by Ryder Bailey
Deandre smiled. "I can do magic now, too. Come here."
Ignoring how strange this situation was, Shelton gave himself over willingly. He wasn't going to lose this chance.
***
It had been easy for Anil to think of a design that would be best for Coulta, but actually stitching it had been something of a nightmare in itself. The design had so many complicated patterns that it had taken her days to sketch it out. The embroidery hadn't taken quite as long, but she'd been especially careful to place every stitch perfectly. It had been difficult to focus her mind on only her desire to help Coulta for so long, as well. She loved him and wanted very much to help him, but sometimes her mind just didn't want to focus. Especially when the baby felt the need to remind her of its presence. As if she could ever forget about the life blooming inside her. In fact, she was starting to believe that there may be two babies instead of one. She wasn't sure how she knew this – perhaps it was a mother's instinct along with the comments she'd overheard about how quickly she was growing – but the thought simply felt true.
She was content either way.
Finally satisfied with her work, she rose from her seat by the hearth and pulled on a shawl over her heavy gown. They were in the coldest grip of winter, and though Wildas had explained the impressive engineering of the castle that helped keep it significantly warmer than the air outside, it would still be chilly away from the fire. Teeya would be at work with the other seamstresses on the other side of the castle now.
But as she started toward the door she stopped abruptly. There, impossibly, stood her entire family. Her father. Both of her mothers. Her three brothers.
"I knew there was a reason you had been spared," Momma said with a teary smile.
"I'm so happy for you," Mother added with her own sad smile.
Kyler, her youngest brother who had been only seven when the winter illness had taken him, stepped somewhat closer and looked at her thoughtfully. He'd always been a curious child, she remembered fondly. "Are you really having a baby?" he asked, looking up at her with his wide green eyes.
She nodded and placed a hand over her belly. "I am," she whispered hoarsely, then cleared her throat.
"You should name it after me!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"She can't just name the king's baby herself, dummy," Lial, who had been thirteen when he'd died, pointed out. "There's probably a tradition or something."
Anil knelt slightly to look at Kyler, who was now sulking. "I don't know what the rules are, but if I can, I promise I'll name a son after you."
Kyler smiled. "Really? Thanks!" He moved like he wanted to hug her, then stepped back quickly, as if he wasn't sure if he could.
Anil didn't know either, and didn't want to possibly do anything to risk her pregnancy. She just smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. Then she looked to her other brother, Alis, who had been only a few months younger than her in life. "Are you..." She couldn't decide how to ask what she wanted to know. Asking if he was doing well seemed foolish – he was dead after all. But she knew his lover had died only a week before him. Had they been able to meet each other again?
"Lin and I are together again now," he answered, almost as if he'd read her very thoughts. He smiled gently. "I'm happy."
"That's very good," she said with a smile. Her attention then turned to her father, who had been watching the entire conversation fondly. "Yes, I still have your coat," she assured him, then pointed to the chest at the foot of her bed. "I have it stored in there."
He smiled. "I know. I'm sure it's not fit for a queen, is it? But I'm glad you kept it."
"I would never be rid of it. It's all I have of any of you."
"That's not true," Momma argued. "You have your memories of us."
She always had been sentimental.
"I'll always keep those, too," Anil promised.
"Now, we've kept you too long," Mother said gently. "There are others who need to visit their living families and we've held them up too long, too."
Anil gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"You know about Coulta's ritual with the Algoman prince to unlock his powers," Father explained. "It worked, of course. The prince opened a door between the realms of the living and the dead so that those of us who wish to could visit. But only so many can visit at once before the exit is temporarily blocked. The world knows how to stay in balance. Other spirits chose to wait for the royal family's kin to visit."
"But we are truly only commoners," Momma pointed out. "We shouldn't cause too much of a delay."
Anil nodded in understanding. "Thank you for visiting. I miss you all."
"And we love you," Mother replied.
They vanished rather quickly, but even after they had gone, Kyler's voice echoed back, "Don't forget your promise!"
Only the tears on her cheeks made her realize she was crying, not laughing.
***
Myri was tired, but that didn't stop her from taking a solitary walk through the castle. She would have preferred to walk outside, but the bitter cold would require her to return to her room for a coat, and she didn't want to chance encountering any of her spouses, Wildas most of all. She wanted to suffer this sadness alone, and he had been watching her with veiled expectation for months now.
She'd taken her fertility teas several times in the last months, but she had no news to share. Twice she was sure she did, but twice she had miscarried early. This second one had stayed with her long enough for her to be certain. She had been so hopeful.
Last night she had gone to bed feeling mildly ill. In the morning she had lost all her hope.
None of her fellow healers knew what to do for her. There were teas to increase fertility and help her conceive, but nothing that anyone knew of could help her keep the pregnancy to term. It would be her body's decision.
That wasn't a helpful thought, not when Wildas was waiting for her to tell him she pregnant. He was patient for now, but the day would come when he would ask her about it.
Would the court allow him to keep a wife who clearly couldn't give him children? She didn't know if there was such an expectation for both her and Anil.
The thought of Anil having all of Wildas's children saddened her as well. According to what she had heard, the Grand King traditionally had ten children, give or take one or two. Though it was possible for one woman to have that many children, it was still more than she would want to bear herself. Perhaps with a set or two of twins it would be easier. In her opinion as a healer, it was quite possible that Anil was already carrying twins. Myri just hadn't wanted to say anything too soon.
"I see you have been putting my lessons to good use."
At the sound of the familiar voice, Myri froze mid step and turned to find her mother's ghost standing beside a window nearby. For a brief moment, Myri wondered if she was losing her sanity, then she remembered the ritual Coulta had participated in with the Algoman prince.
"I'm trying," she replied. "It isn't always easy."
Mara stepped closer and gently gripped her hand. She wasn't surprised by the solidity of the cold touch, remembering the brief hauntings they'd had at home after patients had died.
"I know about the babies," Mara told her gently. "Don't stress yourself. Eventually your body will choose to do what it is meant to do. Help your wife with her babies. Perhaps that will help."
Myri nodded. "I will try."
Her mother kissed her forehead. "That's all you can do."
"Did you suffer?" Myri asked abruptly.
Mara almost seemed to chuckle. "No. I stood before them when they broke down the door and cut my own throat before they could rape me to death. I died by my own choice, it wasn't forced upon me. I was able to watch you as you traveled and saved his life. I was able to watch you be married."
"I hope you didn't watch much more than the wedding," Myri said with a smile.
"Of course not. Though I have had to resist the temptation to look in on your very attractive husbands fr
om time to time."
Myri laughed. "Well, they are handsome. I've very happy I met them."
"As am I."
***
Since seeing Coulta's mother that morning, Wildas had been wondering if his father would choose to visit him. At times during the day he thought there was no way his father wouldn't visit. Other times he wondered why he would bother.
To distract himself, he sparred with Rohan and Coulta for an hour after the midday meal. The arena was still being used to train soldiers except in the worst of weather, but the packed snow footing was icy in places. The match ended when he slipped into Rohan while blocking an attack from Coulta. He flung his left arm out and caught Rohan in the face. Rohan instinctively tried to grab him before he fell, despite the smack to the face, and instead went down on top of Wildas. Coulta tossed his sword aside and reached to catch both of them, and only managed not to fall on them by using some magic to throw himself to the side. Still, the way they all went down, the sword Wildas still held would have fatally wounded Coulta if not for the magic he always used to render the blades harmless in a practice fight.
Thankfully, none of them had been badly injured. He was sure they'd all be sore in the morning, though. He already was. His side hurt where Rohan had landed on him.
And as he walked back to their rooms he noticed Coulta was in obvious pain.
He stopped walking and turned to Coulta. "You're limping."
Coulta stopped beside him and nodded. "I think I turned my ankle."
"Myri should look at it."
"I planned to ask her to," Coulta assured him.
Wildas nodded and continued on, a bit slower this time. He could tell Coulta appreciated the change in pace.
So thoroughly did he distract himself that he was startled when he entered his bedchamber and saw his father standing in the middle of the room.
He looked much like Coulta's mother had; slightly translucent but otherwise real. The only other difference between the ghost of Deandre and Wildas's memories of the man was the simpler clothing style he wore. Not the elaborate coats and gaudy shirts he'd worn in life. The plain blue he wore made him look less like a king and more like any other man.
Coulta gently squeezed Wildas's hand, then moved toward his own room, pausing only to bow swiftly to Deandre. Wildas could tell that he was trying not to limp very badly as he walked away.
Deandre smiled as he watched Coulta leave, then turned back to Wildas. "He's a good man."
Wildas nodded. "He is."
"I was thankful he reached you in time," Deandre added, his smile fading. "I regret that I left you in such a way."
Memories that Wildas had consciously locked away long ago came rushing back. The piercing look on his father's face as Varin had cut his throat. Seeing the light in those familiar, bold eyes vanish.
"You didn't have a choice," Wildas replied, fighting a lump in his throat. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop it."
Deandre stepped close and squeezed Wildas's shoulder briefly. "You are not to blame for anyone else's actions."
Wildas nodded and pushed those memories away again as best he could. "Are you happy with me?" he asked, though he wasn't sure why he needed the approval so badly.
Deandre smiled, something he had rarely done when speaking to Wildas. "Very. Every decision you have made thus far has been a good one."
"I can only hope I'm still making good decisions when the next attack happens. Or the war itself begins."
"I believe you will be. I know I was never the greatest as a father, but I believe you will be a great king. You are a good and just one now, but whatever happens with this war, you will need to deal with the consequences. I believe that whatever choices you make will be good and that you will be loved by the people. You have more compassion than I ever did. I suppose I shouldn't have expected much else with Shelton having a hand in your raising," he added, an obvious fond smile on his face. "He could never do much to change me, much to his frustration, so he made sure to spend as much time as he could with you."
Wildas smiled. "He's a good man, too."
Deandre nodded. "And a better father than I ever was."
"Just different. Not solely concerned with making sure I didn't fail when I needed to take your place."
"That was one of his concerns and still is. I'm thankful you still have him."
"I am, as well." He suddenly realized he was speaking to only one of his two missing parents. "Will Mother visit?"
Deandre nodded. "She assured me she would."
Wildas smiled. "I'll be waiting for her."
Deandre returned the smile. "I need to go and visit your siblings, but know that I'm watching over all you do. Don't ever doubt your decisions. They are all sound."
"Thank you," Wildas replied.
When he had vanished, Wildas realized how sad he felt. He and his father had had many differences over his lifetime, but he was still Wildas's father and it was painful to remember him. Brushing tears from his eyes, he began to change out of his dirty clothes so he could walk with Coulta to the healers' room.
13
Jaimathan could feel the spirits of all those who were visiting the castle, and it filled him with joy that he could help the living to see their loved ones once more. Perhaps he could even bring closure to some.
He had brought closure to himself, at least. His mother had visited him, much to his surprise. He hadn't dared to hope she would, knowing that most spirits, especially those with high social ranks in life, were tied to the lands they knew. Most did not venture from those places when they visited the mortal realm. It was that sense of loyalty to one's homeland that led the living to fight to defend it and the dead not to completely desert it. Despite her having been a queen in life, a status that should have tied her to the land even more strongly, she'd been able to visit him, though only briefly.
"A mother's love is stronger than all earthly ties," she'd explained.
She'd also explained why she had sacrificed herself to save their country, and he finally understood that, even if he had been there, she would not have been stopped. As queen, her country must come first. That was something he planned to remember when he returned home and officially became king. It just wasn't the way he would have chosen to learn that lesson.
He planned to never use the same method to teach his own son, Klent, what he had learned.
He leaned back in his chair and watched the fire burn in the hearth. Coulta and Shelton had each visited him that morning. Both of them had looked rather sad but were glad to see that he was well. Shelton believed that his changing eye color had something to do with unlocking his magic completely, that perhaps his lack of formal training had prevented the powers from fully manifesting before now. But nothing in any of the books that they possessed spoke of such a thing and they didn't know if his new powers would remain when he returned home to Algoma.
Until the time when he met another Asir who could answer his questions, it would remain the mystery of his life.
He'd turned those thoughts over in his mind repeatedly since he'd opened the door between the realms that morning, and it was beginning to tire him. There wasn't much else to do, though, at least not until Fae returned from working with the healers for the day.
Then he could test more of his powers. And hopefully make up for having been such a terrible husband lately.
***
Anil and her spouses were all very subdued that evening as they took their dinner in the sitting area of Wildas's bedchamber. Not that any of them were very interested in eating much. They didn't need to discus it to know that each of them had been visited by ghosts, though Anil wondered who Coulta had been visited by. She knew his father was in the castle and that he had never known his mother. Hopefully it had been her.
She grew tired of the silence eventually and decided to ask the question that had been haunting her all day.
"How are royal children named? How are the names chosen?"
Wildas
glanced up at her and shrugged. "There is no real tradition to it. If there was, it would have been brought to my attention by now. I was planning to ask you if you had any names in mind."
"My brother..." She paused and cleared her throat. "His name was Kyler. He asked me today if I would name my baby after him. I said I would if it wouldn't break any traditions. I thought Kylar would be a good name for a prince, or Kyla for a princess."
Wildas smiled gently. "I like both."
Anil returned the smile, then turned next to Myri and Coulta. "What about you?"
"I like it," Myri agreed with a smile. "I think both names would do very well."
Coulta was avoiding the conversation by rubbing his ankle, which he had apparently injured mildly that afternoon, according to Myri. Supposedly he would be better in a day, considering how quickly the magic made him heal.
"What do you think, Coulta?"
He looked up at her with obvious surprise. Then he nodded. "Kylar and Kyla. I like them both."
Anil smiled. "Thank you." She hoped Kyler was somehow watching and able to know that she was keeping her promise.
***
Shelton awoke that night when Yvona slipped into bed with him. He gently pulled her into his arms and allowed her to rest her head on his chest.
"He visited you, too, didn't he?" she asked after a long moment of peaceful silence.
Shelton stirred from the doze he'd fallen back into. "This morning," he replied, and the sadness that had haunted him all day returned. "I made sure he knew when you'd be back from training."
"He wanted me to let you know that he visited all the children," she said quietly. "As sad as it was to see him, I'm glad I was able to come."
"Me as well," Shelton agreed.
"And Xaio."
Shelton stroked her hair and smiled. "I'm also thankful to have seen her."
Yvona nodded against him and was quiet for a while before commenting, "I never thought I would say that I made love with a ghost."
