All Things Wild and Beautiful

56. Sentimental Encouragement

    Their faces flashed before her eyes. Her father. Her mother. Her brothers. Nascha waited for them to speak. Waited for them to tell her what to do. To offer advice and answers.

    Carpathia approached first, with the same regal air she'd held in life. Her chin was lifted. Her back was straight. Her hands were clasped across her stomach. Her golden curls were piled atop her head in an elaborate style, and within her blue eyes shone a stern, but loving look.

    "Did I not raise you to know the workings of Court?" Carpathia asked.

    "A long time ago," Nascha replied. "I've forgotten."

    Carpathia tilted her head. "No, you haven't. You remember how to carry yourself in public. You remember how to address your peers and equals. How many hours did you spend at my side while I attended to my duties? Did you learn nothing by watching me?"

    "I learned everything by watching you."

    Carpathia came closer and took Nascha's hands into her own. "Then you must remember. Do you think I was ready to become Lady when my father died? I was your age, newly married, and pregnant. I managed."

    Nascha swallowed hard. "I'm not you."

    Carpathia hooked a knuckle beneath Nascha's chin, but kept her touch light. "No, you aren't. You are better. Stronger. And you won't be alone. Just as I had your father, so you have your mate."

    "This burden isn't for Fenrys to bear."

    The person before her became her father in the blink of an eye. Nascha memorized his face, and the features that were so like her own. "I don't believe he will see it as a burden," Soren said. "I never did. It was my duty to help your mother, just as it was her duty to help me. Have you ever felt burdened when trying to help your mate with his problems?"

    "No," Nascha admitted. "But it's not the same."

    "It is, more than you think. Trust me, Stardust. No one can do this task alone. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There will always be someone willing to give it."

    "But Father, I..." Soren was gone before she could finish. Nascha stared at her eldest brother as he smiled down at her. "Shit," she breathed. "I forgot how tall you were."

    "Maybe you're just small," Vandran chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling.

    "I'm average, thank you very much."

    "You are more than average, Nascha. You always have been. You were always smarter than Zeno and I. You were more powerful. Your magic is even greater than mine was after I Settled."

    "That doesn't mean I can do what you did."

    "The only thing I did was learn. I never led our people, except in our final battle. But you can do both. You can learn, and you can lead. You can restore our home to the peaceful place it once was."

    "There's more to this than just helping Arcelia. Aelin's Court has made it clear that they will never accept me. They..."

    "Who cares about them?" Zeno interrupted. Nascha blinked in surprise. "Who is more important to you? A Court of Fae and Demi-Fae, half of which don't even hail from Terrasen, or our ancestral home, filled with people who know and respect you. Filled with people who want you."

    "Do they respect me enough to cease their cries for independence?"

    "If they don't, you can help them to." Nascha averted her eyes. Zeno grabbed her by the shoulders. She managed to face him. "You are worthy. You are capable. You are ready. This has always been your destiny, Nascha. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't."