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“Essos told us. After some fancy party, he came to see us and said he needed us to come with him for safety because he was no longer in power. He filled us in on everything he wasn’t able to tell us when we met you the first time just in case one of us slipped and told you something we shouldn’t.”
I gaze at Essos, thankful to him for thinking of things I couldn’t when I was too pre-occupied. In my defense, there wasa lotgoing on. But that’s what makes a partnership so important—he anticipates things I need before even I do.
My mom interrupts my dad. “It’s me. I would have slipped. I mean, I gave birth to a literal goddess—I thought you were an angel when I had you, and it was the smoothest pregnancy I think ever known to man. I couldn’t get enough of fruits and veggies, and I wanted to be outside in nature the whole time. It was unreal, but Essos explained it all. And Idefinitelywould have let it slip, so that was smart of him.”
“You don’t think it’s weird that I’m a born-again goddess?” I ask. I’m thousands of years old, I have wisdom beyond words, but standing in front of the people who were supposed to raise me, I am a mortal child again left alone in the world, sacrificed to the foster care system by circumstance.
“I won’t say that having you turn out to be a goddess was at the top of my hopes and dreams list, but Queen Daphne has a nice ring to it. And my baby is having a baby!” My mother gestures at my stomach, beaming and crying at the same time.
Essos chooses that moment to come up beside me and wrap an arm around my waist. “I’m glad I could finally get you three in a room together again.”
There’s something moving about Essos greeting my parents with respect, like he’s not an immortal being who watches over the lives of the dead, like he’s not a king. He’s treating them like a man should treat his in-laws, regardless of rank.
“I appreciate all you’ve done for us and Daphne,” my father begins, holding out his hand to Essos, who takes it with a loud clap, “but I can’t say I’m exactly thrilled that my little girl was pregnant before you walked her down the aisle. What does that say about your level of respect for her? What sort of precedent is this going to teach our grandchild?”
I swear to the Fates, my cheeks burn so crimson I can see the color behind my eyes. Finn, Kai, and Xavier are actually laughing behind their hands like gossiping schoolgirls. I glare at them before turning back to my parents.
“Dad!” I scold, exactly when my mother hits his arm gently. “Wearemarried, weweremarried, and we thought we werestillmarried. Not that it matters, and I shouldn’t have to correct your antiquated thoughts about virginal marriage beds and pure daughters. This was a technicality.”
“I can promise you, Ron, that I have nothing but the highest regard for your daughter. I’ve loved Daphne from the moment I saw her and will support her in all things, even if I don’t strictly agree with her. Her life is her own, and I think it goes without saying that I would lay down my life for not just her, but our child, even if it means making a deal with the devil.” Essos may be saying these words to my father, but his eyes are glued to mine, and his words are meant for me. I have tonotlook at Octavia when he says it.
“Can we go back to the baby? How excited you both must be. Are you finding out what it is? Have you picked a name?” I love my mother’s infectious excitement, but I also want to hide from it, want to curl my body around my stomach, because now is the only time in my baby’s life that I can provide absolute protection.
With Octavia there listening to every word, watching our interaction, I can’t show my fear.
Octavia, naturally, has to chime in with her own two cents. “It’s bad luck among the gods to choose a child’s name before their birth. We believe that the Fates bestow their names when they’re born. With Essos, our first, we let the Fates name him, but after that my late husband tried to name our children before their births. He wanted to name Helene ‘Crescent,’ and like most vain men, he wanted Xavier to be named after him.”
“And what does Essos’s name mean?” my father asks.
Dion has made his rounds with glasses of champagne for everyone, and when I take my glass, I see a subtle shift in the coloring. I relax into Essos once the ginger fizz touches my tongue.
“Glorious purpose,” Essos supplies, and sips his champagne.
“Such expectations,” my mom says, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation.
“Thankfully, it’s easy to fulfil them when you become a king, isn’t that right, brother?” Xavier wraps an arm around Essos’s neck and attempts to dig his knuckles into his skull, but my husband ducks away with the practiced grace that only a brother can have.
“Shall we eat?” I ask, turning to lead everyone to the table. “I was so rushed this morning I haven’t had anything.”
“Oh, let’s fix that right away!” My mother turns to see who she can find to supply us with food.
“Mom, we’re all gods here. Just sit down and the food will appear.”
She laughs nervously and looks at Cat as if trying to find someone else who is mortal to strike up a conversation with. Her gaze passes over Zara, the only actual remaining mortal. That’s unsurprising—there always has been something otherworldly about Zara’s beauty.
“So, you’re one of the girls from that messy Calling business?” she asks Cat.
Down the table, Finn actually chokes on his drink. I glare at him, and he holds up his hands in defense. I wait to see how Cat wants to address this query.
She looks to me, checking to see if it’s all right to answer. I give her a small nod as Essos steps behind my chair and pulls it out for me to slide into.
“It’s a long story, but I’m also a goddess. I’m just much newer at it than everyone else. My powers are less predictable.” Cat’s voice wavers as she answers the question.
“That’s not true. I’m sure you could conjure me a nice meal—I’m thinking chicken cacciatore with a side of polenta,” Finn calls to her.
Cat’s cheeks pinken a little, and there’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment where Xavier squeezes her knee under the table.
She gives a small nod of acknowledgement that she’s going to attempt it. Her green eyes shut. It’s important at the beginning of using your power to visualize what you’re trying to do. A hush falls over the crowd, until a loud cluck escapes from the chicken on the plate in front of Finn.
