Hugging my mother for the first time felt pretty great.
But it also felt pretty weird.
I didn't even know the woman. Her scent was faintly familiar and her appearance matched the one in my dream but that's all I knew about her. I didn't know what her name was, or how old she was. She was a complete stranger to me.
But still, that didn't stop me from bursting into tears when she squeezed me.
It was a wonderful feeling. It reminded me of when Geoff would hug me after I fell off Boomerang when I was little. Or when I had a rough day hunting.
But like everything in life, it had to end.
My mother pulled away from me and held my head in her hands. Tears were streaming from her eyes, which were now glowing an ominous emerald green. She ran her soft thumbs across my cheeks and wiped away all my tears, letting little hiccups out every once in a while.
My father stared at me with shock and pride. When my mother pulled away, he quickly replaced her spot and hugged me as well. He was taller than I was by about an inch or so, but I still pressed my head into his chest and sobbed again.
When I pulled away for good, I took a good look at my parents. They looked exactly like what they looked like in the dream. Except older. My mother still had bright golden hair and glowing emerald green eyes. My father also had the same bright golden hair but with bright blue eyes. We looked very much alike as well.
I suddenly heard a groan and spun around, seeing Michael beginning to pass out again. I started approaching him again, quickly jumping down the steps and racing over to him.
His eyes reflected the obvious pain he was in and I desperately looked around for something to help him. His groan turned into a whimper and whimper into a cry with the more time I took.
The next thing I knew, my father was standing before us, looking down at me. My mother stood beside him, both looking very powerful and petite. My father looked at me, then Michael before looking up at the Knights.
"Take him to Harper immediately. Make sure he gets the best care. And... Why don't you carry him as well," My father said.
I quickly looked up and smiled, thanking him a thousand and one times. The Knights helped Michael up, untied our bonds and picked Michael up, carrying him to Harper.
I was about to follow them but my mother grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the thrones. I watched Michael and the Knights leave, feeling a wave of fear and protectiveness come over me. What if this was all a trick?
"Don't worry, he'll be fine without you for a little while," My mother comforted me.
I sighed and gave in. He could defend himself if it came to it, couldn't he?
"So, who is he? He looks slightly familiar," My mother said, looking at where the Knights and Michael disappeared to.
"He's the Prin- King of Achievement Kingdom," I told her. My father and her looked wide eyed at me.
"What happened to King Ryan?" My father asked me.
"We don't really know. It's a huge mystery and it's actually how Mi-cool and I met," I told them. My father looked at me, confused and I sighed, figuring they wanted to hear the explanation.
So I explained to them that Michael and I were on the run after we found out I was a Prince. That the wither's minions had found out who I was and was on the run to kill me. How Michael had falsely accused me of killing his father and my escape from my imprisonment. They listened intently, not saying a word until the end of the story.
My mother patted my hand at the end and smiled at me.
"Did Geoff ever tell you, you had parents?" She asked me.
"No, not until after I escaped imprisonment," I told her. She nodded and looked to my father, waiting for his input.
But instead, he looked lost in thought.
When he finally spoke, his voice sounded clouded and distant, as if he was trying to piece a puzzle together.
"You said Michael's father disappeared after you last saw him, correct?" He asked me. I nodded.
"And you said that you saw a dark figure standing near him before you passed out?" He asked again. I nodded again.
"Was the figure... Large and skeletal?" My father asked me slowly.
I thought for a moment, trying to remember what I saw. Now that he was addressing what I saw, I was beginning to remember more about it. Since he mentioned it, I realized he was correct, that the figure was large and skeletal.
"It was but I don't see what that has to do with anything?" I inquired, confused.
"Was the figure floating? Did it have three heads?" My father asked me finally.
Suddenly, it all clicked. The figure looked exactly as my father explained. I could literally see it now, it was no longer just a dark figure. It was a large skeletal beast with three heads and...
"Wait... Wouldn't that be The-" I began.
My father clasped his hand over my mouth, hushing me.
"Do not talk about him directly, or else he will find us," He warned me. He removed his hand and stared at me, waiting for me to make the same conclusion that he had.
And when I did, I realized what had happened to Michael's father.
The Wither has King Ryan.
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Author's Note:
So, the end is near! Like the next few chapters are gonna be the last chapters of this story until the sequel (Do you guys want a sequel?) I really hope you guys have enjoyed this story cause I really liked writing it. Please leave your comments and feedback on what you thought about this because it always brings a smile to my face when I see people have commented on my stories.
Thank you much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!