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“I’m not queen, and Yunez never wanted to set us up as the reigning sovereigns of Fennina.”
Wade chuckled. “Well, I admit, that did shock me. I thought the people would demand it, but it seemed we had quite a few saviors on our side that we weren’t even aware of. Hard to pick one set of leaders when we had many heroes. I think a governing council was a good solution. People are voted in like the democracy the Earthers use. A win-win.”
“Sure,” I agreed and shrugged. I didn’t care, as long as I didn’t have to be queen. The pressure I had felt as the Mazza was unbearable. To have the expectations and responsibilities of a queen? I shivered.
“Have you checked on any of your friends from Earth to make sure all is well?”
“I didn’t really have any friends there. But yes, I did go back with my LL to check it out. Visit my old diner. Everything was normal. Nothing has happened, as far as they’re concerned.”
“Remarkable, isn’t it?” Wade sighed as he turned to take in the view of the courtyard.
A ghost of a smile whispered over my lips. “Clarie is a badass. At fifteen with a small contingent of warriors, she saved Earth. Pretty cool.”
“I hear you all have set her up close to here to train her.” He glanced over with a smile. “Loni has already been asking to come meet her.”
“Just to keep up her knowledge and skill. She was already well ahead of me.” I tried not to sound bitter, and I wasn’t really. I just couldn’t help wondering how different my life would have been if I’d grown up in this realm.
"Then you just let me know when I can bring Loni over. I’ll bring Toste and we can make it a family affair.”
“I’d like that.” I grinned over at him.
“Speaking of,” the humor fled his eyes. “I’ve been in touch with Lars. He said you’ve been to see him.”
“I have. Many times.” As much as it broke my heart. Every opportunity I had I went to see him. We would have brought him here, but his mistreatment had done so much damage that he was in a healing center for at least a few more months. At least they hadn’t broke his mind. Much.
“Do you know why Theon had locked him away?” Wade asked.
I blew out a breath. That was the favor Yunez had wanted from Aamori. The chance to question Theon on my parents. It was clear Lars had been there many years. But it had all been pointless.
There was a shiny hole in Theon’s memories. He had no idea why Lars was there, except that he deserved the punishment. We had a sneaking suspicion that Sliad might have had something to do with it, but we’d never really know.
As for what Lars remembered, it wasn’t much. He remembered my mother, and he remembered them running to the Earth realm when they realized I was the Mazza. She died in a hit and run accident not long after they crossed over, and he left me on the steps of the hospital in hopes I’d have a normal childhood. He said he always planned to come back for me, but he was captured before that happened.
“No, we think one of the Fiasla Mannos found him and tried to extract my location from him. But neither Lars nor Theon remembers.”
“That’s a shame. I’m sorry, Isolde.” He reached over and gripped my hand.
I returned the squeeze. “When he’s out, we want to come and have dinner at your place. He insists.”
“I’d love that.”
“Hey, there you are.” Nato dropped down to a crouch beside me, pulling my free hand to his lips to kiss my fingers. “You missed Theon’s sentencing.”
“We knew what the sentencing would be. I didn’t need to see it.” I cupped the back of his neck and pulled him to me for a kiss. “I did attend Lavi’s. That was more important to me.” We all had been worried how Rand would handle it, but he’d done surprisingly well. Of course, she was sentenced to a working camp for women, it wasn’t a death sentence like Theon was facing. He could still visit her if he wanted to, although I hope he never did.
She didn’t deserve Rand or Ralina in her life.
“Ready to head to our room? Sage prepared dinner for us.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Sage did?”
Nato smirked. “Yes, he found the sentencing as useless as you did.”
We laughed as we stood up. I turned to Wade and threw my arms around him. “Thank you. You’ve been the best honorary uncle I could have ever asked for.”
“No problem, child. I just wished I could have known you sooner.”
Wade touched Nato’s shoulder before heading back toward his own quarters. “Working with Yunez to run the council really suits you.” I bumped my shoulder against his.
