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More goblin guards appeared to escort them inside. Anrid whistled half a dozen times until she managed to get the children into their lopsided lines. The guards led them up impressive stone staircases and down vaulted halls until they approached a set of massive doors that ran nigh to the ceiling. Anrid tipped her head back to gape at their overwhelming size.
“Everyone, stay in your lines and, for stone’s sake, don’t do anything embarrassing. You’re going to meet the king and queen now, got it? Do you know what a king and queen are?”
Excited bobbing of heads ensued, although Anrid doubted the little ones had any idea at all. She hoped no one decided to give unsolicited hugs and rip off their clothes and run around in merry nakedness…an experience they’d been subjected to more than once at Imenborg by Gorge who hadn’t yet grasped the importance of attire.
“Are you ready?” She glanced up and saw that Jael, finally, stared straight at her. He’d been so awkward and distracted the past couple of days, she wondered if he even remembered that she was present. His dark gaze held hers captive for a breath, and she thought she might drown in the pure pleasure of being seen. But then he seemed to take her silence as an affirmative and turned away. He splayed his palms against the wooden doors and shoved them open with obvious effort.
They stepped through the doorway into a vaulted chamber streaming with amethyst-hued sunlight.
A roar of voices exploded from all sides.
Chapter 40
The cheers of Elysium welcomed him home.
Jael braced himself to endure the attention and exultation, knowing the people needed their chance to celebrate. He held his head high as he marched down the aisle toward the dais at the other end. His mother and father sat on intricately carved stone chairs, embedded with rune crystals that reflected the light from the sun. His mother smiled and pressed one finger to her lips. Jael faltered and glanced behind him.
Anrid and the children still stood at the entrance to the hall. They gaped into the chamber, expressions frightened. The children clustered around Anrid and clung to her skirts. She wrapped her arms around as many of them as she could, looking so terrified she probably didn’t have any comfort to offer her charges. Blushing for not noticing their distress himself, Jael retreated back down the aisle.
“Now, see here,” he said with an encouraging smile. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Everyone is happy to see you. Don’t you want to come and meet my mother and father?”
One of the younger girls peeled her face out of Anrid’s skirts. She squinted past him. “The pretty one on the chair is your mum?”
He flashed her a grin. “Indeed, she is. And she’s promised cookies to any well-behaved goblin who visits her today.”
A dozen more faces emerged from their hiding places, eyes gleaming with interest.
“Don’t you want cookies?”
Crag stepped forward, a head taller than anyone else in the bunch. “Are they big ones?” The rock monkey on his shoulder chirped and licked its lips.
Jael knew from experience that the wretched little beast could easily eat as much as the children, despite its vastly inferior size.
“Oh, indeed.” Jael nodded gravely. “Very, very big.”
The rest of them emerged at last. Giggles and nods answered him all around.
“Well, then, into your lines, you lot. Shortest in front.” The children pushed and shoved one another to form their lines. “Not you, Crag, you’re as tall as a goat. To the back of the line.” He caught the goblin boy by the collar and redirected him.
Crag grumbled his complaints but obeyed.
Once he had the children mostly into rows, Jael turned his attention to Anrid. She stood at the rear of their motley procession, face pale beneath the freckles. The rays of the sunlight highlighted her auburn hair and made it violent red around the edges. Her eyes, however, were huge with distress. His heart twisted that he hadn’t realized how unnerving this would be for all of them. He doubted any of them had ever received a royal summons before.
Suppressing a curse of self-loathing, he held his hand out to Anrid, palm to the vaulted ceiling. She didn’t move at first, but then she stirred herself and eased around the children. Her eyes held his and never wavered as she came to stand by his side. Still, she hesitated a moment longer before sliding her sweaty palm into his fingers. He squeezed before repositioning, so her hand touched under his arm for a proper escort.
“It will be over soon,” he whispered out the side of his mouth as he resumed the trek down the aisle. “Just curtsey and smile, and I’ll get you out of here as quickly as I can.”
A ghost of smile touched her mouth.
They tromped down the aisle in straggly rows. Bolstered by the promise of sweets, the children began to wave to the crowds lining the aisle. A ripple of laughter from the audience made Jael glance over his shoulder to see some of the girls pirouetting. But what must have tickled the crowd was little Gorge who had left his line to strike a mighty pose, as if to show off his miniscule muscle.
“Gorge!” he barked.
The lad giggled, grabbed for his sagging trousers, and dove back into the line near the rear where he could no longer be seen between the taller fellows.
They managed to reach the dais where his mother descended the stairs and greeted the children. Jael opened his mouth to tell them to bow, but the children flooded around him and Anrid and descended on his poor mother.
Nyx spread her arms wide, however, to welcome the eager arms thrown around her waist and legs. “What a fine, brave group you are, to have traveled so far to see me!” she exclaimed over the din. The crowd fell quiet when King Ereb cracked a smile and lifted a hand to silence them.
