Page 28 of The Prince's Fealty

Pel appreciated the grip Tor had on his arm, because it was helping to ground him in a reality that otherwise felt like it had become unmoored. Bav’s question meant it wasn’t just Pel seeing things, but Pel still didn’t know how to wrap his brain around what was right in front of him.

His mother had died when Pel was fourteen. She’d been dead forfourteen years. How could she be standing in front of them right now?

But Tor was standing next to him, still clasping him with that firm grasp, Tama had tried to prepare them for a shock, and Bavil was seeing it, too.

Pel just didn’t understand how it was possible.

“Mother?” he said finally, the same question that Bavil had asked, his voice too high, the question too vulnerable.

But the word had spilled out because it was impossible to keep it inside.

She looked older, like fourteen years had indeed passed. Pel’s memory of her had gotten a bit fuzzy, but Bavil had managed to save one of the portraits for them, before their father had destroyed them all, unable to bear looking at her anymore.

They’d all assumed it was because he was grieving, but a new reason presented itself.

Her formerly dark hair was liberally sprinkled with white, especially around her temples. There were more wrinkles on her face, and it looked a little thinner than heremembered. She was also smaller than he’d expected… but he was both taller and older now, so maybe that was no surprise.

But fundamentally, she was his mother, and the knowledge hit him right at his core.

His mother was standing in front of him, and he hadn’t seen her in over fourteen yearsbecause she was dead.

She looked uncertain and a lot like she was trying not to cry. Pel found that he was blinking back similar emotions.

“Hello,” she said, her voice a cracking whisper. “Oh, Bav, Pel, it’s so good to see you!”

Like the words somehow confirmed that she really was their mother, Pel found himself stumbling forward, and then Bav was moving, too.

They were suddenly hugging, too hard and a little bit desperately. Pel buried his face against her shoulder. She smelled right. He hadn’t even realized he knew her scent, but now that he was pressed against her, now that she had her arms wrapped around him as he and Bav both clung to her, it felt right.

He’d missed her so very much.

He couldn’t imagine ever letting go of her—what if she disappeared?—only then Tor was there beside him and was giving him a little tug. He stepped back reluctantly, even as he admitted that clinging to his mother forever wasn’t a very practical plan.

He still stared at her hungrily, trying to memorize all of her features anew, like he was worried she was going to be snatched away from him again.

“Let’s sit down,” Tor suggested.

They were getting rained on, Pel realized belatedly. He’d lost track of everything that wasn’t his mother, but he could feel the wetness beginning to soak into his hair and dampen his tunic. Pel had the feeling this was going to be a difficult explanation, and getting soaked while it happened wasn’t going to help.

They settled around the fire in the cave. It wasn’t built up too much, since the day was warm, but the flames still helped with the damp.

Pel and Bav sat on either side of their mother, with Tama on the other side of Bav and Tor next to Pel. Tor immediately offered his hand, and Pel gratefully entwined their fingers, clasping a little too tightly, but that kept his hands from shaking. Part of him still felt like he might wake up at any moment and discover this was a dream.

Cavun was guarding the entrance to the cave, broad shoulders blocking much of the space, but Beluna was nowhere in sight. Pel assumed she was keeping an eye on the cavefrom somewhere, just in case they were about to be ambushed. Pel was glad someone was thinking clearly, because he he wasn’t.

Their mother had started to cry, and Pel reached out his free hand to grab one of hers. Bav did the same on her other side, and they just sat there for a long moment, clutching at one another. Pel had to blink his eyes a lot, and there was a lump in his throat.

“How are you alive?” Bav demanded.

Pel was grateful, because he didn’t feel like he could formulate coherent sentences yet. There was just one word echoing round and round his brain.

Mother, mother, mother, mother.

She sucked in a breath, and it sounded unsteady as she exhaled.

“I’m so sorry that I had to leave you.” Then she made a face and corrected stiffly, “That Ichoseto leave you. Living with your father wasn’t—I had to get out. He said he’d kill all of us if I tried to take you. Even if I waited until he didn’t expect it… I didn’t want to start the very war that I was afraid he would start. I tried for as long as I could, I swear I did, but I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

She looked wrecked, and there was part of Pel that wanted to bundle her up and assure her that everything was all right and that of course he understood.