ELRETH

In quick, hushed tones, Elreth filled Gwyn in as much as she could—the humans, the disformed, Gar's new role, Aaryn's changed role. Her parents.

Gwyn's eyes got wider and wider in the dim light of the trails, but to her credit she stayed steady.

"I can't believe all of this has been going on… I thought you were just busy with Aaryn!

"

Gar snorted.

"That too,

" he quipped from behind them on the trail, walking with Aaryn.

Elreth whirled and put a finger under his nose.

"When we do this, we aren't brother and sister!

" she snarled.

"You don't get to call me 'sis' and reveal my secrets in front of the elders, or anyone else. If I'm going to treat you like an Alpha, you treat me like one too. We have to have each other's backs. I'm not spending my energy fighting you, Gar! We have to be allies in this.

"

Aaryn had tensed, ready to slide between her and her brother if Gar looked like causing problems. But Gar just clawed fingers through his hair and shrugged.

"Fine,

" he sighed.

"Sorry. I just… this is all new to me too, you know. And it came as a shock.

"

"Welcome to my world!

" Elreth snapped. Then she turned back and began to walk again. Gwyn shot Gar an alarmed look, but kept step with Elreth.

"Is there… what do you want me to do?

" she asked Elreth a moment later.

Elreth sighed.

"Just… be there. Do you mind if I use you if we need a message sent or something? I hate to do that, but I don't want any more people listening to this than we need. This threatens to shake the foundations of our world. If that's true… I can't afford for people to hear about it before I tell them how to see it.

"

Gwyn nodded.

"It's fine. I'll do whatever you need. Just let me help, okay? That's what I'm here for. I know you're strong, El, but no one can do this stuff alone. Let me help you.

"

She looked at her friend in surprise. Her relationship with Gwyn had always been so up and down… the truth was, she'd only appointed her because she knew she was good at keeping secrets. Gwyn wasn't the first person Elreth thought of to ask for help. That was Aaryn.

But maybe… maybe she'd done her friend a disservice, dismissing her so easily?

"I'm sorry I left you out,

" she said hurriedly.

"Get ready for a baptism by fire,

" she added dryly.

Gwyn snorted, but her face was pale in the moonlight. She knew it wasn't really a joke.

Together the four of them—with Huncer and Lhern not far behind on the trail—made their way towards the Royal cave.

When they reached the meadow, Elreth asked Aaryn to take the others on, while she approached her parents.

"Just in case they're already in bed,

" she said.

Aaryn and Gar chuckled, Huncer frowned, but they all did as she asked and continued on the bare trail through the grasses to the cave mouth, while Elreth turned towards the Tree House and put her shoulders back.

She wasn't sure how her parents were going to take this. It was the first time she would come to them not as a daughter, but as a ruler. And for some reason she wanted a moment alone with them before that had to begin.

She knocked on the door of their Tree, and her father answered immediately. He must have scented her outside, because he called her by name.

"Have you eaten, Elreth? We have some leftovers. Your mom cooked dumplings!

" It was his favorite and, despite her tension, as she pushed the door open, Elreth grinned.

Her father could always be relied upon to find joy in… something. She prayed he'd be able to do that with everything that was about to happen.

Her mother was in the kitchen washing up and her father sitting at the dining table nursing a cup of Kaf. They looked peaceful and homey, and happy. She was so relieved.

She prayed this wasn't about to reignite their conflict.

Once she was inside and near the table, they both looked up. Her father first, freezing when he saw her face.

Her mother hadn't turned yet, but spoke to the sink full of dishes she was washing.

"It's a nice surprise to see you coming home at a decent hour,

" she said.

"El?

" her father asked quietly.

Hearing the tense question in his tone, her mother turned quickly and her face fell from a gentle smile to immediate concern.

"What's going on?

"

Elreth looked back and forth between them. She knew she was supposed to be Queen, and Alpha, and dominant, and… all those things. But in that moment, she just wanted to throw herself at her parents and cry.

"There's… there's something really big, and I need… I need both of you,

" she said, her voice strangled.

Her father was out of his chair and coming to her immediately. And even though she knew she shouldn't, she walked straight into his open arms and pressed herself into his chest, fighting tears as he stroked her hair, and his deep voice rumbled under her ear.

"It's okay, El. It's okay. We all face these things. You've got what is needed. The Creator made you for this. Whatever it is, we'll help where we can, and the rest… the rest you just have to trust yourself.

"

Her mother made murmuring sounds of approval as well. She'd come around to stand behind El and put her hand to El's back.

She could feel her parents looking at each other, having one of those silent conversations over her head. But for a moment she let herself just rest on them. Because in a moment she knew she would shake them to their cores. And she'd need them to be the former rulers, the wise advisors. Not her parents.

So for that moment, swallowing back tears, and clinging to the comforting warmth and strength of her father, she just nodded and when her mother came to embrace them both, she let herself be squeezed between them, and just thanked the Creator that she had them.

And prayed they'd all get through this intact.

***** PRIVILEGE WARNING *****

Don't forget: Don't buy any expensive privilege tiers now, because the whole system resets on 1 November (31 October if you're in the USA) and then will require you to re-purchase! So save your money until Halloween to buy privilege ONCE and enjoy your advance reading all month!