Finding You Always

Monster

Chapter 136: Monster

As they settled in the living room, Eva brought fresh coffee in, while Snow got milk for Summer and Carina. She noticed Rose watching the baby in her arms with fondness.

"How old is he?" she asked. Snow smiled.

"Almost eight months," she answered.

"How is that your eldest looks the same age as you?" Fandral inquired.

"That would be due to the dark curse. It's a very long story, but Emma was destined to break the curse and protected from it, while everyone else was frozen in time for twenty-eight years," David explained. Snow nodded.

"She found us earlier than expected and we regained our memories much sooner than prophesied. But time remained frozen and we actually shouldn't have been able to conceive, but a rather obsessed individual was fascinated by the fact that any children born to us would have magic, like Emma," Snow explained.

"He unknowingly gave Snow a potion and that's why we were able to have children during the curse, even though we didn't age," David added.

"It sounds like you both have encountered your share of individuals that enjoy manipulating others," Fandral mentioned. They nodded.

"We have. What the Dragon and his daughter did turned out to be a blessing for us, but Jekyll is an entirely different story," David replied. They nodded in agreement.

"When I first encountered Jekyll, he seemed harmless. Awkward, yes...a bit strange, definitely. But I never realized how unhinged he was until it too late," Rose stated. Snow nodded.

"I thought the same of him...he is an excellent actor," she agreed, as they heard the door open and saw Henry rush in with Neal behind him.

"Wow...it's true!" he called to his father.

"I hope you don't mind, but the kid didn't want to miss this, so I tagged along," Neal interjected. Snow and David smiled.

"Of course not. Rose and Fandral, this is our grandson, Henry. He's also the author and charged with recording all our stories," Snow said.

"Grandson?" Fandral asked in disbelief and David only shrugged.

"Yep, it seems strange to most people that aren't from here, but honestly, us being grandparents is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strange around here," the prince answered.

"But you really fought with Thor?" Henry asked in fascination. Fandral chuckled.

"For many years, yes, I fought alongside him in our youth," he answered.

"What is Asgard like?" Henry asked, but his face fell in response.

"It was a grand place, indeed, but I am afraid Asgard has been destroyed. For all intents and purposes, I should have died with it. But fate smiled upon me that day and I found myself deposited in a new realm where I met the fairest creature to ever live," he said, looking at Rose fondly and she blushed at the attention.

"Rose had me healed, ironically by the same evil little gnome that would curse me later, but she bartered a favor for my life when she did not even know me," he explained.

"My life as a warrior was grand, but nothing compared to the life I have now as a husband and father. There is great strife and warring in the nine realms where I hail from and for that reason, Heimdall thought it best to allow Asgard's survivors to think I am dead, to protect my family," he continued, as Rose squeezed his hand.

"And from what we've read, you almost didn't have that family, thanks to Jekyll," David inquired. They nodded and Rose swallowed thickly.

"If it helps, we read up to the part where you and Hyde were leaving the asylum to find Fandral," Snow said, hoping to make her a bit more comfortable by not having to retell what Jekyll had done to her.