Several hours later I was feeling like an oompa loompa and thought someone was going to have to roll me from the dining hall. We were shown to our quarters by a quiet young man with deep red hair and bright green eyes. He said nothing to us on the way there and only bid us a good night once he showed us in. Archer and I had separate rooms but adjoining quarters which meant we could open the door between us and hang out if we wanted to. My room was dark but homey. A large sunken bathtub was set off to the side with a wide array of scented bath oils. Archer waved goodbye to me after checking out my room and went to his, with the promise we'd hang out later.
I set my backpack down and unhooked the bow and arrow Chap had given back to me. I grimaced as I pulled off my clothes and hoped Mom had some extra clothes I could wear. Right now I wasn't super worried, though. All I wanted was a bath. I flipped on the tap, marveled at the immediately hot water that sprang out of it, and sank down deep into the tub.
Water swirled around my toes and I sighed at the delicious heat of it. This had to be Mom's magic. I couldn't even remember having a tub the last time I was here.
Thirty minutes later, I had pruny skin but I smelled like jasmine and felt like I'd taken a week-long nap. I'd found a pair of sleep pants and a soft t-shirt in one of the drawers and helped myself to it.
Moments after dressing there was a knock on my door. I padded barefoot over to the door, opened it, and gasped as I saw who was outside.
"Dad!"
His face looked white as a ghost. "Cinder," he breathed. "Your mother told me you were here but I did not dare to hope." He gathered me into his arms and held me tight. "I thought we lost you that day. We never stopped looking for you even when we thought you were dead."
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, cherub." He pulled back from me and gathered my face in his hands. "You've grown so much. You look so beautiful."
My father was devilishly handsome. Jet black hair and wide brown eyes, his face was tanned from the sea and hardened by the wind. He didn't look fearsome to me. He just looked like... home.
"I've missed you so much."
"And I, you." He ushered me back into the room. "Your mother is right behind me. There's so much we must catch up on. I know you've heard some of it, and I'm sorry for that, but we are running out of time. If we delay this opportunity, it will be years before we catch the pretender royals unaware enough to pull off a stunt like this."
Right now I didn't care. I was home.
Mom was there moments after we stepped in. She shut the door behind her and grinned at us. Her skirts were gathered up in her hands which meant...
"Mom! Did you bring cookies?"
Mom was infamous for stealing cookies from the kitchens. Wherever she went, once night time hit, Mom would steal into the kitchens and find a small little treat for us to enjoy in the dark.
"Would you expect anything less, my dear?"
Dad grinned at her, an affectionate smile borne from years of love. "If it's not chocolate chip, I might send you back."
She tsked at him and opened up the gathered skirts. Cookies of every variety lay in there. I peered down and gasped. Chocolate chip, crinkle, gingerbread, sugar, and multiple other varieties all over the place. "Oh man. I hope you brought ginger," I said.
Mom snorted at me. "Or you could just show some self control and not eat so many," she chided.
I grabbed two chocolate and a crinkle. "Have you met me?" I asked right before I shoved one of the cookies in my mouth.
Dad laughed out loud and snagged two of the chocolate chip. With his mouth full, he made a satisfied sound. "My girls," he said around the crumbs. "I never thought I would see you together again. It's a wondrous thing."
Tears formed in my eyes. "I thought about you every single day that I was gone. Earth was not... easy."
My father's expression darkened. "Your mother filled me in about this. I can assure you. Your aunt and cousins will pay for the mistreatment of you. I swear this to you, Cinder."
"You don't have to," I whispered. "I'm just really glad to be home."
"No one harms our family, cherub." He reached over and tilted my chin up. "Darling, soon you will be a queen. No one has the right to harm a hair on your head. Your aunt will pay. When we rule, we will force her to come home to Resendra and she will answer for her crimes."
My mother stroked my hair. "This is the least we can do as your parents. Why you were taken, we don't know. And why you were given to her, I don't know either. But there is a long game afoot. And we will discover what it is." She patted my knee. "But for now, at least for tonight, let us gather together and eat too many cookies. It has been far too long since we've done so, and I'm sorry to say after tonight it might be awhile before we can do it again."
I nodded, tears flowing freely down my face now. "I love you both," I said again. I didn't feel like I could ever say this enough.
"Honey," my father said. "You are safe. And so are we. Think of that. We will never let you go again." He popped another bite of cookie in his mouth. "Your mother tells me your magic has bloomed. Would you like to tell us about it?"
"Archer helped me," I said. "It's how I was able to appear to you, Mom. He's a seer, though I expect his power runs deeper than that."
Her eyebrows perked with interest. "A seer?" she murmured. "I do not have one of those on my staff. Interesting."
"He can revisit the past," I said. "It's what he did for me. Sort of. He said strong emotions can make magic turn on. Sort of like a switch."
"Yes," my father said. "That's exactly right. And it appears to have worked."
I touched the well of magic inside of my body with my mind. "Yes."
"Wonderful," my mother said. "Resendra will be safe with three powerful magic users on the throne, darling. In two day's time, we fight. For tonight, we eat cookies and catch up. Sound good?"
I grinned at both of my parents, content for the first time in years. "It sounds wonderful."
"Good," she said and produced dozens more cookies from her pockets.
Dad pulled out a packet of tea from his vest pocket. "And I have ginger tea."
Tears sprang to my eyes. I was home. Finally. And even though the day wasn't won yet, I had every faith in my parents and myself that it would be.
My name is Cinder and I would be Queen.
