Page 142 of Heart Cradle
“I won the Siege of Merroth on plum wine and arrogance,” Orilan corrected.
Ghaul gave a short laugh. “Sounds familiar. Like when we held the pass at Eldrisil.”
Further down the table, Veralis spoke without raising his voice, though it carried just the same. “Taelin won more than a battle that day. He won my favour, finally getting his girl.”
Taelin, mid-sip went still, struck by the memory, a slow smile creeping uninvited across his face.
Orilan leaned back, smirking. “Yes, well. That was certainly a love match. Couldn’t keep their bloody hands off each other.”
Veralis nodded, serene. “Hmm, love-struck. Young and so very… passionate.”
Rinya leaned forwards with an exaggerated grin. “Oh, please say more.”
“I was the architect of their rendezvous,” Ghaul announced proudly. “Coordinated half their sordid little meetings. Covered for him so often I should’ve been listed on the marriage contract.”
“Sordid!” Fenric exclaimed.
Orilan gave Veralis a sidelong glance. “That’s when you and I didn’t quite see eye to eye.”
Veralis arched a brow. “No, but we share grandchildren now, and Taelin and Hayvalaine… they’ve stood the test of time. Even if they were both pains in the arse at the beginning.”
From further down the table, the Edhenvale prince, Thalen, leaned in, eyes gleaming. “Oh, please go on. How did the most venerated Taelin of Melrathen fuck up?”
Fenric was practically glowing, wide-eyed and grinning. “I can't believe it, my father was an unruly youth.”
Taelin gave him a look. “If we’re going to rake over my past, I might as well tell it properly.” He turned to Ghaul, comically accusing. “Since certain people can’t keep their stories to themselves.”
“I regret nothing.” Ghaul said cheerfully.
Taelin glanced around the table, tone shifting into something gentler. “Hayvalaine and I were… very much in love. She was clever, funny, and so, so beautiful. Still is now, even more so actually.”
The table fell quiet for a moment.
“She’s given me over four hundred years of her life,” he went on. “Six children, almost seven. But back then, we couldn’t bear to be apart. We planned to elope to Armathen.”
General Kareth Stonebind rumbled a dry laugh from his seat. “Aye. He came to me, red-faced and wild-eyed. Begged like a boy caught in the pantry.”
Taelin shook his head, smiling, and turned to his father. “But we didn’t need to run. He understood, knew I needed to be with her. Needed to… be hers.”
That earned groans and laughter around the fire, Rinya almost snorted wine through her nose. Maeve, sitting quietly beside Eiran, watched Taelin in a way she never had before, utterly free and light with feeling. He didn’t speak like a commander now, but like a man in love, and still deeply in it.
Veralis’ voice was warm now. “It all worked out in the end.”
Ghaul raised his cup. “All thanks to me.”
“Here he goes.” Taelin muttered.
“I’m owed, frankly,” Ghaul said. “Between the excuses I made and the patrols I rearranged, they should’ve named a child after me.”
“They still might,” Fenric said brightly. “The next one’s not here yet. Ghaul Junior?”
Taelin recoiled, pointing to Ghaul. “We will not.”
“Ghaulor?” Laren suggested helpfully.
“Ghaulien,” Fenric said, grinning.
Ghaul deadpanned. “May your blades all rust.”
