Jupiter Rising

Chapter Nineteen - Let it be me

The hour before Dawn, it was a peaceful solitude for a Queen about to armour up and ride out.

I lie next to my Mate, her breathing steady and her heart beating beautifully against my hand that I had pressed to her chest. If ever we were parted, I wanted to remember it, the way she felt, her scent, this very moment in its entirety. Our newborn daughter between us, her little noises too as she slept beside her Mummy. This was the bliss I had sought for all of my life. Andromeda was now mine, and we hadn't just claimed our love, but we had now created more love to have and to hold... our children. In sickness and in health, in the missing, the dark, the crippling fear of the unknown... we had love... and as my five year old had said "What is Loved can never be lost"

I had started to wonder if Jupiter heard these things, not from the now, nor the past, but the future. She seemed to fluently speak adult language, her understanding of empathy and her knowledge, it was not of a five year old. It felt like with her sight, she was forced to grow up with every vision she had, for every vision she was somehow older than the last, and every time she woke up she changed for it. It rather terrified me that my child knew what was about to happen before even I. How could I ever protect her when she was already aware of the monsters in the dark?!

I thought to the path ahead, and the things I'd have to do. It was my time to lead my people from beyond the throne, and I knew it meant I would have to leave the safe sanctuary of Olamoore, to protect it. I had agreed with every Queen that we were safer in our kingdoms, but a white lie did fall from my lips, I confess. I had no intention of letting Gloam come to my door. I would be knocking his first.

My gut told me that Mirren was alive, and my intuition led me to believe that Jupiter knew more about it than any of us. I couldn't help but cast my mind back to the blessing and the way that she had whispered into Mirrens ear. Something that my child had said had made Mirren pause, a flicker of concern I observed cross over her freckled features. If Jupiter had given warning, then why did Mirren vanish?! I had to know.

I slipped from the bed, and with dawn approaching I crept through the Oaks secret tunnels, until I was upon the nursery floor. The wall opened, and I slipped out, crossing the room to Jupiters bed. Willow lie there asleep, her arm draped over Jupiter. The little Princess wasn't asleep though, she looked as if she had been waiting for me.

"Hi" she whispered.

I quietly lowered myself onto the bed beside her, she turned under Willows arm to face me on the pillow. I tucked my legs up and rested my head beside hers, face to face, our noses practically touching.

"Hi my little butterfly" I greeted "why are you awake?" I asked, letting my fingers brush her cheek, her soft golden curls brushed behind her little pointed ear with the motion.

My goodness her eyes, Andy's eyes, they were so full of wisdom. Jupiters gaze made you feel so safe, and for only being small that was quite the feat.

"I knew you were coming" she whispered back in her sweet little voice. "You want to know if Princess Mirren is okay"

I felt my chest tighten, and my eyes almost filled with tears. I didn't know why that struck me so deeply, but to hear my child speak with this knowledge, it moved me. Why did I feel like Jupiter was spending the same hour as me?! Waiting in the promise of Dawn, sitting in the company of it until it broke through the dark... knowing it would soon take me far from home?!

"I do" I whispered.

Jupiter pulled her little plump lip into her mouth, as if considering how much she should share.

"Tell me love" I asked softly, trying to coax it out of her gently.

Her eyes gravitated back to mine, and she took a deep breath. "I can only say a little Mama. I can only tell you... that she is warm. When I tell too much, it changes the end"