“And this is Eno Bevyn,” the clan leader said as he turned to Eno.
“My lord,” Eno replied, bowing to Nori.
“But I don’t know this one. Haru mentioned meeting him.”
“This is Adrian Westergren, one of my personal bodyguards. He joined my team after we were separated from Drayce—” Caelan’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Takahashi Souta,” he corrected himself.
To his surprise, his grandfather smiled warmly and nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard all about your adventures with Drayce. If my son had any gray hairs at all, they were thanks to you and your Drayce.”
“You knew about me? About us?” Caelan asked, his brain still scrambling to keep up with everything that was happening while at the same time screaming, I have a grandfather!
Nori laughed, his hand tightening on Caelan’s shoulder to squeeze him. “I did. We’ll share stories, but the short of it is that your father and I managed to exchange messages once or twice a year. He wrote me books about you and sent so many pictures, I always knew how you were growing up.” Nori released him so they could face each other. “Your father was so proud of you. He regretted not being able to tell you a hundred times a day, but it was for your own protection. I’m glad that I can say it for him now. Your father loved you and was incredibly proud of you. Both your parents were.”
Caelan’s hold on his emotions crumpled again and Nori kindly pulled him close, hugging him tight. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to hear those words. But they were all the better because they were coming from his grandfather.
He regained control a little faster and mopped up his face with a handkerchief provided by Rayne, who’d looked a bit teary himself.
“Your Majesty,” Rayne said with a shallow bow, “we can leave you with Lord Omari so you can catch up in private—”
“No! No! You must stay.” With Caelan permanently tucked against his side, he was already starting toward the dais, waving for them to accompany them. “Our time is too short as it is, and there’s much ground we must cover. If there is time left, my grandson and I will speak privately later.”
“There is so much I don’t understand,” Caelan muttered.
Nori’s hand landed on his head and rubbed. When Caelan met his gaze, the joy had been replaced with worry for the first time. “I know, Little One. I’ll fix that as much as I can.”
Caelan smirked at him. “Little One? I’m a king and Guardian of the Godstone.”
Nori groaned, but there was a playfulness to it. “All of that and still too young. I’m nearly five hundred years old. If you were born here, you would still be in your apprentice grays and never out of my sight.”
He suddenly stopped in front of the three small stairs leading up to the dais. “Really? Would I have grown up here with you and my father? Even though I’m a half-breed?”
His grandfather winced. He stopped on the first step and turned to face Caelan, his hands resting on his shoulders. “It’s an ugly part of our culture that I’m ashamed of. Half-breed or not, you are my grandson, and I would have proudly claimed you before everyone. I would have made the gods recognize you as Omari. You would have grown up here with your father and all your cousins.”
Caelan offered him a small smile and covered Nori’s hand with one of his own, squeezing. As the leader of Erya, he knew firsthand that change never happened quickly, but through a series of small steps. Nori would have made steps. Maybe he was already making them. Caelan didn’t know.
They ascended the raised platform to find that it was much bigger than Caelan had first thought. Beyond the initial bench and desk-like table, there were additional cushioned seats and a low table. As they started to gather around it, several servants rushed in carrying trays of food and hot tea pots. Different pastries and elegantly cut pieces of fruit were placed in front of them. Nori once again waved people away and took over pouring tea into cups while explaining what everything was.
As he spoke in his excited, happy manner, Caelan could only stare at him. He was so very different from Amara and Hagen. Different from what he would have expected his grandfather to be like.
“What was my father’s birth name?” Caelan suddenly asked.
Nori brightened, his eyes growing shiny. “Kei,” he replied, his voice low and rough. “Omari Kei.”
“My lord, may I ask why there is no contact between the Isle of Stone and Erya? Especially considering the fact that a dragon is sent to protect the Guardian of the Godstone,” Rayne inquired, and Caelan wanted to hug his advisor. They needed to actually discuss something useful to both their peoples rather than letting Caelan indulgently ramble down old memories that helped no one.