Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

The return of the legendary guardian

"Look who's here... Finally, your most excellent Blood Queen deigns to appear..." Kilthania reproached her.

She was a bit irritated. Gjaki had practically disappeared for a month, something she thought she had managed to get her to stop doing. At least, Gjaki used to let her know in advance now.

However, instead of asking for forgiveness, the Blood Queen approached her friend with a smile and hugged her. She would ask for forgiveness later, now she had something more important to tell her.

"I'm pregnant," she confessed.

The countess took her by the shoulders to push her away and stare at her. Her friend continued to smile, unable to hide her joy. It was obvious that she wasn't lying.

"How?" the countess hugged her tightly this time, as stupefied as she was excited.

Her eyes were moist. She knew how much her friend had suffered from not being able to bear children, and she was really happy for her.

"Melia helped me," Gjaki revealed.

"We'll have to announce it! There'll be a lot of engagement requests! We'll have to filter them, and choose the best ones! Wait, boy or girl? Maybe we should... Ough!... Gjaki... Don't squeeze me so hard..." Kilthana pleaded.

"No announcements or engagements," the Blood Queen demanded. She had tightened her embrace.

"Okay, okay... Fine... But they'll find out anyway... You can't keep it a secret forever..." the countess was somewhat relieved when her friend loosened her arms.

"So let it be known that the Blood Queen will pay a visit to whoever has ideas about my son, or my daughter," Gjaki threatened.

"Ha, ha, ha. I knew you'd say something like that. Congratulations! I'm very glad, really," she looked at her, smiling, with tears in his eyes. She hugged her again.

Not many in the Blood Kingdom found out, Solodko and Jiknha were among those few. As Kilthana had anticipated, once they were born, the rest of the kingdom would eventually find out. The veiled threats on behalf of Gjaki would deter the flood of engagement requests.

However, that wouldn't stop them from bringing their children to introduce them at the slightest opportunity when they grew up. They would have to be very careful, though. Not only was Gjaki overprotective, but there would also be Diknsa and other inhabitants of the mansion.

"How do you do it?" Gjaki asked.

Gjaki was with Ljila, the biological daughter of the late Kan Golge, the only one who had survived her father. She didn't know any other ancestral vampiress, so she had gone to ask her about the pregnancy, if there was anything she needed to know.

It must be said that Ljila had been enthusiastic, and had explained all her experiences, even many not related to the pregnancy. The current conversation had derived from one of those stories.

"Not feeling sad? Not feeling desolate? It's impossible. The only thing I can do is cry, let my feelings out," she confessed.

"So why?" the Blood Queen felt confused, and her grief could be guessed in her voice. It wasn't easy for her to talk about it.

"When you feel sad for having lost someone, it means that you've stopped having something that you really loved, that you appreciated. It's difficult to hold back tears, and it's even better not to. But, do you know what is even worse than the loss?" Ljila explained.

"What?" Gjaki didn't quite understand.

"Not having anything to lose. Not having loved. The pain of loss means that you've lived, that you've loved, that you've had, that you've experienced. It hurts to lose it, but it's worse to never have had it. At least, while they were alive, you could love them, laugh with them, hug them. No pain can take that away from you, it even shows how valuable they were. Much worse than pain is not having had them," she explained.

Gjaki stared at her in silence. She had never thought about it like that. Was she right? She wasn't sure. It hurt, it hurt a lot. Thinking about Tili still hurt her.

"You know, I'm pregnant. After all this time... I wish you were here. I'm sure you'd be happy," Gjaki whispered a few days later.

She was standing before a small grave, on which Tili's name was written. Next to it, there was Tado's. Their favorite flowers had been planted there, and they looked well cared for.

"Gjaki! Have you come to see mom?" a familiar voice greeted her.

The vampiress turned around to meet the old goblin's dark green eyes. She would lose her too one day. Gjaki still remembered when she had held her in her arms, when the goblin was nothing more than a green newborn. Her parents' smile when they made her hold her was impossible to forget. She sighed.

"Hi, Tida. I had some good news to tell her," she smiled, although there was some sadness in her voice.

"Good news?" the goblin asked.

"I'm pregnant," the vampiress smiled, although it was a bittersweet smile. Tili wasn't there to hear it.

"Really? Finally! Congratulations!" the old woman rejoiced.

Gjaki smiled again, although this time from the heart. Tida was her beloved niece, and also a good friend.

"Thank you. Tell me, do they still not believe that I exist, and that you know me?" she asked her. She had finally made a decision.

"Of course. Nobody pays attention to the stories of an old goblin," she sighed.

More than them not believing her, she was annoyed that they disdained the existence of the vampiress. She had saved them. They were there thanks to her.

"I see. How about I come with you? It'll be fun," she smiled, mischievously. Once decided, the rest was easier.

The goblin's eyes widened. Gjaki hadn't been to the village for a long time. The loss of so many friends had been a hard blow for her, and she hadn't wanted to meet and lose any more.

She didn't know exactly what had made her change her mind, but it didn't matter.

"Of course! But don't be too bad..." Tida laughed. She knew her well. She had grown up with the vampiress as her aunt.

"Who do you take me for!?" the vampiress acted offended.

The goblin smiled. Despite the time, she was still the same as always.

"Let's go."

It must be said that there were still a few who recognized her. The rest panicked, were amazed, or were stupefied. Those who had laughed at Tida received special treatment from the vampiress, while the goblin tried to keep her from overdoing too much. Although she didn't try with much conviction. She had enough with not laughing too much.

The children were the ones who took it the best. They recognized her immediately, as a certain stuffed doll was still very popular among them. They approached her without fear and with curiosity.

She, remembering old times, spent the whole afternoon with them, while chatting with some old acquaintances who had approached. She had known them all as children.

It is also true that some, despite the evidence, refused to recognize the reality. They even berated her to leave.

Nonetheless, that ended when she took out a badge that had been kept in the inventory for years. There were those who even knelt before the one who was a living legend. It said:

Gjaki, honorary guardian, protector of the goblins.