Page 8 of Under the Lion Star

I watched as the woman beside us, holding an infant, bounced on her toes. Finally, she cried out, drawing the attention of a man whose entire face lit up as he ran to pull them both into an embrace. He looked at the child in wonderment, kissing the baby's cheeks repeatedly as tears fell from his eyes.

In my defense, it was a sight that everyone around me was also tearing up over, but I tried to keep my composure the best I could. Being surrounded by reunions solidified that I didn’t want the war with the humans to continue. Families shouldn’t be split apart.

Mera began passing out her wildflowers to soldiers as they passed. Nima gave me an exasperated eyeroll, but Mera wanted to live the married life. Who was I to stand in her way? At least she had a goal.

I didn’t know whether to be impressed at her forethought or horrified that she was planning to marry as soon as she turned eighteen while at twenty-eight, all I’d experienced was a string of rather awkward sexual encounters that left me less than confident in men as a whole.

“Snack me,” Nima said, nudging Mera, who didn’t hesitate to lift her skirt and pull out several small cookies.

“Me, too,” Zara giggled.

At the end of the line, my gaze caught on a giant elf mounted atop a white horse. His silver eyes met mine, and a smile crept across his face. He dismounted, ran his fingers through his steel-gray hair, and handed off his reins to someone else before stomping toward us.

He’d been a constant in our life. Always popping in to check up on us.

Before I knew it, his large arms surrounded my shoulders, pulling me into a tight embrace. Atlas’s presence had been one of comfort since that day he first found me. My sisters and I would wait with bated breath for his letters while he was away at war.

“Atlas!” Nima laughed, getting tugged into her own hug once I had been released.

“Look at all of you,” he grinned, ruffling Zara’s hair. “Gods above, you were still kids the last time I saw you.”

“Atlas,” my father said with a nod, pulling Atlas toward him and patting him on the back.

“How’s Melna?” Atlas grinned.

“She’s great,” Dad smiled. “Once we get these two to adulthood, we can consider ourselves successful parents.”

He chuckled while Zara and Mera groaned. If there was a quick way to piss the two of them off, it was reminding them that they were the youngest.

“I’ve got to get to the castle,” Atlas watched as the procession moved forward without him. “But I’ll stop in some time and catch up.”

“Where is Prince Leor?” Zara asked, studying the dwindling line of soldiers. “Or King Leor, I guess.”

“He returned to Galvord as soon as he got word of his parents,” Atlas’s smile faded. “Prince Orin, too.”

“Horrible what happened,” Nima frowned.

“Yeah,” he ran his hand over his face. “I’m going to stay at the castle, so I’ll help look after him and his siblings.”

“You let me know if we can do anything to help,” my father offered. “Our late king and queen were good ones. Gods guide them.”

Atlas nodded before taking his leave while Dad guided us towards a small tea shop. Despite what had happened with our monarchy only a couple of months earlier, spirits seemed high. I watched as other elves ate with their returned loved ones, sharing stories as they filled each other in on everything new in their lives.

I wondered what having a spouse, sibling, or parent away at war would have been like. Atlas was the only soldier I knew on any level. To be fair, he was the only friend I had that wasn’t a sibling.

Pretty pathetic.

Ignoring the impending pity party, I focused instead on how grateful I was that he was back in Fjorn. That all our soldiers were home. However, I couldn’t help but wonder what spaces within the city were occupied by families who didn’t have a loved one return. Who had lost someone dear to them over a conflict I still had yet to fully understand.

The helplessness of having no control over whether the momentary peace we lived in would last ate away at me. The war had gone on for almost two decades, and to what end? What had been gained when compared to what had been lost?

“Is Atlas going to be an advisor?” Nima asked. “Is that why he’s staying at the castle?”

“His father, Lord Gamril, would have to step down,” my father replied. “I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

“Why not?” Lina asked.

“Lot of power in having the king’s ear.”

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