Chapter 50 - Bel

It's taken us almost a month but we've finally tracked down where Erika's taken Emmy. A house in the middle of a forest near the border of Nerkise which is quickly coming into view as Kor flies us there. Lilas and I are clinging onto his back as he flies just slightly slower than when we raced from Nerkise back to Hadlau.

As we'd planned before setting out Kor slows down and flies closer to the ground as we get closer. It gives me the opportunity to carefully slid off his back clinging to one of his legs before jumping onto one of the trees. Kor and Lilas will continue on to the house in plain sight while I run there through the forest and sneak inside to find Emmy, with my speed I should reach the house before them. I'll have few minutes to search before they land and Rhistel realises that I'm not with them.

Climbing down the tree I race towards the house stopping at the tree line and scanning the house for any guards. From here I can only see the back of the house and there are no guards here so either Rhistel didn't think we'd find him so soon or the guards are on the other side of the house at the entrance. It works for me though as I dart forward and climb up the side of the house intending to start my search from the top floor.

I find an empty room at the top of the house with the window not even locked giving me easy access to the floor. He's made this almost too easy but from what reports we've managed to get from prisoners, especially those close to Rhistel, have told us that he's nothing short of insane. And that he's gotten worse since we started winning the war so I suppose that it's not surprising he'd thought to take Emmy.

Listening at the door I don't hear anyone out there so I step outside moving to the next door and then the next. The rooms are either empty or being used as storage but I check each one anyway desperate for any sign of my missing mate. I'm down to the last few doors on this floor when I hear it, her voice which I haven't heard in so long.

"-find us. It shouldn't be long." I don't know who she's talking to but she doesn't sound scared instead she's speaking softly and comforting whoever it is.

Over joyed at having found her I don't hesitate to open the door and walk inside. It's a basic room but none of that, not even the second person, matter to me as I get my first look at Emmy in over two years. She's even more beautiful than I remember despite her dress being dirty and her hair is a mess, clearly since she was taken she hasn't been given a chance to clean up.

"Bel." She breathes out in relief and then in the blink of an eye she's in my arms burying her head into my neck, "You're really here."

"I'm here." I whisper to her stroking her hair as I hold her tight, "We're all here. Kor and Lilas will be landing soon, we decided that I'd come on my own to find you before they land. Are you hurt? How is the baby?"

"We're both well, or at least as well as we can be. There's someone you should meet." She says pulling her head out from my neck but staying close to me and pulling one of my hands to rest on her stomach where I can faintly feel movement plus when I listen carefully I can hear the baby's heartbeat. Turning towards the bed she indicates the other person in the room. She's an elderly human woman whose been watching us fondly without saying anything. "This is Julianna. She Rhistel's Soulmate. Julianna this is Bel."

I'd never have expected that Rhistel had found his Soulmate let alone kept her close. He'd preached about destroying Stones and how Soulmates are just curses sent down by the Gods yet here is his Soulmate. Although seeing how they must have met when Julianna was already elderly it's not surprising that he'd have some hatred towards the Gods.

"A pleasure to meet you Lord Belath." She greets from the bed as Emmy walks over and helps her sit up more arranging the pillows for her to rest against, "Emilia has told me so much about you. And don't worry about me being his Soulmate, I only wish to be free of him."

"It's nice to meet you too Miss Julianna." I reply gracefully stepping forward and kissing the back of her hand making her laugh.

"Emilia had said that you were charming and shameless." She says happily and breaks out laughing again as I put on an offended look.

"Me! Shameless!" I turn to Emmy with a fake hurt look, "How could you my love?" My act only makes the two of them laugh harder which was my aim. With everything that they must have been through a bit of fun and laughter is just what they need to make them feel at least a bit better.

Before any of us can say anything else a loud bang echoes from downstairs followed by the distinct sound of fighting. Kor must have landed and now the two of them must have come inside to confront Rhistel, we'd not had any intention of negotiating with him. He'd no doubt want us to surrender Nerkise to him in return for getting Emmy back but we can't allow that to happen.

"Right, time to go." I state walking to the door and checking that the hallway is still clear. It is as any guards must be downstairs trying to help Rhistel fight Kor and Lilas. Not that they stand a chance. I turn back around to find Emmy helping Julianna out of the bed but it's slow going. "Sorry about this but we need to move faster if we want to get out of here." With only a brief pause to wait for permission I crouch down so that she can climb onto my back with a bit of help from Emmy.

Together the three of us start making our way downstairs with me at the front and Emmy following close behind. Even with Julianna clinging to my back I should still be able to fight if I need to but hopefully we shouldn't encounter any danger. If we're really lucky then by the time we get downstairs all the fighting will be over and done with.

We started on the third floor but we don't encounter any guards so we're soon making our way to the first floor and from the noise the fighting is still going on. Gods I hope nothing has gone wrong; I'm not worried about Kor but Lilas has never been much of a fighter. He can fight if he needs to but doesn't practise the same way Kor and I do.

Peaking into the room where all the fighting is I find that Kor and Lilas have killed all the guards along with Erika leaving just Rhistel for them to fight. Well for Kor to fight as it seems that Lilas is injured, he's clutching at his shoulder near the front door keeping well out of the way as Kor does battle with Rhistel. Behind me Emmy lets out a quiet gasp seeing all the bodies and Lilas injured and tries to go into the room but I hold her back. She could get hurt just rushing in like that.

Slowing pushing the door open I lead Emmy around the edge of the room towards the front door, having to carefully step over some of the guards' bodies, until we reach Lilas. Both Kor and Rhistel notice us entering the room but keep their focus on each other as they fight otherwise as soon as one slips up the other will win. Our arrival does tilt things slightly in Kor's favour though as Rhistel becomes enraged seeing that his plan has failed and that we've taken his Soulmate.

"Lilas are you alright?" Emmy asks crouching next to him trying to check his wound. Now that we're safe I crouch down as well allowing Julianna to climb down from my back, I need to be able to move without carrying her now. If anything goes wrong I want to be able to get Emmy and Lilas out as quickly as possible because as harsh as it is I don't know Julianna at all while they matter the most to me.

"I'm fine my love, it just needs some medicine and a bandage. How are you? Are you hurt?" Lilas asks in a hurry less concerned about his own injury than her well-being, "And the baby?"

"We're fine." She smiles gently placing his good hand on her stomach to reassure him that they're both well despite everything that's happened. Relieved to be reunited with each other we turn our attention to where Kor and Rhistel are still fighting although it's now clearly in Kor's favour. And it ends in an instant when he manages to take out one of Rhistel's legs forcing him to his knees with a sword at his throat.

"It's over." Kor growls out and guessing what comes next I cover Emmy's eyes just in time as Kor takes off Rhistel's head with one powerful swing. Despite not seeing it though I think she knows what's happened as when his head hits the floor she flinches.

"He's gone." I hear Julianna whisper next to me and I'd almost forgotten she was there and now she's seen her Soulmate die, "I'm free."

"I'm sorry you shouldn't have had to see that." I say as we walk outside away from the death and destruction in the room. It's hard to believe that it's all over but it finally is. We can go home now and be a family without needing to worry about the war.

"I've wished him dead for many years." Julianna admits as we sit ourselves down outside and she waves me off to tend to Lilas's injury while Emmy clings to Kor. Once I've wrapped Lilas's shoulder we start getting ready to leave but there is just the matter of Julianna to figure out.

"Miss Julianna what will you do now?" Lilas asks with a slightly pained grimace as I help him stand up.

"It's been my wish since I met Rhistel to join my Edmun in death. If you would allow it I would like to go with you to Hadlau and see it first before I see my husband again." She requests looking at us with weary eyes and Emmy joins her beseeching us with her eyes. And I don't know about Kor and Lilas but I can't deny her when she looks at me like that.

"That won't be a problem. And I'm sure that we can find a way to help you." I reply with a glance at Lilas who gives me a subtle nod understanding what I'm thinking. After waiting so long trapped in her elderly body we can help her pass on peacefully like she wants to with a quick, painless poison if that's what she wants.

It's a week before we land in the palace gardens having taken our time to return, Julianna and Lilas wouldn't have been able to handle travelling too fast. We rest where we can and it's nice getting to sleep with all of my mates again after only having Kor but it'll be even better when we're home. Then we'll have our bed back and maybe even Nazeph snuggled up next to us, that'd be just perfect.

As soon as we've landed in the garden people come rushing out of the palace. Before we left we'd asked Healer Fayeth to stay at the palace until we got back so that she can check on Emmy and the baby as soon as we're back. Who knows what effect being held captive has had on them so none of us will be at ease until she's been cleared by the Healer.

"Nuela this is Miss Julianna, could you find her a room please?" I ask passing Julianna over to a few maids to support as Nuela nods and guides them inside. With Julianna now in Nuela's capable hands I can devote all of my attention back to Emmy as Healer Fayeth ushes her inside for a check-up.

"Please I just want to see my son." She practically begs as we get inside so I run upstairs to the nursery where Nazeph is awake trying to figure out what's happening. Once we got back there was likely a rush as the servants rushed to come and help which he must have heard.

"Pa." He says holding his arms out signalling to be picked up. It must be something that he inherited from Emmy because I find myself unable to refuse him anything just like his mother.

"Let's go see your Mama." I tell him settling him in my arms which becomes much more difficult when I mention Emmy as he starts fidgeting and wriggling around. The whole time we've been searching for her he's been upset and confused as to why his mother hasn't been here.

"Ma. Ma." He calls out as we walk downstairs looking in every direction trying to find her. I speed up as the long it's taking the more upset he's becoming and the last thing I want is to present a crying Naz to Emmy.

"My baby." Emmy cries out when I walk into the drawing room with Nazeph. She's surrounded by Healer Fayeth and midwives but only has eyes for him as she holds out her arms wanting to hold him. Grinning I hand him over and watch as she holds him close crying quietly while Nazeph happily burrows close to her and burying his hands in her hair.

It takes Healer Fayeth a bit longer to finish the check-up as she has to work around Nazeph who refuses to let go of Emmy. We'd all tried holding him instead but that only resulted in tears. Luckily she declared that overall both Emmy and the baby are fine, just in need of proper food and rest. She believes that by the time the baby is due in just under four months that they'll both by fine.

"Thank you Healer." Lilas says walking her to the door, "We'll look after her. In fact we're planning to spend some time away from Hadlau at our private castle in the east. With everything that's happened the Council have agreed with us being gone for a year so would you be willing to travel there to care for Emmy over the next few months there?"

"Of course your Majesty. I'll bring some midwives with me, I'm sure that the ones that assisted me for the prince's birth will be willing to help again."

"Really? A whole year at the castle." Emmy asks in shock not expecting that we'd be able to leave for that long. It took a few weeks but we eventually managed to get the Council to agree to it wanting to spend as much time together as a family as possible without being interrupted by meetings and emergencies.

"Yes." Kor states walking forward and easily lifting both Emmy and Nazeph into his arms so that we can go upstairs and relax. Ideally Emmy would be able to have a bath but with Naz clearly not planning to let go anytime soon even changing into a clean dress will be difficult.

We all settle in our shared bedroom forming a giant pile with Emmy and Naz in the middle surrounded by the rest of us. None of us say anything just content to lie here together finally reunited with everyone that we love after so long apart. The only noise in the room is Naz happily babbling at Emmy happy, just like the rest of us, to finally have her back.