Page 108 of Storm to Victory
“I’m fine now that the healer fixed me up.” Prince Edmund grinned, the expression no longer horrific now that the swelling and bruising had gone down, as he slogged up the sandy beach toward the strands of sea grass and scrub brush.
Prince Farrendel made a noise in the back of his throat, frowning at Prince Edmund. “The healer said this trip was inadvisable.”
“But she didn’t forbid me from going.” Prince Edmund’s grin remained, though it slipped as he struggled up the sandy beach.
Prince Farrendel gave a sigh, reached out, and gripped Prince Edmund’s arm to steady him. “Not that anyone could have stopped you.”
“No.” Prince Edmund’s grin disappeared as his voice became low, as if he wasn’t talking to them any longer. He probably didn’t even realize he switched to elvish. “She is my sena.”
Fieran clasped Pip’s hand as the two of them trudged up the beach. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Apparently near-death experiences encourage my uncle and dacha to banter even more than usual.”
“They are quite the pair.” Pip leaned into Fieran more than necessary as the sand beneath her feet slid.
“They’ve had more than a few years to perfect their banter. Especially since they’re stuck with each other at both sides of family gatherings.” Fieran swayed into her as well, as if he, too, wanted to be as close as possible.
“They remind me of my mother and my Detmuk uncles.” Pip would have leaned her head against Fieran’s shoulder, but that would’ve made walking awkward.
“I can’t wait to have the time to actually get to know your Detmuk side of the family.” Fieran swung their clasped hands, grinning. “And see the dwarven mountains.”
For a moment, Pip’s heart sank. The dwarves weren’t easy on elves, nor were the depths of the dwarven mountains. Her dacha tried, but he never fully fit with Clan Detmuk.
But Fieran wasn’t fully elf. He was half human. He wasn’t bothered by stone, nor would he feel the lack of green, growing things any more than she did. With his loud, boisterous personality, he’d get along with the Detmuk dwarves like he was one of them.
She grinned up at him, something going light in her heart. “My clan will love you. And you’ll love the mountains.”
While her parents loved each other very much, she had seen how hard it was when a spouse couldn’t adapt. They’d moved to the western rail terminal, isolated from both dwarves and elves alike, because they couldn’t fit anywhere else.
Yet Pip had fallen in love with someone who could actually navigate her messy dual heritage and dual families alongside her. She wouldn’t be alienated but would remain connected to all the pieces that made her whole.
Fieran, too, wouldn’t have to give up either side of his heritage. She was as adaptable as he was. They fit together, no matter where life took them.
Prince Edmund and Prince Farrendel ducked into the darkness beneath the scrub trees at the edge of the beach, and Pip and Fieran followed a moment later.
In the gloom in a cluster of trees, Prince Edmund made a low hooting sound, like that of an owl.
A rustle came from deeper in the trees a moment before a figure stepped into the space, her hair especially black in the darkness. She dropped something heavy onto the ground before flinging herself into Prince Edmund’s arms, her voice low despite the emotion in it. “Dacha!”
“Sena.” Prince Edmund wrapped her in a hug, holding her with even more exuberance than he had when in the dungeon.
Jayna, too, held herself differently, as if both she and Prince Edmund had been aware of their masks while in Landri Castle, even when the three of them had been alone. Only here, away from the castle, could they fully let down their guard.
“Are you all right? When I heard they were going to execute you…” Jayna’s voice choked off for a moment. “It was so hard not going to you.”
“You did so well, sena. Above and beyond what I should ever ask of you.” Prince Edmund’s hug remained tight, his own voice ragged and strained.
Pip looked away, and beside her Fieran shifted. Prince Farrendel went so far as to spin away. They were intruding, even if Prince Edmund had invited them to come.
After another long moment, Prince Edmund partially released Jayna from his hug. “You don’t have to go back, sena. The war is over. You can come back with us. You can come home.”
Jayna sniffed and swiped a hand over her face. Then she straightened her shoulders and shook her head with a sharp, determined motion. “No, I can’t leave. Not yet. If I simply disappear when you do, it will cast suspicion on my cover and allmy contacts. I need to take a few months to lay out an exit. On top of that, Mongavaria is in a perilous place. It’s tipping toward an implosion, and losing the war might just be the thing that sends it over the edge. You’ll need the information I provide in the next few months.”
Prince Edmund pulled Jayna in for another hug. “My brave girl.”
Jayna hugged him before stepping back. “Just following in my dacha’s footsteps.” She picked up the leather bag once again. “Here’s all the information Pip and I gathered.”
“Linshi. This is going to be key for the eventual peace treaty.” Prince Edmund took the bag from his daughter. “I’ll start laying the groundwork on my end for you to come home. Just a few more months, got it?”
“Got it.” Jayna nodded, smiling, before she turned to where Pip, Fieran, and Prince Farrendel stood. Hurrying forward, she gave her uncle a hug. “Uncle Farrendel!”
