Rebirth

Thirty Five

Derra, a Handmaiden of the late Queen of Welkamia thought she saw the log in the King's fire place move. Her companion Blaire went about packing the late Queen's things but Derra didn't. A hand formed in the flames and Derra froze. She shoke with fear as a woman's body began to form in the fireplace.

Blaire noticed this abnormally and froze as well. Unsure of if there would be time to scream or run.

Fear like no other held her in place as the form began to crawl out of the fire. It had been raining in Opir which was why she thought it wise for the King to not freeze to death. Now, something used that same fire to gain access into the King's room.

It looked up and their eyes met.

'My Queen!' Derra snapped out of her trance and ran to Queen Eleonor helping her out of the fire. The handmaiden's hands were burnt but she didn't mind it as she screamed to her companion to fetch the King.

Blaire ran to the dining hall as fast as she could nearly falling over a few times. They were all there, preparing to sail for the war on her home continent. It didn't take her long to find King Callahan. She ran to him forgetting to bow or curtesy or even address him as king.

'There's an issue,' she said, not wanting eavesdroppers to hear her words of madness.

A dead woman crawling out of fire was cynical and stupid.

The King stared at her blankly so she said in the language of Old Xathania, that she knew the Queen had been teaching him. 'She is alive.'

The King understood and she began to walk, he followed her and so did others. She made sure that she crossed the threshold into the corridor before she began to run. They ran too. She picked up her pace only stopping when she was in the bedroom again. The King ran in after her and she locked the door because her queen was naked and so was the man with her.

The King rushed to the Queen nearly knocking the furniture over. She looked at Derra who was searching through the chest of clothes that they just packed. Blaire joined her and soon they were able to find clothes for them both.

Blaire had not noticed the other two people in the room before. There were no less than sixteen and looked awfully alike. Unlike the Queen and the man who sat in the floor with her, they were clothed.

The Queen stretched out her hand and snatched the clothes from them before throwing the items that belonged to the King on the man.

The King helped her get dressed and all Derra and Blaire could do was watch.

Eleonor was hardly coherent. With a banging head and wicked disorientation, the Queen of Welkamia sat on the floor to collect herself. The children had warned her of this. The side effects of rushed resurrection but once they realized that the spirits would not be freed in time to stop the war, they left the task to a dragon named Hora, who turned into a red haired man. Eleonor then began to will herself and Eric back to Midres. It was painful but it worked.

She was in Opir and Callahan was right there. Even though the imposter was not Nix, he was right about what she and Eric were. The Dragon and the Phoenix. They had the eternal ability to resurrect and summon fire. They were not human and  they were not gods either. The banging stopped in her head and another erupted from the door of the room.

'Why are they hitting the door?' Eric asked, finally getting up.

'They followed us,' Callahan responded, not taking his eyes off her. 'I am sorry for letting that happen to you,' he told her but everyone in the room heard.

'It wasn't your fault,' Eleonor said and he shook his head.

Callahan had a way of blaming himself for everything. Eleonor knew this and part of this was her fault. She had accused him of things that were beyond his power and strength. Accused him of the vile treatment of Xathanian's which was incredibly selfish.

'Zebel sent one of his measly beasts to kill Cora and I tried to stop it,' Eleonor said. 'Then, I woke up somewhere else.'

'That was the concerning part,' Eric said and it was like Callahan knew that Eric had saved their families and ensured that they got away.

'Thank you,' Callahan said in a low tone.

Eric gave him a court nod. Callahan helped her off the floor while both of her handmaidens helped her cousin. Her legs felt foreign and weak so walking to the bed required aid and a teenage boy took over from Derra and Blaire with supporting Eric.

Eleonor stared at the boy as he set her cousin down on the bed.

'Wallace?' She asked and boy looked at her. 'By the Mother's tits,' she swore and someone choked on air.

'Where's your sister?' She demanded and Ainara walked into her line of sight. No longer a two year old. 'What did you do?'

'What do you mean?' Ainara asked back feigning ignorance.

'Why are you older?' Eleonor snapped.

'We...' Wallace was about to say when Ainara gave him a sharp look.

'One of you better answer me,' Eleonor said and Ainara looked at her, her eyes were no longer still, the swirled like Zuris' and Sibylla's. Like a sea of dark brown sand, rippling through the wind. The girl wore warrior leathers and so did her brother. 'Revert back to your normal age.'

'You are not my mother,' Ainara snapped and Eleonor stared her down. Ainara stared right back before Eleonor gave up clicking her tongue.

'Stubborn child,' she murmured before the door was hit, presumably by who had been knocking since her head stopped ringing. Since her husband showed up. Her  Callahan. She looked at him and instantly hated herself for dying.

Purple smudges tainted his once beautiful dark skin. He was pale and looked thinner. She was about to speak when the door flew open. Her head snapped in its direction as she caught sight of Wallace and Ainara ready to fight. The heirs of Opir and Clair stood at the door. Anger in Fadri and Abbel's faces and worry in Clair's

That worry soon turned to confusion then realization. The princess walked in a straight path to her cousin, crouching down to meet his eyes.

'What fool's bargain did you make to return to this dreadful world?' The Princess asked.

'It was within my rights, my love,' Eric answered and the Princess smiled before she took her lips to his and kissed him.