Dmitri, Adrianna and Anastasia were lounging in the Purple Room which received the guests from outside. When Rolfe came back from the palace gardens, his heart was heavy. He found Ileus and Kaizan in deep conversation and when they saw him, they stopped speaking. And Rolfe knew what it was that they were talking about. His throat bobbed.
"Mother and Father are waiting for you in the Purple Room," said Ileus.
Rolfe nodded and they all walked to the room. None talked because it was a heavy moment.
Dmitri got up and received him. "Come here, Rolfe," he said as he sat and patted the chair next to him. When Rolfe sat down, he said, "We have to leave now. We know that you won't be able to send Iona with us but as you can see, we can't delay staying here.."
Rolfe's emotions were all over the place. Over the last month he had grown attached to these people, to Ileus, Anastasia and Kaizan. "I think you should stay for a day. For Iona…"
Adrianna chuckled. She tilted her head and said, "Iona is your responsibility now. Once she is past her first trimester, I will send my people to get her to Draoidh. I don't want to jeopardize her health at this moment by making her travel through Tibris. So until then, you have to be very careful about her."
The shallowness in his breath didn't go unnoticed. Dmitri placed his hand on Rolfe's. "You are not alone in this. You can call us anytime you need help. Anyone of us… and that includes Caleb and Daryn too. All you have to do is send us a message and we will come."
Dmitri's assurance felt good. "Thank you, Father," he replied. And it was the first time he called Dmitri, 'father'. It earned him a grin from the man. Rolfe glanced at everyone. There was a silent thanks in his eyes that were full of gratitude. "I will wake up Iona to let her know."
"Oh, not now!" Anastasia said. "We will leave tomorrow morning!"
Rolfe rubbed his thighs as a smile tugged his lips up. "Then we are in for a celebration at night. Only the family!"
The next morning, they left before the first rays of the sun broke. Iona was standing along with her husband who had wrapped a soft shawl around her and had his arm thrown over her shoulders possessively. They watched Adrianna and Ileus mounting their horses. They would reach the base of Tibris from where they would create the portal to go to Draoidh.
Iona took her mother and father in her arms and promised them that she would visit them three months later. As for Anastasia, she just didn't have enough words—only a parting gift. "I didn't know what to give you Anastasia, so I thought this would be the best." She looked at the servant beside them who handed her a small bag. She took out a piece of cloth—no, a small baby frock, yellow in color, just the yellow of her brother's eyes. "When my nephew or niece come into this world, this is the first frock they will wear."
"Aww," Anastasia took the frock and hugged Iona tightly. "When did you even have the time to make it?" She was amazed and so moved by her gesture.
"I made it yesterday night after dinner," she replied, her voice so hoarse. "After the family celebrated till midnight, she had gone back to her chamber and with whatever little skill she had, she designed this frock and sat until dawn to stitch it.
Anastasia hugged her again. She whispered in her ear, "You deserve all that you have now, Iona. Take each day as a gift." She pulled away and wiped the tears from her cheeks. The two women had been so closely connected over the past few months that it was simply the most bizarre thing. There were no explanations, just thanking fate for giving them this opportunity.
—
Base of Mount Tibris
"Anastasia will be going to Vilinski, Ileus," Adrianna said and wasn't an information or a request. It was an order.
Ileus stared at his mother as his mouth pursed in a thin line and a muscle feathered in his jaw. "But she is pregnant and needs all the comforts, which only I can give," he countered.
Adrianna had created the portal. Dmitri had already stepped inside it. "She will receive all the comforts in her kingdom too. She has to meet her parents and Áine had specially requested me to send her to Vilinski. And I will honor her request!"
Anastasia was absolutely quiet in the exchange between Ileus and his mother. She knew that if she spoke a word, they both would flare.
"I think Anastasia should decide whether she would go to her parents' place or come with me," Ileus said sternly and then narrowed his eyes to his wife.
"I would love to go to Vilinski!" Anastasia blurted. She really wanted to see her parents. It had been so long since she had met them and she wanted to see how they looked now. The memories etched in her mind—they had begun to fade. She wanted to refresh them. "I want to meet my parents, Ileus," she said in a soft voice. She knew that Ileus' mate bond tugged her to him, almost challenging him to leave her again.
The idea of her leaving him alone was soul shattering. He hated it. His face contorted into anger. How could she think of leaving him after they had gone through so much together? Couldn't she go after a few days? Anger rose in his chest and he lashed, "Fine. You can do what you like!" Saying that he stomped into the portal without glancing back at her.
Anastasia stared at him, at his unmindful attitude towards her feelings. She bit back her tears and looked at Adrianna almost helplessly. Ever since Adrianna had mentioned that she would be going to Vilinski, she had been trying to talk to him about it, but Ileus was only avoiding the topic. Every time he would cut her with something else or he would go away from there, leaving the topic hanging in the air.
Adrianna created another portal for her and said, "This will open right in Sgiath Biò. Your soldiers are waiting for you along with your mother."
"Mother is camping in Sgiath Biò?" asked Anastasia with wide eyes.
Adrianna nodded. "Yes, my dear. She has been waiting for you for the past two days."
Anastasia's heart thrummed with excitement. She pressed her mouth with her hands as her lips quivered. She chortled looking at the portal. Adrianna came to her and then stepped in the portal with her to see that she was in safe hands. Only when she saw Áine waiting over there, she went back without interfering in the reunion. She knew that they needed a lot of space. The portal closed behind her.
Anastasia's lips quivered when she saw her mother.
—
Áine was sitting on a fallen log, looking in the direction where she expected the portal to form. The scars of losing her once had traumatized her so much that her soul pained. For the past two days, she wanted to run in every direction, yet she would sit glued on the log and stare at the copse of firs.
