Page 54 of Unravelled
“You didn’t tell her?” she huffed, though there was no heat in it. “Stars above, I raised this one like he was mine, and he just tosses me into the sea like a forgotten rag!”
“I didn’t toss you,” Tharion muttered, but there was the faintest hint of a smile behind the words.
Miller turned her gaze back to Mira, warm and full of memory. “From the time he was thirteen,” she said proudly, “I was his guardian, his teacher, and, when needed, his jailer.” She shot Tharion a look, and he had the good sense to glance away. “The late Queen asked me to school him and the prince.” Mira took in Millers face before a spark of recognition.
“You were chasing them through the gardens that day.”Mira said, softly.
Miller blinked, then laughed, loud and full-bodied. “Oh, that could have been any day! Navigators help me. Those boys nearly gave me heart failure on a weekly basis. Constantly slipping past special tutors, hiding in trees, blaming each other for every stolen pastry and broken vase.”
Tharion stiffened slightly in his chair, and Mira didn’t miss it. She watched him for a moment, but Miller either didn’t notice or chose not to comment.
“They were tricky boys,” she said fondly. “Ren with his smart mouth, Tharion with his quiet schemes. One would distract you while the other vanished entirely. I don’t think I ever won a full day with both of them in the classroom.”
Mira smiled, letting the image settle. A younger Tharion with windblown hair and a spark in his eye, a wild Ren close behind. It fit.
“So then why are you in Seacliffe?” she asked. “How did you come to be all the way out here?”
Miller sat back, wiping her hands on her apron. “This was always home for me,” she said simply. “I was born on this coast. And once the boys grew up, once they didn’t need me anymore, I came back." Miller stood and gathered her bowl.
"This place doesn’t change much. Salt still stings, wind still howls, and the sea always has something to say.” She paused, her eyes growing distant for a breath. “But they will always be my boys. No matter how tall they get or how many swords they carry.”
Miller turned back to Tharion, narrowing her eyes slightly. “And you, lad, need to visit more. I shouldn’t have to hear about your goings-on through gossip and grain shipments.”
Tharion raised a brow. “You hear gossip through grain shipments?”
Miller huffed. “I hear everything through something. You’d be surprised at what people say when they think no one’s listening.”
Mira grinned. It was the first genuine smile she’d had in days. “You and Lady Elendra would get along.”
“Oh my stars, don’t curse me, girl.” Miller barked a laugh. “I’ve had my fill of court spiders.” Miller moved to begin washing her bowl. The warmth of the kitchen wrapped tighter, not from the fire but from the space itself. Familiar. Lived in. Mira's fingers tapped at the edge of the table. She wasn’t meant to be here, not really. But for a fleeting moment, it felt like the place had been meant for someone like her
The kitchen door swung open with a gust of wind. Torvyn stepped inside, his boots thudding solidly against the floorboards. His usual formality was there, proper and polished, but his eyes scanned the room with a different urgency.
“Mira.” Her name landed like an anchor. His voice was steady, but beneath it, just faintly, was relief.
Then his gaze shifted past her. He stilled. A pause. His brow furrowed, lips parting slightly. “Miller?”
She turned, drying her hands on her apron as she took in the tall figure in her doorway. “So you’re Torvyn,” she said, voice pitched with surprise. “Well, I'll be... I’ve heard plenty about you.”
Torvyn laughed, already striding forward, offering both hands like an old friend. “I’m guessing none of it is good. Brahn has a big mouth.”
Miller grinned and took his hands, sizing him up in one sweeping glance. “Mostly good. Some embellishments, I’m sure. You’ve grown taller than your father ever was, and broader too. I am sure he would be proud.”
Torvyn’s expression faltered for just a breath. “Thank you,” he breathed. “That means a lot.”
Miller studied him a moment longer, then gave a firm nod. “Well, it’s about time I met you. I raised that one,” she jerked her chin toward Tharion, “and chased Ren across half the court. I knew your name, just never crossed paths before.”
“A Navigators small miracle,” Torvyn chuckled. “I’m sure I would’ve gotten myself into more trouble.”
“You still might,” Miller said, swatting his arm. “Especially if you keep showing up at my door without warning.”
The laughter between them eased something in the room. Mira watched the exchange with quiet interest, feeling, oddly, like an observer in a memory she hadn’t lived. But then Torvyn’s eyes drifted past Miller, to her, to Tharion. His smile didn’t vanish, but it dulled, weighed down by reality. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“As much as I’d love to stay and trade stories, I was actually sent to find you two.” Mira’s posture straightened.
Tharion narrowed his eyes. “Find us… for what, exactly?”
His gaze flicked between her and Tharion, careful. Too careful. “To escort you to your chambers.”
