Chapter 179: Your Mother

Three days later

Maya slowly became aware of her surroundings. Her head lay on something soft, but it didn’t feel like a pillow.

A warm hand lightly caressed her face, and she could hear voices—voices she didn’t recognize.

"My liege," Rudor cried. He was dressed in black breeches and black boots. He wore a silk shirt that matched the color of his gray hair.

"What is it, Rudor?" Azura replied dismissively as she moved the hair out of her daughter’s face. Maya’s head lay in her lap.

"You haven’t moved from that spot in three days. You have just sat on the bed by the window with the princess’ head on your legs since we arrived in Triderine."

"No, I have moved. Don’t be absurd, Rudor."

"Only six times because you had to use the washroom, and your last meal was yesterday."

"The less I eat and drink, the less I’ll need to move," she replied with a smile as she traced Maya’s cheekbones. "She doesn’t look like me very much. We have the same blue eyes and black hair, but she has her father’s lips and his cheekbones. Oh, she has my nose too."

"Queen Azura, please don’t change the subject. Now is not the time to be cutting back on your meals and not sleeping. Not after all you’ve done in the past three days."

"I sleep plenty, Rudor. Stop your whining. Food is inconsequential. I can easily regain my lost energy once she is better."

"She is better—most of her injuries are healed."

She jerked her head toward him, tears shimmering in her eyes. "But she is not awake, is she?!"

Rudor jerked and took a step back. "That is no fault of yours. Her body has been through a lot. She just needs a lot of rest. Her heart is beating properly and she isn’t pale."

"But she isn’t awake," she whispered and returned her gaze to Maya.

"We just have to wait."

"Exactly. That’s why I am waiting here, and it is my fault. I couldn’t dare leave now—not for a moment. If I had had her by my side the entire time, we wouldn’t have lost so much. I should have searched harder, Rudor. The bastards kept her right under my nose. I could have easily found her if I had been more thorough."

"We were thorough, My Liege."

"Ha." She lifted her head slightly so the tears didn’t spill.

"Your guests, then?" Rudor changed the subject. "They have been here for over a day, and you still refuse to see them or even hear what they have to say."

"They are lucky I allowed them into my kingdom and into my house. The only reason was because you said the one with my necklace is here."

"He is still in the dungeons as we speak."

"Oh," she grinned. "Young love, so fiery." Her eyes dimmed a little as she glanced at Maya’s stomach.

"It was at your request."

She shrugged. "Yes, I know. He wouldn’t stop making a fuss and refused to sit still. Yelling and demanding to see her. Where does he think he is?!"

"Keenan is here?" Maya asked as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Oh, you are finally awake!"

Deep blue eyes appeared in her vision. They reminded her of the skies on stormy nights. She was smiling, but she also looked like she was about to cry.

"Maya, you are awake," she added.

"Who are you?" Maya asked, tilting her head slightly to get a better look.

"Where do I start? I—I... I didn’t expect. I am not prepared. Oh, Rudor, what do I do? I can’t stop crying." She wiped at her face as the tears kept pouring down.

"Princess Maya," Rudor called as he stepped closer to the bed with his head bowed low. "This is your mother, Queen Azura."

"My mother?!" She yelled with wide eyes and tried to move.

"No, don’t move just yet. Your body is still so weak. Rudor, quick, have the kitchen make something fresh and easy for her to digest." She pulled her hand from her face as she ordered.

"Yes, my Liege," Rudor replied and rushed out of the room.

"How do you feel?" She asked, her brows creasing with concern. "Does anywhere hurt?"

Maya shook her head as she stared hard at her face. "Are you really my mother?"

"Yes."

"How do you know I am your daughter? I was told my parents must have died in the war."

"You froze my attack, didn’t you?"

"Attack?" She frowned, realizing her memories were hazy. "The tsunami?"

"That’s what you thought it was," she chuckled.

She stretched her hand toward the table that stood in the center of the room. A cup filled with water sat on it.

She flipped two fingers upward, and the water gushed out like an upside-down waterfall. But instead of splashing everywhere, it formed a wiggly ball of water over the cup.

Maya’s eyes widened with joy, and she tried to stand up again. So she could get a better look.

"No," she whispered. "I’ll bring it to you."

The ball of water floated steadily toward them until it was floating right over her face.

"Wow! Can I poke it?" She asked with a small giggle and lifted a finger to touch it. "Will it pop?"

"Nope, it will hold its shape as long as I am not distracted."

"My liege," Rudor said and burst into the room.

"Rudor!" She yelled; panic made her eyes wide as she lost control of the ball.

"I froze it," Maya said, catching the frozen ball of water. "Mother," she pouted. The tears flowing down the sides of her eyes made them red.

"My daughter," she replied and wiped the tears from Maya’s face. "Oh, it has been so long."

Suddenly, Maya froze as a certain memory popped into her head, blood spreading over her dress. The reunion reminded her of what she had lost. She looked down immediately.

"I am sorry," Azura whispered. "I-I was too late."

Maya let go of the frozen ball. It fell to the ground and shattered. Her mouth opened, and a cry ripped out of her.

She buried her face in Azura’s stomach, grabbing the sides of her dress as she cried hard enough that her entire body shook.

"I am so sorry," Azura said as she cried.

Tears also streamed down her face, for she too had lost a child again. A grandchild.