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56
KIAN
As Kian read the message from Aru, he knew what the private meeting the god was requesting was about.
Aru must have received a communication from his sister about the time of the first meeting between the queen of Anumati and her granddaughter.
Kian walked out the door and headed across the corridor to his mother's cabin.
Syssi had taken Allegra to her parents' cabin, and since Andrew, Nathalie and Phoenix were there as well, she wouldn't be back anytime soon. His excuse for not visiting was that he had to meet with Onegus and Turner about the situation on Modana's estate, but that could wait. What Aru had to tell him and his mother took precedence.
Kian rang the bell, and a moment later, the door swung open.
"Good morning, master." Oridu bowed. "The Clan Mother is on the balcony, enjoying the sun. Would you like to join her?"
"I would." Kian strode past the Odu and pulled out his sunglasses from his shirt pocket before opening the sliding door.
The sun was glaring this time of the day, and as he'd expected, his mother was wearing her goggle-style protective shades.
She smiled at him. "Good morning, my son. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Can't a son visit his mother for no other reason than to bask in her presence?"
She laughed. "Yes, but mine is too busy and never does. So, what news do you bring?"
"Aru messaged me requesting a private meeting. Since I assume it has to do with the queen and when she wants your first meeting to happen, I thought I would invite him to your cabin where we would have the most privacy."
His mother sat up and turned to him. "Of course. Let us go inside. I will ask my Odus to prepare a light mid-morning meal."
"That's a great idea." He pushed to his feet and offered her a hand up.
She accepted his offer gracefully, placing her tiny hand in his. It never ceased to amaze him how a small female like her had carried him in her womb until term and then gave birth to him.
His mother smiled up at him. "What troubling thought did you have right now that you are frowning?"
"How did you manage to give birth to me?"
Annani laughed. "It was not easy, but just so you do not feel guilty, I will let you know that Alena was an even larger baby at birth. She was my largest and first baby. Imagine how difficult that birth was. I thanked the merciful Fates for my fast healing, but giving birth to Alena without pain-reducing medication was something I will never forget, and it has been a while."
He opened the balcony door for her. "More than two thousand years is a long time to remember labor pains."
"Indeed." Annani took off her protective eyewear as soon as she was inside. "Nevertheless, I thank the Fates every day for Alena and for my other four children. Each of you has given me so much joy that it was worth the pain of bringing you into the world and even the pain and grief of losing Lilen. I am glad that I had him with me for the centuries I did." She walked over to the couch and sat in the middle of it as she usually did.
Kian swallowed the lump in his throat that the mention of his only brother always brought about. "As the saying goes, 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, and it's true for all types of love, not just the romantic kind." He sat on the couch next to his mother and pulled out his phone. "I should text Aru to tell him to come here."
Annani nodded. "Add to the text that I want to speak with him so he will have a good excuse in case someone sees him coming here and wonders why."
"I'm sure he can come up with an excuse on his own, but I'll do as you say."
His mother laughed. "If only it was so easy every time I ask you to do something."
Kian paused his typing and lifted his head to look at her. "When do I defy your wishes?"
"You do not defy them. You just argue your point until I agree to a compromise."
"That's how civilized people negotiate. I see nothing wrong with that."
