Page 42 of Gift from the Stone

His laugh is so manically animated, I can’t help but snort, then fall into a fit of laughter with him. It doesn’t take much more than that for the others to join us. It’s what we all needed to break off that intense moment. There’s nothing much else we can do.

“I didn’t handle that news nearly as gracefully as you all handled mine. I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, baby. I’m sorry to put this on top of you. We can refuse to rule, let them have a trial, and another family can take over. We don’t have to do this.” It’s not nearly as simple as that, but I’d make it so if that’s what she wanted. I’d give it all up in a heartbeat for her, consequences be damned.

“I appreciate that, but I’m not that naïve, Corentin. I can’t imagine it’s as easy as saying, sorry our Primary doesn’t want to be Queen, here’s the crown—crowns, I guess—back. Nor are there coincidences in Elementra. Caspian’s right. Apparently, we all were predestined for this.” A deep, saddened look crosses her face, one that says something other than this news has her upset. Draken must pick up those feelings through their bond because the huge smile he was wearing melts off his face.

“Hey, hey. What’s that feeling? Why are you straining the bond?” he speaks gently, cupping her cheeks.

“If all of this was planned out for us, who’s to say the way any of you feel for me is even real? What if it’s just the bond and our destinies pushing you all toward me?” she hiccups as the tears that had stopped threaten to fall again.

Nos echo around the open space as we all jump to correct her.

“No, Willow. Don’t think like that. I won’t hear anything like that come out of your mouth again. I wanted you and loved you before we ever fully bonded, and you still aren’t fully bonded with the others, and they feel the same. It may make us act emotionally and want to be closer to one another, but our feelings are our own. The bond just multiplies them. I’d have gravitated toward you with or without it. Don’t say that or think like that again.” I’ve never heard Draken be so stern with Willow, and it surprises the fuck out of me. She isn’t prepared for it either as her eyes grow wide and her mouth gapes open.

“He’s right, little one. Don’t ever think like that,” Tillman demands.

I press myself to her front, pulling her tightly against me, and the other three push in from all other sides.

“Don’t doubt the way I feel again, princess. You’re mine. Ours. And that’ll never change.”

“Is that why you spoil me so much, Gaster, because I’m a princess?” Willow laughs as Gaster fusses over her profusely.

He was pissed off that we waited until almost dinnertime to let him know she woke up, but after the morning we all had and the overwhelming amount of life-changing news we shared with each other, we needed time together with just us.

“I spoil you because I’m your Guardria and you’re my granddaughter. It’s what I’m supposed to do. And you have a habit of giving me mini heart attacks. If I were merely human, I’d surely be dead by now from worry. My goodness, how I’ll feel when you take the throne.” Dramatically, Gaster places his hand on his heart, and I shake my head at him.

Damn, I just calmed her down on the whole ruling a realm thing.

“That’s a bit much and I don’t ask for this crazy shit. It just happens. But now that you’ve brought the throne up, I need to talk about it. I have a lot of questions,” Willow says seriously, leaning her head back on my chest.

I shoot Gaster a withering look because I told her we’d talk about it later. Let the realization of everything today settle, then I’d explain some things.

“Ah, you haven’t explained anything yet, I see.” His ass comments like he didn’t already know that. I’m sure he sensed her apprehension and anticipation and decided to meddle to please her.

“No, we were going to talk about it later, but I guess later is now,” I grunt, wrapping my arms around her.

It’s not a very simple explanation. It’s not cut and dry, straight to the point. My mom did things very differently than any ruler before her when it came to us. We do things very differently as heirs. It’s easy for most of Elementra to even forget who we are. And that’s the way we like to keep it.

“I’ll start by putting your mind at ease, princess. We won’t be taking the throne for hopefully another two hundred years.” I start.

“Oh, thank fuck. I was so worried it would be when I finished school,” she exclaims, blowing out a relieved breath.

“No, absolutely not. Elementra willing, nothing happens to my mom. What’s your first question?” I ask nervously, not going to lie.

“Well, that was technically my first question and really cleared up a lot more. I was sitting here panicking, thinking I was going to have to study my ass off, save the realm, then take it over all in the span of a few years. I was prepared to pepper you with question after question about what all I need to start doing, but if I got two hundred years, I’ll sit on the rest for now. I don’t think my mind can handle it today,” she says. I feel her body relax even more and I pull her closer to me.

I hate that this has her so worked up, but she’s right. We have many, many years to get ready for it. Right now, we have so much more to worry about. We have to make sure the realm survives first or there will be no throne to even deal with.

“No, my mom and dads will continue to rule. Although they never wanted the throne,” I say honestly.

“So your mom didn’t want this either?” Willow asks quietly. I can hear the hope in her voice that she’s trying to ease the guilt she’s having. And that’s okay. There’s no reason for her to feel guilty. None of us truly want this. We’re going to do it out of duty. It’s what’s best for the realm.

“Elementra knows that girl didn’t want the responsibility, but she knew if she rejected it, it would fall to Tilly, and she wouldn’t allow that. Poor Tilly got ignored by her mother from the moment she entered this realm, and Aurora wanted Tilly to have the freedom to do as she pleased. So despite not wanting to rule, she did, and she has. And she’s done a remarkable job alongside her Nexus,” Gaster praises.

“Like Gaster said, she’s been an amazing ruler. She accepted her duty and has owned it. But she treats us very differently than how she was treated. She’s very caring, nurturing, encouraging. She wants us to be happy, and she’s always spoiled the hell out of all of us despite our dads’ objections to it. She’s always put a lot of responsibility on us, but that’s been out of necessity because of how strong we are, not because she’s going to force us to rule. She’s never wanted us in the light of the elite society, but it was inevitable, so she made us work hard to learn how to protect ourselves, be smart, watch each other’s backs.

“She makes it seem to the council—which consists of the top five ruling families—that she expects us to earn our place, when truly she gives us plenty of say-so and power already. We’ve been training our whole lives for this, but she won’t just spring the throne on us. She’s going to take her time with you, prepare you the best she can,” I explain as simply as I can. There’s still so much to the whole story, but most of it is irrelevant right now, and we’ll teach her as we go. The main thing will be to keep her safe.

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