Page 129 of Once Upon a Crown
“You could always come to Norrandale,” I suggested, already knowing what her answer would be. Since Gwen had moved to Levernia, she hadn’t been back to Mistwood or Norrandale once. She’d made a life for herself here in Everness and I believed her to be quite happy.
“You’re right. It’s just that Mistwood doesn’t feel like home anymore. And it’s a long distance to travel with Philip. I mean, have you ever had to sit in a carriage with a four-year-old for hours on end?”
We both looked to where the little boy played with Cai. Dark tendrils of hair framed his face and he had icy-blue eyes. He looked so much like his father. But he definitely had Gwen’s temperament. No one could doubt it.
“Good point. Although we do spend as much time here as possible.” It was hard to travel between the two kingdoms sometimes. Cai and I both heavily relied on our councils to keep things running while we were gone, but we tried to balance our time between the two palaces. In the years that had passed, I’d grown quite fond of both my homes. But that didn’t mean I didn’t spend as much time in the forest as possible, whenever we were in Levernia. In a way, the forest would always be my home too. A part of me would always be there. The place that had raised me and protected me. The forest with monstrous wolves, deadly mists, and trees that listened and kept watch. The Myrgonite magic might have been destroyed long ago, but this would always be the magic that remained to me. The real magic.
“Aunty Lara! Aunty Lara!” Philip came running over while Cai walked behind him with a grin on his face. “Look what Uncle Cai found!”
My nephew ran towards me with outstretched hands, and I caught him in my arms. “What did you two find? Show me.”
He opened his hand to reveal a pinkish pebble inside. Probably picked up from the creek.
“What a pretty stone that is, Philip.”
“Can I keep it?” He looked to Gwen.
“Of course you can.” She chuckled. With a satisfied expression, he made himself comfortable on the blanket, admiring his new prize. It didn’t take much to impress at that age.
I reached for a blueberry tart as Cai sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around me.
“At least leave one for me, please.”
I’d already had about five of them, but I couldn’t help it — they were too delicious. I held out the half-eaten tart to him and Cai bent his head to take a bite.
“These are not bad.”
“They’re not as good as Brutus’s, though.”
“Oh, I miss Brutus’s cooking and baking,” Gwen chirped in. “I mean, the food here is great. But that man makes the best cakes in the world.”
“That’s true,” I agreed.
“Speaking of which.” She clapped her hands and looked at Philip. “Are you ready to go, little man? It’s almost time for lunch.” And no doubt Lance was expecting us back at the palace.
“Not yet.” The boy shook his head, black curls swishing left and right.
Cai’s hand splayed out over my stomach and its small bump. I covered his hand with mine, smiling as Gwen tried to argue with her child about lunch times.
“How about I tell you a story and then we go?” This sparked little Philip’s interest. Whenever Cai and I stayed here, he would often request his Aunt Lara put him to bed with a story. I’d never thought myself much of a storyteller, but it turned out, if you were a queen long enough, there was always something interesting to tell. One thing was certain about my life as Queen of Everness and Norrandale, there was never a dull moment.
“Are you going to tell the one about the princess locked away in the kingdom across the sea again?” Philip had really taken a liking to that one for some reason.
“Not today.” I patted my lap so that he would come and sit. The little boy didn’t hesitate. “Then what story are you going to tell, Aunty Lara?”
I thought about it for a moment before a smile crept onto my face.
“I’m going to tell you a story about a girl who was a thief.”
THE END
