Steel and Mana

Chapter 370 – Weary Reunion

When the following they had come, it was time to welcome our sudden visitors. What surprised Luna and me was that Galahad picked up on it. Well... it was simply his logical conclusion. He noticed his mother's mood through dinner, and when he organized his thoughts, he simply figured out what could have caused it. When I asked how, he also explained how his mind noticed Luna's reactions to certain words that were mentioned while we ate, giving him more clues to go by... If anything, Galahad would be an exceptional detective. Or spy. Maybe both.

It was useless to hide it from him, so we explained it all, and he insisted on tagging along. I had no complaints about it, so it was decided he would come in with Luna, but first, I would entertain these suddenly resurfaced parents. I wanted to watch their first reactions before Luna entered the scene.

The look on their faces showed that they were partially humbled but also showed a certain experience of being used to moving around royalty. Their surprise and unsure expressions simply came from the fact that Avalon was not any other country, especially not like the Ishillia they were used to, causing them to stand awkwardly in the center of the room. They were dressed in a somewhat faded outfit. I could see that their clothes once had to be elegant but were now worn and out of place in my throne room.

Not that I really mind how they dressed... I was more interested in how they acted. Their greetings, their bows, nothing was out of place... but it didn't make me feel right either as I didn't feel it was genuine. It was... learned. Welcoming them to Avalon was done so casually on my part, showing little interest in what they had to say to me before waving my hand, giving a signal to Lucca, who was close by, opening the door, and starting the actual play that I was ready to witness. And to let Luna handle it to its fullest. These were her parents... whatever her decision was, I would support her. But it had to be her decision, not mine.

When the door opened, Luna entered, her posture regal, her expression unreadable, something I had never really seen her display with such force, making me smile. Galahad trailed behind her, his curiosity evident in his eyes despite his attempts to appear indifferent. He was still young, after all; he couldn't control all of his muscles perfectly yet to hide his genuine thoughts. The sound of Luna’s heels clicking against the polished floor had the perfect effect as each of her steps brought back the tension in her parents. Plus... she looked taller, which I should tease her about later. To lift her frown into a smile, as a good husband.

“Mother. Father,” she said, her voice icy at best. "It’s been a long time.”

So they were indeed her parents. Huh. No cousins or something like that... Weird. Only their hair color matched Luna's; the eyes were... blue? At least from where I sat, it looked like blue. No matter. The first to react was her mother, the thin-looking woman who was just as flat as her daughter, stepping half a step closer to her.

“Luna, my dear, you look… well.” Her voice wavered as if she were unsure whether to embrace her daughter or kneel before her. Probably neither would do good now. Before Luna could consider her answer, though, the man made his move, too.

Her father, tall and with a graying beard, cleared his throat while I barely listened to what he had to say. I was simply contemplating that Galahad had at least still a chance to grow taller than her mother, considering the genes the roulette of fate had given him.

“We’ve come a long way to see you, my daughter. When we heard where you were, we came at once... We thought it was time to… reconnect.”

"Hmph..." Luna’s lips quavered, snorting audibly. “Reconnect? After so many years? After leaving the city when I was assigned to serve under Leon? Not even waiting?” Her tone was icy, but there was a flicker of something deeper beneath the cold. I knew her. She was hurt, feeling betrayed, and perhaps... a tinge of disappointment mixed into her current thoughts.

"Yes," her mother said, trying to look into her eyes, “It was a family decision, and it wasn't like we could take you away. It was not when the Empress herself made a decision! That would bring death to you and over our heads, too... We only heard you were given to the barbarians..."

"So you wrote me down?" She asked sharply, so sharply in fact that it made my ears hurt. Ohoho... she picked up more from Yuri than her perversion. "Also... didn't you start with finally finding out where I was? Yet you know I was given to the Frontier? Which is it now, hm?"

"We made mistakes, Luna. Terrible mistakes. But we’re here now, and we want to make amends.” Her mother's hands trembled as she reached out, but she stopped short, as if afraid to touch her daughter.

And who would believe that lazy excuse? I almost asked it out loud as my gaze flicked between them, asking a different question in the end.

“And what exactly do you hope to gain from this reunion?” My voice was calm, but it had an edge. I made sure it matched my wife's tone, showing that whatever she was thinking about, I was firmly on the same page.

"Sovereign," Luna’s father straightened, his tone shifting to one of practiced charm. “Your Majesty, we’ve heard of Avalon’s greatness, and we thought… perhaps there might be a place for us here. We are, after all, family.”

"Excuse me?" Luna’s eyes flashed with even more anger, but she kept her voice controlled. “Family? You abandoned me when I was no longer useful to you. You left me to fend for myself! What if Leon was indeed a barbarian?! Then what? Let him devour me? Not that he didn't, but... Ugh! You!" She gritted her teeth, making me twitch the corner of my lips. Damn girl, don't paint me as a villain! "And now," she continued, clearly boiling from anger, "because I’ve risen higher than you ever could, you come crawling back?” Her words were thrown out with spite, each one a dagger aimed at their hearts. And she didn't miss...

"Luna..." Her mother’s face crumpled. “Luna, please. We were wrong! We see that now. But we’re your parents. Surely that counts for something!” Tears welled in her eyes, but Luna’s expression remained impassive, and I wasn't sure how much of it was genuine or fake. The twins could tell it... but this was between them and Luna.

"Khm." Galahad, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, clearing his throat, finally making the two recognize there was another man next to Luna. Yes. A man. Because he did look like one at that moment; his back was straight, and his eyes were sharp. “If you’re truly here to make amends, then prove it. Don’t just ask for a place in my mother's life. Earn it.” His voice was strong, and there was a maturity in his tone that I had never once seen him display before anybody. Well, well, well! He had inherited his father’s sense of justice and his mother’s quiet strength, eh? Good boy. Daddy is proud of you!

"..." Luna’s father turned to him, his expression thinking fast before softening. “You must be her son... My grandson. You have your mother’s fire.” There was a hint of pride in his voice, but it was simply masking the desperation. He didn't even know his name and hoped to forge a bond where none existed. It was pathetic.

"The name is Galahad." He answered while he crossed his arms, his tone remaining firm. “And I inherited more than that. If you want to stay, you’ll have to earn your place like everyone else in Avalon. No matter your background, not even if you are the parents of this city's Sovereign's second wife.”

"He is right." I nodded at him, a silent gesture of approval. “My son, Galahad, speaks wisely. Avalon does not hand out favors lightly. If you wish to stay, you can. But you’ll need to prove your worth. As for reconnecting with my wife? That is up to her. If she doesn't want to, you can't force anything either.”

"..." Watching on, Luna’s parents exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unprepared for this kind of development. Finally... her father nodded. “We understand. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

"As if I agreed to it." Luna snorted, making them stiffen and my smile widen.

"True." I chuckled. "If she wishes me to throw you out, I will please my wife without hesitation. If you mean nothing to her... You mean even less to me..." I added in a much deeper voice, brushing over them with an uncaring gaze.

In the following silence, Luna stood firmly, letting Galahad reassuringly hold her hand as they studied them for a long moment. Her emotions were clearly clashing beneath the surface of her face while her parents waited, now visibly sweating. She was abandoned... And yet, despite everything, a part of her still ached for the parents who had cast her aside. I could see that in her mismatched eyes when she turned to me, her lips parting softly, but her voice came out lagging behind, letting them hang open for a bit longer.

“Let them stay. But they’ll start at the bottom. No special treatment. I will decide later if I want to even speak to them or anybody else they may bring along...”

"Mhm." I nodded at her with a warm look, “As you wish.”

There was no way that her parents could argue, and given their experience as generational servants of dukes, they didn't. So, as Lucca led her parents away, Luna let out a shaky breath, making me join my son in standing by her and squeezing her hand.

“Are you alright?”

"Yeah..." She nodded, though her eyes were distant, not really in the present yet. “I will be. But this… this isn’t over... I guess...” Her gaze lingered on the door through which her parents had disappeared, her mind clearly racing with questions and even more doubts. What did they truly want? Could they ever be trusted? And, most importantly, could she ever forgive them? I couldn't even answer any of those questions, not even if I wanted to.

“You’re stronger than they think so, Luna. You always have been.” I encouraged her.

"Yeah," She turned to me, finally a faint smile forming on her face. “I know. But strength doesn’t make the past hurt any less.”

"Hmph!" Galahad stepped up once again, his face filled with concern. “Mother, if they try to hurt you again, they’ll have to answer to me. And Lancelot. And Morgan. And Arthur. And Leyla!”

"And Yuri." I continued the list, "And Mikan. And Sasha. Probably not in this order because who knows what would happen when Yuri gets grumpy."

"No need to shelter me like I'm a kid!" Luna’s smile widened, and she reached out to brush a strand of hair from our son's forehead. “You’re a good boy, Galahad. But this is my issue. Mom will deal with it, as my son; you don't need to worry about me.”

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Later that evening, Luna was sitting in her private office, staring at the empty page in her typewriter as she tried to distract herself by writing, but nothing came to mind when Galahad entered quietly, slipping in the middle of the night.

“Mother?”

"Ah?" She looked up, her expression softening. “Galahad... Come, sit.”

Without question, he obeyed, settling beside her, watching her face, blinking his eyes, and asking something he was unsure of, no matter how many times he replayed it in his mind.

“Are you angry with me for speaking up earlier?”

"Angry?" She shook her head. “No. Never, my dear..." She hugged him close, "They need to earn their place, just like everyone else. I just… I didn’t expect to see them again.”

"I guess..." Galahad hesitated before speaking again. “Do you think they’ve changed?”

"That is the question that I can't answer..." Luna sighed, speaking truthfully with her son. “I don’t know. People can change, but… some simply wear a different coat.”

"I see... I don't know anything about them, so I was unsure." Galahad nodded, his face thoughtful. “But, whatever happens, I’m here for you, Mom!”

"I know..." Luna whispered, kissing his forehead, making Galahad smile happily. “Thank you, my dear. That means more to me than you know.”