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How to tell her? How to tell his mother Char had proposed to a girl he’d known only a month?
He had no doubts about marrying Iris. Marriage had never been on his radar before, but he’d never felt like this with another girl. He’d heard it said a person should get married when they could no longer imagine a future without their significant other. And when he thought ahead, he couldn’t picture his life without Iris.
He’d often thought people dragged out the different stages of relationships longer than they should. Dating for so long that they already seemed like a married couple when they finally got engaged, and then drawing the engagement out way too long—that had never made sense to him.
But a month. Even he had to admit that was fast.
At least his mother liked Iris now. But did she like Iris enough to accept her as a daughter-in-law?
Elera was silent as they left the barracks, but that wasn’t unusual. Char’s father had always been loud, able to coax her into conversation and lighthearted banter when she otherwise would have held her peace, and Rath was the same way. But when it was just Elera and Char, they were quieter, adding weight behind their words when they did finally speak. Everything was well-thought out, or it didn’t need to be said.
Char was still thinking about how to tell her, but he was also wondering what she was thinking about.
“I knew about Jonah.”
Char whipped his head around to look at her, wide-eyed. The sharpness in her blue eyes had softened. They held a hint of sadness now.
“Jarth and I were married, Char. There weren’t many secrets between us.”
She faced forward again, although Char knew she was looking back. He dropped his gaze to the street's smooth stone beneath their feet and jammed his hands into his pockets. She didn’t talk about his father often anymore.
“Jarth loved adventure. He always needed to explore, to meet new people, to try new things. I learned very early on I couldn’t stop him, and I couldn’t change him. But I couldn’t be like him, either. He hated that. I tried, at first. I tried to go off with him on his impulsive travels, to feel that excitement. It didn’t work.” She sighed. “So, I stayed home, and he went out into the world, and when he came back home, he told me all about it.”
Char felt a familiar ache in his heart. Years had passed and dulled the sting of his father’s death, but thinking about him still hurt sometimes. And now that he knew what it felt like to love somebody like that, he had an idea of how much more it must hurt his mother.
“When Rath came along, he was an obvious troublemaker right from the start. Jarth was planning their escapades before Rath could even walk. Which was fine, since Rath skipped walking and went straight to running.” Elera laughed. “Always full speed ahead, without regard for his safety. I thought for sure he’d never survive flight training. And that first time your father took him off on a journey—I wanted to be happy for him, finally going off on an adventure with somebody who enjoyed that, but I was scared to death of losing them both.”
“I remember that.”
“Of course you do. I couldn’t stop crying all night, and you were trying so hard to cheer me up.” She looked up at Char, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Because that’s who you are. Rath is always looking for excitement, and you are always looking for people. That’s why Jarth ended up taking you along when he visited humans.”
They had passed the shops, but Char wasn’t about to interrupt her. She was going somewhere—with her steps and her words.
“You wouldn’t know this, of course, but Jarth was a lot less impulsive after he started taking you boys out with him. He used to run everything by me first. That’s how I found out about Jonah. And the thought of you meeting a human mage didn't thrill me, but your father assured me Jonah was a very nice boy, and I gave in.” She chuckled. “I always gave in.”
“You would have liked him.”
“I’m sure I would have. Jarth was a good judge of character, and he could see past the things that I couldn’t.”
They’d reached her house. Char held the door open for her, still wondering where this was all going. “Iris knew Jonah when she was little.”
“Did she?”
“He never told me he was an orphan. Maybe he told Father. But he’s the one who found Iris on the church doorstep when she was a baby. He was basically her big brother.”
Elera had led Char back to his room, and when she opened a drawer in his bureau, he saw dresses inside it. His eyes widened in realization.
“You saved some of her clothes.”
Elera looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling. “I knew she’d be coming back. You look at her like Jarth used to look at me.”
Char averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. “Mother…”
“I didn’t want to give her a chance because she was a human. Full stop, without even considering the part about her being a mage. But I am happy to say I was wrong, and you have found a great girl.” She dropped the clothes in his arms. “A good relationship isn’t easy. It’s a lot of work. Jarth and I had very different personalities. You and Iris are different races entirely. But I know what I see, and I see my boy in love with a girl who loves him, and I’m very excited to see where this is going.”
“So… you wouldn’t say I’m rushing things if I’m thinking about marrying her?”
His mother smiled and pulled him into a hug, crushing the clothes between them. “I should say that. There are many reasons I should say that. But I know you, so instead I’ll say you should stop thinking about it and start planning it, because I don’t think she’ll want to live in the barracks with you and Rath forever.” She released him and stepped back, wiping her eyes. “Now, let’s get back before Rath says something stupid to his future sister-in-law.”
Char chuckled. “Too late for that.”
Elera laughed, too. “Probably. It’s a wonder to me how he’s so good at sweet-talking his girlfriends when he can’t think before he speaks.”
The walk back was quiet. It was strange, but Char felt a lightness in his chest alongside the ache. The way his mother talked had made him feel like his father would have backed her words, too. Although if his father were here, his choice of words would have been much different.
Char could almost feel his father's arm around his shoulders and hear his voice saying, “Wow, that one’s hot. You gonna marry her, or not?”
He wished his father could have met Iris.
Rath was still sitting in the living room when they returned, but Iris wasn’t there anymore. Elera marched up to Rath and put her hands on her hips.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing!” He waved his hands in front of himself in defense. “She said she was tired, and she went to take a nap! Why does everybody automatically assume I said something wrong?”
“Because you usually do.”
Char dropped the clothes on the coffee table and himself on the sofa. The fairies zipped out of the bedroom, picked up the clothes, and disappeared into the bedroom again. They left a book behind.
“What’s that?” Elera asked.
“I found it in the wreckage of the church where Iris grew up,” Char replied, picking it up. “It’s Father John’s record of all the orphans he took in.”
Elera left Rath and sat beside Char. “Really?”
Char handed it to her, and she paged through it, taking her time to read the lines of names, dates, notes, and Bible verses.
Rath came over and sat on her other side, leaning over her shoulder to look. “He was doing this for a long time.”
Char nodded. “He must have started right after seminary. I wonder how he got started.”
“You said the church was in a small town, right?” Elera asked. “I can’t imagine this many orphans came from one town. He must have visited other towns and cities periodically to find them, or maybe other people heard about what he was doing and sent them to him.”
“Probably the former to start, but once he got going, he couldn’t leave the orphans that long. By the time Iris came along, it was pretty common for him to just find babies on the church doorstep.”
“There she is.” Elera pointed to Iris’ name on the last page. “And Jonah is a few names above her. He was ten when he came to Father John. ‘Arrived on his own after parents and little sister died,’ it says.”
Char grimaced. “After his older brother killed his parents and little sister, actually.”
Elera looked up at Char, shock and sorrow in her eyes. “That poor boy.”
“So, he would have been thirteen when Iris came,” Rath said, pointing at the date next to her name.
“And eighteen when he left for magic school,” Char added.
“Then these were the other orphans with Father John when the war started,” Elera mused. “Fred, Ginger, Kayla.”
“I saw Fred and Kayla, but not Ginger. She must’ve stayed in the church most of the time. Which Kayla was supposed to do, but it seemed like she had a habit of running away to find Iris while she was out working. Fred had to keep going after her and bringing her back. She was a cute little brat.”
“Was. Are they all…?”
Char nodded, his expression darkening. “Yeah. Micah, the king’s mage, leveled the town, and I’m pretty sure he tortured Father John for information about Iris before he destroyed the church. No way anybody survived if they were still inside.”
Elera pursed her lips. “And he’s the one who had Iris.”
“Yeah.”
“I’d like to stab a talon straight through whatever passes for a heart in that man.”
If Char and Rath didn’t know better, the formidable look on their mother’s face would have made them think setting her loose on Micah would take care of the problem. But it didn’t matter how angry she was, or Char was, or Rath was. Micah was a powerful mage who none of them could handle without equally powerful magic on their side.
“Well.” Elera closed the book and set it on the table. “I’d better get Char’s room cleaned up for Iris. Bring her over as soon as she’s ready, okay?”
“Yes, mother,” Char and Rath said in unison. Rath caught Char’s eye over her head and winked, and then they both grabbed her arms when she tried to stand and kissed her cheeks.
She giggled and shoved them both back. “Oh, you two. Is there anything you need before I go?”
“Nah, I think we’re good.” Rath leaned back against the sofa and smirked up at her. “Besides, if we need anything, the fairies will just steal it for us, right?”
Char smacked his brother’s shoulder. “Forget he said that. We’re fine, and we’ll try to keep the fairies in line.”
“Do that. I’m glad they’re taking care of Iris, but I’ll also be glad when they’re gone. I’ll see you boys later."6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrNea9iGa9
