Chapter 100 Chapter 100

Chapter 100 Chapter 100
Aira.

"Then it's time to go." Stretching out a hand, he beckoned for me. "Come on." He said, and I immediately went up to him, placing my hand in his while he clasped his around mine. He led me to the carriage that he brought along, helping me into it while following after.

Helen opted to ride with Eiran, and we started to make our way home. Seating on the couch, I watched as the king sat next to me, my hand still in his. With a smile on my face, I rested my head on his shoulders as the carriage started rocking as we moved, my eyes drifting to a close.

It took a while, but I soon felt his head rest against mine, and my heart fluttered, butterflies going on a rampage in my stomach. The slow journey progressed, with us occasionally taking breaks to rest or have a quick meal.

At night time, the king ordered us to stop, and we had a campfire night in the woods. It was the most magical moment of my life as I saw a side of the king I had never seen before - the relaxed, content, and peaceful king who fussed and cared for me. It made me feel so treasured, and I didn't know when I fell asleep in the warm cocoon of his arms.

It was dawn when we arrived at the outskirts of the kingdom, the place where most humans inhabited after being displaced a decade ago. I was dozing off in the King's arms when I felt him gently tap me awake. I rubbed my eyes open, blearily glancing at him.

"Are we at the castle yet?" I asked, still groggy from sleep. "No. I wanted us to stop at a place first. There's something I want to show you, or rather you should see before we make our way back to the castle." He said, and I straightened.

Carrying me away from his lap, he led me out of the carriage, and I followed after him, letting him place me gently on the ground. When I looked around me, I realized I was in my village. It was mostly empty now, thanks to Lord Mortis abducting humans in the short time of being the ruler of the kingdom, but our shanty structures still stood.

I glanced at the king, wondering why he brought me here, but he wasn't looking at me. "I learned that this was your village. I brought you here to pay my respects..." He trailed off, his gaze clouding over for a bit.

When he looked at me, there was a bit of sadness and remorse I hadn't seen in a while. "I found out how your mother died." "Oh..." I trailed off, my throat clogging at the memory.

"I'm sorry about that. Also, I didn't send soldiers to kill your mother. Lord Mortis did. Used my seal so it would seem like an official order. I'm sorry about that too." He mumbled, his voice tinged with anger as he mentioned Lord Mortis.

"It's okay, I believe you." The fact that he had taken his time to learn about this had cemented the thought in me that he truly had no idea.

"Thank you for bringing me here." I whispered, and he nodded. He moved forward, and I followed after him, mildly surprised he was taking the route that led to my mother's cottage.

We finally arrived there, and for a moment, I stopped, staring at the small building that had been my home for so long. I could still recall the memories I had made here with my mother - the happy, sad, and downright ugly ones. Fresh tears filled my eyes, and my hands began to tremble.

Kael tenderly held my hands, and I glanced at him, seeing the encouragement in his eyes. I shakily nodded, cleaning off the stray tears with the back of my hands as I led him to the back of the cottage where she was buried.

A shabby tombstone stood at the edge, hastily crafted, and for a while, I watched the space, the whole world around me going quiet. "Mom..." I started to say, my voice wobbly with grief, moving forward.

"A lot has happened since you left. I thought my life ended when yours did. But instead, it was only about to begin." I sniffed, a small smile growing on my lips.

"But still, I miss you. I'm sorry you had to leave so tragically. I wish I wasn't so late. But I'm fine now. I met my mate and..." I paused, a chuckle breaking forth.

"You wouldn't believe who it is... It's the king. Yeah, the same one we were both scared of. He can't feel the matebond, but I don't think we'll let that hold us back." Glancing back at him, I asked, "Would it?" He shook his head, offering a small smile.

I grinned. "See? He says he won't. I'm in safe hands now, you can rest easy." With a small sigh, I added, "Everything would be alright, just like you said it would."

Kael provided flowers, and we dropped them on the grave, having a moment of silence. Then, as emotions overwhelmed me, I went to Kael and cried while he gently comforted me, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

When my wailing had subsided to whimpers and sniffles, he pulled back to gaze at me, a solemn expression on his face. "I want to make this place a memorial of some sort, if you'll let me. It would be tied to something important, I promise." He added, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"As a way of saying sorry. I wasn't... the nicest to her when we first met." He added with a frown. I let out a chuckle at that.

"You did give me the opportunity to see her one last time, though, even if the meeting wasn't all pleasant. And you were willing to let me go to her. So, yes. I give you permission to make this place a memorial." He nodded, his face filling with relief.

Then, a corner of his lips quirked up in a smile. "Now, let's go back to the castle." I returned the smile, glancing back at the grave, my heart lighter than when we first arrived here.

"Bye, mom. Till we meet again." I whispered softly, blinking away the last of the tears. Just then, a ray of sunshine broke from the clouds, touching the grave spot, and the smile on my face widened.

It seemed like she had listened to me, and the image couldn't have made me happier. I followed Kael back to the carriage, and we began our journey back to the castle.

On our journey there, I realized that the kingdom was more alive than I had ever seen it. People came out of their homes to welcome the king, throwing flower petals and handkerchiefs in the air as they greeted him with a chorus. Little children chased after the carriage as it crossed the streets.