by L A Warren
“I don’t think so, cuz,” Dove said. “He loves her.”
“How can that be? He destroyed her, fractured her mind and left her broken.” Carek clenched his teeth. “She hates him.”
“She hates what he did to her,” Alice interjected, “but she understands why it had to be done. The Emperor had to save the Vendel and that meant he had to . . .”
“The ends justified the means? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Carek’s lips twisted into a sneer. “All of you suffered because of him. Chandra, don’t you hate them for what they did to you?”
“I don’t anymore,” she answered. “I wouldn’t have found you, and we wouldn’t be starting a family together. I have a lot of things to be thankful for because of the Vendel.”
“I agree with Alice and Chandra,” Aomi added. “Elise needs something more than this constant vigilance against the Clan. The Emperor might just give her a reason to live again. We had to do something.”
Alice braced her hands on the table in front of her. “When Elise comes back, we’ll tell her. Until then, she’s in the Emperor’s hands. Let’s pray he heals her. We need her whole for the fight to come.”
Epilogue
New Terra Histories
In the ten years since our liberation from the Vendel, I haven’t seen or spoken to Gregor. He’s not a part of my world, even if he inhabits my dreams through the long nights and lingers at the edges of my thoughts every day.
The sad truth is I miss him.
I miss our connection.
Without him, my world is empty and a profound loneliness infests my life.
Hate, he told me, is but a breath away from love. One merges into the other when we least expect it.
I hated Gregor, or rather, what he did to me, to my family, my friends, and my world, yet, I’m grateful for what he brought into my life. I have new friends, people who have become my family. It doesn’t stop the ache, the dreams, or the constant restlessness I feel, but it fills me with contentment.
This story could have been anyone’s to tell. It’s not unique to me.
I hated the Vendel.
I wanted nothing but revenge.
But in the end, this is what I’ve learned.
Hatred is impossible to sustain when love tugs at your heart.
I love my friends, and in the depths of my heart, I love the Vendel. I may even love Gregor.
He is not my enemy.
He never was.
My grandfather’s words return to me. “Elise,” he said, “to understand your enemies, you must first let go of your hatred. Only then may you forgive. Only then may you understand.”
I understand what Gregor did and why. I accept it was necessary. I’ve let go of my hatred and I’ve forgiven both Gregor and the Vendel. The Vendel were our saviors, but we also became theirs.
My path has been lined with incredible pain. Never think otherwise. The day the Vendel invaded my world will never leave me.
I lived that day. I died that day.
I was defeated, broken, and the very person I was, my beliefs and faith, were destroyed.
I had every reason to hate the Vendel, but I have clarity now. I understand the terrible choices Gregor had to make. I may have made them myself if I had been in his shoes.
No longer does hate pull at me. I am free of that burden.
I love the Vendel, and I fight to keep them safe every day. I will continue to do so until I take my last breath.
They took everything from me, but what they gave me in return is something I never imagined possible.
I have found my peace.
This has been my story . . . at least for now.
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VENDEL RISING Series
Vendel Rising: a serialized novel
Volume 1: It Begins With the End
Volume 2: Women of Rank
Volume 3: The Price of Power
Volume 4: It Ends With a Beginning
About the Author
L.A. Warren cut her teeth on Azimov, Pohl, Heinlein, and many other science fiction greats. Not once did she think she would become a writer, but life has a way of seeing dreams come true you never knew you had. Now, L.A. is writing the science fiction and fantasy stories she loves to read.
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