“Help me up,” Matthias spoke quietly to Nikolas.
Adalias’s brother helped the prince to his feet and kept a solid arm around his waist for support.
The King of Light still held a blade to the King of Oscuros’ throat as he spoke. “Matthias, before now, you have never been given the opportunity to choose a kingdom to serve,” the king said kindly.
“No, I have not,” Matthias answered.
The King of Lucius reached out and placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder. “Today you will be given that opportunity. Which kingdom will you serve?”
Adalia held her breath as the crowd waited for the prince’s response.
Matthias looked between his father kneeling on the ground in front of the King of Lucius and Adalia before turning to face the King of Light once again.
The prince slowly got down on one knee, and then the other, with Nikolas supporting him as he spoke. “I kneel before you today . . . tomorrow . . . and forever. I choose Lucius. I will serve the Kingdom of Light.”
A bell sounded through the air, bright and clear like sunshine after rain, and even though only those in spirit form could hear it, it was welcomed all the same.
Matthias had chosen Lucius. The king was pleased.
The King of Oscuro hissed. “How dare you do this to me? . . I am your father.”
Standing to his feet once again, Matthias eyed the sad king. “You have never been a father to me. I have never known love from your hand . . . only pain. No longer will you take from me.No longer will I allow you in my life. No longer will your voice touch my ears. From this day forward, I never want to see you again. I also want you to know that . . . I forgive you. I can’t expect someone like you to know what love is.”
Adalia’s heart couldn’t take it anymore. It burst inside her chest with such love for the man beside her. How could someone so broken become so whole in such a short amount of time? Joy bubbled up from her soul and she cried once more, except this time they were happy tears.
Dropping the tip of his blade to the ground, the King of Light took a few steps back from the king of Oscuro. “Leave this place and never return. And take your people with you.”
The Dark King slowly stood to his feet, a scowl covering his face. “You haven’t seen the last of me.” He looked at his son with disgust. “I’ll be glad to be rid of you.”
Adalia winced at the king’s words as he spun on his heel, taking to the skies with battered and bruised Thorns in tow.
As the Dark King disappeared, a strange phenomenon started occurring on the battlefield. Thorns that had lost their lives turned into gold dust and evaporated into thin air. Adalia’s breath caught in her throat as she watched.
The King of Light walked amongst the lifeless Lightners sprawled across the ground. Each time he reached one, he would kneel over them and blow onto their face, giving them the breath of life once again. Lightners rose to their feet, following the king as he made his way through the green field.
She watched on with awe as he touched every single one. Adalia hadn’t let herself indulge in the idea that the rumours might be true, that the king of light held great power—enough to bring the dead back to life, and as Adalia viewed it with her own eyes, it sent a shiver down her spine. The sound of his mantle brushing against the ground brought comfort to Adalia, and she smiled.
Movement to her left brought her attention around.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Nikolas grinned at the prince as he held his hand out in a welcoming gesture.
“It’s good to be here.” Matthias smiled in response as his eyes flicked to Adalia.
The way he looked at her was all the invitation she needed. She reached for him and placed her arms around his neck, holding him as if she would never let go again. Matthias pulled her tightly against his chest and they stayed this way for a few moments before she leaned back from his embrace.
Looking into the grey-blue eyes of the man before her, Adalia whispered softly, “Take me home.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
The healing
The days after the battle were filled with healing for many. Not from the loss of loved ones, but from the trauma of battle itself. The king had brought every single lost Lightner back to life, and it had awed the entire army.
The prince settled into his new life inside the walls of Lucius and Adalia, spent every moment she could showing him around.
They both stood outside of Matthias’s new home and Adalia smiled as he unlocked the front door.
He had chosen a place not too far from Adalia’s, close to the ocean, but also backed onto a small forestry. It was a decent sized cabin made from a dark brown wood. The front door was lighter and housed a bronze, rose shaped door knocker in the centre.
