“I understand that your cooks are amazing, Grandma, but I’ll never understand how they can prepare so much food on such short notice every time we come to visit you.” One bite was all that it took Lith to realize how hungry he was.
Reattaching his arms, healing his wounds, and the alterations in his life force had drained most of his strength.
“It’s a secret of the trade, dear.” Salaark would never admit that it was just her midnight snack that her chefs had prepared for the play, not for the guests.
The delicacies from the Desert opened Solus’ stomach as well and she discovered to be famished. Once she was finally full, the ground below them shook a little.
“Was that an earthquake?” Rena asked.
“No, it was me.” Solus replied while using her breathing technique on herself. “Our prolonged fusion seems to have affected me as well. My mana core has become brighter by a few shades.
“Not enough to bring me to the next level or restore more floors of the tower, but closer!”
“How could Baba Yaga not notice it before?” Lith knitted his brows in confusion.
“Because I was weak, hurt, and we have been separated for weeks. Even with your presence and the mana geyser, it took the tower a while to finish repairing my body and start filling my core again.” Solus celebrated the breakthrough with another serving of ice cream.
Quylla arrived after the end of the meal and after a thorough check-up, she congratulated Lith for the unexpected recovery and gasped at the latest news.
“Thanks for throwing me under the carriage to save your ass.” She grumbled.
“I’ve already heard that from my mother. I’m sorry for dragging you into this, but I didn’t know what else to do or who to trust. Can we move on, please?”
“Sure.” Quylla sighed. “The good news is that what you told the Queen is true. We can fix you and the King for good if we understand how the tower’s spell works. The bad news is that I have no idea where to start.
“Have you tried asking Salaark?”
“I can fix Lith like I’ve fixed Balkor.” The Overlord clicked her tongue. “All he has to do is join the nest.”
“Fine.” Quylla said after Lith brushed off the possibility with a wave of his hand. “What do you say if we ask Faluel? She’s the best Forgemaster among us, she knows your secret, and so does her mother.
“Fyrwal is one of Menadion’s apprentices so she might be able to give us some advice.”
“It’s a solid suggestion.” Lith nodded. “We’ll do that as soon as Grandma stops trying to kill me with her glare.”
“He needs absolute rest.” Salaark snorted. “One more suggestion about work and I’ll have you kicked out of my palace.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.” Quylla gave the Overlord a bow, not knowing when to treat her as the ruler of the Desert and when like Lith’s relative.
“It’s fine, child. How are the preparations for your wedding going?”
“Great, thank you.” Quylla smiled. “Everyone is on cloud nine and I’ve received congratulations letters even from my old village. Mom and Dad are giving their all to prepare a ceremony worthy of the Ernas.”
At the mention of her parents, her smile disappeared and her eyes became dull.
“Is anything wrong?” Tista asked.
“Everything is wrong.” Quylla shivered despite the warmth of the palace. “My parents are forcing themselves to smile every time they see me and I can’t stop thinking about Phloria.
“My sisters and I promised to be each other’s maids of honor when we married. When I try on a dress, I keep picturing how it would look on Phloria. Every time I hear Lucky barking, I turn around expecting to see her playing with him.
“I feel terrible for being happy so soon after her death and I can’t stop thinking how much Mom and Dad are suffering at the idea that they will never be able to arrange for her wedding.
“Maybe I should just postpone everything.”
“Don’t.” Elina walked up to Quylla and took her hands into her own. “It’s true that your parents are suffering right now. I know it because I felt the same after hearing about Trion’s death.
“Yet your marriage keeps them busy and it’s also helping them to accept the loss of your sister. You are giving them a future to look forward to instead of being trapped in the past with their memories and regrets.
“If not for Lith traveling around the Kellar region keeping me worried all the time and his relationship with Kamila giving me hope, it would have taken me a long time to overcome my grief even though Trion had estranged himself from the family for years.”
“She’s right.” Raaz nodded. “Months have passed, yet I’m still having a hard time recovering from everything Meln put me through. I would still be a wreck if not for Lith’s marriage and the prospect to have a new granddaughter and daughter.
“It may look silly, but caring for someone else helps you to not obsess over your own problems and put things in perspective. My pain is still there. That kind of wound doesn’t magically disappear overnight.
“Yet it’s thanks to my family that I have found the strength to keep fighting.”
“Thanks.” Quylla nodded. “I’ll follow your advice.”
“By the way, have you picked a date?” Lith asked.
“Yes, it was two weeks ago.” She exhaled sharply.
“Wait, what happened? Why have we never heard anything about it?” Solus asked.
“Because it got postponed. Do you have any idea how big an event my marriage will be considering that the Myrok, the Ernas, and every noble Household of the Kingdom are asking for an invitation?
“I told my parents that I don’t care for a big ceremony. That since I’m an adoptive daughter we could keep it small and intimate.” Quylla replied.
“And?” Elina asked.
“And they replied that we are already doing it. That inviting fewer people would damage our family’s reputation and breed resentment from our retainers and allies.”
“Also, with the famine still ongoing, there’s the issue of securing enough food for everyone so we have to wait at least until the harvest. The final nail in the coffin, though, was Morok himself.”
“Why? Did he break the engagement or did he do something stupid like Nalrond and you broke it yourself?” Lith was confused by the last phrase.
Morok’s dedication to Quylla was the only constant in his fickle and obnoxious character.
“Speaking of Nalrond, how are things between him and Friya?”
“No one broke the engagement and if you just jinxed my relationship, I’m going to kick your ass into oblivion.” Quylla snorted in reply. “It’s just that after hearing about Solus’ meeting with Glemos’ thralls and the possibility of getting his hands on his bloodline’s legacy, Morok was happy to delay the ceremony.
“He’s hoping that Faluel and the Council come up with a lead so that he can bring more than his person into our marriage. I told him that I don’t care, but he’s been adamant about the issue.
