The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Castle Edhel-N’dor transcended everything else below it, and never before had it looked more beautiful. What once was dark, muddied, and grey now stood shining and tall. The sun cast its sparkling rays across the stones like a loving veil. The mountain it was carved out of appeared to be brighter—almost glowing. The Erulissë Sea that crashed below dazzled in a brilliant blue. Even the grass that expanded before us and reached to the base of the mountain was a radiant green.

  My lungs were locked and tears threatened to break loose. I was overcome with happiness, relief, and gratitude. The kingdom of Aselaira was finally saved.

  Lady Almárëa drifted through the streets of the village that the castle was anchored to, dismissing the little hold Ohtar’s poison still had on the minds of its people. She glided ever-so gently up the mountain path and straight in through the castle gate, which she repaired effortlessly. Mycah followed behind her, and Ender was a step behind his right shoulder. I remained in the back, cowering behind Rydan. Lómë and Lissë covered my flank. Naminé and Cathar kept the pace next to Rydan, and together, we all entered the citadel.

  As she cleansed all defilement, darkness, and evil, exclamations and sounds of surprise could be heard instantly. Waves of bodies lowered on bended knee as we passed. Queen Lirima, Mycah and Rydan’s mother, stood at the edge of where we were with a hand over her mouth. It seemed like she had been helping someone, but was now focused on her sons’ arrival. I even noticed Námoman and gave him a small wave, grateful he made it through everything.

  At the center of the kingdom, Lady Almárëa stopped, removed the crown from Mycah’s head, and faced the crowd. “My dear friends of Aselaira. Ohtar Zafriel has kept me prisoner for far too long, for he knew I would not allow his poison. I return to you now, to not only lift his compulsion from your minds, but to declare the passing of evil. Ohtar Zafriel is no more.” The crowd murmured whisperings of surprise and uncertainty. “Let his hatred for our neighboring kingdom no longer consume you, for it is not your own. Let the darkness that plagued your hearts wash away, for I know if you were to look deep within yourself, you would discover Ohtar’s lies and deceptions were not of your own doing, but forced upon you unwillingly. Let your memories and truth return to you.”

  She extended her hands out before her until more gasps and chatter commenced. One sole person yelled out, “Ohtar the usurper murdered our King Remydan! Look, it’s his sons! Remycah Avel and Rydan Cael! They have returned! They have returned to save us!”

  Ender placed a hand over his mouth to hold in his joy as Mycah shook his head at his mother in shock. She embraced both her sons once again as tears slipped down from her eyes. I, too, had an overwhelming amount of emotion threatening to escape from me. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe Ohtar’s sickness that had blinded them to the truth was able to just fade away.

  Lady Almárëa turned to Mycah and waved her hand over his body, cleansing the dirt, blood, and tattered clothes into fresh, pristine garb in its place. She returned the crown to his head as she announced in a strong voice, “Long live King Remycah, son of Remydan, and may he forever bring you peace.”

  “Long live King Remycah!”

  “Long live King Remycah!”

  Dúlin sailed overhead with domineering grace and landed on the side of the highest castle tower. He clung to the side, his tail wrapping around the stone, and lifted his head into the air with a ferocious roar. Lady Almárëa did the same cleansing to Rydan and placed another crown on his head. “Long live Prince Rydan, and may he forever bring you prosperity.”

  “Long live Prince Rydan!”

  “Long live Prince Rydan!”

  The pledges echoed in ripples across the entire kingdom as they continued to clap in a deafening thunder. I choked on my own joy and pride, a feeling of surrealism washing over me. Queen Lirima went straight to her sons and hugged them with a force you only saw come from mothers. They embraced her back, and I distinctly heard Rydan mutter in awe, “Mom.”

  My heart squeezed in on itself. I was more than happy for them. But I didn’t belong there, and I promised to let Mycah go so that he could live his life in peace, free of my presence. And I myself was ready to find solitude in a place where I could mend my shattered soul away from Mycah.

  I turned from the group with my head down, Lissë in step with me, and began my departure back to Lassaira. Lady Almárëa suddenly announced, “People of Aselaira—Let us show our gratitude to one of our saviors and friend, Queen Nariella.”

  Without facing them again, I closed my eyes and waited for the uproar of disgust and protests. But it didn’t come. The sound of movement had me peeking a glance to discover the entire kingdom down on their knees giving me reverence. The High Elf went on to include Naminé, Cathar, and Ender in that savior list, but I was stuck in my own world of pure astonishment. They didn’t hate me anymore? Was it really only Ohtar’s influence that had made them exile Mycah? Was I truly just an excuse…a ploy he had used so that they’d reject him?

  My eyes moved on their own and found Mycah’s across the way, as if he waited for mine to return home to his. Our gazes locked and all other things ceased to exist as he strode to me in all his dominating glory. My breath was stolen right out of my lungs, and I held a hand to my throat in anticipation. I broke our eye contact and looked to the ground, unsure of what he was doing, especially right in front of his kingdom.

  He was suddenly before me with a hand grazing along my cheek. “Do you want me?” his voice was raw. The glorious blue of his magnificent eyes danced with hope and yearning as they pulled me into his soul. “I have never stopped being yours, not even for a second, but Nariella. Tell me, because I must know. Do you want me?”

  “Always,” I whispered through a lump in my throat. Before the last consonant had even released, he had steered my face up to meet his and our lips melded together triumphantly. He kissed me so hard but oh-so gently and lovingly at the same time, and I felt with clarity it was as if his body had been dying without this one kiss. The heat of his other hand melted over my hip and slid under my clothes, possessing the small of my back and dragging me further into him. As his soul fed off my touch, a deep euphoria bathed over every inch of me while an unquenchable ache for this creature thrummed to life under my skin. He picked my body up off the ground like he couldn’t get near enough as he continued to kiss me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. My fingers were tangled in his hair to pull him closer, making our intertwining souls dance in delight.

  Oh, god. My love for this ethereal angel would be the death of me. He poured every ounce of his love, every fiber of his passion for me, into this one kiss, and if he held me any tighter than he was, I would have vanished into thin air from my body’s inability to contain his immense outpouring of affection.

  Gradually, sounds outside our intimate bubble reached my ears, and I broke from Mycah’s lips. As I looked out at the crowd clapping and cheering for us, tears slipped down my cheeks. Mycah had kept his eyes on my face as he caressed my hair back and tenderly kissed the fallen teardrops.

  “What does this mean?” I hiccupped, not believing my eyes. Our foreheads rested against each other’s, refusing to relinquish any amount of contact.

  “It means, Nariella Ashwyn Woodlinn, that our story is about to finally begin.” The raw emotion inflected in his accented voice sent goosebumps exploding across my skin.

  I slowly kissed the royal emblem of Aselaira that emblazoned his neck, appearing stronger than ever before. In return, he placed his soft lips against mine once more in the most gentle of ways. A way that had my heart throbbing. A way that drove me wild and that I could hardly bear. This kiss was far more precious than any other we had ever had. A kiss full of his longing and pain. A kiss that held every emotion of his heart that was meant only for me.

  Lady Almárëa led us into the castle with an air of grace following in her wake. Just inside the front entrance, we were taken into a
large room with thick, deep red drapes covering all the walls. Right smack in the center stood a giant fountain with crystal clean water flowing out of it. She suddenly ripped the curtains down one by one with almost a violent demeanor.

  Naminé gasped from her place next to Rydan and Cathar as she held a hand to her lips, as if this room held special meaning for her. She stared in awe at what now sat before us. Which, in all honesty, I couldn’t help staring in awe at, either. Not only was the room breathtaking, but each wall contained a mural that stretched from ceiling to floor. Paintings that looked uncannily real. I swore if I touched it, I’d be touching flesh and bones.

  Even more, it was Mycah and Rydan. Not only the two brothers, but their parents and grandparents, and their parents and grandparents. It was generations of the royal Zafriel line covering every wall in a magnificent realness and color, capturing every intricate detail as if carved straight into the stone. Mycah and Rydan were young boys, but it was clearly them. I almost giggled at how adorable they were.

  “Oh, how I have yearned to do that. For I despise that drapery,” Lady Almárëa admitted as she burned the fabric right before our eyes. “Creations by an Enÿalie can never be undone or destroyed, and although Ohtar had tried relentlessly to, he had no choice but to cover it up in the end, for he could not bear to look upon the true heirs of old.”

  “Nor did he want any other to look upon them either, lest they be reminded of my sons’ existence,” Queen Lirima added as she caressed Mycah’s cheek, then focused on Rydan. Mycah brought his hand up to hers and took it lovingly with a small smile.

  Ender strode up to them, followed by a bow. “King Remycah, where is your birth-key? Do you have it?”

  “Yes, of course.” He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to him. “You know I could never part with it.”

  Ender took him by the shoulder. “Come. There is more yet long overdue for liberation.”

  Every one of us followed without question. Mycah slipped his hand in mine and pulled me along next to him. We walked what felt like forever through corridor after corridor, stairway after stairway, up to one of the highest points in the castle. Ender stopped before a large wooden door that looked older than time. He unlatched a silver lock before pushing the thick doors open.

  Stepping inside, I ceased breathing at how marvelous the room was. Beautiful crown molding with leaves made out of gold and silver covered the ceilings. Golden and marble sculptures with intricate detailing sat everywhere, and large stained-glass windows allowed enchanting light to splay upon the mosaic floor. No one said anything. We were in too much awe.

  Ender, with Queen Lirima at his side, took Mycah from my grasp and brought him to stand in front of an enormous armoire. “As your Guardian, it is my royal duty to impart to you this gift that was forged at your birth. It would have happened long ago whilst you were still a young lad, but nevertheless, ready to receive it. You would not have endured such harsh trials and pain, the way you have now.” He dropped to his knees and bowed his head at Mycah’s boots. “My dear boy, you have suffered greatly since that moment your father was stolen from you. I wish with all my heart that I could have been there to protect you, to shield you from every peril that lay before your feet, for I know the heavy burdens it has caused to descend upon your shoulders.”

  Mycah took him by the forearms and lifted him upright so that he’d return to a standing position. “I’m forever grateful for the protection you were able to provide before we parted, but especially now, Ender. I owe you my life.”

  “No, My King. I am yours for all eternity. May this serve you well in your long, magnificent reign.” He presented the armoire to Mycah, and with a long inhale of breath, he laid his hand over the golden handle.

  A hefty, magical scent of ancient wood wafted over me as it opened with a creak. Inside were two extravagant chests with the inscriptions “Remycah Avel” and “Rydan Cael” over the tops. Mycah fingered his skeleton key over and over, as if deep in thought. Or maybe he was appreciating this moment for all it was worth. I could only imagine how long he had been waiting for this. How much he had thought about it over the years.

  After some time, he finally slid the key into the lock and turned it with a deep click. Lifting the lid, his eyes took in its contents with a widened stare. He pulled it out, revealing a beautiful, mighty sword and shield. He unsheathed the blade, displaying all of its wonderful glory. His fingers slid down the intricate designs that adorned the silver metal, which narrowed close to the hilt and ballooned at the end—a unique shape that I was sure no other sword possessed. He drank it in, as if in love at first sight.

  Queen Lirima and he began conversing in Elvish, Ender joining in the conversation every now and then. It seemed serious and private, but loving and intimate.

  We all waited patiently until Mycah pulled away and brought his mom over to me, introducing the two of us. “This is Nariella.”

  “Hello,” she greeted me kindly.

  “Nari, this is my mother Lirima,” Mycah said next.

  “Hi,” I dumbly greeted back, swallowing hard. I recovered with, “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  “Likewise.” She gave me a warm smile.

  Ender took my hands but faced Mycah. “Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see my Óre’Dae with my daughter. In the end, the Guardian in me was proud to see his king do the right thing and let her go, but the father in me could not be more grateful, for I know you did not do it for only your kingdom. You did it for her. And there is nothing greater a father desires for his daughter than to see her with someone who loves her more than all else in the world. A love equal to his own for her.

  “I want you both to understand that I did not enjoy keeping you apart. It brought more pain to me than I can express and even more joy that it no longer needs to be that way. Please forgive me and know how much you have my blessing. For there could be no one deserving of her but you, My King.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and told him there was nothing to forgive. I understood. “Thank you for your blessing,” I whispered, emotion filling my eyes. There was nothing I wanted more, besides Mycah, than to gain my father’s approval.

  Before I knew it, Mycah had me pulled into his strong arms, and his mouth crashed against mine, a smile playing on his lips. I smiled back as we kissed, and he lifted me up to spin around in celebration.

  Mycah would not stop touching me in some way. His skin lingered on mine without letup. If we were standing, his arms were at my hips, pulling me close into him. Or his hand was intertwined with mine, or his lips on the top of my head, or at my neck. He refused to let me go for even a second. The sweet scent of him was at my nose constantly, and I drank it up like it was my lifeline.

  And I loved it. In this moment, we stood in front of the tree that we had used the Sindora on, and Mycah had me tucked protectively under his arm.

  Lady Almárëa, along with another High Eldar that was from Lassaira, were creating a new Ëlemmiire. One that would not belong to only one of our races, but a joint Ëlemmiire, forged with both magics—exactly like the last ones that had existed.

  “Oh, um,” I piped up, remembering something. “Is there any way the Ëlemmiire could not be so sealed that it makes the Earthly realm’s time speed us by? Please, if there’s a way, I would be forever grateful. My best friend is there, and I can’t lose her to old age and death without even realizing it.”

  “So be it, My Queen,” the High Eldar of Lassaira replied. “However, it shall remain forbidden to enter through the Ëlemmiire.”

  My heart sunk to my stomach. I thanked them both profusely despite the heartache knowing I couldn’t return. I watched as their magic wove together ceremoniously. They sang in Elvish, a lovely melody that braided with the strings of this realm and Earth’s.

  The tree shimmered and blossomed right before my eyes—as if growing more abundant and infinitely more vibrant. I clung to Mycah’s side and enjoyed the privilege of witnessing somethin
g so magical. His fingers slid down my back in a slow, entrancing rhythm.

  Lómë and Rydan were at my left, and Naminé and Calen on his, with Lissë and Dúlin waiting behind us. Together, we’d protect both worlds with all our strength.

  Lady Almárëa came over to Mycah and said, “There yet exist in the Earthly realm many foes of Luïnil. Men who will not give up their claim here so easily. In time, you must find every one of them and ensure Luïnil’s safety.”

  “How? How might I find them?” Mycah’s eyebrows scrunched together.

  “There is a powerful wizard in the west. Attain from him the last stone of Silmé and Elen’Galad. He will explain what to do,” she replied.

  Mycah withdrew from me, a strong reluctance to do so paining his eyes. “I’ll be right back, love.”

  Our fingers disconnected, and I was surprised by how painful it was. I nodded as he led the two High Eldar to a different spot from where the rest of us stood. I guessed he wanted to speak to them in private, but I had no idea what for.

  “Ry, we need to go back to Kennebunkport. If we’re going to stay in Luïnil, then we both have people we owe good-byes to.” The thought of leaving Zaylie behind broke my heart. I didn’t want to say good-bye. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to say good-bye to the Earthly realm at all. But how could I keep going back and forth between realms when I needed to be Queen of Lassaira? Or when it was punishable by death to use the Ëlemmiire in the first place? I didn’t want to disrespect the High Eldar, but I needed to get back to Kennebunkport.

  “You’re right. Maybe that’s what your boyfriend is trying to work out now,” Rydan suggested. I prayed that was true.

  When Mycah returned, he slid his arms around my waist and pressed his lips to my hairline. “Well?” I asked.

  “They’re letting us return,” he whispered. I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed the life out of him.