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Arriving at the intimate family dining room, I found Helga already present, seated at the long table. She set down her book and smiled in greeting. "Morning little human! Come, join me."
"Morning Helga," I replied, plopping down in a cushioned chair with zero grace. I loaded up my plate from the spread of bread, fruits, cheeses, and dried meats. "Thorsten's still resting, but he should be down soon."
Helga nodded, her expression softening. "Understandable, after the troubling news…I cannot believe Father is truly gone." Gloom tinged her melodic voice.
I reached over and gave her hand a comforting pat. Though reserved, I'd come to appreciate Helga's gentle wisdom in our time here. She and Thorsten were cut from the same cloth. "I know how much pain he's in right now, even if he doesn't show it."
"Indeed, Thorsten has always been one to weather storms in stoic silence." Mischief then danced in Helga's aqua eyes. "So, I am thankful he has you to anchor him. He told me about how you two met back in your world. How he fell in love with your fiery spirit, he’ll need it now more than ever. Don’t lose it.”
I grinned at that. "Oh, I don't plan to. It'll take a lot more than stuffy nobles and court etiquette to tame me."
"Speaking of court etiquette, mother will be returning with father’s body, after his funeral we’ll have a grand feast to honor him." Helga segued. "You've made excellent progress, but there is still much to learn. As royal consort you’ll be expected to know how to conduct yourself during the funeral and feasting rites."
I suppressed a groan at the reminder, Thorsten had told me the same thing. Palace life came with no shortage of protocols and traditions I constantly fumbled my way through. Just remembering some of my early gaffes made me cringe.
Like the time during my first formal court assembly when I tried whispering to Thorsten, only to get hissed at by some wizened old noble. Or when I drank my wine too quickly at an elegant dinner and belched loud enough to turn every head in the room. And then there was the incident involving the rare cobalt blue pheasant-like bird during a hunting trip... but the less said about that fiasco, the better.
"Don't fret, you'll get the hang of it soon enough," Helga reassured me kindly, no doubt reading my thoughts on my face.
"Will I though?" I quipped, nibbling on some odd blacken fruit that had a creamy interior that tasted strangely like coconut. "I mean, I haven't even gotten around to bathing naked in the public springs with you titans. Pretty sure that's a serious faux pas."
Helga nearly choked on her tea. "You may keep your clothes on for that particular custom," she assured me, stifling a laugh.
Our conversation was interrupted by loud footsteps rapidly approaching. A moment later, a wide-eyed servant burst into the room, bowing hurriedly.
"Your Highness, my deepest apologies for the intrusion," he panted, catching his breath.
Helga eyed him sternly. "What is the meaning of this? Speak."
"An urgent messenger has arrived from Ljósálfar, my lady," he reported between gasps. "The Queen Mother's entourage approaches Thyan Caelora even now."
“So soon! But I’m not ready! I had everything set up for her arrival tomorrow!” Helga shot to her feet.
The Queen Mother... that meant Thorsten's mother, Fjorgyn…I was about to meet her now…
"Thank you for informing us," Helga finally told the servant. "Please ensure accommodations are prepared for Her Highness. I will inform my brother at once." The man bowed again before rushing off, his formal façade replaced by an excited grin.
My own excitement grew as Helga and I made our way swiftly towards Thorsten's chambers. If anything could lift his spirits right now, it was being reunited with his mother.
I burst into Thorsten's room without warning, my exuberance overcoming decorum. He jolted awake in bed, blinking groggily, his mane of silver hair tousled. Before he could speak, I blurted out, "Get up, your mom is on her way here now.”
Thorsten stared at me for a long, silent moment as if struggling to process my words through the lingering haze of sleep. Then his eyes went wide, and he jumped up with a vigor I hadn't seen in days, a flurry of activity as he hurriedly readied himself to go greet his mother.
With Helga and Thorsten at my side, I rushed through the vast hallways until we emerged into the sprawling courtyard just as the transport vehicles arrived. Nobles and servants poured out of the palace to welcome the Queen Mother. Excitement electrified the air.
The convoy doors opened, and a striking Titan woman stepped down. Her voluminous cloud of pearl-white hair was styled elaborately with braids and metal accents. Though age lined her porcelain face, her bronze eyes still shone bright with life. She had Thorsten's strong brow and sharp cheekbones.
Thorsten rushed to her, enfolding his mother in a tight embrace. Fjorgyn clung to him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of joy. When they parted, she cupped his cheek tenderly before turning to greet Helga and the other family members.
I hung back, allowing them their moment, not wanting to insert myself. But Fjorgyn's gaze soon found me. With slow steps, she approached, looking me over with an inscrutable expression. My pulse kicked up a notch under her intense scrutiny.
"You must be the little dwarf, I mean, human, who captured my son's heart," she finally said, her voice melodic yet commanding.
I gulped, feeling small before this titan matriarch. "Yes, Your Highness, I'm Kal."
Suddenly, she let out a booming laugh and pulled me into a crushing hug. "Welcome to the family, you beautiful boy!"
The force of her affection nearly knocked me off my feet. Thorsten and Helga exchanged amused looks at my dumbstruck expression as I straightened my rumpled tunic. So, this is where Skadi got her personality from. I thought as the wind was knocked out of my lungs. But I was relieved she seemed to approve of me so far. With a grin, I took Thorsten's hand in mine and followed the reunited family inside.
