" I am sorry I should have introduced myself earlier. I am Farah Way." Farah said with a three finger salute.
The girl Farah seemed to be about my age. She was dark skinned with red eyes and dark red hair. She was quite small framed and the nervous look on her face did not do her in favours. She reminded me of a small bunny that would have a heart attack if I moved even slightly towards her.
I tried my best not to laugh as I was reminded of Nathan when I first met him. Mentally I arranged them both in my head and tried not to giggle.
" Well, Farah it is a pleasure to meet you," I said before doing a perfect aristocratic bow. My hair flowed down my face leaving me rather frustrated. I ignored it as I went to stand back up.
As I did I caught Farah staring at me unusually before giggling.
" What's so funny?" I said in a calm tone.
" oh.. I um nothing!" Farah said before her face straightened.
We both stood in silence for a moment before I raised my brow.
[ What is this girl doing here?]
Farah seemed to catch on that I was getting impatient before she looked behind her.
I followed her eyes and a person wrapped in a clock with their face covered was standing in the doorway.
" This is" Farah went to say before she was cut off by a female's voice.
" Yu..Yu? Is that really you Yu Yu?" The unmistakable voice of my mother was heard.
I couldn't help but take a step forward before stopping.
[ No way.!]
[ it can't be!]
" Mother…?" I responded as I stood without moving.
" Yuki it really is you! You have grown so big!" Airi Akiyo said with a wobbly voice as she stepped towards me and grabbed me.
The cloak which covered her whole body wrapped around me. A feeling of warmth, shock and awe spread over my body.
I didn't know if I should laugh or cry as I stood there motionlessly.
" Mother what are you doing here? Everyone told me that you were dead." I said quitely as I wrapped my arms around her.
" I watched over your grave," I said again as my voice broke.
" I thought I would never see you again," I said as a tear fell down my cheek.
My mother's arms gripped me like a vice as she heard me venting all of my grievances. I could feel her body shaking as she listened to me recount all of the things that I had been through since she was gone.
I gripped on to her tightly hoping to never let her go again.
We stood there for a while still gripping each other until my hands were numb.
" I am so sorry Yuki. There wasn't any time to take you away" My mother said quietly as she let me go.
She stood up after a moment and removed the hood part of her cloak.
The whole side of her hairline was burnt and a vicious scar now covered of her cheek.
I stood there shaking as I looked at her.
" How.." was all I could muster.
Somehow even with the burns, she still looked like the beautiful person I remembered when I first met her. Green hair and pale features. Except for the gentleness that she once had. It seemed to have completely vanished.
Her eyes seemed much colder and her face was partially paralysed when she spoke. When she looked at me she tried her best to smile but only half her face moved. Whatever happened to her must have been horrific.
" Farah. Get Loki. Please tell him it is urgent!" I said looking at my mother Airi.
" Yuki please just take a seat," My mother said pointing to some chairs.
" Mother.." was all I could say before she crossed her brows leaving me unable to argue.
My mother walked her self to a seat with the same elegance and poise that I had seen when we first arrived at the palace all of those years ago.
From behind she looked exactly as I remembered her.
I couldn't help but quickly follow behind her thinking she would disappear if I was to let her out of my sight.
Farah came to her side and offered her tea. My mother nodded once before I too sat down eagerly awaiting some sort of explanation for all of this.
I couldn't help but be angry thinking back to Reo my grandfather. Did he know mother was here? Why didn't he come for her?
" I am sure you have a lot of questions.." Airi said as she looked at me.
" But do you think.. We could just talk for a little while about your life. I may have failed as your mother but I have missed you terribly." My mother said with a defeated look on her face.
" You haven't failed at all!" I blurted out.
" You and father are the best family I could ask for!" I said as I slammed my hand on the desk.
Both mother and Farah jumped a little I couldn't help but apologise in a small voice before I watched my mother smile.
I took in a deep breath.
And while Farah was pouring us both tea I began to recall from the start exactly what mother had missed out on. Everything from my wild adventures with Puff and Kibble's in my soul scape to watching as my friend plotted the fish prank on the crown prince of Vance.
I tried to make it as entertaining as possible trying to make my mother laugh and laugh she did.
" You have grown up a lot since I last saw you," My mother said as she held my hand.
" You are starting to look more and more like your father each day" Airi finished with as she held my hand tighter.
" I have missed you, please don't run away again," I said in response as I placed my head on her hands.
Farah at this moment took her leave as my mother began to recount her side of what had happened.
Apparently, when my father had received orders from the king to go to the border he had given my mother a letter. The letter basically said that he was ordered by the king to be captured by the Vance kingdom and that during that time he was supposed to feed fake information to the Vance royal family.
Tama had been well aware that Vance was preparing to try and break the peace treaty well in advance of the treaty officially being put in place. Since my father had been seized mother was supposed to take shelter at grandfathers house with me.
Since I had been asleep however in my soul scape my mother had stayed behind just in case I would wake up and make my way back home and that was when my mother had been burned. There was as I had been told assassins. However, they did not poison mother as everyone had said. The assassins merely thought that my mother had been killed by some fire magic.
Mother managed to make her way to the King where she was told she had to play dead for a while as part of plans to make Tama seem weak. Mother had been healed with some light magic before being sent to the Dredge Lands with enough supplies to bribe the Tulk.
Since the Emporer had a map that was considered a safe path to the Tulk my mother agreed in the end. Apparently, she is just as patriotic as my father is. My face during the entire conversation had changed various shades of white to black.
I couldn't help but be angry that no one had told me anything. My mother had then explained that the emperor probably did it on purpose to keep not only her safe but me as well. If I knew that mother was alive wouldn't I search for her?
I guess in that respect he was correct but the whole thing left a bitter taste in my mouth.
[ Both Tama and Vance are as bad as each other! ]
It was at this moment that Loki knocked on the door. He looked around the room and spotted my mother.
" You must be Ms Akiyo" Loki said as he bowed.
" Ms? Oh aren't you are a charming young man!" my mother said with a giggle.
[ He is older than you mother! ]
I contained my rage as I looked at Loki in anticipation.
" Can you.." I said quietly.
" I can try.." Loki said as he nodded.