Finally Found

Chapter 18 - Kor

It's silent around me but at the same time I can hear Emilia's words repeating in my head, 'I think I love you'. Lilas, Bel and I have said 'I love you' to each other countless times so it's surprising the impact that her words are having on me. Maybe it's that she said she thinks she loves us that's making the silence slightly tense but it makes sense Emmy's never had anyone ever love her and she's never loved anyone so it's all new to her.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She says after none of us have said anything. She sits up moving slightly away from us and draws her knees close to her chest trying to make herself as small as possible while she watches us waiting for our reactions.

"It's okay, Emmy." Lilas reassures her sitting up himself to focus solely on her, "We were just a bit stunned at the suddenness of it. I love you." She relaxes slightly at hearing one of us say it back which improves as Bel and I both tell her the same. I don't know how her home village could hate her, she's too kind and sweet to be hated instead she's easy to love.

"I really didn't mean to say it. It slipped out." She mutters moving back towards us so we can comfort her, even if it was only an accident to admit her feelings it means a lot that she's said it around us.

"That's okay." Bel tells her wrapping an arm around her for a hug, "Sometimes it can help to just say something before I met Kor and Lilas I'd never been in love. Telling them that I loved them took me years because I'd never said or felt it before, eventually I just blurted it out in the middle of dinner one day. Kor nearly chocked on a chicken bone." That seems to help her more knowing that she's not the only one to suddenly say it out loud but couldn't he have left that last part out.

"Really?" She asks looking at me with wide eyes and hearing about this is making her more comfortable so I have no choice but to answer so I nod.

"And hopefully one day you'll know for sure but there's no rush. All we ask is that you keep talking to us about how you feel." Lilas adds getting a nod from her in response. We sit together quietly after that taking our time to adjust to Emmy's admission.

After another hour of sitting together I stand up carefully needing to move. I manoeuvre around my mates; Kitten goes to say something but Lilas and Bel let her know that I'm not going far. They know me so well that they can tell I'm only getting up to shift like I had when we'd been at the castle, this garden was planned out to give me enough room to shift.

Transforming I walk back to my mates briefly, nuzzling them with my giant snout before taking a few steps back and launching into the sky. I do a few laps around the city just needing to stretch my wings after not having the chance to shift at all over the past few days. Flying back over the palace garden I perform a few loops and spins really enjoying my time in the air and putting on a show for my mates that I can see watching me.

Landing I lie down in the sun and lift a wing slightly inviting my mates to come and join me. They soon come and sit down under my wing in the shade from the heat, there are still a few weeks of summer left and it's currently warmer than usual. Bel loves the warmer weather but Lilas burns easily in the sun and judging by Emmy's fair skin she'll burn just as easily.

The sun feels so amazing against my scales that I'm soon falling into a light sleep, still aware of the whole garden and where my mates are. Under my wing they're relaxing together and talking quietly to each other, keeping the topics light and easy. Slower their conversation drifts off as they drift off to sleep as well. We stay that way until Tehlmar ventures into the garden in search of us for dinner, asking what we want served today.

Standing I move to shift back before re-joining my mates who had woken up when I moved. After a quick discussion we decide on chicken for dinner and inform Tehlmar that we'll be inside when it's ready, making us easier to find. Full of energy after his nap Bel grabs Kitten's hand and pulls her inside to show her the dress he'd been working on while Lilas and I head to the library. I'll make a stop to grab the necklace and take it to Bel's room though.