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GAHRYE

He led Reece directly for the royal cave. It wasn\'t his son\'s first visit, but Reece\'s trips had been few and far between, and during those years things had always been... hidden.

He\'d had a chance to meet Elia and her kids, plus a handful of the Protectors. But they couldn\'t go to the Tree City, or mingle in the market. So he\'d never really had the Anima experience. Gahrye grieved the loss of that, now. How was it possible that twenty years had already passed and his son would be making his own way, and Gahrye had never quite prepared him for this?

He wanted it all back. All of it. All the days, all the hours, all the moments. All the decisions. He wanted to live it again and do it better this time.

Suddenly Gahrye wanted to avoid Reth and Elia and go straight to the people. Show Reece the life he\'d tried to share with his son through stories and visions. Show him the places where the stories happened. Show him the way his father\'s life used to be.

But if Gahrye had learned anything in these regrettable decades it was that doing exactly what he wanted was rarely on the Creator\'s map. Gahrye had been gifted and wired for a specific purpose. He had a job to do, and a mate waiting for him at home. He needed to get his son connected to these people, so they could help him later...

His stomach dropped to his toes and he had to push the thought away or start crying again.

They broke through the treeline into the Royal meadow two hours later, but before they were even halfway across the grass to the cave mouth, a cry sounded from behind them.

"Gahrye? GAHRYE!"

Gahrye turned, breaking into a smile at the sight of Elia—a touch heavier, a lot more wrinkled than he\'d seen her last year, still bright and beaming with love, still vital and beautiful in her way—dashing across the grass towards him.

"You made it!" she called, breathlessly. She hit his chest running and he grabbed her up, laughing, and swinging her around. It was always like this for them. And as Gahrye held her to his chest, the love he\'d always felt for his best friend was overwhelm.

He was so grateful for Elia. Apart from Kalle and Reece, she was the only person he knew with certainty loved him unconditionally. She was his best friend and he always missed her. Kalle understood that his love for Elia had never threatened to be anything like a mate bond. He had no desire for Elia, only warmth and regard. But it ran deep. She was half-mother, half-sister, and all friend. And being close to her again on this day was soothing, even as it twisted the knife in his gut because he knew it was the last time.

Unless…

He wondered...

Gahrye shook his head to himself, pushing away the dark thoughts as he set her back on her feet.

"It\'s so good to see you!"

"You too, Elia."

Then she turned and her mouth dropped open. "And this is Reece? Oh wow, Reece, you\'ve grown so much!" she exclaimed, reaching up to hug him as well.

Reece was self-conscious, but he\'d always liked Elia. He put an arm around her and smiled at her gushing about his handsomeness.

"He looks so much like you, Gahrye, it\'s uncanny!"

Gahrye grinned. Every time he looked at his son he was reminded of looking in a mirror when he was twenty years younger. But somehow he saw his son as so much bigger and stronger than he\'d ever been.

As Reece and Elia greetings and the usual reunion small talk, Gahrye felt his heart thud and squeeze.

Fuck this was going to be hard.

"...just so glad you\'re here! Did you hear?" Elia turned back to Gahrye, her eyes bright. "Elreth lifted the banishment. You\'re no longer a fugitive Gahrye. You can be here whenever you want—with whoever you want. Reth even accepted it!"

Gahrye tried to smile, but Elia either caught his scent, or just knew him too well, because when his smile didn\'t reach his eyes, her own faltered. She looked down, her cheeks fluttering.

"I\'m just so glad you\'re here," she repeated quietly.

"Me too," Gahrye said.

,m When Elia lifted her head to look at him it was with more understanding and empathy than he deserved. They stared at each other for a long moment. Gahrye was terrified if he didn\'t start down this path, he\'d lose his nerve, so he took her hand and swallowed hard.

"I need to talk to you and Reth," he said quietly.

Elia nodded sadly.

Gahrye scratched the back of his neck. "He\'s not going to be happy, Elia."

She nodded again. "That\'s okay. Whatever else has happened, he knows you\'ve always taken care of me. Whether he likes it or not."

She flashed that grin she had when she was planning something that would piss Reth off—or get Gahrye in trouble. But it faded fast. Then she opened a hand towards the Great Tree that used to be Elreth\'s.

"Are you hungry? Why don\'t you both come have some breakfast. I haven\'t seen Elreth and Aaryn up yet. We can catch up while we wait for them."

"Elia—"

He saw the first crack in her then—eyes that squeezed closed and forehead and chin wrinkled. She jerked like she would stamp her foot, but instead blew out a breath and spoke to the ground. "Just... just come say hi, Gahrye," she said, her voice sad. "Let\'s have half an hour of being old friends before... before anything else."

Gahryre\'s stomach dropped. Was it possible she already knew? But no, it couldn\'t be. She wouldn\'t have waited this long or allowed Elreth to seek answers for so long. She clearly knew something was going on, though.

As Gahrye followed her and Reece back towards the tree Elia linked her arm in his and her tone shifted back to her normal warm gentleness. She asked about Kalle and urged Reece out of his shell. But as they reached the door, a large shadow passed over it and Gahrye looked up to find Reth standing in the doorway, blocking it, and glaring at the point where their arms linked.

"Hey, Reth," Gahrye said carefully.

"Gahrye." The former King nodded. He\'d never been cruel to Gahrye in the years since he\'d banished him. He\'d allowed Elia to meet with him, even without knowing about the Protectors. But he\'d remained cold. Aloof. And Gahrye hadn\'t been allowed contact with the rest of the Anima. "Can I ask what you think you\'re doing, clinging to my mate?"

Gahrye opened his mouth, but Elia stepped forwards and shoved Reth back into the house.

"No! Reth! You will NOT ruin this morning with Alpha Male Bullshit. Honestly," she snarled to no one in particular, as she pushed past him into the house. "I\'m just surrounded at this point. All of you need to take your hands off your carrots and let us ladies handle this one. Then you can sit back in your testosterone and chest-beating and watch how it\'s done!"

Reth looked sheepish when Gahrye glanced at him in the wake of that rant. He opened the door wider so Gahrye and Reece would fit through, and followed her himself. He didn\'t seem particularly snappish when Gahrye stepped inside, but he gave the former king a wide berth, just to be certain.

There was no knowing with lions.