Chapter 331 The room

Chapter 331: Chapter 331 The room

Talia’s POV

The pack had slowly dispersed, and the courtyard had grown quiet.

The cheers had faded, and the crowd had melted away, leaving only the close circle of family and friends. The sun had set behind the mountains, and the sky was painted in shades of purple and deep blue. The torches were being lit along the walls, casting flickering shadows across the stone.

I looked at my mother, and I saw the exhaustion on her face. She had been smiling and laughing, but now I could see the weariness creeping back in. She was running on empty, and she had been running for fifteen years.

"Mother," I said, and my voice was soft. "It is time to rest."

She looked at me, and I saw the tears in her eyes. "I do not want to sleep, Talia. I am afraid that if I close my eyes, I will wake up back in that cage."

I squeezed her hand, and I felt the warmth of her fingers against mine. "You will not, Mother. You are home, and you are safe."

She looked at the stronghold around us, and I saw the fear and the wonder mixing in her tired eyes. "I do not know how to be safe anymore, Talia. I have forgotten what it feels like."

I pulled her close, and I felt her body shaking against mine. "You will remember, Mother. I will help you remember."

I led my mother through the stronghold, and I watched her take it all in.

She looked at the stone walls, the tapestries, and the flickering torches. She looked at the wolves who bowed their heads as we passed. She looked at everything like she was seeing it for the first time, like she was memorizing every detail so she could hold onto it.

"It is beautiful," she whispered. "It is so beautiful."

I smiled, and I felt the warmth spreading through my chest. "It is home, Mother. And now it is your home too."

Kaelen walked behind us, and I felt his presence like a warm hand on my back. He was giving us space, but he was still there. He was always there, and I was grateful for it.

We reached the door to her room, and I stopped. I turned to face her, and I saw the fear in her eyes.

"Mother," I said. "This is your room. It is right next to mine."

She looked at the door, and I saw her hand trembling. "A room of my own?"

I nodded. "A room of your own. With a bed, and a window, and a door that locks from the inside."

She reached out, and her fingers brushed against the wood of the door. "I have not had a room of my own in fifteen years, Talia. I have not had a door that locks."

I squeezed her hand. "You do now, Mother. And no one will ever lock you in again."

I opened the door, and I led my mother inside.

The room was simple but warm. There was a bed with soft blankets, a fireplace with a crackling fire, and a window that looked out over the valley. The moon was rising, and I could see the stars beginning to appear in the night sky.

My mother walked to the bed, and I saw her hand reaching out to touch the blankets. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and I saw the tears streaming down her face.

"It is so soft," she whispered. "I had forgotten what soft felt like."

I walked to her, and I put my hand on her shoulder. "You are safe here, Mother. You are home."

She turned to me, and I saw the tears on her face. "I have not slept in a real bed in fifteen years, Talia. I have not felt safe in fifteen years."

I pulled her into my arms, and I felt her body shaking against mine. "You are safe now, Mother. I promise."

She pulled back, and I saw her looking at the room. She looked at the fire, the bed, the window. She looked at everything like she was trying to believe it was real.

"I am afraid," she said, and her voice was barely a whisper. "I am afraid to close my eyes."

I knelt in front of her, and I took her hands. "I know, Mother. I know."

"What if I wake up back there?" she asked. "What if this is all a dream?"

I squeezed her hands. "It is not a dream, Mother. This is real. You are here, and you are safe."

I looked at my mother, at the dirt and grime that still clung to her skin from the journey and the years in that cage.

I watched her fingers trace the edge of the blanket, and I saw the dirt caked under her nails. I saw the way her hair was matted and tangled, the way her skin was dry and cracked. She had been surviving, not living. And now it was time for her to live again.

She had been wearing those same tattered rags for fifteen years, and she deserved more than just a bed. She deserved to feel clean again, and she needed to feel like a person again.

"Mother," I said. "Before you sleep, you need to eat, and you need to bathe."

She looked down at her hands, and I saw the shame in her eyes. "I must look terrible."

I shook my head. "You look like someone who survived, Mother. But you deserve to feel clean, and you deserve to feel human again."

I reached for the mind link, and I called out to Nora. "Nora, can you hear me?"

Her response came quickly. "Luna! Yes, I can hear you. What do you need?" She replied with an excited voice.

I smiled at the warmth in her voice. "I need a hot bath prepared for my mother. In her room. Two baths, actually. One for her, and one for me."

"Two baths, Luna?" Nora asked, and I could hear the surprise in her voice.

I looked at my mother, at the fear still lingering in her eyes. "Yes, Nora. She is afraid to be left alone with strangers. So I will stay with her."

"Of course, Luna. I will have the servants prepare everything immediately. And I will bring food as well. What would you like?" Nora asked.

I looked at my mother. "Mother, what would you like to eat?"