Everyone must die, eventually, and unfortunately for Grayson and all of Alderei, Abigail passed on at the age of 82. Being a sorcerer, Grayson was destined to live a long life. Losing his soulmate threw him into a deep sorrow. Abigail died in her sleep, in her favorite place - her husband’s arms. When Grayson woke up holding his wife's cold body, his wails could be heard for miles. He refused to let go of her for hours. Eventually, Benjamin managed to pry his father away so the undertaker could prepare the body for the funeral. Being a Grand Duchess, Abigail’s funeral was a grand one. All of Lydisia and Odel came to pay their respects, as well as most of the rest of Alderei. Grayson could be seen next to the coffin the entire time, crying and mourning the love of his life. He was inconsolable to the point that his children were worried about leaving him alone. Depsite the original plan to leave the Grand Duchy to Teddy, the children as a group decided to leave it to Benjamin, wit
The loss of Grayson was a huge blow to his family. Samuel and Olivia were preparing to take the throne upon the death of their aunt Catherine. Catherine was ailing, and the news of Grayson’s death made her condition worse. Their aunt Rose passed away a year ago, never quite recovering from the death of her beloved sister. Catherine fell ill when Rose died and was now the last of their group of friends. She did not handle the news well. She made sure Grayson was given a funeral befitting his rank and managed to be his chief mourner before succumbing to her own illness a week later. The last of the generation of heroes had gone to her eternal rest at age 89. Samuel and Olivia’s rule was also prosperous. They had inherented Alderei at the height of its existence and continued the projects and promises brought about by their aunts. Their brother, Theodore, was their most trusted ambassador and brokered peace with nations across the seas. The land of Knocklean had been absorbed by t
Charlotte Much has been said about my parents and their love story. All of it is true. They were ridiculously and madly in love until the day they died. Knowing them, they are probably still ridiculously and madly in love in death. They were wonderful role models for how to properly treat someone you love. They teased each other gently, and my father often tickled my mother when he felt she was getting too serious or worked up. They laughed a lot, and they kissed a lot, and they hugged a lot. They treated each other with respect even when they didn't agree, which was not often. They spread that unconditional love to their children - all six of us. Seven, if you count Sawyer, which I know they always did. I still care for Sawyer's memorial. We all know the story of how and why Sawyer died. Most of us were alive - though small - when it happened. My oldest brother and sister remember Mama coming home that day, riding with Papa on his horse, looking confused. Papa said then that she
Calista Who do I miss the most? Outside of the obvious answer of my mother, father, and grandfather, I would say I miss Uncle Aryk the most. He was the one who helped me control my powers. My father was ridiculously powerful but also hated fighting almost as much as he hated leaving Odel and later Lydisia. He always said his only goal in life was to love our mother and his children with his whole heart. Honestly, his power was wasted on him. Yes, when he was needed, he would come and fight, and he was always checking on the wards he put over Alderei as a whole, but mostly, he was a hermit. He hated being apart from Mama. He always said they had spent enough time apart when they were younger. Uncle Aryk was a traveler, an adventurer, and a spy for Alderei when needed. Queen Sarah and later Auntie Cat would send him on missions. When I got older, he would take me along with him like Pappy Arthur would take us on diplomatic missions. I LOVED going on spy missions. Mama would sometimes
OliviaRuling a kingdom with your slightly older twin brother is a pain in the cracks. Not that I don't love Sammy. I do. Just... sometimes, I would love him more if there was a country or two between us.Our aunts Catherine and Rosie left us the kingdom of Alderei because they didn't want to choose one of us over the other since we are literally three minutes apart in age. It was a good decision. I applaud them for not just choosing Sammy because he was older or me because I'm a girl (and obviously smarter).The good thing about two aunts is they have no problem when you discover you like girls as a girl. Not that my parents had any issues with it. No one did. But I could go to my aunts for advice that no one else could answer. Like how to hit on the beautiful woman who came to visit as a part of a foreign delegation.That's how I met Grace. She was visiting Alderei with her family as a part of a treaty signing. I pursued her so diligently that it made my father's efforts to win over
Benjamin Now that my sisters have all had their turn, I suppose it's my turn to praise my parents. I'm not going to do that.As the youngest son, all my life, I was expecting to get the short end of the stick. By the time Calista and I came around, there was nothing left to leave us. Sam and Liv got all of Alderei. Teddy was to get Lydisia. Lottie got Odel. Even Calista married a man with an estate, so she has something to leave her children. I never even had children. No one wants to marry a man with nothing. So I stayed with my parents. I suppose I could have gone off adventuring like Teddy or become a spy like Calista. I'm sure I could have settled for a low born wife and had a million children like Lottie. I chose to stay, though, I couldn't tell you why.It made my mother happy. She was sad as each child grew up and went off on their own. She missed the others. She never had to miss me. She got to continue to baby her baby.Sigh. I guess they weren't that bad. They did end up
Samuel I see you've finally come to read the words and hear the thoughts of the oldest child of the Odels and co-ruler of the greatest known kingdom, Alderei. As your king, I, Samuel Dupont of House Lydisia and Odel, grandson of the great Grand Duke Arthur Coursar, son of the most powerful sorcerer ever known Grayson of Eswen and of one of Alderei’s greatest commanders, Abigail Coursar - who themselves were King and Queen of Eswen for approximately a week (making me the heir apparent), but then decided to forgo the ruling of that kingdom for a simpler life in Alderei as a mere Grand Duchess and Duke, brother of co-ruler Olivia, brother of Theodore the Peacemaker, of Benjamin the Humble, of Charlotte the Fair, and of Calista the Powerful, humbly welcome you to my portion of this story. Oh! I'm also the nephew of the great Queens Catherine and Rose. How could I forget Aunt Rosie? She was my favorite. Yes. I come from an impressive lineage. I have several children myself and a lovely
Theodore Saving the best for last, I see? You want to know about my parents? They were wonderful people. They loved us with all they had, they loved our children with all they had, and they somehow managed to love each other even more than that. One of my earliest memories is watching my father walk up behind my mother and wrap his arms around her. She immediately stopped what she was doing - I think she was mending something - and turned to kiss him. The look she gave him afterward was so absolutely full of love that her face is the only place I've ever seen a look like it. My father always looked at her with a mixture of love and desire. She usually had that second one, too, but sometimes it was just pure love. Oh, the effect she had on my father! She could get that man to do anything with just a look. I didn't understand it until I fell in love myself. My wide, Kadija, has the same effect on me. She is so beautiful... I'm so lucky to have her. I think that was the key to
Six months later, they were married in a ceremony held on the lawn of her mother’s nursing home. Their mothers held hands and wept happy tears as Tony and Molly exchanged vows they had written themselves. Molly started. “Tony, you are one of the few people in this world who truly see me. You’ve always seen me as so much more than I thought I was. You’ve helped me realize my worth, and that I do have something to offer the world. Every day you make me feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet. You encourage me, you don’t just listen to me – you hear me. We have been through so much together, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t have gotten through half of it without you by my side.” She stopped to wipe away her tears, but Tony got to them first. She smiled at him. “You are better than any fairy tale or romantic hero. You have saved me in so many ways. I promise I will always be honest and upfront with you. I will always support you, and you will always be the best thing that’s ev
**Three weeks later**Molly called her mother on her way home from work, like she did every night. “Hi mom,” she said cautiously. “Hi baby girl, happy birthday!” her mom answered. It was another good day for Sarah.“You remembered!” Molly exclaimed.“I did,” she said. “There should be a package waiting for you at home, too. The nurses helped me.”“Thank you, mom,” Molly said with happy tears.“I just wanted to send my daughter something special,” Sarah said. “Not every day is your birthday.”“I still appreciate it,” Molly replied. “That’s because you’re a good girl,” Sarah said. “How’s Tony?” she asked, changing the subject. “He’s good,” she responded. “We’re both still doing therapy separately, as well as going together. It’s been really helpful. I’m going to call him later and he’s going to bring over dinner.”“That’s great, Molly.”“I know,” she replied. “I’d forgotten how much I missed just talking to him. It’s great to be able to talk to him again.”“I’m just hap
It was difficult, but they did the work. They went through therapy together and individually. Their couples’ therapist wanted them to just spend time together, not as couple or with anything sexual between them, so they could focus on building back their friendship and trust.The no sexual contact was difficult for both of them, but they stuck to what they dubbed the ‘muddy waters’ rule. They spent a lot of time together over the next three months, mostly talking, but also just sometimes sitting with each other. On Halloween, Tony brought over Horror House 3, which was the movie they saw on their first date. He also brought take out from the restaurant they had gone to that first night. Molly almost kissed him several times just because of how thoughtful it all was, but she stuck to the rule. She did allow herself to kiss his cheek, which caused him to smile and blush.They bent the rule a little when he put his arm around her and she snuggled up against him. They bent it even mor
He pulled back and looked at her. “When?” he asked, his voice cracking.She hung her head. “About two years ago. Right when we sold the house and put mom in the nursing home,” she said softly, angrily wiping away her tears. He held her hand, and listened. “I found out I was pregnant and I had been trying to tell you, but it was one thing after another,” she said waving her arm from one side to the other. “It was never a good time. The night I was finally going to tell you, I had cooked dinner and made it all nice and… you never came home. Not until it was very late, anyway, and you stank of alcohol. You said you’d been out with your coworkers celebrating a big deal.” Tony remembered that night. He had seen the set up when he came home, but had been too drunk to ask. When he’d woken up the next morning, it was gone and so was Molly. He had assumed she’d gone to work.“That morning, after I woke up I started bleeding,” she continued. “I tried to wake you but you were passed out, s
“I’m over here,” said a small voice filled with pain. It was coming from the floor on the other side of the bed.He rushed over and saw her holding her foot, her hands covered in blood. Without a word he grabbed a towel from the closet, wrapped it around her foot, picked her up, and carried her into the kitchen. He set her down on a chair before unwrapping the towel. Molly winced in pain.“What happened, Mols?” he asked gently, sitting on the floor in front of her.She sighed. “I think Orange knocked a picture frame off the dresser and it broke. I stepped on the glass.”He washed her foot off gently. “It doesn’t look that bad,” he said. “You won’t need stitches.”“Good,” she said. She was so tired. Tony could hear it in her voice. “That’s the last thing I need.”Tony cleaned her foot up and handed her a rag to wash the blood off her hands. He was quiet as he carefully bandaged her foot up. He kissed her leg and held her foot in his lap.“You broke the door,” Molly said, exhaust
“Molly?” he ventured.She was pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to hold up her towel and the journal with one hand. “Yes, Tony?”“What secret were you keeping?” he asked softly. He reached out and fixed her towel. If the towel slipped again, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Molly was gorgeous and he missed her so much. She wouldn’t look at him. “It doesn’t matter now,” she answered. “Please don’t jump off a bridge,” he said sadly. She still wouldn’t look at him. “I’m going to put on some clothes,” she said.Before he could stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I don’t mind you in just a towel,” he said softly into her ear.She looked at him, confused. “Muddy waters, Tony, remember?” she said. “It’s your rule, not mine. I didn’t know you were out here or I wouldn’t have come out in my towel.”“But…” he started. “Do you want to get back together?” she asked angrily. “I…” he hesitated.“Please leave, Tony,” Molly said with tears in her eyes
A few minutes after Molly got in the shower, there was a knock at her door.“Mols?” Tony called. “Hey Molly, come on – open up.” More knocking. “Please, Mols.”Maybe she’s in the shower, he thought. He pulled out the key that Molly insisted he keep after he moved out, in case of emergency. Molly didn’t have any other family outside of her mom, so Tony was still her emergency contact. While being ignored wasn’t an emergency, he didn’t like the thought of her sitting by herself being sad. He still loved her. He had been devastated when she agreed to the breakup and didn’t even try to fight for him. He went through with the breakup because he figured she didn’t love him anymore when she didn’t fight it. They hardly saw each other due to work, even though they had lived together. They had both changed and things were different between them, but he still loved her. He knew she thought of herself as a disappointment, but he never did. The last few years dealing with her mom’s rapidly
No one paid attention to Molly Monroe. She was average. She blended into the scenery, unremarkable with her shoulder length brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses – she was every girl and no girl in particular. Only two people in this world had ever truly seen Molly Monroe – her mother and Tony.Tony Morales was her high school – and only – boyfriend. They had broken up about a year ago. The reasons were numerous. He traveled a lot for his job, her schedule was strange, and they never saw each other. The spark had disappeared. The break up had been ‘mutual’ in that he suggested breaking up and she knew she had nothing to offer him, so she let it happen. In high school, she had been the one ‘with so much potential.’ Now she was just a disappointment and going nowhere. She was sure that’s why Tony dumped her, though he was too kind to say it. At least they were still friends and he would take her calls. He didn’t just drop her after eight years of dating.God, she missed Tony. Almost a
From the diaries of Grayson of Eswen, Duke of Odel, and Lydisia. Before I write any more, I want to be clear with anyone who finds this journal: my wife is the most amazing, smart, wonderful, kind, loving, and talented person I know. I would literally not be alive today without her. I would have died in my father's attack on Alderei. I love my wife. I always have. What can you say about someone you've loved since you were five years old?My wife gave me the family I've always wanted. She birthed six beautiful children, and we lost one little soul. Little Sawyer will always be acknowledged as part of our family and will always be in our hearts. Samuel, Olivia, Theodore, Charlotte, Benjamin, and Calista. They are the six the Mother chose to stay in this world. They are our world. I will admit to be slightly more overprotective of Olivia than the others, but she was the one we almost lost to my father. My oldest girl, my baby, was almost a sacrifice. I try not to think about my fathe