by R A Oakes
“What have you come up with?” King Ulray asked being a bit suspicious, knowing of his friend’s penchant for risky, experimental incantations.
“Oh, it’s nothing like that,” Eldwyn assured him. “It’s all quite stable and dependable.”
“What’s stable and dependable?”
Striding over to a set of closed double-doors that had always led to an adjoining room, at least until a minute ago, Eldwyn stopped, and then with a flourish pulled the doors wide open saying, “A time portal, sire.”
King Ulray, King Tarlen and Genevieve quickly joined Eldwyn and peered through the doorway, finding themselves looking at what appeared to be a replica of the very throne room they were standing in now.
“Eldwyn, what is this?” King Tarlen asked.
“What does it look like?”
“A throne room identical to this one.”
“I would think so. After all, you’re looking at the throne room of Dominion Castle.”
“I don’t understand,” King Tarlen said looking at Eldwyn with a confused expression on his face.
“In your throne room here, it’s the present. But cross over the threshold into that throne room and you’ll be going back in time 40 years to the very period your father comes from. It’s even the exact day he left to come here.”
Suddenly, King Tarlen gasped. There, entering the second throne room, the one from the past, were several very familiar faces.
“It’s my mother, brothers and sisters, Eldwyn,” King Tarlen said choked with emotion and near tears.
Putting an arm around his son’s shoulder, King Ulray said, “Before I came into the future, I told them about the dangers you were facing and how much trouble you were in. I’m sure they’ve all been worried sick about you. Go to them, Tarlen. And take your wonderful wife with you. I’m sure they’ll love to meet her as well.”
With that, King Tarlen stepped over the threshold into the past. Standing just inside the doorway, King Tarlen was so caught up in his emotions that he was unsure of what to do. But that was only until he saw the tears in his mother’s eyes and she held her arms out to him.
Gripping Genevieve’s hand tightly, he turned to her and said, “You’ll always come first in my life. Even now that I have a family, you’ll always be first. I’ll always love you the most.”
“I know that,” Genevieve reassured him. “I’m not threatened by them. I know our love is secure. Go ahead, Tarlen, go to them. You’ve been waiting all your life. It’s time to go home.”
Looking deeply into her eyes, he said, “Wherever it is that I’m with you, that’s home enough for me.”
“Thank you,” Genevieve said smiling.
Turning to face the family Swarenth had so cruelly taken from him, it was all King Tarlen could do not to break down in tears.
“It’s all right,” Genevieve reassured him once more. “If anyone’s earned the right to shed tears of joy, it’s you.”
“What would I ever do without you?” Tarlen asked.
“You’ll never have to find out because we’ll always be together.”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
Taking her husband’s arm, Genevieve smiled and said, “Now, introduce me to your mother.”
“Gladly.”
Smiling and bursting with happiness, a king and his bride walked into the past together.
Back by the threshold, King Ulray turned to Eldwyn and said, “Well, my friend, you’ve outdone yourself this time. At first, when it looked like I’d be returning to the past and never see Tarlen again, I thought it was the end.”
“No, my best friend, it’s just the beginning,” Eldwyn said, and then he and King Ulray stepped over the threshold as well, smiling as they saw Tarlen hugging his mother with his brothers and sisters surrounding him, touching him, welcoming him home.
Standing in the portal with Zorya and Baelfire, Aerylln reminded the magic horse about a promise saying, “Well, speaking about the past, you said you’d tell me about the creation of Baelfire, about Raven, the first woman to wield the magic sword, and about Dynarsis, the very first Kardimont king.”
“Did I?” Zorya asked pretending she’d forgotten her promise.
“Yes.”
“Young people are always in such a rush. Let’s savor this moment a while, and then I’ll tell you all about them.” “When?” Aerylln demanded, hands on her hips, but still smiling.
“Soon,” Zorya laughed. “Very soon.”
