All Chapters of Kingdoms: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

"Do you know what you're doing?" Hannah asked as she watched Jasper slice a cauliflower. He spared her a glance and smiled smugly ."Well, milady, you should know that i’ve been cooking since I was eight." She raised a brow at him, completely amused. But she had to hand it to him, he sliced like he knew what he was doing, at the very least."That's so, and who taught you, if I may ask?" she reached out for a slice of tomato and bit into it."Well, my Mama did. She reasoned that if I ever fell in love with a woman who couldn't cook, we both wouldn't starve." He winked at her and she nearly had a laughing fit, successfully resisting when she remembered Martha was upstairs resting.“ Is your mother a seer or something?" She asked teasingly and he chuckled.

They walked on as the sun rose, with little conversation, but the silence was as welcome as it was comfortable. Hannah took in her feel of nature, and God's green earth. it had been a while since she was out like this, and it surprised her, just how much she had missed it, all of it.. So much had changed since a time like this. She never thought of what finding answers would mean, but now that they had them she still didn't know for sure what the future held, but she wasn't the same. Nothing would ever be. How could it be? "Do you want to rest?" She looked up at him, doing her best to keep stride with him. He still had long legs, that much was actually the same. "No, not yet. But soon I suppose, so we can break our fast. Martha packed us some food." He nodded and they kept walking. They walked a little while, stopping once to sit a while and break their fast

They made it to the castle a small while before dusk, and when they both stood a little off before the majestic view, tears ran down Hannah's cheeks.She had never fully appreciated the beauty of their castle, she stood, her hand in the hand of the man she loved, Her heart in the palm of his hands as well. On one hand she was glad to be home. She would see her parents, she would see Anemos, for that she was grateful. However, within her she knew so much had changed, some things would never be the same. The man beside her was proof of that. Her world had changed, her heart ached, and she could not completely understand it. Jasper feeling the heaviness of her heart on his own -because such things occurred with people in Love- put an arm around her, enveloping her with the warmth of him.And she

"You were so strong." He had a way of seeing in her more than she felt there truly was to her. This time, she concluded, was one of those times. And she buried her head in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She didn't feel strong at all, she felt drained, as though she was slipping, but his arms around her were her stronghold. He was her strength."What next, Jasper?" She asked, her words muffled against his chest."Ah Hannah, how about we let that worry for itself. We just got here." He pulled away gently to hold her face in his hands. "Have a bath, baby, wash your hair, eat, you haven't eaten well in days. Then we can plan war.""You haven't eaten well either.""And so I will."

It was night time when Hannah looked out the window of her bed Chambers. It had been a long day. She had turned to leave the throne room, when her father had bid Jasper to wait. She didn't want to leave then, but had done so with great reluctance after Jasper had nodded at her, which she took for an 'it's okay." But it wasn't okay, not to her. She had no idea why king Asher would want to talk to Jasper, or what he had in mind to speak to him about. It caused her great anxiety . She had inquired of his whereabouts from one of her ladies but they gave her no answers and curious looks to which she rolled her eyes internally.She could just go to the king himself, but that required courage. Because Jasper was right, she thought of him more of a king than her father, and a king in all he was, demanded respect just for being a king. Just once, she wished, closing eyes, just once again, he would be 'papa.'