Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Jai thought the nostalgic feeling would leave him the more time they stayed in Escarral, but it never did. If anything, it made him long for a life he could have had...and hopefully would have once he and Lyv were on friendly terms again. More than friendly terms, actually. She still kept her distance, but they were at least having short conversations, even if they were in the company of others. It was never just the two of them. She never allowed it to be.

It was nice to watch her be herself again, though, especially since her entire family was around, including her parents. Their family dynamic definitely changed, but Lyv was more than embracing it and seemed happier than Jai had seen her in a long time.

Jai himself was being brought into the fold of their family, too. The more time he spent around her sisters and brothers-in-law, the more at ease they all got around him. He didn't know if it was because of his title in Dalcaine or the fact that they really hadn't been around many powerful Fae before, but they were treating him as though he'd been in the family for years. But after one morning when they found him with all the kids and Elys in the back gardens with Roshan and Erly, being gentle with them and smiling and laughing as he taught them a few of the most basic things about dragons, that changed.

Lyv noticed this, of course, but didn't say anything. Or tried not to. Her sisters continuously cornered her after every short, generic conversation she and Jai had or whenever they'd do something with Elys together because the little boy basically demanded they did, like teaching him to use the dagger Jai had gotten for him.

Now, a few nights after the first they went to the Rose Stem Tavern, they were back again. This time, it was with the whole Escarrali royal family, save for all the children and also Elys. They were all at the palace and being treated with dinner, lots of dessert, and a bedtime performance they were already saying wasn't going to be as good as Lyv's storytelling. Camilla, Soren, Merek, and Evelien were at the tavern, too, which made the party even larger.

They took up an entire corner of the tavern, having pushed tables together and grabbing extra chairs. Jules was just fine with it, though. Half the time she was with them while others handled the dinner crowd. It wasn't until the tavern door opened when dinner time was in full swing, the tavern loud with conversation and laughter, that Jules's attention was directed to another who stepped inside.

Alberich's brother Drue.

Of course, they'd been expecting him any day now. Lyv had expressed her excitement in seeing him again, but it was still strange to see their interaction then. She was the first one to rush over to greet him, giving him a tight hug, which he returned in earnest.

Again, it was strange, especially when Jai had only heard of the relationship that formed between niece and uncle in Lyv's time in Asturia. He was still thinking of their first meeting in the small tavern in the Asturian territory, not how they now shared a few similar features, including that silver streak in their hair.

"Finally, you get here," she laughed when she pulled back to grin at him. "I've missed you."

"It's me, so it's no wonder you did," Drue grinned back, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "I've heard you've been in Ethran, huh? And you've got a special little someone with you now?"

"Elys," she nodded. "You'll meet him tomorrow, though he already knows about you, of course. There's no surprising him."

"Of course, he does."

"Is Asturia still standing at least? Mother and Father said you were in charge while they've been here."

At that, Drue rolled his eyes, glancing over her shoulder at her parents. "It is...though there might be a large shipment of Castyr on its way up from Eld and Torrent from Ayveri on the way."