“We’ll visit as often as we can,” she says softly.
“I hear you’re planning on settling in Darlei.”
“We are, sir,” Cerian says. “Only a day’s journey from Levina.”
Then the king pulls him close, too. “How glad I am of that. I will miss you both. All of you.” He lets them go and turns to Tharios. “Let’s speak to the hotel manager now so I may enjoy one last evening with my family before I go.”
They take their leave, and soon it’s just Cerian and Arisanna again, and he draws her into his arms.
“I think I need to be with my family tonight,” she whispers. “Who knows when we’ll all be together again.”
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s check on Elowyn and Rominy.”
She reaches up to plant a kiss on his cheek, and he wraps his arm around her shoulders as they head to the door.
Go Before I Singe Your Eyebrows
Episode 120
It’satouchingsceneTharios finds when he steps inside Elowyn’s chamber again after speaking to the hotel manager on Father’s behalf, along with Gerault.
He’d feel guilty for arranging for the future upkeep of the suite without even consulting Father first, but Father won’t mind. He’s been sending Tharios to represent him in all sorts of capacities since before Tharios even came into his full magic.
Father has never come out and said it, but Tharios has overheard his parents speaking about ensuring Tharios is ready to ascend to the throne of Lostariel even now, in case the unthinkable happens.
As it did when Father’s father passed from the light unexpectedly when Father was the same age Tharios is now.
Only Father wasn’t prepared to take his place as king, and he nearly lost his throne.
And he did things differently with his own son.
No, Father won’t mind. He trusts Tharios to stand in his place whenever the need arises.
And now everything has been arranged with the hotel manager, who immediately sent for the owner when the Nunian king approached him.
And Mr. Gorming loved the room and the idea when Gerault explained everything and showed the man what Cerian had done.
Thank the fates the man holds no malice toward elves.
And now Tharios stands in Elowyn’s room as Grandmera reads Elowyn’s beloved fables aloud. Elowyn looks like she’s fighting sleep again as she curls up at Rominy’s side on the bed. Arisanna leans against Cerian’s shoulder in the corner where they kissed the previous evening, though Cerian merely plays with a lock of her hair this time.
And they all listen as Grandmera reads slowly in Elvish.
Whistling wind. He gave Rominy an Elvish book to read. Rominy was probably too polite to say anything.
Well, it seems to have worked out all right.
Tharios approaches Elowyn, and Grandmera pauses her reading to look up at him.
