Door hinges squeaked. My eyes flitted open, and happiness warmed my chest. As a honeycomb of sunlight oozed through the forge’s window, a figure with silver hair poked her head inside, a peaceful grin relaxing her features.
“How’s it going?” Mama asked.
Bunching the apron tied to my waist, I wiped soot from my fingers. “One more plate, and I’m done. I’ll still need to work on some other bits, but the metal parts will be complete.” Then I slanted my head. “What about you?”
“Almost finished with the fence door. It needed realignment and paint badly.”
Ambition lightened her voice, the sound flooding me with hope. My eyes landed on the acorn tassel from the oak tree, which she had added to her cloak. Before leaving on my journey,I promised to bring back a souvenir, and I always kept my promises to her.
Since my return home, things had changed for the better. Although the tale of my mission had infuriated and terrified Mama, my encounter with the legendary tree of her past lifted a veil from her eyes. The oak’s blessing eased Mama’s fear of retribution, and while she still glanced at the surrounding forest with hesitation, we kept hope that she would recover enough to enjoy life.
Wearing the acorn, stepping outside the cottage on a daily basis, and resuming her trade as a carpenter was a fine start. Also, Jeryn would continue developing a treatment for her condition, which mirrored his own in some ways. As time passed, we would send him updates, and he would assess her progress.
Slowly and steadily, Mama would manage her condition, thriving instead of suffering. And I would help her, both of us supporting each other every step of the way.
A small creature fluttered into view, the female’s wings flapping. As the woodpecker landed on Mama’s shoulder, I smothered a chuckle. She did a superb job protecting my mother while I was gone. As a thank you, I had upgraded her birdhouse. The avian had been taking a well-deserved holiday in her new dwelling, so this arrival meant only one thing. Presumably, the fancy feeder I constructed was empty.
The woodpecker chirped in consternation. I knew a certain warhorse with the same temperament.
“Oh, hush you,” Mama teased, petting the female’s beak. “I’ll replenish your seed in a moment.” Turning back to me, she crossed the threshold and cupped my face, her thumb wiping a stray smudge of cinders. “My Aspen,” she whispered, love brimming in those lucid pupils. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
My throat swelled. “Me too.”
“Dinner will be ready in an hour.” A rare, mischievous twinkle flickered in her eyes. “I know how you feel about unexpected guests, but I trust you won’t mind this one.”
Confusion stretched across my face. “Who…”
My voice trailed off as a male silhouette appeared in the forge’s doorway. Tall, athletic, and backdropped by a clear sky as vivid as his irises.
I sucked in a breath. Anticipation gripped my lungs.
Like a knight in shining armor, Aire’s large body towered at the threshold. An ankle-length, velvet surcoat clutched his muscles, his coat-of-arms insignia ornamenting the material. Broadswords would have made him look imposing to a stranger, but the passionate expression simmering across his face softened the effect.
Longing stared back. I clung to the sight, my heart sprinting. We hadn’t been alone, hadn’t touched since being jailed together. Many times during the trip from The Lost Treehouses, we’d wanted to.
And how I wanted to now.
Mama beamed between us, coyness and intrigue brightening her features. “I’ll just leave you both to it. But remember what I said about dinner. You have an hour, so make it count.”
Shock hoisted Aire’s eyebrows so high, they reached his golden hairline. Red burst across his cheeks as Mama patted his jaw. “That blush means I approve, and those weapons mean you’re just my daughter’s type. It’s lovely to finally meet you, Aire.”
The First Knight bounced back. Inclining his head, he intoned, “The honor is mine.”
“And thank you for the flowers.”
Aire must have relieved the guards patrolling our home, then knocked at the cottage and introduced himself while I’dbeen wrapping up in here. As Mama glided past him, she twisted behind Aire and formed the words,“I adooooore him.”
If anything could top my elation, it was this. Watching the two people I loved most in this world interact for the first time. A vision I’d been imagining for most of my life.
Lured by the knight’s presence, the woodpecker sprang off Mama’s shoulder and flitted around Aire. The little avian’s enthusiasm tugged a handsome grin from the corner of his mouth. He murmured something to the creature before it dashed outside, following Mama to the cottage.
Silence enveloped the forge. The oven’s flames tossed lambent strands along the walls, illuminating every blade and handle.
Aire marveled at the prototypes and finished projects mounted around us, admiration claiming his features. Then he swerved back to me, those pupils smoldering.
I wanted to seize him. I wanted to grab him, kiss that mouth, strip off those fancy clothes.
Instead, I crossed my arms and adopted a playful tone. “What can I do for you, Sir?”
