Everywhere quieted down, even the old man, who was acting like he owned the entire world. Stepped back, letting her pass. The woman smiled at me, her eyes crinkling to the side. I had to turn to my mates for confirmation, but they shook their heads.
‘We don’t know who she is. You know we have been gone for a long time, right? It’s not everything that we know,’ Fred responded through the mate bond, lifting his shoulders in a shrug when I gave him an ‘Are you serious look’
You see the reason I asked to return to their kingdom with them? To help them reclaim a place they shouldn’t have had any reason to regain?
Yeah, this is the reason. How else could kings not know the people in their kingdom? And from the looks of it, she seemed like a very popular person.
Forcing a smile, I turned to the woman who was watching me, waiting for me to say a word. I had to clear my throat before I did, tearing my gaze away from her silver eyes. They were distracting, making me unable to form constructive words at all.
“I… I know it took me long enough to return here,” I tried to keep a friendly smile on my face as I said those embarrassing words. Just dig a hole already. I’m about to embarrass myself on my first day here.
“It’s understandable, my queen.” She bowed to me, a small smile on her lips. “I have waited so long for this day. I presume this was the reason the gods left me alive.”
“Alive? What are you talking about?” I lifted my brows at that.
“I -”
“She’s the only surviving witch,” the old man said before she could respond. “She lives in the mountains and hardly leaves unless it is urgent. Any who wished to meet her had to journey to the mountain. This is the first time she had left in years.”
‘A witch? Did you know about that?’
My mates shook their heads at my question. What was I expecting? Of course, they don’t know about any witches. They would have talked if they did, but no, they thought all the witches were dead or in hiding.
“Yes, I’m a witch. One of the surviving ones,” she said, walking over to me. “I’m Margaret, the last ruler of the coven’s sister.”
My mother??? Was she talking about her?
I stood frozen, my heart racing as my eyes locked onto the familiar face. It was like staring into a mirror of my past, a reflection of memories I thought were long lost. My aunt, my mom’s sister, stood before me, her eyes filled with a mix of shock and joy.
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I struggled to process this miraculous moment. I had assumed everyone from my mother’s side was gone, lost to the brutal hands of angry mobs. But here she was, a living, breathing piece of my heritage.
A tidal wave of emotions swept over me-grief, nostalgia, hope, and longing. I felt like I was reconnecting with a part of myself I thought was forever severed. My aunt’s presence was a tangible link to my mother, to the stories, mirth, and love we shared.
As I gazed at her, memories flooded my mind-summer afternoons spent playing in my grandparents’ backyard, family gatherings filled with laughter and warmth, and quiet moments shared with my mother as she practised her spells.
Though I couldn’t ever recall meeting her aside from one distinct memory of a face like hers. I knew she was who she claimed to be. After all, most of my memories were sealed. Perhaps she was in those parts that were lost?
Without realizing what I was doing, I took a step forward, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘Aunt…’ The word felt foreign, yet familiar, like a long-forgotten language.
She opened her arms, and I collapsed into them, tears streaming down my face. At that moment, I felt like I was home like I had found a piece of myself I assumed was lost forever.
We held each other, the silence between us filled with the weight of memories, love, and loss. I knew that this reunion would change me, that it would awaken parts of me, that I thought, were dormant. And as I looked into my aunt’s eyes, I knew I was no longer alone.
I had found a kin. One of my surviving family. I should…
I stepped away from her, coughing to hide my unease. I had forgotten we were still in the throne room, with hundreds of people watching us. My cheeks turned pink as I stood back, my gaze going to the old man who was watching me with a stunned look.
Clearing my throat, I tried not to let my emotions show as I addressed my people for the first time – okay, I know none of them have accepted me yet.
Aunt Margaret stood back with a proud smile on her face as she watched me, her gaze kind.
“I hope you all can give me a chance to show you just how good I can be as your queen,” I started once more, my tone back to how it was a few minutes ago.
My mates stayed back like they had done since I told them I could sort things out, watching me without saying a word, only waiting for the right time to step up.
The old man stared at me for a long time before he coughed. “Witch Margaret has been our healer for years. If she thinks you are good, who am I to argue about this? Just know that pledging my loyalty to you doesn’t mean I trust you. You are still a human. Accepting you as our queen will take -”
“What if I tell you she’s not human?” Aunt Margaret interrupted, forcing a gasp from me as I looked towards her, wondering what she was up to. My mates stepped forward, ready to defend me should she say anything that’s not meaningful. “She’s a werewolf. She was kidnapped by escaping guards when they left our world, causing her to mix with humans. We all have our kings to thank for bringing her back to the kingdom.”