Frances beamed, her cheeks red, as her friends in the mirror cheered.

“It’s about time!” Martin exclaimed. “Congratulations Frances!”

“You both must be so happy,” said Elizabeth.

“If you hurt her feelings, Timur…” Ayax growled. She held her glare for a moment, before snorting and chuckling at the prince, who scratched the back of his head.

Ginger was just squealing, hands over her mouth, shaking with glee.

“Thank you everybody,” said Frances, clasping Timur’s hands tightly as they faced the mirror. “I wish you were here.”

“We do too, but trying to secure Erisdale and root out Earl Darius’s remaining loyalists is a little harder than we thought,” grumbled Ginger.

Martin sighed. “I don’t regret leaving Janize alive, but it’s not exactly easy to trust her. Her troops and the remaining Traditionalists have switched loyalty to her and many of them fought against us directly. Some of them are actually involved in the experiments.”

“So right now we’re trying to figure out who is going to Kairon-Aoun and who is staying in Erisdale,” said Elizabeth.

“Well, you better hurry. Thorgoth should be here in about a week.”

“We are acutely aware cuz. Martin’s had a bit of a brainwave, though,” said Ayax, nudging the human knight, who chuckled.

“Yes, it’s a little ruthless to be honest, but I offered that anybody who signs up to fight against Thorgoth and the Alavari will be pardoned and goes with us to Athelda-Aoun will be pardoned.” Martin’s smile faded into a thoughtful look. “I’m still surprised so many are signing up.”

Scowling, Ginger grumbled, “It’s politically stupid not to sign up. If they don’t, they’ll be admitting that they’re cowards and didn’t rebel to protect Erisdale. If they do join us, they might die, but better than being tried and having their wealth confiscated.”

“That and you did win the civil war. I imagine that that would prove your credentials more than anything,” said Timur, scratching his chin as he usually did.

“It does mean the loyalty of our forces might not be a strong as usual, but at least we’ll have more soldiers and we’ll need all we can get,” said Elizabeth.

Frances nodded, her gaze turning to her adoptive cousin. “Ayax, I heard what happened with Darius and Leila. How are you?”

The troll grimaced for a moment, but her scowl slowly faded into something more contemplative. “Better. I…I’m still angry at him, but he’s gone and that’s good. Mostly I’m just glad I’m alive.”

“And Leila?” Frances asked.

Looking off to the side, Ayax made a face. “I’d rather not be near her, but she did do her part and I…I don’t know. I’m angry at her still, but it’s not like I want to hurt her. She also saved my life so that’s weird.”

“That’s…that is weird,” said Frances.

Ayax nodded. “She wants to apologize to you by the way. She’s been doing a lot of that to be honest and it’s not only weird, it’s kind of uncomfortable because like I think she’s being sincere and honestly I don’t think anybody is ready for it.”

“Oh that is going to be so strange when it happens,” said Frances.

Elizabeth bit her lip. “By the way Frances, were you able to make any progress with the spell? If Thorgoth has the power of two blessings, then that may be our only chance to defeat him.”

“We’ve been doing our best to prepare the defenses and with everything that’s going on, I haven’t had time to look into it.” Frances glanced at Timur. “Your mother’s travelling from Athelda-Aoun to Kairon-Aoun right? Maybe she can pick up a few things from my study?”

Timur nodded and opening his notebook, jotted it down. “That’s a good idea, I’ll let her know. She’ll be here very soon after all.”

“Soon? What do you mean?” Ginger asked.

“Oh, right, I just got of a call with her. She’s kind of befriended the dragon.”

“The dragon—what?” Frances squawked

The Greenway being so large was perhaps the only reason why the dragon could actually fit and fly through the underground passage.

Lakadara alighted some distance away from Frances and her family. An could be spotted slipping off her back and landing on the ground. In front of their eyes, Goldilora gently patted the side of the dragon’s neck, fingers scratching her scales. Lakadara only responded by snuggling closer to the ogre, who chuckled.

Frances glanced at Timur. She’d been squeezing his hand so tightly she was worried she was hurting him. The only reason she hadn’t asked was because he was gripping hers just as tightly

Hattie ws holding onto Frances’s other hand whilst trying to stop Morgan from standing in front of her. It was comically rather amusing for Frances to see her daughter try to protect her love interest, whilst said love interest was struggling to push Morgan aside.

“I thought you got your mother to escape on Lakadara,” Frances whispered.

Timur nodded slowly. “Yes, I didn’t expect them to become friends, though.”

Frances pursed her lips and nudged her fiance. “Well, you are quite a badass dear, and I guess we know now where that came from.”

That brought a grin to Timur’s face. “I love that you know how to flatter me. Shall we approach my mother and the dragon?”

Nodding, hand in hand, the pair stepped forward, guiding Morgan and Hattie, who were still trying to play musical chairs, to the dragon.

They could see Goldilora gently running her hand down Lakadara, who was now resting her head on the ground, golden eyes narrowed at them.

Timur waved at the pair. “Hi mom. Um, greetings Lakadara. This is—”

“I know who Frances and Hattie are, Your Highness.” Lakadara smiled as only as a dragon could, very toothily.

Frances let go of Timur. One hand on Ivy’s Sting, she stepped in front of her now very quiet and still daughter and first apprentice.

“I’m sorry,” said Frances. She bowed her head. “I didn’t want to kill your mother and I wasn’t powerful enough to convince her to stop.”

Lakadara’s smile was gone. She didn’t scowl with that mouth of hers, large enough to bite Frances in half. She wasn’t the size of her mother, but even now she could crush Frances easily underneath her bulk.

“I won’t forgive you, but you weren’t to blame for her death. She was.”

Hattie side-stepped around Morgan to stand beside Frances. “I’m sorry too. If I wasn’t there, Frances wouldn’t have needed to defend me.”

Morgan stammered, “Hattie—”

Lakadara sighed, a long puff of smoke blowing out from her nostrils. “You being there was an unfortunate coincidence. I can see that now. My mother was offered mercy and the chance to live beside you all without bloodshed. She refused and now she is dead. I have thought long and hard about that day and I still cannot see her point in trying to kill you, Hattie.”

“You really don’t?”

The dragon shook her head. “Kill you and someone else would have come to try to kill us. There are more humans and Alavari than dragons. That’s why my siblings have been tempted by Thorgoth’s offer. He’s offering them his soldiers for their revenge, but what after? I did not believe that Thorgoth would treat with us fairly after the killing is done and the war is over. He would have all the advantages once he’d subjugated his enemies. What use would he have for some young dragon welps?”

Lakdara closed her eyes and turned to nuzzle Goldilora’s hand. “There would be no use for us. He would want us dead. I only wish I could have convinced my siblings that there was another option.”

“Do they suspect my father’s motives?” Timur asked.

“Maybe, but I don’t think they care, Prince Timur. They are so stuck on getting revenge for our mother that nothing else matters. It’s why I failed to convince them and why they turned on me,” said Lakadara.

Hattie grimaced, “It’s also likely that Helias spoke to them and told them what they wanted to hear.”

“Or Thorgoth himself,” said Frances. She pursed her lips. “Am I correct to assume you won’t fight against your siblings, Lakadara?”

The dragon went very still before slowly shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” Lakdara’s eyes fell on Timur. “What about you, Prince Timur? Will you fight your father?”

The trogre closed his eyes and Frances could see her fiance’s tail swish back and forth. “I have to. He’s not exactly giving me much of a choice.”

“You…you do have a choice, Timur,” said Frances. She squeezed her love’s arm, but the prince only seemed to stiffen.

“I… Can we talk about this later?” Timur asked in a quiet voice.

Frances blinked, but nodded. “Of course.”

Later was after lunch and after having unpacked the materials that Goldilora had brought. Lakadara was staying in the Greenway still in what had been a collapsed tunnel that. She wasn’t too far away from Kairon Aoun, but far enough so that she could avoid the legendary dragonslayers Dwynalina and Anriel, who were at the city, helping with the defenses.

Morgan and Hattie were off somewhere to train and well, leave Frances and Timur alone to talk.

Sitting beside her fiance on their shared bed, Frances snuggled up beside her prince. “Love, what’s on your mind?”

Timur sighed as he clasped Frances’s hand. “My dad. You…you need to kill him, Frances. I knew that, but with the final battle of the war in just a few days, it’s starting to sink in.”

“It may not be the final battle of the war. He may withdraw. We may retreat,” said Frances.

Timur met Frances’s eye. His gaze seemed heavy and his voice was weary, words falling with the weight of destiny. “We won’t retreat unless we have to. Athelda-Aoun isn’t a bad defensive location, but with dragons involved it’s compromised. And as for Thorgoth, he now has to deal the humans before a reunited Erisdale turns its full might against him. The war is boiling to a critical point, Frances. We may be able to recover if we lose, but he’s coming for us and we have to stop him. More importantly, he wants to hurt you and you aren’t going to let him hurt me, or anybody else, right?”

“I won’t. I…I have too many reasons to protect you and my home,” Frances whispered. Swallowing, she squeezed her prince’s hand. “Timur, it’s alright to feel bad about this. He is your father.”

The trogre wiped his eyes, but he managed to flash Frances a smile. “Thank you. I…it just doesn’t make sense. He wasn’t a pretty bad father. He was using me and abusing my sister. He doesn’t care about anything or anyone other than Queen Berengaria and bringing about Queen Ulania’s last wish. I shouldn’t care about him.”

“He’s your dad. It’s only natural to care about him, Timur.” Frances curled her legs under her. “I’m still bothered by what my mother did to me. I still wonder if even after everything, I actually am worth the love and admiration of those who I love.”

“You are, Frances and…thanks. You’re probably right about that as well,” said Timur.

“Mm hmm.” Leaning on her love’s shoulder, Frances giggled. “Looks like your mom hasn’t quite figured it out yet.”

Timur scratched his chin. “How about we eat with her at the mess and tell her? That way you can get some research done later.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Frances. Looking up, she and Timur exchanged a quick kiss, after which they sat there for a while, enjoying the quiet moment.

Edana walked into the makeshift study Frances had set up in what had been the deserted house she and Timur had been quartered in. There was no desk, so Frances was sitting on the floor, papers neatly organized in stacks.

“So what’s the problem my dear student? Aside from the massive army stomping down towards us?” Edana asked.

“Um, it’s the spell, mom. I’m trying to take a look at True Magic again. Anything to give us an advantage against Thorgoth, but I can’t think of anything,” said Frances.

Edana nodded. “Hmm, where’s Timur by the way?”

Frances smiled. “Goldilora was rather…overjoyed with our engagement, but insisted on going for a drink with him tonight with Aloudin, Olgakaren and Epomonia. I wanted to work on this so I had to decline.”

“Must have been really hard to say no to your love,” said Edana, sitting down beside Frances.

“We plan to spend time tonight. He should spend some time with his friends and family as well.” Her eyes scanned the papers, a million thoughts running through her head. Frances sighed. “Mom, I know we have to win, but I’m not sure if we can.”

Her mother’s fingers tightened around Poker. “We have as good a chance as any,” said Edana.

“I know, but I still remember my fight with Thorgoth, mom. I don’t think you can beat him. I don’t think you, myself, Dynalina, Kellyanne and Ayax together can defeat him. We’d need Leila, Jessica and Ophelia Voidsailor on top just to reliably overcome him and he has dragons on top of that,” said Frances. She picked up one of the most important papers she had, a translated copy of King Alan’s diary entry. The diary entry by the first king of Alavaria was specifically on the Otherworlder System and she’d read it countless times. “If I could just think of a way to use True Magic consistently, then we might have a chance.”

“You’ve done it before, you can do it again.”

“But I can’t. The time with Thorgoth and the time I saved Hattie were accidents. I can’t figure out what I did differently.”

Edana nodded, looking over her daughter’s shoulder. “Hmm, I still believe you’ll figure it out. Maybe not in time for this battle, but I know you will eventually.”

Frances smiled at her teacher and mother. Her rescuer in every way. “Thanks mom. I just…I feel like I would be failing everybody if I don’t figure this out in time to defeat Thorgoth.”

Edana frowned, using her staff to steady herself, she turned to her daughter. “Failing is part of life, Frances. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to decipher a spell hundreds of years old and that is considered one of the great magical mysteries of our time.”

“Maybe not, but the fate of the war rests on me trying to—” A long, callused finger poked Frances’s forehead. Spluttering, Frances made a face at her chuckling mother.

“Frances, you have to stop thinking that,” said Edana.

“Mom, this isn’t a laughing matter!” Frances swallowed, hating how high her voice had pitched.

“No it isn’t,” said Edana. She was still smiling, but the mage’s voice had grown stern and there wasn’t as much of a sparkle to her brilliant green eyes. “But this war’s fate does not rest on you and you alone.”

“I…” Frances blinked. Words failing her, she looked down at the strewn about papers that she’d reviewed a hundred times. “Didn’t you say that I would be important to this war?”

Squeezing her daughter’s shoulder, Edana nodded. “I did and I still believe you will be important, but there are many people who are fighting Thorgoth. And they have chosen of their own volition to face down this evil demon king. It is not just you who will fight this next battle, Frances. They have their parts to play. All you can do is to do the best you can.”

“What if my best isn’t enough, though? What if even after I give my best we lose?” Frances hated how hot tears now formed in her eyes and she had to dab at it with the corner of her sleeve. “What if we can’t protect our loved ones, what if we can’t protect our children?” she whispered. The thought of Thorgoth hurting Timur, Morgan or Hattie, brought a cold lump to her throat.

Her mother’s gaze dropped to the floor, and for a moment, Edana looked incredibly old. Frances knew in her head that nothing had actually changed and yet the woman seemed to age years as she quietly sat beside her.

“Huh, I never thought I’d live to see the day where you’d understand what it feels like to be a mother,” said Edana softly.

Frances looked up from the ground. “You…you thought you’d die young, mom?”

“I thought I’d die alone and unloved. Then you came into my life and changed that, Frances. You gave me a new purpose, brought me back to my family, encouraged me to mend my relationship with Igraine and now I have two more lovely children. I’m…so incredibly happy now, despite the army we’re about to face. Despite the danger we’re all in.” Edana shuffled closer, wrapping Frances in a tight hug, resting her chin on her daughter’s shoulder. “So I think that no matter what happens, even if we’re not successful…even if we both perish, we would have done all we could and maybe…maybe that would be enough.”

Frances blinked. Her mother was happy? But…huh? She frowned. “Enough to do our best?”

Edana sighed and squeezed Frances tighter. “I mean it’s enough to be happy with what we’ve tried to do. To know that no matter what happens, we did what we thought was right and that brought us love and joy.”

Frances nodded, holding her mother close, thinking over her words. They felt right, as they usually did and she found her pounding heart slow, and the anxiety building in her throat seemed to untwine.

“Thank you, mom.”

“You’re welcome, my dear.”

The mess area in what had been Kairon Aoun’s palace was empty but for a trio of Alavari sitting at a table. Renia, nursing a cup of tea, sat across from Morgan and Hattie, who had been listening intently to the harpy’s stories of being a former courtesan.

“I didn’t realize that dad was as goofy as dad—uncle Timur,” said Morgan.

Renia’s gaze focused on the steam rising from her cup. “Teutobal was at heart a social person. He loved making his friends and comrades laugh and that extended into his concern for the wellbeing of others. Being with him was the happiest time in my life.”

Morgan found herself glancing at Hattie, who she could see was scratching her scar again. Reaching across to pull the half-troll’s hand down, the harpy-troll coughed. “Mom, I know I’m young but are you okay with me going out with Hattie?”

Her dark blue eyes now trying to mimic the size of plates, Hattie shook her head. “Um, Morgan, I think you mean going out to practice magic and just magic!”

Renia hid her mouth with one wing as her shoulders shook. Her eyes filled with mirth, she giggled. “Hmm, as long as you keep your hands where they belong, I welcome your relationship. You both should know though that not all childhood crushes last forever, though. You both have a lot of growing up to do and you may change.”

The two young girls exchanged a glance, their hands clasped. “You alright with that?” Hattie whispered.

“Yes. I mean, we might not have much longer anyway,” said Morgan. She felt Hattie squeeze her hand and she returned the gesture.

“You…you’re both staying here?” Renia asked, her voice tremulous.

“Mom, I know you’re worried, but this is our home and we need every capable mage.”

“I understand and I don’t have the right to stop you. I just…” Swallowing, Renia hopped up onto the bench and reached across the table to touch Morgan’s face with her wings. Morgan blinked, a little surprised but the sensation of her mother’s feathers against her cheek wasn’t an unpleasant experience. It was a bit ticklish though.

“Please be safe. I know you—and Hattie— have survived horrifying things, but I…I love you and you have folk who want to see your return.”

Morgan pressed her mother’s wings to her. Leaning forward, she touched her forehead ot her mother’s, trying not to cry. “I’ll do my best, mom.”

Hattie, wiping her own eyes with the back of her hand, looked away for a moment. She found Frances sitting quietly by the door to the mess hall, dabbing her own eyes. The mage pressed a finger to her lips, which Hattie acknowledged with a nod.

It was some time before Morgan and Renia parted and the pair glimpsed Frances by the doorway.

“Hi Renia,” said Frances, only now approaching.

“Hello, Frances. You are long overdue for an appointment young lady,” said the harpy, arching an eyebrow.

Frances shook her head and sighed. “I know, but I need Morgan and Hattie for a moment. I’m going to try to prepare them for what lies ahead.”

“Ah, then by all means,” said Renia, hopping back onto the ground as Morgan and Hattie got up with their wand and staff. “Frances?”

Frances blinked. “Yes?”

“Thank you and…take care of them both, please.” Morgan froze. Renia’s eyes were bright with tears. Her wings folded over her chest so tightly that noone could miss the tension in the woman’s body.

As for Frances, she crossed her arm with Ivy’s Sting over her chest. Her chin rose and dipped once. “Renia, thank you for entrusting me with Hattie and Morgan. I swear they will survive whatever comes. No matter what it takes.”

Eyes wide, their hearts heavy and yet filled so much they felt like they wanted to cry, Morgan and Hattie followed their mother and guardian out of the mess. The short and yet somehow massive tail of the mage’s striking white cloak flapping behind her.