Broken Dove

by Kristen Ashley

  I had a feeling he liked my outfit.

  Though, I had a stronger feeling he just liked me.

  He finally looked away but only for an instant to gaze at my throat before his eyes came back to mine and I saw something flash in his.

  “That’s a becoming necklace,” he noted on a low murmur.

  “An early wedding present,” I murmured back.

  “And a pleasant surprise.” He was still talking low.

  He knew what it was.

  “Indeed,” I replied.

  He grinned.

  I took in that grin, those eyes, the feel of his hand under mine and I blurted, “I love you, Apollo Ulfr.”

  This time, his eyes didn’t flash.

  They blazed.

  “And I love you, Madeleine Ulfr.”

  I held his gaze and shuffled closer.

  Then I broke eye contact only to instigate a different kind.

  I leaned into him, rested my head on his shoulder and turned my gaze to the man in the robes.

  I saw the holy man nod to me but I felt Apollo’s lips touch my hair.

  The man babbled on.

  And on.

  And on.

  He even wandered around the statues doing it.

  But I didn’t fall asleep and I didn’t get bored.

  I might not have memorized every moment (because there were a lot of them; the Lunwynian wedding ceremony was long), but I definitely memorized what I was feeling.

  And when the ceremony was finally done, my new husband turned me to him, wrapped his arms around me and dipped his lips to mine.

  But before he could kiss me, I whispered, “Remember this kiss.”

  His eyes peering into mine, already warm, they turned sweet.

  “Always,” he replied.

  And without delay, my husband gave me exactly what I wanted, in fact what he always gave me.

  A kiss worth remembering.

  * * * * *

  Apollo

  Six months later, Apollo looked from the contract he was signing to the man sitting across from him at his desk.

  “Is this all?” he asked.

  “It is,” Jeremiah answered.

  Apollo nodded, lifted the paper and tossed it across the desk, murmuring, “Then enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “You as well,” Jeremiah replied.

  Apollo said nothing.

  But he knew he would.

  He straightened from his chair, dipped his chin at his secretary and sauntered out of the room.

  He heard them the instant he opened the doors. Thus he headed straight to the great room.

  He got to the top of the steps and wasn’t able to fully take in the rooms occupants before Élan dashed to him, stopping only when she hit his body. The moment she did, she wrapped her arms around his hips and tipped her head back to catch his eyes.

  “Maddie and me made cookies!” she cried.

  “Is that so?” he asked softly, putting a hand to her thick hair.

  “Sugar!” she stated excitedly.

  “Are they good?” he asked.

  “They are!” she exclaimed, then added excitedly. “And we rolled them in pretty colored sugar crystals so they’re all blue and pink and green!”

  “I can’t wait to try one,” he told her.

  “It’s safe now,” she replied authoritatively. “But Chris has a burnt tongue. Maddie told him to wait until they cooled but he didn’t listen.” She grinned. “He still said they were yummy.”

  Apollo smiled in his daughter’s eyes and slid his hand to her cheek where he brushed it affectionately with his finger.

  Her grin turned into a smile and she let him go but only to move to his side and take his hand.

  That was when Apollo fully saw all that was happening in the great room.

  And that was when Apollo went completely still.

  This was because the fire was burning merrily in its grate. A soft snow was falling outside the windows. Laures, Alek, Draven, Derrik, Remi and Gaston were lingering around chairs and a table that had been arranged in the center of the space. Off to the side, up the steps and almost hidden around a corner, Hans and Loretta were in each other’s arms, faces close, attention absolutely not focused on what was happening twenty feet away. And Meeta was sitting in a chair, eyes on the action in the center of the room.

  And the action was Achilles sitting opposite Madeleine, a game of ricken set up on a table between them, Christophe sitting in a chair pulled close to Maddie’s side.

  His Maddie had her eyes to the board but her hand resting on her rounded belly.

  Achilles made a move. Christophe and Maddie studied the board, then Chris leaned deep, hanging over the side of his chair to whisper into Maddie’s ear.

  Maddie looked to him. “You’re sure?” she asked.

  Christophe nodded.

  She leaned in and whispered in his boy’s ear.

  When she pulled away, Apollo saw his son grin at his wife. “That’s better.”

  She turned back to the board, her lips curled up, and made her move.

  “Bloody hell,” Achilles muttered.

  Remi hooted, “Get out of that one, Lees.”

  Achilles looked to Christophe and Madeleine. “You two are a formidable pair.”

  Maddie grinned at Achilles before she turned and lifted her hand, palm facing Chris.

  His son lifted his hand and smacked it.

  And Apollo’s chest expanded so sharply, he thought it would burst.

  Because there she was. His dove. His Maddie. His wife.

  In a warm, safe place where she was always welcome because it was her home, surrounded by love, making memories of laughter and happy times.

  And there was his son, right next to her.

  A formidable pair.

  Suddenly, she turned to him, smiled and called, “There you are.”

  Apollo didn’t move.

  For in her eyes he saw nothing. No darkness. No despair.

  He’d mined those depths and nothing but light shined through.

  He’d given that to her.

  It had been the most important mission of his life.

  And he’d bested it.

  He swallowed past the thick in his throat and called back, “Indeed.”

  It was then he felt his daughter tugging at his hand.

  He let her lead him to his family.

  He pulled up a chair on Maddie’s other side and allowed his daughter to crawl into his lap.

  When she did, he wrapped his arms around her.

  And then he watched Christophe and Madeleine beat Achilles at ricken.

  And directly after, sitting in the heart of his familial home, his wife and children safe, close and happy, with great contentment, Apollo Ulfr listened to his family’s laughter ringing in the air.

  * * * * *

  Maddie

  I was sitting on the sofa, reading a letter from Finnie.

  Or I was trying to. She’d written it on the deck of Frey’s ship so the salty sea air had made the letters bleed.

  But I got the jist of it and the jist of it was that apparently, dads with sons stopped being idiot dads when they had daughters.

  Or at least they weren’t idiot dads with their daughters.

  I could tell by Finnie’s stories of how Frey was with their Alyssa.

  Added proof were the stories I read through Circe’s letters of how Lahn was with Andromeda (then again, he wasn’t an idiot dad with Isis, either; just Tunahn).

  And last, from what I’d learned through Cora’s letters of how Tor was with their little Dara.

  I was grinning as I was nearing the end of Finnie’s tales of Frey turning from idiot dad to an overprotective one when I felt movement in the room.

  I looked up to see Élan entering.

  She walked directly to me, threw herself on the sofa beside me and crossed her arms on her little girl chest.

  I knew what that meant.

  “I take it the carriage is ready,
” I remarked and she tipped her head back to aim her jade eyes to me.

  “Do I have to go back, Maddie?” she asked on a pout.

  “I’m afraid you do, honey bunch. School is important.”

  She aimed her eyes in front of her and kept pouting. “I don’t know why you stay all the way out here in the country when Papa has a house right in Benies.”

  I didn’t know either. Except that it was peaceful here. And I suspected my husband, as any soldier would in a time without war, needed peace.

  “Maybe I can talk your father into moving there for a couple of weeks so you and Chris can come home after school rather than staying there,” I offered. “And on the weekends we can go shopping, and have a pastry in a café, and maybe he’ll take us for dinner at Le Pont de L’eau.”

  Her head shot back and I again got her eyes. “Would you?”

  “Anything for you,” I replied and it was absolutely no lie.

  Her face lit.

  And my sweet Élan’s face lit often, but I suspected this time it was because she knew what I said was true.

  A voice came from the door.

  “Hurry up,” Chris called. “The carriage is waiting.”

  Élan started pouting again but I put the letter aside and got up from the couch, grabbing her hand and tugging her up with me.

  We walked hand in hand to the door as Christophe watched, his eyes aimed to our clasped hands.

  He never missed anything. Not Chris. He was ever watchful.

  As any good soldier or writer would need to be.

  He moved out of the door when we arrived. He then fell in step on the other side of me as we made our way to the front door.

  I thought I would get used to it, the contentment, the calm that came from the absolute understanding that I had everything.

  Walking to the door with Chris and Élan, marveling at the sweet sensation of having them in my life and having them accept me in theirs, I knew I’d never get used to it.

  And I knew why.

  Because it got better when Chris opened the door and my husband, standing on the steps waiting for us, the sun shining on his dark hair, his green shirt opened at the collar, his brown breeches fitting him way to well, turned our way.

  His warm, contented eyes slid through me before he looked to his kids.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “I’m ready,” Chris answered.

  “I’m never ready to go back to school,” Élan groused.

  “We’ll see you at the week’s end, precious girl,” Apollo told her. “Now, give Maddie a kiss and let us be away.”

  Élan let my hand go but only to turn to me and give me both of her arms.

  I bent to her and gave her mine as well as a kiss on the cheek.

  She touched her lips to mine before she let me go and dragged her feet as she walked to her father. Her step lightened when he lifted a hand to her and she reached out to take it.

  Chris turned and looked up at me. “Until the week’s end, Maddie.”

  I lifted a hand and again marveled at the sensation of how beautiful it was when he allowed me to bend to him and cup his jaw.

  “Look after your sister,” I told him softly.

  “I will,” he replied.

  I gave him a smile.

  He smiled back.

  I marveled at the sensation that caused too.

  I dropped my hand and Chris turned, sauntering with his father’s grace to the carriage Élan had already entered.

  I moved to Apollo, put a hand on his stomach and tipped my head back.

  He took the invitation and dropped his to touch his mouth to mine.

  “I’ll return in a few hours, my dove,” he said there.

  “See you then, baby.”

  He grinned against my lips.

  I returned the favor.

  Then he brushed his mouth to mine before he moved away and I watched him mount his horse.

  I stood on the steps of our country house in Fleuridia, the first place I’d known in this world, and waved as the carriage rolled away, Apollo riding at its side.

  My husband didn’t wave back but he bowed his head to me.

  Élan, however, hung out the carriage window and waved frantically.

  I stood where I was until they were out of sight.

  Since the view was long, this took some time.

  But I had hours to kill before my man returned, so I took it. And I enjoyed the vision before me. The colors so vivid they hurt the eyes. The memory that here was where I left a life not worth living behind and was given a life that was worth dying for.

  When they were gone, I moved back into the house thinking I should write Finnie a letter. Or Cora. Or Circe.

  However, I didn’t go to my writing desk.

  I went to the stairs, thinking it would be nice when Loretta returned from her honeymoon with Hans. I missed her. I was happy for her, but I missed her.

  I then turned to thinking it would be nice when Meeta returned from her vacation sex-a-thon with Ruben.

  He’d asked for her hand.

  She said she didn’t want to leave me.

  He said he couldn’t leave Frey.

  They were at a stalemate, working it out at Ruben’s house in Houllebec in Lunwyn. This meant, even if she left to journey to me in Fleuridia, I wouldn’t see her for months.

  And I hoped in those months she’d decide to give in to Ruben.

  Her friendship and loyalty meant a lot to me (not to mention, she was a master at doing good hair).

  But love.

  Love was everything.

  On this thought, I entered the room and made my quiet way to the exceptionally girlie crib with its frilly green bedclothes, the mobile hanging low over it made of padded gray wolves.

  I looked down into the crib and blinked.

  In it was Valentine, my daughter, with her little frizz of auburn hair and tiny nose across which danced freckles.

  Though, if she opened her sleepy eyes, I would see their pure translucent jade green.

  That was not what surprised me.

  What surprised me was at the end of her crib was a bag of scoop-shaped Fritos, a box of ballpoint pens, a pouch made of emerald green satin, and an envelope with my name written it.

  I reached in and grabbed the envelope.

  Tearing it open, I slid out the letter, the words written in green ink.

  Ma Colombe,

  Your wolf wished you to have these so here they are.

  What’s in the pouch, however, is a gift from me.

  I dash this to you for things don’t ever stay boring, fortunately. Love is in the air, and with it comes its tribulations.

  This time, we shall see if a woman from there can settle into life with a man from here.

  I do believe our Noctorno of this world will have his work cut out for him.

  But in the end, I’ve no doubt he’ll succeed.

  With a little bit of meddling.

  My namesake is, of course, beautiful, chérie.

  As ever, I wish you happiness,

  Valentine.

  Smiling to myself, I slid the letter back into the envelope, removed the goodies from Valentine’s crib and set them aside. Then I touched the soft pink skin of my baby girl’s cheek.

  The pregnancy was not without its normal dramas. The delivery wasn’t short. It thankfully wasn’t long. And it happened in this world by my choice.

  And my choice was, this was my world and I didn’t want to leave it.

  And there she was.

  Proof that the future beamed bright.

  In fact, I was standing by the crib of my sleeping daughter, and I was blinded by it.

  Even so, I could stand there for days.

  But I didn’t.

  I moved to the green pouch Valentine had left. I nabbed it, shoved my fingers in the opening and pulled it wide.

  Instantly, a glow emanated from the bag.

  I stared at the glow a moment before I dipped my nose close and
took in a breath.

  Peppermint, with hints of vanilla and licorice.

  It was then, I smiled.

  * * * * *

  Apollo fell to his back, taking me with him.

  I was breathing heavily, my hand moving over his slick skin, my eyes moving across the room.

  There we were in the mirrors Apollo had fitted to the doors of the wide wardrobe—Apollo on his back, his long strong muscled body stretched out on the bed, me straddling him, my forehead in his neck, my naked torso pressed to his, our bodies connected. My skin appeared creamy in contrast to the olive tone of his.

  We looked amazing.

  My eyes slid to the two empty china teacups sitting on our nightstand, but they went back to the mirror when I felt his touch.

  I watched his hand glide lazily over the cheek of my behind. Watching it, feeling it, I lifted my head and slid up his chest so I had his eyes.

  There it was. That look. The first look he’d ever given me.

  Minus one thing.

  He was staring up at me with tenderness.

  But no pain.

  I gave him that.

  Me.

  Warmth that had not one thing to do with adela tea surged though me and I dropped my mouth to his.

  “More?” I whispered.

  “You up for it?” he whispered back.

  I felt my lips smile. Then I saw the same in his eyes but I also saw more.

  Tenderness.

  Satisfaction.

  Happiness.

  Love.

  I gave him that.

  Me.

  “Absolutely,” I murmured, pressed into him and finished, “Always.”

  He slanted his head, his arms curved around me, his mouth took mine and he rolled me to my back.

  Then, just like Apollo, he gave me more.

  He did it right then.

  And he did it again, in nine months, when our son Aether was born.

  There is one more tale to tell in the Fantasyland Series.

  Stay tuned!

  ****

  Glossary of Parallel Universe

  Places, seas, regions in the Kristen Ashley’s Fantasyland Series

  Bellebryn—(place) Small, peaceful, city-sized princedom located in the Northlands and fully within the boundaries of Hawkvale and the Green Sea (west)