Katherine held her ground until the last customer left her inn. Her gaze was transfixed on the timid woman who was unsure how to act under the matron's attention.
At last only Silver, Katherine, Lily and Rose remained.
"Haven? Is it really you?" The innkeeper squinted to peer beneath the Princess's hood.
Rose stood and removed the covering, allowing her long blonde locks to cascade across her shoulders and down her back. Katherine's eyes crinkled as she rushed forward with her arms open.
Wrapping Rose in a hug, Katherine wept. "My little doll! I never thought I would see you again!"
Rose rested her head on the lady's shoulder and returned her embrace with her good arm. The smell of the food mixed with Katherine's natural scent on her clothes brought back a flood of memories.
Cozy cooking. Silly stories. Limitless love.
Katherine may not have been her biological mother, but the tender affections the woman had given her as a girl were every bit as real.
"Katherine!" Rose was finally able to put the name to the woman in her memories. Because of her vision and Silver's stories, the princess had known the woman was not Alexis. However, if anyone could have filled that void, Katherine was the one.
"You do remember me then," the innkeeper heaved a sigh of relief. She kissed the young lady on the forehead. "I have thought about you every day since you left."
"Katherine, I had no idea..." The Guardian suddenly felt guilty. He had always been so focused on his own pain that he genuinely had never considered how the innkeeper must feel.
Conall had tried to ask what happened to the little girl once, but Silver had flatly shut him down. Perhaps that is why Katherine never inquired. The Guardian's heart broke a little.
"Sh!" the matronly woman gave a small smile as she wiped her eyes. "No time for sadness, Silver. Not when joy itself has arrived on our doorstep!"
With Rose still clasping the other woman's hand, the three of them sat down at the table. From the kitchen, Lily brought bowls of steaming stew.
"I took the liberty of picking dinner in Katherine's stead. I hope you will enjoy it!" The blonde server placed three bowls on the table and three cups of water. Lily knew how the Guardian felt about Conall's special mead and wisely had not brought any.
"Only three bowls?" Silver asked. "Are you not going to stay?"
Lily shook her head. "I will return in a moment. I know Katherine would like a few moments, and I would like to check on my husband and children. Aristos will be glad to know you are safe."
"I would not mind seeing Aristos again to thank him for his kindness," Rose offered. "and meeting your children would be nice too, if they aren't about to go to bed, that is."
"Are you sure?" Lily really did not want to intrude.
"If my sister says to bring them, then bring them, Lily!" Silver laughed. "As Katherine has pointed out, we have quite a reason to celebrate."
The blonde was caught off guard. Silver hated celebrations. 'Who is this man?!' When her tongue caught up with her, Lily nodded. "I will bring them right away. Shall I fetch Conall as well?"
"Please," Katherine dipped her head graciously.
"And Aiden too while you are at it, if you do not mind. I would hate for the sheriff to feel left out of the most important thing to happen in our town's history." Silver surprised even himself by his generosity.
Lily tapped her foot and put her hands on her hips. "Anyone else?" she asked in mock impatience.
"I think that about covers it." Silver folded his arms.
"No one else?" Her eyes drifted from the trio. "I think you may be forgetting someone."
The Guardian raised his cup and his voice. "If you mean the coward hiding in the kitchen, Ethyn is welcome to join us whenever he likes!"
Silver had seen the young man duck into the kitchen when he and Rose had arrived, but had allowed him the dignity to leave quietly. At least, he had done so up until this point.
"I'm busy... I'm washing dishes!" Ethyn called back.
"He is?" Katherine asked softly to the waitress.
Lily shrugged. "He is now, I guess. I suppose he is just being shy around a pretty girl. I will not fault him for that."
A clatter of plates fell to the ground in the kitchen. Ethyn had clearly heard Lily's words.
"I will gather everyone and be back shortly," Lily assured them with a smile.
While Lily was gone, Katherine asked after the girl's health, her situation and finally her love life.
"Is there a special someone in your life that your brother should know about?" The innkeeper nudged the young lady as she blushed.
"Katherine!" Silver's hand disappeared into the void of his hood as his covered his face. The idea of his sister being in love made him intensely uncomfortable. Yet morbid curiosity meant he could not fully shut out the conversation.
"Fine," the older woman rephrased the question. "Is there someone special in your life that I should know about?"
Rose's face was the color of her name. "Not really, no. My adoptive father wants to see me married as soon as possible, so the suitors are many."
The princess noticed a flash from her brother's eyes. His fists were clenched as the spoon in one of his hands began to bend under the pressure.
"Do not worry, Sean. None of them have caught my attention. And father would never force me to marry. It isn't in his nature. I will bide my time until the right man comes along." Rose promised.
"You never know when the right one will show up. They could always be just in the next room," Katherine chuckled. Another clatter of plates rang out. The innkeeper sighed. "My dishes aren't going to survive this, are they? You can stop, now, Sir Ethyn!" she called desperately to the kitchen.
"Nearly done!" the young knight promised.
"He's a good boy, really," Katherine told the princess. "I don't know what has gotten into him."
"If you say so." Pressing her lips together, Rose fought the urge to express her own opinion. Between Katherine's attempted matchmaking, and Silver's spoon-bending, it was safer to change the subject. "Tell me more about you, Katherine! I want to know everything!"
Before long the trio was joined by Lily and those she went to gather. The quiet inn became a happy cacophony once more. Lily's children were delighted to meet one of Silver's relatives, though Kai was still skeptical about whether or not Silver was actually human.
"Were you there when he was born?" the young boy grilled the princess.
"Since he is my older brother, I was not. Were you there when your sister was born?" Rose's eyes flicked to the prim little girl standing beside him.
Kai hesitated. "Hm, you have me there. I'll have to prove my point another way."
"Do you want Silver to be inhuman?" The princess giggled at the thought.
"Who doesn't want to meet a magical creature?" Kai chirped. "Are you secretly an elf?" he asked the Guardian.
"You caught me!" Silver clapped his hands together in applause.
"Really?!" Kai's eyes danced.
"Of course not! Those fairy tale books have gotten to your head." The Guardian was tempted to tell what he knew about the days of old, but refrained.
The boy was not deterred. "No, no! You all heard him. He admitted to being an elf. I am victorious!"
The group laughed, and began to pull tables and chairs together to visit more comfortably. The children played jacks on the ground while the others gathered in order to celebrate with cake and stories.
Conall looked around at the merry band. "Where is our intrepid hero?!"
Having moved to sit down by her husband, Katherine leaned over to whisper in his ear. "What?" Conall turned his head toward the kitchen, just in time to see a young man trying to quietly sneak out the back.
"Oh no you don't, Sir Ethyn! Being a knight does not make you too good to come and meet Silver's sister. Get over here or I will escort you myself!" Conall hit his fist on the table to emphasize his point.
Ethyn froze and his shoulders slumped. It would be no use denying the mayor's claim. There was truly no escape. Silently he turned around and went to the farthest end of the table, hoping to avoid the princess's withering gaze.
"Would you like some of my special brew?" Conall offered him congenially.
"No," Ethyn sighed. "I gave up drinking."
"Oh? Your loss," Conall took a swig and wiped his mouth. "I was rather hoping you would serenade us again."
"Do you sing, Sir Ethyn?" Rose asked politely. There was a slight mocking in her voice that was not lost on the man.
The young knight shook his head. "No, my lady. Not anymore."