Not All Who Wander are Lost (17 page)

Crimson had finally drifted off to sleep after what seemed like hours of talking to Celeste about the baby and her mother and so many things. Tabor had checked in at one point, just to be sure Crimson was feeling better and had thanked Celeste for coming.

Celeste sat in an armchair in the corner of the room. Finn was restless and too keyed up to sleep. “Why don’t you go for a walk or something?” Celeste suggested as he paced back and forth. “As much as you’ve taken in today, I am amazed at how calm you are, but you seem like you could use some alone time.”

“I suppose you are right. But I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“Go ahead, I’ll stay with her. Don’t worry. I can keep her safe. I may be a grandmother, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I hear the rose garden is nice this time of year.”

“Thank you. I won’t be gone long.” Finn put on his jacket and left, being careful not to wake Crimson a he pulled the door closed behind him. He followed the thickly carpeted hallway for awhile, walking slowly, admiring the paintings on the warmly paneled walls. The palace seemed so vast to him, he didn’t know how anyone could find their way around. After awhile, he met the same young maid who had been to the room earlier and asked directions to the rose garden. She meekly pointed the way and then hurried off to finish her chores.

Following her directions, he soon found a large set of glass paned doors that opened out onto the rose garden. It was beautiful, full of large, exotic looking roses in full bloom. There were cobblestone walkways and wooden benches. In the center of the garden, stood a large marble fountain with a statue of a Guardian riding a Unicorn, but unlike the Unicorns in human stories, it looked fierce and goat like, with piercingly intelligent eyes. Ugly, and yet strangely beautiful. He took a seat on one of the benches and bent over, his head in his hands.

His thoughts were troubled. Not so long ago, his life had been so simple. His days consisted of boring, yet satisfying work. He hadn’t any ambitions other than breaking even in his shop and having a quiet beer on a Friday night. Then Crimson came along, and it was unbelievable how such a tiny, beautiful girl, no woman, had turned his life upside down. He had found someone to spend his life with. He was going to b a father. And with that, came some unbelievable complications.

He had always known he was the rightful king of the Finn Folk, but he had never really thought about it. He never intended to do anything about it. He would have been content to hide himself away in the Human world forever, but it didn’t look like that was going to be possible now. Something had to be done about Kieran’s treachery. He needed to pay for murdering Finn and Mariah’s parents. And Amiee had to be stopped from hurting Crimson and the baby. His head was pounding with uncertainties and worries.

Finn felt an odd tickle on the back of his neck and turned to see the shimmer of a portal opening up. As Kate and Ian stepped through, Finn stood up in shock. He ran to Kate and wrapped her in a hug. “Oh Katie! I was so worried. I’m so glad you are ok!” he said. He looked at Ian. “Ian! I’m so glad to see you. Where did you come from and however did you get her out?”

“Oh, I was just in the neighborhood,” he said raffishly. Finn gave him a manly embrace as well.

“How the hell are you, you old codger?”

“I’ve been keeping myself busy and out of trouble, mostly.” Ian winked. “Now, I believe we came here for a reason, Katie?”

“We have to go! We need to get some help. Amiee is on her way here to kill the baby. She may be here already.”

“Go, you two!” Ian said. “I’ll alert the Guardians.”

Kate and Finn took off toward Crimson’s room. “Did you bring my swords?” Kate asked, breathless from running.

“They are in the room.”

“Good, we may need them.” They continued to run, but as they approached Crimson’s room, they heard shouting and the door stood open. “Oh no, we’re too late.” Kate said. They stealthily peered into the room. They found Amiee and several Marbendlar soldiers inside the room. Crimson was awake, but still lying in the bed with a stunned look on her face. Celeste had the swords, holding Amiee at bay.

“Hello, Mother.” Amiee said dully. “This is quite unexpected.”

“Did you really think you could get away with this and I wouldn’t find out?” Celeste said coolly. “This has gone long enough. I should have never let you leave home. I take responsibility for my part in this, but it has to end. Crimson is your daughter. How can you even be thinking of doing this? How could a child of my loins be so unfeeling and selfish?”

“Seriously? And what kind of mother were you? You never cared about me. I was never good enough for you. You were probably happy to have me gone.”

“I’m so sorry that you feel that way. I pushed you, always, but I just wanted to help you. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. That’s all a mother ever really wants for her children. But you, you know nothing of being a mother. I know you mourned your lost babies, and I know it drove you to do desperate things, but look at her,” Celeste pointed to Crimson, who was sitting up now, holding her belly protectively. She is your baby too. And she is carrying your grandchild, the first Dragon in more than a millennium. Can’t you see how special that is? Don’t you want to be a part of that?”

Crimson cried out in pain. “Celeste?” she said, her eyes filling with fear. “I think the baby is coming, like now!”

“Oh, this is perfect! Amiee cried out almost gleefully. “I can kill two birds with one stone. If I drain her now, the little brat will die with her.”

Finn was filled with anguish. If he rushed in, he would only get himself killed. He hated being helpless to save the woman he loved and his soon to be born child. Suddenly, there was the sound of heavy footfalls behind him. He turned to see Ian coming fast with a contingent of Guardians and Tabor right behind him. They burst into the room taking the Marbendlars by surprise. In the confusion, Amiee lunged for Crimson, who was writhing in pain on the bed.

Almost without thinking, Celeste lunged for Amiee, burying the sword in her chest. Amiee looked up in disbelief. She touched the sword, trying desperately to pull it out, but her hands burned and blistered from the charmed silver as she fell to her knees. Celeste dropped to her knees in front of her daughter, tears falling freely down her softly lined face. “What have I done?” she whispered.

Finn ran to Crimson and took her hand. “Help me!” she screamed. “It’s coming!” Finn pulled down the covers, unsure what to do. Kate pushed him out of the way.

“Push, Crimson, I’ll help you, but you have to push!” Kate crooned. “It’s ok, lass, I’m here. You are doing just fine.”

Tabor ordered the Guardians to take the Marbendlars and leave the room immediately. Finn took Crimson’s hand. “You can do this, baby. I’m right here.”

Celeste still knelt in front of Amiee. As the last bit of the spell’s power left her, Amiee’s face softened. “Mama?” she whispered.

“I’m here, baby. I’m so sorry. Please don’t leave me.” Celeste cried.

“I love you,” Amiee whispered as the light left her eyes and she slumped over. A piecing wail sounded as the baby took its first breath. Celeste threw her arms around her dead daughter, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Finn,” Kate said, “you have a son.” She carefully cut the cord and placed the boy in Crimson’s arms. Crimson smiled for a moment, but the pains began again.

“Kate?” she moaned. “Is this normal, oh!” Her eyes went big.

“Celeste, pull yourself together, your granddaughter needs you! There’s another baby and it’s coming breech.”

Kate’s urgency pulled Celeste out of her grief and she ran to the bed. Her midwife skills kicking into high gear, she calmed Crimson down and went to work. Kate took the baby boy from Crimson and handed him off to Finn. Tabor had left after the first birth and came back in now with a nurse in tow, expecting all the excitement to be over. The nurse hurried Finn and the baby to the other side of the room where she cleaned him up and wrapped him better while Kate assisted Celeste.

From behind him, Finn heard Crimson scream again and Kate and Celeste both urging her to push. He held his breath, unsure what to do. And then he heard it, a weak little cry that soon built in intensity as the second twin took its first breath. Kate tapped him on the shoulder. “You have a daughter as well.” Tears fell from his eyes as he took his son from the nurse and went to Crimson’s side. Celeste cut the second cord and laid the baby on Crimson’s chest. Finn kissed her on the forehead and stared in wonder at his children. It was the happiest moment of his life.

One week later…

Kieran peered fretfully out the window of his study as the Elven ships docked. There were three of them, all tall-masted warships, presumably filled with troops. He knew that his time as king was at an end. Even if he hadn’t made such a stupid alliance with Amiee, he knew that he could not have avoided this. He called his closest advisors to him, begging for advice.

“Surrender. Face your crimes. They may yet show leniency,” Boris, his Minister of Finance, advised him, but his pride would not allow it. While Kieran had often asked his ministers for advice, he rarely followed it. He had only wanted to be King for the power, he hadn’t been groomed for it like his brother. He had no real concept of what being King really meant, other than the ability to do as he pleased, which, it turned out, wasn’t even really the case. Too much to do. So many responsibilities. Kieran wasn’t really an evil man. But he was selfish and a coward. He had done terrible things to get his way, and he would do anything in his power to avoid facing them.

“I’m going to my chambers. Alert me when they arrive at the castle,” he ordered and stomped out of the room. He did not go to his chambers, instead, he hastened down the winding corridor through the wooden door leading out to the garden. He picked up the heavy bag of gold coins and jewels he had stashed there for this very purpose, opened the portal, and disappeared to parts unknown.

When Boris went to Kieran’s chambers to tell him the Elves had arrived, and found him gone, he was not surprised. He had always known that Kieran was a cowardly little weasel. He had served his father, and Kieran wasn’t a quarter of the man he was. When he had learned of Roirdan’s son, he had been glad. He had been hoping for a change in power. The Finn Folk deserved a good king, not someone out only for himself.

Boris summoned all of the ministers from to the throne room. He advised them of Kieran’s departure. There was an air of relief from all of them. None of them had been happy serving Kieran. They had kept the country going despite him for way too long. Boris stood up tall, straightened his cravat, and along with the others, went out to meet his new King.

Finn strode up the majestic marble staircase leading to the castle with a look of confidence that he did not really feel. It felt strange to be there without Crimson. He had hated to leave her, but she had her hands full with the babies, and this was something he needed to do himself. He only hoped that he would be able to find a way to get out of being King. He had never been a leader, not in any capacity at all. When he was asked to be the captain of the swim team, he had turned it down flat. He wasn’t a follower, necessarily, but he just did not have any desire to be in charge. He certainly did not want to have to be the sovereign leader of a people he really knew nothing about.

As he reached the top of the stairs, all ten ministers were standing in a line in full formal dress to meet him. They all went to one knee. Finn stopped. He swallowed the lump in his throat painfully and faced them bravely. “Where is Kieran Finn? He stands accused of murder and treason, and I have come to see him punished and deposed as King of the Finn Folk!”

Boris rose to his feet and walked out to Finn. “Welcome, Riordan Finn, true King of the Finn Folk. We have been waiting for you. Kieran has gone. We don’t know where. I for one, do not particularly care, as long as it is not here. I served your Grandfather and was prepared to spend the rest of my days serving your father. While that was not to be, I would proudly serve you in his stead.” The other ministers rose as well, and echoed Boris’s sentiments.

Overcome with emotion at their display of support, Finn didn’t know what to say. He had expected a fight. He had thought that at least some of them would be loyal to Kieran, but apparently, that was not the case. Tabor stepped up from behind Finn and clapped him on the back. “Ministers of the Finn Folk, I am High Guardian Thorn of Black Thorn Forest. The Elf Guardians are solidly behind your rightful King. Let us adjourn somewhere where we can talk about the changes to come.” Finn nodded to Tabor, thankful for the save.

Finn, Tabor, Boris, and the other ministers negotiated and feasted for days. Finn was introduced to relatives and friends of his father, as well as many of the Finn Folk, themselves. They were not a large people, only a few thousand people, but they were strong. They had all worked together for the good of their kingdom for generations. Kieran’s reign had started to jeopardize that, so the news that he was gone had travelled fast and with joy. While observing how the people interacted with him, it was soon obvious to both Finn and Tabor that Boris had been running the day to day operations of the Kingdom as best he could, all while trying to keep Kieran from emptying the coffers.

Days turned into a week, and then two. Finn was starting to worry that he would have to stay. He racked his brain trying to come up with a plan, and finally it came to him. Oddly enough, he got the idea from the movie he and Crimson had watched together on one of their first dates, The Lord of the Rings. After a long night of feasting and introductions, Finn proposed a plan to Tabor in private. He proposed that Boris be put in place as Steward. That he be allowed to keep doing what he was already doing an exceptional job at, and that Finn knew he would do even better without Kieran’s interference. Tabor agreed that it would be a good idea. The Elven High Council  would ally themselves with the Finn Folk and help out whenever needed, but both Finn and Tabor agreed that it was time to dissolve the monarchy and create a system for the Finn Folk like the Elves had, not quite a democracy like Finn knew in the Human world, but rather, ran by a High Council with direct input from everyone.

When they proposed the plan to Boris, he was stunned. He had never imagined that anyone would not want to be king, but as he had gotten to know Finn, he had come to realize that his heart was definitely not in it. He was flattered that they wanted him to lead, but he felt that if things were going to change so drastically, that it should be the will of the people. Finn and Tabor agreed. They called a meeting of any and all Finn Folk, and the plan was explained to all. At first, a hush grew over the crowd. They seemed stunned by the idea of not having a King. But before long, individuals began to speak up, supporting the idea, but also supporting Boris as Steward.

When Finn announced that a change this big could not come without approval of the people, a group of Fishwives agreed to take up the task of conducting a secret ballot. The whole thing took less than a day. While it was not unanimous, the proposal was agreed on by an astounding margin.

Finn was filled with relief. He wanted nothing more than to return to Crimson and his children, and hopefully live out his days in peace in the Human world. He knew that it was probably not going to as easy as that, but at least he was headed in the right direction.

The Finn Folk would not allow him to leave without a proper send off, and so one last feast was held for him in the great hall. As he ate and drank and was merry with them, he felt connected to them. They were his people and he wanted what was best for them. He knew he would always have a home here if he needed one, and for that, he was glad.