Heir To The Nova (Book 3) (39 page)

Maya and I were seated at the ceremonial head table, of course, with all three sets of parents and Rosa at the table to our right, and our daughters and closest friends to our left. The meal seemed to go on for hours, with countless courses brought and returned by the relentless nebulia. Winding down, people were stuffed to the gills and some started drifting off to visit in small groups at other tables or on the steps of the keep. My real parents drew us aside to a private corner and hugged us both.

“Alex, Maya, you have no idea how proud we are of you two and what you’ve accomplished.”

I looked my father squarely in the eye and asked a question that had been bothering me. “The Kerr claimed its death would trigger a war, should we be worried Father?”

He put a large mitt of a hand on my shoulder. “Son, I still don’t think we’ve managed to convey the scale of time involved, at least in a form that you understand. But I’ll try to give you some piece of mind. Listen, in game terms, the Kerr went all in on this one with their best champion, broke rules by the hundreds, and still ended up losing badly.  In practical terms, it will be at least ten thousand years before the results of this ‘game’ are finished being tallied by our kind. Even beings as long-lived as you and Maya will be dust by then.”

“Well, that’s reassuring, I guess…”

“Oops, sorry; totally inappropriate again.” He winced and then chuckled, “Gone but not even remotely forgotten, I assure you. This experiment, which involved your mother and me and led to your birth, and even today’s wedding to your amazing bride, was an unprecedented success. The ramifications will ripple out for eons. The fates of thousands of galaxies will change for the better and involve races that you cannot even begin to fathom. And it all started with a soft-hearted young man who felt sorry for a pack of orphans and ruined a cooking pot! Sometimes, the domino effect that rules the universes astonishes even me. Again, well done, Son!”

He actually had to pause and wipe tears out of his eyes. “Now, I’m sorry to tell you this, but it is time for us to leave.”

“What? Why?” I asked. I still felt like I barely knew them.

“You need room to grow and have your own adventures. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t abandoning you like before; but even we know we can’t be looking over your shoulder forever.”

My mother hugged us both and looked at her husband with glistening eyes. “We will stop in every now and again for holidays and such. So it will be just like how normal human families work. And I expect to visit grandchildren someday soon here as well!”

I coughed nervously about the grandchildren part and then concentrated on what they were really saying, and deep down I knew they were right. “Where will you be going?”

“Oh, here and there. Each universe is a big place. One of our assignments is to train the newest generations of Nova how to love, pair up and raise more comets exactly like you two; well, maybe not exactly. There is this clueless young sea slug on Batav Six that I’ve been keeping an eye on that shows a lot of promise…”

“What, another Alex?” Maya smiled, putting her arm around me.

My father grinned. “I believe at this stage of its life cycle, it would more appropriately be called Alexandra, but you never know what can happen. Anyway, today is still your wedding day, and like all good parents, we have a gift for you. You’ll be able to see it best when it gets a little darker out, about the time the dance really gets going. I think it will be a night that is never forgotten.”

They hugged and kissed both of us and said their goodbyes to everyone else before they disappeared in a huge flash of blue light.

Suddenly, we were alone again; well, except for a cute little pixie who couldn’t stay away any longer. “Mr. Alex! Maya!” she cried out as she happily hugged our faces. “It’s official now! I’m your daughter! Ohhh, and you’ve got to see the dance party the nebulia are setting up in the gardens. It makes the one after the tournament in Xarparion look small and pathetic. I’m gonna go check out the sweets table!”

Ebony appeared then, moving through the crowd like a bull. Behind her was another Helios, but I couldn’t make out anything else. She headed straight for us and stopped about ten feet away. With a sigh, she spoke, “My King and Queen, may I present the kingdom administrator candidate that you requested.”

The Helios walking in Ebony’s wake now stepped out from behind her. For a few seconds, I was confused by the radiant gold skin, but then I recognized a familiar face.

“Bel!” Maya screamed and launched herself across the distance between them, throwing herself into Bel’s arms and hugging her affectionately.

“Lady Hornalde,” I grinned, following my mate.

“Only Bel, my King,” she asserted, returning Maya’s embrace. “Helios leave behind all worldly titles when they pass…and look.” She showed us a huge smile. “No fangs any longer, either. And I’ve actually been outside to stand in the sun…it was so beautiful!”

“La…I mean Bel, we owe you a debt we can never repay, and you are the real hero of the battle against the Lifebane. But how do you come to be here?” I asked completely astonished.

Bel smiled, a real genuine smile. Somehow she looked like a pretty young woman again. If I would have to guess, I would say this was her original appearance before she was turned. “Apparently vampires, at least the ones that do not fall completely to evil, still retain a part of their original souls–who knew? Since I died again within the walls of Sky Raven, I was delivered to the blue crystal, which I hear you have met. He gave me a choice, and here I am. As far as your debt to me, there is none; I did what I did for my own reasons. But if it would assuage your conscience to grant me a boon, I wouldn’t object,” she said slyly, and I saw a glimpse of the old Belrothe we knew so well.

I heard a low growl from the general direction of where Ebony was standing, but ignored it. Maya leaned back away from Bel’s embrace with tears in her eyes and laughed happily. “Anything, Bel, anything! What do you need?”

“Young one, what I really need is a job.”

“A job?” Maya and I looked at each other in confusion.

“Yes, it seems that new Helios are automatically assigned to either servant positions or the military, depending on their past lives. And I was never really formally trained to be a warrior…”

“They’ve got you scrubbing floors and cleaning the jakes?” Maya said in horror and disbelief.

“It’s not so bad, really. It’s good honest work,” the former vampire confirmed. “But I wonder at times if I couldn’t be of more service to my King and Queen if I were doing a ‘task more suited to my strengths’. Isn’t that the terminology you used, King Alex, when you convinced me to take the demon-trapping Amulet of Tepestra?”

I was following now, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Yes, this was exactly the person we needed to keep the kingdom running smoothly.

“Bel, you’re hired as the kingdom’s grand steward, effective immediately. Commandeer whatever staff and resources you require; we’ve got a honeymoon to go on!” I snickered, already feeling immensely better about what we would find when we got back home.

“By your command, my King.” Bel grinned and made a low formal bow. Standing, she gave Maya one last caress on the cheek before she spun away to start work.

“Alex, Maya, you have got to see this!” Lin exploded as the three druid girls burst through the doors from the outside. Concerned, we followed them into the garden. The place had been transformed into an unworldly party setting. Elegant music was playing; I picked out strings, horns, and drums. Streamers hung in big blue bows across all the trees, interlaced with glow orbs that brightened and dimmed corresponding to the music. Off to one side, there were tables loaded with even more food and drinks, and plenty of nebulia serving staff were still sticking around to make sure everyone was happy. The dance floor was already in full swing, and I spotted the usual avid dancers making tracks. I nearly bumped into a star-struck Captain Higs being led shamelessly to the dance floor by a very coquettish and blushing Dusk. I backed up and looked into the loving eyes of my dark elf wife.

“It’s perfect,” I breathed, “you’re perfect.”

“Wow, you two are really oblivious, you know that?” Lin guffawed from behind us. “Look up, why don’t you!”

Maya and I gazed up into the night. Rainbow hues of color danced across the sky, with shooting stars flashing through the darkness like a never-ending fireworks display. But most prominent was a pair of ice blue comets that slowly crossed the heavens, backlit by a blanket of soft twinkling stars.

I watched a small tear of joy run down Maya’s face. I gently wiped it away and turned her to face me, stealing a quick kiss.

“Care to dance, my Queen?”

Maya smiled brightly but then looked a little concerned. “Yes, of course; but I don’t know, Alex, that dance floor looks pretty crowded.”

“We’ll just make our own dance floor then, my love.” I grinned as I unfurled my wings, and I heard her delighted laugh as she did the same. Seconds later, we were high above the party, looking down. The glow from our wings was already illuminating the upper towers of the keep, making it truly look like an enchanted palace. Ignoring the crowds below, we danced in the night air like we were the only two comets in the sky.

“I love you, Maya.”

“You really talk too much, Magic Boy.” She pulled me in closer and I could hear a contented purr in her voice. “Now, you promised me an epic honeymoon, and I’m ready to trade my armor for a negligee; at least, for a few days.”

Oh yeah…even my ears were starting to tingle!

“I like that story!” the little girl said to her mother.

“Well, I would hope so. It’s about all your family and friends and how you came to be, little one,” Maya said, folding her wings in and tucking them away. “Besides, it is your favorite story.”

“I know, but it’s fun to pretend it is a new story every time I hear it. When Dawn and Dusk read it to me, sometimes they will even change shape into the monsters from the book and then it’s really scary, but fun, too. And when Nia reads it, she does it with all kinds of sounds that make you feel like you were really there. Rosa read it once and then showed me how Daddy enchanted the magic pot, and she even lets me practice on real pans in the kitchen, but only when the cooks aren’t around. She says they wouldn’t appreciate seeing their cooking tools and candlesticks dance, talk, and sing very much.”

“So, what you are saying is that my version is really boring then?” Queen Maya said playfully.

The little girl smiled a bright smile, with just a few baby teeth missing. “Oh no, Mommy. I call your story the romantic one, because you put in all the parts about kissing Daddy!” she giggled.

Just then there was a slight tap on the door. It opened and Dawn stuck her head through. “Hi, Mom, the King and Nia have just returned from their trip. If he comes up the stairs, he’ll be here in about ten minutes, otherwise…” There was a swoosh sound as the door to the balcony flew open and a man with wings that matched his wife’s, with a small pixie on his shoulder, stepped into the room. His white wings folded away effortlessly as he walked toward the bed, reaching out to his little girl with a big grin on his face. “…three seconds.”

“Daddy! Daddy! You’re home!”

She evaded her mother’s frantic grab and dived off the bed, knowing that her father would catch her well before she hit the floor. And, of course, he did, with a laugh.

“Belle, one of these days I’m gonna miss and then, ‘splat’!” said her father as he wrapped her in an armored hug, and hoisted her up to perch on one of his huge arms.

“You’ll never drop me, Daddy,” she said unconcerned and began smothering her father, the King, in sweet hugs and kisses. Finally, she stopped and leaning back, considering him with deadly serious emerald eyes just like her mother’s. “Mommy just finished the big story again; but it’s still early, please tell me another one, please?”

Alex frowned slightly and shifted his gaze longingly to his queen’s face, noting the mirth and the hint of promise that she hid so coyly behind a regal smile.

“I dunno, Belle, I was hoping to turn in early tonight…” But his thoughts and voice trailed off to nothing at the sight before him. The Queen was in the process of stretching like a great dusky cat on the bed, her nightgown clinging in all the right places. Sliding her legs over the edge, she grinned evilly, rose to her feet, and sauntered over to her husband. Taking his arm and spinning around, she faced her daughter, but kept a hand around his back and seemed to melt into his side. She winked at her daughter as she rested her curly head on Alex’s armored shoulder.

“Oh, I think your father has time for a short story, Belle.” She stepped back a little and reaching up, she grasped the Alex’s chin, bringing his eyes in direct alignment with hers. “As long as it’s a very short story,” she growled softly.

“Storytime!” Belle squealed and hugged her father.

Nia added to the Princess’s enthusiasm by doing excited figure eights in the air above the bed and echoing. “Storytime! It’s storytime!”

Even Dawn got into the spirit of the moment. She had been waiting calmly by the door, but now she flung it open, and sticking her head out the door, bellowed, “Storytime, everyone!” as only a dragon can.

The King’s and Queen’s mouths dropped open in dumbfounded amazement, as within a span of no more than two minutes, people started arriving. Dusk entered and slid onto the bed, placing her back against the headboard. Dawn followed and copied her sibling, relaxing with a self-satisfied sigh.

Belle had finally squirmed enough that Alex had to set her on the floor, and the little girl immediately scrambled back onto the bed and into Dawn’s lap, snuggling in close to her. Nia snatched a handkerchief off of one of the dressers and wrapping herself in her impromptu blanket, dropped heavily onto a pillow that Dusk had pulled off the bed to make more room. She made herself comfortable as the dragon girl gently moved the pillow and pixie onto her own lap.

Rosa and Alera arrived chatting animatedly and promptly claimed the two chairs from the small table in the room and moved them into prime viewing position, finally facing the King and smiling expectantly.

Again the door opened, and several of the golden-hued staff members of the keep filed in carrying trays of fresh-baked oatmeal cookies and glasses of cold milk. With practiced ease they graciously passed out the treats to the growing crowd, leaving the remainder of the food and beverages on the table for latecomers or seconds. Retreating, they closed the door behind them.

The king laughed out loud and looked at his wife, motioning at the door as if to ask ‘is that all’? Of course, the door burst open yet again, and Ryliss rushed in almost out of breath. Seeing that the storytelling hadn’t started yet, she grinned and took a deep breath. A few steps behind, her an inky black shadow stalked into the room.

“Rakka!” Belle cried out. Bouncing up and down ecstatically on Dawn’s lap, she slapped the mattress. “C’mere girl!” Obligingly, the huge cat leaped up onto the end of the bed and lay down with her long rich fur covering Belle’s feet. The Jag’uri placed her great head down on her paws and sighed comfortably. With a mischievous shrug, Ryliss snatched a couple of cookies and found a spot on the bed next to Dawn where she could just barely fit.

“Fantastic…crumbs and now cat hair in our bed,” Maya grumbled softly, still plastered to her mate’s side.

King Alex surveyed the group that had invaded the royal bedroom with a look of genuine affection. He looked at his wife with a lopsided grin and shook his head. Clearing his throat expressively, he centered on his little girl, and bowed.

Rising back up, he began, “Fine…did I ever tell you about the time Mommy and I met the Paladin?”