More Time

Justum considered her words. "I cannot control how you feel," he answered at last. "But the victory is yours. It is over. We will leave you to your tasks."

Aurora stared past him with empty eyes. He was right about one thing. It was over.

Turning to his fellow Fate, Justum held out his hand. "Your mission is complete, I assume," he said with an arched brow. "Either way, your banishment is over. Will you be coming back with us?"

Hanna smiled demurely, "As welcoming as that invitation was…" Her face changed to be one of concern as she looked at Aurora. "Now that I am permitted to see the Empress, I shall stay a while to make sure things run smoothly."

Expecting an argument, Aurora was surprised when Justum simply nodded. "I understand."

He turned to the fiery-haired woman and bowed respectfully. "Farewell, Your Majesty. May the rest of your reign be a peaceful one."

"Thank you," Aurora curtsied, her years of training taking over. She then moved forward toward the Fate holding her son.

Justum motioned to Omid. However, instead of handing over the prince to his mother, both Fates rose into the air and joined the host in the sky. Aurora lunged forward to catch Omid's heel to stop him, but he was already far too high.

"Come back!" The Empress ordered them. "Where are they taking my son?" She looked frantically to Hanna.

The Fate pressed her lips together sympathetically. "I'm sorry," she said, not answering the question.

Pulling her bow and arrow from her back, Aurora was prepared to threaten those who would keep her from burying her son. But Hanna took her arm and whisked all of them back to the Imperial Army's sandy mound.

Above them, the Fates hurried into the multicolored void. "No!" Aurora screamed, but it was no use. The sky returned to it's normal blue. "Hanna, how could you?"

"Even Fates have limitations, dearie," Hanna's colorless irises were filled with clouds and lightning. There was so much more she wanted to say but could not.

Somehow Aurora could sense this, and her anger at the Fate was quelled. She was upset, but a voice pulled her attention. "Mother!" Mairwen called as she rode up on a beige mare. Nurlan and Eira rode with her, very happy to see the Empress unharmed.

As soon as the princess dismounted, Aurora hurried to her and the two women embraced for what seemed like an eternity. "Oh mother, I am so relieved to see you!" Mairwen beamed a smile on the other woman.

"I am happy to see you are well." Aurora sighed and smiled gently as she ran her fingers through the princess's dark hair. "Thank you for protecting her," she added to Nurlan and Eira. "I will look for a full report on our troops soon," she dismissed the general.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Nurlan saluted. He turned to head back to the Imperial Army to make sure things were in order.

Mairwen squeezed her mother tightly. "I was just sure that the brilliant light meant something was wrong."

Aurora froze. "The light saved us, but something did go wrong."

"Brinn! You're back!" Mairwen looked past her mother to the quickly approaching elf. The spymaster nodded politely at her friend, but was clearly there for business.

"Excuse me, You Majesty and Your Highness," Brinn interrupted them. "This scout here has come to tell us that she spotted blue flags being waved from the pirate ships. It would seem the Imperial troops have claimed victory! Through a spyglass she ask saw two selkies are heading towards shore with humans on their backs. Would you like to go and greet them?"

Aurora took the elf's hand even as she turned to leave on her new mission. "Slow down. I know you are trying to help me, but you need to check on your family first. Find your brother, husband, and cousin to make sure they are alright and then go see those who have fallen."

"Why would I go to—" Brinn's words trailed off as she realized which member of her family had been left out of the Empress's speech. Her face paled.

"Your father rescued Alvar from a falling boulder, but was hit himself. Utku said that the unicorns did their best to heal him. I'm sorry," Aurora said.

The she-elf nodded emotionlessly. "I will find the others," she said resolutely. "If you will excuse me." Brinn hurried off into the battlefield, trying not to think about anything but finding her family.

"Do not worry, Your Majesty. I will greet those that are coming to shore," Hanna offered. Being a Fate, she did not have to be close to hear their conversation. Not waiting for an answer, she disappeared.

"Poor Brinn!" Mairwen exclaimed. "I hope everyone else is alright."

"Mairwen?" Another more masculine voice cut in this time.

The princess's face lit up as she saw the tall, lanky man. His hair was drenched with exertion from working the ballista, and his hands were worn raw from the repetitive drawing of the massive bowstring. However, to her he looked perfect.

"Your Majesty," the scientist bowed deeply.

"Renat," the Empress inclined her head. She cut her eyes toward her daughter. "Go on..." Aurora jerked her head toward the boy, she did not want to ruin the moment.

The princess threw herself into the scientist's arms. He kissed her and held her tightly in his embrace. If not for the very large audience, he might never have let her go. "I am so glad you are safe!" He said, his voice thick with emotion. "I am sorry for how things turned out."

"The news of King Zoltan is tragic," she agreed, but could see there was a deeper meaning in his words. Her mind did not have time to process things before Hanna reappeared with Devrim in tow.

He was badly battered and limping but alive. The Empress's heart was lifted by the man's handsome face. It was Aurora's turn to throw her arms around her beloved. She squeezed him with all her emotion. Nearly falling over from the attention, the Emperor winced and gave a small groan.

Realizing what she had done, Aurora backed away suddenly. "I am hurting you! I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's a good pain. The best kind in fact." Dervim pulled her back toward himself and pushed his mouth against hers. His hands clung to her body to make sure she was really there. Unlike the younger couple, the rulers did not care that they had an audience. If anything, it made them more determined to ignore the world around them.

When they finally parted, Mairwen took her turn to hug her father, and they both pulled Aurora into their collective embrace.

"I had feared this would not happen again. All of us together, I mean," the princess said with joy. "All that his missing is Alaron. Is he here? Did Brinn bring him back with her?"

Aurora tried to form her words carefully. The battle was difficult, but sharing this news was much harder. Mimicking former Empress Zephyra's stoic nature, the fiery-haired woman pulled away and gave a measured answer. "Brinn did bring back Alaron, but he is no longer here."

Both Mairwen and Devrim gave the Empress a confused look.

The princess shook her head. "I don't understand. Where is he?"

"I don't know…" Aurora swallowed. She wanted desperately to tell everything, but the words eluded her.

"What happened?" Devrim tried to wrap his arm around his wife, but she resisted.

"That bright light, the one that stopped everything… it was made by Brinn, Reyan and Alaron. They used three Fates' chains and it required all three of them to complete the magic. I tried to stop Alaron. I should have taken his place." Aurora's controlled exterior cracked as tears ran down her face. "Humans should not use magic. Alaron sacrificed himself to stop the war."

"That cannot be!" Mairwen placed her hand on her chest.

Seeing that the princess was close to collapsing, Devrim steadied her with his strong arms. His own heart was breaking at the news. He had hoped the Fates had done the miracle, but it seemed he was wrong.

Aurora continued, "The magic worked, but Alaron died. The Fates took his body with them." She pointed up at the sky while she tried not to sob. "He wanted me to tell you both that he loves you."

"We must get him back! They cannot take my brother. I will stop them." Mairwen clutched the Seeker at her neck. "I wish to find my brother's body." The little silver pixie did not move. "Did you not hear?" She screamed. "I wish to find my brother. Take me to him!" Again nothing happened."What is wrong with it?"

Hanna gazed compassionately at the girl. "The Seeker can only help you find things that you would have found on your own eventually."

Mairwen's breath hitched. "You mean I will never find him?"

"I am afraid not." Hanna looked as if she would cry as well.

Any appearance of calmness broke as the two women sobbed. Devrim pulled them close to him, his own cheeks wet with tears. Whatever Alaron's faults, they loved their brother and adopted son.

This was not a wound time would ever completely heal. In that moment, it felt as if the world had indeed ended. Their world was torn in two by the boy who had saved it. It was hard to say how long they stood there, but it seemed like time stood still.

"Let me get the three of you to a tent where you can have more privacy." Hanna at last tried to guide them off the high mound. With Mairwen in his arms, Devrim followed the Fate's lead.

Aurora shook her head and wiped her face. "Please go without me. I need to see to the troops and visit the healer's tent. I will be along soon."

The Emperor started to argue, but he could see that this was her way to cope. He walked back to her and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Please check Junayd for me," Devrim requested. "I left him with the human healers before I came to you."

Nodding, Mairwen swallowed and steadied her voice. "Please give Brinn our love as well," she added.

"I will," the Empress assured them both. She watched them leave with her feet seeming to be frozen in place.

Seeing that no one was attending the ruler, Renat cleared his throat. "Do you need anything, Your Majesty?"

Aurora looked toward the sky. "I need the one thing that no one can give me," she sighed. "More time."

With that, she made the slow trek toward her troops and eventually the healers' tent.