Day Two- Callan
The dinner invitation with the Earth Court.
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April 3, 2024 Newsletter
“Mama!”
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Finn immediately released his hand and raced across the dressing room to where Tava was finishing getting ready for the evening. Or rather, he ran as fast as a three-year-old can on little legs.
She immediately crouched down, catching him in her arms. “Hello, sweet boy. Did you enjoy your walk?”
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“We walked the whole garden,” he answered with a wide grin as she stood and brought him up with her, settling him on her hip.
“Let me take him,” Callan said, immediately stepping forward and reaching for their son.
Tava gave him a knowing look. “We are fine, Callan,” she replied, turning back to the mirror. “I have done this before.”
“We did not have a child running around the last time you were pregnant.”
“How did any of the women before me manage more than one child?” she sighed, her tone teasing.
Callan smirked before pressing a kiss to her cheek and meeting her eyes in the mirror. “You are a vision, little fox.”
“I need to have looser gowns retrieved from storage.”
He slipped an arm around her waist, resting a palm on her growing stomach. “Or we can have new ones made if you wish.”
Her brow pinched as she turned her head to look up at him. “That is rather wasteful. I will only wear them for a few months.” She brought a hand to her throat where a necklace usually sat. As it was, she hadn’t been wearing it is as of late due to Finn constantly fiddling with it. Tava was worried it would accidentally get broken.
Finn was the spitting image of the Solgard bloodline with his facial features and dark brown hair like him and Eva, but the turquoise eyes were all Tava. His tiny fingers were currently playing with the beading on her dress.
“But we could still put the order in and take them to the districts that are rebuilding, though,” Tava mused. “It would be one less thing for expecting mothers there to worry about.”
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“Sounds like a wonderful idea,” Callan agreed. “Do you want a shawl to bring with tonight?”
“I do not think that will be necessary.” She looked down at Finn, a finger brushing his cheek to get his attention. “Are you ready to go, Finn?”
Mimicking her motions, Finn traced a finger along her face and said in a serious tone, “Will there be cake, Mama?”
Callan couldn’t hold in his huff of laugher. Ever since his third birthday celebration a month ago, he asked them multiple times a day for cake. Scarlett and Eliza had given him far more chocolate cake than necessary for an adult let alone a child.
“I do not know if there will be cake tonight,” Tava answered, passing Finn to Callan while she moved to grab her slippers.
Finn immediately placed his hands on Callan’s cheeks, and Callan let him pull his face closer. “Will there be cake?”
“Cake is only when Scarlett is here, remember?”
“We go to the Fire Court?” he asked.
Callan shook his head. “No. We are not going to the Fire Court tonight, Finn.”
This, of course, immediately caused the child’s lower lip to tremble, and he buried his face in Callan’s shoulder.
Tava reappeared at that moment, smoothing her hands down her dress. “We are going to be late. Where is Eva?”
“She opted to stay here tonight,” Callan answered. “I know you said to bring Finn with us, but I want to ask again. Annie is more than willing to keep him here,” he added, referring to the nursemaid who helped with Finn during the days.
But Tava shook her head. “We have both been so busy as of late, and next week, I am to spend a few days in Rydeon with Drake. Besides, Annie deserves a break.”
“So do you, Tava,” he replied pointedly.
“And tonight will be just that. A relaxing night with you and Finn in the Earth Court with our friends.”
Finn’s head snapped you at her words, and she winced. They never mentioned the Earth Court around Finn unless they were seconds from stepping foot into it.
“Azzy?” Finn asked, eyes wide with excitement. “I can see Azzy?”
“Yes, we are going to see Prince Azrael,” Callan said, one hand falling to Tava’s lower back as he guided her from their private quarters.
Because of course Scarlett had taught Finn to call the Earth Prince Azzy, and while they certainly made every effort to correct him, the fact remained that Azzy was easier to say than Azrael for a three-year-old. The thing was, Callan was fairly certain the Earth Prince secretly liked it when Finn called him Azzy.
Azrael was indeed waiting for them when they made it to the small conservatory Tava favored. It was the place Azrael usually met them when they needed a portal to various parts of the continent. Rather than taking days and days to travel anywhere, Azrael often made the quick trips here to Travel them wherever they needed. The act of Traveling, however, made Tava sick these days, and with Finn joining them, the portal was easier.
“Azzy!” Finn cried, squirming to be let down. The moment his feet touched the ground, he was running to the Fae.
Azrael remained stoic as always, except for the smallest twitch of his lips as several leaves and vines unfurled and reached for the tiny prince, gently wrapping around him and lifting him into the air. His giggles filled the room as the plants passed him along and delivered Finn into the Fae’s waiting arms, where Azrael immediately lifted a palm and let a large, orange tiger lily bloom.
Finn laughed in delight again, before carefully taking the flower and proudly extending it to Tava as she and Callan approached.
“A pretty for you, Mama,” he said with all the tenderness of a boy who loved his mother.
“Thank you, sweet boy,” Tava answered, ruffling his hair.
Neither of them reached to take him from Azrael. Finn wouldn’t let the Earth Prince out of his sight for the rest of the night.
The portal appeared, and Azrael stepped to the side, gesturing to Tava to go through first. “After you, your Majesty.”
“As I have repeatedly told you, ‘your Majesty’ is not necessary,” Tava replied. This had been an ongoing argument between the two of them since Tava’s coronation, but it had morphed into a consistent inside joke over the years. It was the closest the Earth Prince came to teasing someone. Callan was sure of it.
“It is your title. It is necessary,” Azrael said.
“Then I might find it necessary to disclose to Scarlett that you were present when Juliette told us the gender of this child,” Tava said casually, her hand resting on her stomach. “You will never know a moment’s peace, Azrael Luan.”
Azrael paused, turning slowly to face her. “Well played, Tava.”
“How often people forget how cunning you are, little fox,” Callan murmured into her ear as they stepped from their home and into Azrael’s desert alcazar.
Tava only shook her head in denial, twirling the stem of the lily between her fingers and humming in contentment. “Such formalities should never be commonplace among friends on casual evenings. He knows this.”
Because that’s what they had formed with Azrael and Talwyn over these last few years. What had started with him and Azrael going to help the mortal rebels during a war had led to an unlikely bond that had turned into an even more unlikely friendship.
Azrael had moved ahead of them, leading them to the smaller dining room where they usually dined. Leaves and flowers were swirling through the air ahead of him in varying patterns, while Finn clapped his hands in delight. And Callan realized he’d do it all over again to find his place in this world and the people who made it brighter.
To echo the one who had started this all: He supposed it was fate and all that nonsense.
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©Melissa K. Roehrich, 2024