Page 36 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

The sound of the patio door opening severed the moment of bliss. Adrian tensed as his hold on me loosened. I promptly dropped my arms from his neck and pulled away, blushing.

Thea stood on the patio, looking between me and the lord. “The king is here,” she said, locking eyes with Adrian.

“My father is here?” I jumped to my feet as a different kind of excitement took hold of my senses. I couldn’t wait to see him after being away from my family for a month.

Thea nodded. “He’s in the parlor with Tom.”

Adrian rose from the sofa, and the two of us followed Thea inside the house. My excitement turned into elation when I walked into the parlor and discovered that the king hadn’t come alone.

“Hello, Sunshine.” My mother scooped me up into a tight embrace. “Oh, how I’ve missed you!”

She held on for a few seconds before pulling away. Her wise blue-gray eyes flicked over my features as if to make sure I hadn’t changed much since the last time she had seen me.

“I’ve missed you, too, Mother.”

Her name was Dahlia, and like the flower, she was vibrant and bright. I had spent most of my life under her protective wing. Being away from her hadn’t been easy, but I was immensely proud that I hadn’t given up and run home.

“Emelin.” My father hugged me next.

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at me. Deep shadows crawled behind that smile. The state of the kingdom had been eating at him. He had lost weight in the short time we had been apart, and his hair and beard had grayed even more. I couldn’t wait to tell him that I had been able to awaken my magic. I still had a long way to go before I could help to reinforce the wards, but I refused to dwell on that. My family was here, and I wanted to enjoy my time with them instead of wallowing in the dread about our uncertain future.

“Hey, Em.” When my brother, Sebastian, grinned at me, the tight feeling in my chest evaporated.

I grinned back as I wrapped my arms around his wide frame. With barely a year between us, we had always been close, and in him, I had not only a sibling but a friend for life.

“Something’s different about you,” I said when I pulled away. His hair was longer than how he usually kept it. “You need a haircut,” I teased, reaching up to ruffle the fair locks.

“Miri prefers my hair longer.” He chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair to tame it back down.

“Miri?” I arched a brow. He must be talking about Mirielle, Lady May’s daughter, whom she had adopted when the girl was only a babe. I had met her before, and from what I remembered, she was a demure young lady about the same age as my brother.

Sebastian smiled coyly instead of replying, and I giggled with anticipation as I couldn’t wait to coax more information out of him.

“Your Majesties.” Adrian bowed before my parents.

“Lord Gray.” My father acknowledged him with a nod.

My mother’s greeting was much warmer. “Lord Gray, it’s so nice to finally meet you! I trust you have been taking good care of Emelin?”

For some reason, my cheeks heated at her question.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s been a pleasure having her around.” Adrian glanced at me as one corner of his mouth lifted.

“Pleasure’s been all mine.” As soon as I uttered the words, my blush spread, setting my whole face on fire.

“Interesting,” Sebastian mumbled under his breath.

“The carriage is ready,” Killian announced as he walked in.

Adrian gave Tom standing nearby a questioning look.

“The king wishes to travel to the border,” the adviser explained.

The lord bowed again before my father. “Of course, Your Majesty. As you wish.”

We took two carriages, with Killian driving the one with my father, Adrian, and Tom, and my parents’ coachman, Jack, driving me, my mother, and Sebastian. Thea had decided to stay behind to ensure the guest rooms were ready for when we returned.

“I was shocked to learn that you had remained in Zalie when your father returned from the trip alone,” my mother said as soon as our carriage left the manor.