The Queen's Conquer

Chapter 39 : Where Roads Collide

Porphyrous • [pour-fear-iss]
Purple.

🖤

~+~

"Ana..." Jace is the first to say as they approach. "My god."

The couple is dressed in much more formal wear than either of us. Jace's dark suit and Bianca's flowy, modest blue dress are far more appealing than our jeans and coats.

Max and I stand purely out of formality, but I feel just as stunned as the king and queen look—like it's been a lifetime since we last saw each other. And honestly, it has.

Bianca's steps are fast and hurried as she hugs me into her strong embrace in a matter of seconds. The sudden contact relaxes my muscles, as though this is what I've been longing for since that tragic day—to feel my best friend's touch again.

Her voice breaks as she says, "I thought you were dead, Ana." Those words force unwilling tears from my eyes, but I hold in my sobs as best as I can, hiding my face in her long, black hair.

With her hand around the back of my head and the other slinked behind my back, I find myself wrapping my own arms around her shoulders and squeezing. But I'm careful to watch the amount of strength I use—careful because I'm not the person they remember me as.

She pulls back, making sure it's really me. "I thought both of you were dead," she says, looking between me and Max.

Jace has now hugged Max, relieving any unwanted tension in the room. But when he turns to me, those warm blue eyes seem to melt as they take in my presence. Up close, I'm able to see just how much the new king has changed—just how much emotional weight he's been carrying on his shoulders since the ball.

He's grown some facial hair, making him appear so much older than I remember. And he's aged and matured into a man of power—like his new position has quite literally changed the prince I once knew all those months ago.

"Jace, I—" But there's nothing I can say to apologize for what happened. There's no way to fix the past we all lived through.

He shakes his head to shush me before hugging me himself—holding me as if it'll mend our wounds.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he says softly, his now calloused hands keeping me anchored to him. Hearing him say such a thing allows me to breathe naturally again. And the fears I thought I felt about this moment disappear.

***

It takes a while until we're finally able to situate ourselves on the two sofas, sitting across from each other as servants of all kinds bring us drinks and delicacies to snack on while we talk.

Bianca and Jace's questions feel endless. Everything from what had happened after my kidnapping to how Max and I were able to reunite is asked. We do our best to follow the story we formed together over the past several weeks, talking about our refuge in Henathan and their strict regulations during wartime which only allows for short visits.

Thankfully, the fictitious narrative seems to be believable, leaving no room for suspicion.

Every once in a while, we also briefly discuss the development of the royal couple's relationship. Especially the big events I'd missed out on while in Phantomridge such as their engagement and wedding. Though their circumstances were difficult during the time, Bianca only seems to brighten as she reveals the details of their ceremony to us.

But the conversation remains light-hearted for the hour or two we spend chatting. And it makes me believe for a moment that the time we spent apart never separated our friendships in the first place.