(Erica POV)
I was nervous. I haven't had an one-on-one talk with one of my parents for a whole year. And with how this trip has gone so far, I can't help but be worried it will get worse.
But Ken is right. He can help me, but ultimately I need to be the one to face them. It was time for me to face my own past, my own demons.
"You got this." Arthur offered support.
We left Father alone in the dining room with the knocked out servants. He looked extremely stressed, with gray hairs growing on his head which weren't there before.
We walked to Mother's room, where she closed the door behind us. Mother sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. Reluctantly I sat down.
"I just want to say..." Mother started.
I braced myself.
"...I'm sorry." She finished.
"What?" I asked, surprised.
"I'm sorry. I've been a terrible, terrible, Mother." She stated, shaking her head. "This past year with you gone I realized that. Even more so with the whole incident with your boyfriend."
"I'm so, so sorry. But that doesn't make it up for anything. I ultimately failed you as a mother, and for that I apologize." She sadly stated. "And hopefully your Father comes to realize that."
"...why?" I asked.
"Huh?" Mother let out, looking towards me confused.
"Why did you make me pretend to be a boy?" I asked. "Why did you really do it?"
"We are...very old fashioned." She stated. "The Pendragon family has been stuck in the past for too long. We've been sticking to old ideas."
"And one of those was that a man had to be the next heir. And with it unlikely for me to get pregnant again, we made you pretend to be a boy to make up for that." She continued.
"I realize now that was forcing you to be someone you weren't. Expectations be damned, it was wrong for me to do that." She stated.
She slightly rubbed her belly. "Erica...I'm pregnant."
"What?!" I gasped, looking towards her in surprise.
"Yeah." She nodded. "We did it. I became pregnant. And it's a boy. You're going to have a little brother."
I wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"You're not being replaced Erica. And I'm sorry that Aaron tried to marry you off. He's not a bad man, but he's a terrible father." Mother shook her head sadly.
"Over the course of the last year I realized just how empty this house seemed with you gone. I started to realize how much I was taking you for granted." She continued.
"I started talking with Jill, the wife to Darien Du Lac." She stated. "Jill is a good woman. And it's because of that fact that I allows this meeting. That was another mistake, another failure I've made as a mother."
"Erica." She looked me in the eyes. "I didn't show it often before. I believed that I had to be the upright wife of the leader of the Pendragon family."
"That was me being stuck in the past." She shook her head. "But the whole reason this incident with the Du Lac's have started is because of being stuck in the past."
"Even now, Aaron is stuck in what has happened generations ago. It's time for this to stop. It's time for change." Mother continued.
"Erica, I love you. I love you, and have always loved you. But I never showed it, and for that I'm sorry. For a lot of things I'm sorry." She apologized.
"Why did you ever tell me we were descendants of THE Arthur Pendragon?" I asked.
"I'm still a little shocked." Arthur admitted. "But now I know why you seem so familiar."
"We wanted to wait until you were ready." She stated. "Telling you early would have given you a ton of pressure. But with the rising tensions between us and the Du Lac's...it got lost in the madness."
"I'm sorry for that too." She admitted.
"I want you to be the head of our family once Aaron steps down." She stated.
"What?! But I'm a-" I exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter." She shook her head. "I'm done being stuck in the past. I don't care if the next head of our family is a woman. If you don't want to though, I completely understand."
"Why..." I muttered. "Why do you have to be like this? You're so selfish..."
I wanted to hate you. I wanted to come back and for you to act the same way you did when I left. I wanted you to act like you didn't care. I wanted there to be a villain to this story, for my hero to come save me.
But I have to save myself. Ken can only help me get there. And there is no villain. Just victims. Victims of those stupid rules of the past.
"I know." Mother closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down. "I've failed you. Too many times...too many times. I won't make that same mistake with him." She lightly pat her stomach.
I looked towards Mother, before grabbing her and wrapping her in a hug. I started to cry into her shoulder as she comforted me by rubbing my back.
So this is a parent's embrace. It's warm. I've always wanted to feel this, and I finally get to.
We released the hug, and I wiped away my tears. I'm done crying. I've done too much crying during this whole trip. I'll be strong.
"I'm glad you were able to reconcile." Arthur stated.
We were. We still have a long way to go until we become a good mother and daughter again. A long way until I can say, from the depths of my heart, that I love her.
But this is certainly progress. And I'm glad.
"I'll think about it." I stated. "I'm not sure if I will...but I'll give it some thought."
"Thank you." Mother smiled. "If you don't mind, tell me a little about your time in Japan. You seemed to have a lot of fun, despite the crazy things that have happened in Tokyo."
"Yeah...it was fun." I smiled. "I've always found Japan interesting, and I'm so glad that I went."
"Because of him?" Mother asked, a smile still on her face.
"Yes. I love him. I love him so much." I replied, wrapping my arms around myself. "Sometimes so much that it hurts."
"Love can do that." She stated, patting me on the back. "Love will have it's ups and downs. But a couple that can come through those stronger than before? That's the person you'll want to marry."
Mother giggled. "You two seem like such a sweet couple. I hope that it works out for you, because love is a double edged sword. It can be your greatest weapon, but your greatest weakness."
"So, what else?" Mother smiled.
"When I first arrived Ken was the one to tour me around." I told her. "He showed me some places in Tokyo. Then as we went to the apartment a Lesser Dragon came from a rift."
Mother gasped. "Was everybody alright?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "We helped the people around us leave. Ken even risked himself to save a little girl. He can be tough, but he's a softie inside."
A small smirk grew on Mother's face. "I'll believe that when I see it with my own eyes."
"Mother!" I giggled, lightly hitting her shoulder. "It's true, I swear!"
"Alright, alright." Mother giggled. "So, tell me more."
I told her almost everything. I left a couple of things out, like the fact that Ken is a womanizer and made multiple other girls fall for him hard, and the fact that he is so strong he took out the Demon King.
It was the most fun I have had with my Mother for the longest time. Eventually we finished talking, and I was ready to go meet Ken at the hotel.
As I approached the door, Mother stopped me by asking one last thing.
"Erica. One day...do you think you'll be able to call me Mom?" She asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"...not today." I admitted. "And likely not for a while. But one day...yes. One day I will be able to."
"I'll wait." She smiled.
"Wait for me." I smiled back, opening the door and exiting the room. I closed the door, heading out of the house.
As I walked through the hallways, I passed Father. Before I could leave he said my name, stopping me.
"Erica." He said.
"...yes?" I slowly asked.
"..." He took a deep breath. "I...I never wanted to marry you off. I swear."
He then continued to walk on. I looked at his back as he continued down the hallway, thinking. Maybe one day I could reconcile with him too. But not today. Not yet.
I shook my head, leaving the house. I checked my phone to make sure I was heading the right way. I couldn't wait to see Ken and tell him everything.
Maybe I can even get a reward...