Ever After

sixteen | eikko

There is something about the Queen of Illea, wearing my clothes and laying in my arms, that makes me love her even more. 

The plane landed late, so I had decided not to wake Eadlyn up as I got off. She slept through disembarking the plane and getting into the car and now, as I carried her through the familiar hallways of my parent's home, she continues to breathe lightly, her head resting on my chest. 

Eadlyn was light, so it was not hard to settle and tuck her into bed while my mother stood watch at the door. When I turned around, she was smiling with a hand to her chest. 

I met her and Dad in the living room. 

"Niko went to bed early tonight so he could wake you up in the morning," my dad says. He's speaking quietly even though Eadlyn would never be able to hear us. "He's excited. And he kept asking if Eadlyn would help him with some projects."

Eadlyn, my sweet girl, had helped Niko with some art projects when he was at the palace. I think my heart almost popped when I walked into her office and saw them sitting at the same committee table that was used to negotiate wars, gluing googly-eyes to posterboard. 

I grinned. "I'm sure she would love to. Just please don't let him wake us up too early, it's been a long day."

My mother still has a hand pressed to her chest like she can't believe I'm home. 

I wrap her in a hug. "Yes, Mother, I'm home."

She wipes a fake tear and hugs me back. "I cannot believe the queen is sleeping in our guest room," she whispers, then holds up a hand to stop my next words. "I know she is not the queen to us. She is just Eadlyn. But... when you signed up to be Henri's translator, I could never have imagined this. We earned amazing friends in the Jaakoppis, and you earned so much more. I remember you shrugging when you applied and saying, 'I don't know, Mom, I just feel like something good is coming.' And Eikko, dear, you were so right."

I broke into a smile. My father wrapped an arm around my shoulders. 

I kissed my mom on the cheek and shook my fathers hand. 

"I love you guys. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," my father echoed, "We love you, too."

I wandered into the guest room, which was once mine, shuffled into bed. Eadlyn was laying on her side, so I slotted myself into place right behind her, arm draped over her waist, and fell asleep.

***

When I wake up, the bed is empty. I could hear laughter in the living room, so I stumbled out of bed and went to see what my wife was giggling about.

Niko was rolling on the ground and Eadlyn was holding her stomach, laughing as my mother told a story. My father was in the kitchen, smiling at them.

My chest contracted. My girl and my family.

"Good morning, dear," Mom says over Eadlyn's shoulder. 

She whips around with a grin. "Eikko! Your mother was just filling me in on all the embarrassing parts of your childhood."

I feel my face warm, but it is hard to be too embarrassed when Eadlyn is looking at me like that. She looks so... happy. Free. 

She's curled up on the couch, still wearing my fuzzy pants and my pajama shirt. Her hair is tied up and she's sporting a cup of hot chocolate, still steaming. She looks rumpled and lovely.