“I knew my mother, as an adult, for less than an hour.” She clutched her chest. “And yet I feel this tremendous hole inside me.”
“I feel much the same way about my mother.” She sighed. “I grieve not for what we shared but for what could have been.”
“I’m sorry for the grief Morgan brought upon us.”
She shook her head. “It is not your sin. Nor is it mine that my mother treated her so poorly.”
“Neither one of them was very happy in this life.”
“What will you do now?” she asked.
“Adrious and I are going back to Masola. They need a healer and a scholar.” She caught sight of Adrious mingling with Shareis. “Adrious invited Lilly and Mauria to live with us in Kytis’s old mansion. There’s plenty of room.”
“Us?” she asked.
Aja smiled. “Adrious said he wanted to keep a closer watch over me. I think it’s sweet. But it’s not what you think.”
She nodded. “If you say so.”
Aja gasped. “At least, I don’t think it’s what you think. Oh, I don’t know what to think!”
“It’s clear he cares a great deal for you,” she said. “Whatever it is, it will work out just fine.”
Shareis, Adrious, Mauria, and Lilly approached.
“I will miss all of you.” She grabbed Shareis. “Except my wife, of course. You can’t keep her in Masola.”
“It’s not that far from here,” Lilly said. “We expect to visit frequently.”
“Of course,” Shareis said.
Mauria showed off Frasie’s bouquet. “We’ll be needing another one of your marriage ceremonies soon, Niv. That is, if I can get your mother-in-law to agree.”
Lilly smiled, a rare treat from a Proctor. “I wouldn’t dare protest.”
“Just let me know when,” she said.
After everyone left, it was just Shareis and Niv by the fountain.
“Big day,” Shareis said.
“Big day.”
“Are you happy, Niv?”
She looked at her beautiful wife and smiled. “I am. I really am.”
Chapter 63
Niv walked to her balcony and looked out over the city. It had been just over a month since Frasie and Aiden’s wedding and crisp autumn air was settling over Selandis.
Her hands shook as she struggled to open the note Farius had given her. She almost put it away, as she had several times before, but she summoned the courage to continue. She saw her mother’s handwriting and closed it, fretting if she could handle its contents.
She took a deep breath and continued.
Dear Niv,
It is strange to write ‘Niv’. I feel compelled to call you Niv’leana because I don’t believe we ever grew close enough for me to have the honor to address you otherwise. And this was entirely my fault.
I spent my whole life striving to serve—my parents, the order, and my husband. Somewhere along the line, my ambitions overtook my duties to others—and to you. I thought I was in service to the world, but now I see I was only in service to myself.
I bound your powers to protect you, but also to protect myself. I was a coward. Your father tried to convince me otherwise. It nearly drove us apart. Do not blame him for my sins.
Parents are supposed to want better for their children, but I was somehow born without that urge. I see my failing, but it is too late for me. I know you are better than that, though. In the brief time I have known you, I learned your heart is a hundred times stronger than mine. I want you to know that, despite my failings, I do love you. I will always be in Cherin and Ren’s debt for raising such a wonderful person.
I see great things in your future. And that pleases me more than I can possibly explain. But what touches this cold heart of mine more than anything else is that I know—no, I see, you spread this love to everyone who ever has the pleasure of knowing you. It will be in your family, and in their children, and for generations to come.
I see your love each time your beautiful eyes soften when you look at your wife, and I see your love when you stare into your father’s face in adoration of his incredible strength. Treasure that love, Niv, because, despite what you might think, it is a rare thing in this world.
I know it is too late for my redemption. My jaded, selfish words may mean little to you now. But you must, above all else, fight for everything you believe in—even when foolish people like me get in your way.
I confess I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring for us. But I know, whatever happens, you will face the events to come with far more courage and strength than ever resided in me. Stay safe. Be well. Look after your father. And continue to share your beautiful love with the world.
With Love,
Maeva
She dried her eyes, folded the letter, and carefully stored it in her pocket. From her balcony she noticed a boy and girl taking advantage of the clear, sunny morning, chasing one another around the temple fountain.
She thought of the day her journey first began—that surreal moment in the Jeweled Woods when her mother’s voice echoed in her mind.
She put her hand on her stomach “I will not make the same mistakes with you, little one. You will always be surrounded by family. You will always know love.”
The End
Thank You for Reading
I hope you enjoyed this novel.
If you’re interested in learning of the tragic love story of Shareis’s parents, the novella titled Lilly is also available on Amazon.
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Other Novels by Robert W. Oliver II
Dragonfly
In 1852, Isabella and her family set out on the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri in search of a better life. When Izzy experiences startling déjà vu and a strong premonition about their family’s journey, she knows everything is not as it seems. As all appears lost in the raging of the Big Blue River, Izzy is overwhelmed by a strange phenomenon. It’s the last thing she’s aware of as she closes her eyes to die.
Pawnee warrior, Kuruks, doesn’t know what to make of the half-dead woman he finds stranded in the Nebraskan Territory with no supplies and days away from help. If this is the girl the medicine woman from his village sent him to find, he must help her.
But why is she important to his tribe, and what do her disturbing dreams mean? The answers must lie in his Pawnee village, a place where Izzy finds it difficult and even dangerous to fit in.
As they begin their journey together, Izzy and Kuruks discover secrets and ancient destinies that far surpass their wildest imaginings. As they cross into dangerous and unknown realms, can keep Izzy safe, and can they keep their growing love alive across a lifetime—and beyond?
Available on Amazon in Kindle and Print
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