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crystalninjaphoenix · 1 month ago

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Back to the Heart of it All

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Forty-Nine

A JSE Fanfic

In which a whole bunch of different things happen so I wasn't quite sure what to name the chapter XD But I like this one. It feels poignant, as we're drawing close to the end of this story. The Phantoms are ready to disperse, and all our main group are going to Suilthair to help Jack sort things out over there. Chase spends more time with his kids, Henrik says a temporary goodbye to someone special, and Jack has to build up some confidence so he can confront who the spirit left in charge. Hope you enjoy! :D

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU | Read on AO3: CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

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It was hard for Chase to believe how much his life had changed. If someone had told him a year ago that next summer, he would be in a former rebel base, helping the King of Glasúil get saddled on a horse, he would have advised them to see a doctor for possible illnesses. But here he was. “You’re doing great, Jack, really,” Chase assured him. “Your muscle memory must be working.”

Jack laughed nervously. “It must be. But I’m worried about staying on as well.” He leaned forward, gripping the reins of the horse tightly. He looked tempted to grab onto the horse’s white mane as well, but held back.

“Well... you still have your enchantment powers, don’t you?” Chase said. “I’ve heard stories of enchanters being able to communicate with animals. Can’t you tell the horse to be careful with you?”

“I’m... probably out of practice with that...” Jack mumbled.

“Out of practice with what?” Jackie walked over. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear.”

“Hi, Jackie.” Chase smiled. “How are you feeling? Everything is healed?”

“As healed as it can be.” Jackie stretched his arms above his head, then winced. “Okay, stretching is a bad idea, still, I’m remembering that. In any case, I don’t want to delay going to Suilthair any further. What are you out of practice with, Your Majesty? Horse riding? I’m sure if you ask Vsevna, he’ll make space for you on the Serpent’s Wake. That’s probably faster, anyway.”

Jack shook his head. “N-no, I don’t think it will... be good for me, to be stuck on the water. Having sea legs won’t help my balance. Besides, I’d rather take the time during the journey to think.”

Jackie nodded slowly. “That does make sense.”

“Besides, I was... talking about... my enchantment powers,” Jack mumbled. “Chase suggested I try to use them on the horse to ask for a smooth ride.”

“...well, that seems like a good use of enchantment powers,” Jackie said slowly. “And from what I know, something like that is easier and... less invasive than other enchantments.”

Jack sighed. “Yea... that’s a good point. Maybe I’ll try... but I-I’ll see if I can stay on the horse from my own power, first.”

“That’s a good idea.” Chase smiled. “Now... I have to get on my own horse. Can you handle it from here?”

Jack nodded. “I’ll stay here until we’re ready to go.”

Jackie glanced at Chase and mouthed, I’ll keep an eye on him, too.

“I’ll see you again once we get started,” Chase said. He gave a small bow, then headed off.

Not all of the Phantoms were going to Suilthair. Some of them were going to other camps to help figure out what the Phantoms there were going to do now—try to either dismantle the camps or repurpose them for something else. Others were staying here, maintaining this position just in case. Still others were going home. Some already had. And Chase couldn’t blame them. He wanted to go home, too. Though that was a bit difficult since his village had burned down. So, the second best thing was in Suilthair, anyway—Stacia was still there, along with a lot of the other villagers. He had to see them. To see her. To see if... her reaction to him had only been because of the enchantment or... if there was a kernel of truth to her feelings.

The party heading to Suilthair was gathering at the edge of camp. The horses they were taking had been brought here originally by the warriors—most of whom were also coming to Suilthair, as their return would lend everything a bit of credibility. There weren’t enough horses for everyone, so some people would be walking, but Chase had been lucky enough to claim one—mostly because he said that he wanted it for the kids.

Said kids were looking up at the horse Chase had claimed in awe and confusion. They hadn’t really seen horses regularly before. As Chase approached, he saw Jameson talking to them. They’re really friendly once you get to know them, but you do have to be confident, he was saying. Trust that they’ll take care of you. If you grip the horse too tightly, it will just make them nervous.

“They sense fear,” Amabel whispered, then giggled.

A little bit, I suppose! Jameson said, smiling. But they’re also very scared creatures themselves.

Quentin reached up towards the horse’s head, looking a little nervous as he patted its nose. The horse seemed docile enough, though. Chase still didn’t know much about horses, but others told him that this one—white with large brown patches—was the most docile of the ones the warriors had brought. The best one for the children. “Hello there!” Chase announced as he walked close. “Are you two ready?”

“Dad!” Amabel waved excitedly. “Come meet Locket! She’s so pretty, isn’t she?”

“I’ve already met her, Amy,” Chase laughed. “Right before I went to help Jack. I helped saddle her up.”

“Ohhh.” Amabel nodded. “So... we... get on her, then?”

Quentin swallowed nervously.

“Don’t worry, Quen, I’ll be right behind you two,” Chase reassured him. “Here, I’ll help lift you up first. Is that okay?”

“Y-yea.” Quentin nodded. He raised his arms into the air and Chase crouched down, wrapping his arms around his tiny waist.

“Alright, swing your leg over here,” Chase grunted. “Yes, just like that. I’ll just push you into place. Here, you’re tiny enough that you can hold onto that bit of the saddle in front instead of the reins. Yes, you’re doing great!” He let go of Quentin, who sat stiff as a board in the saddle. “Great job, Quen.” Chase smiled. “Now, Amy? Do you need help?”

“I... I can use the stirrup!” Amabel said decisively. “Just, uh... I need a stool or something.”

Jameson grinned. He linked his hands together and put them close to the stirrup—acting as a step. Amabel nodded and stepped onto the man-made step, then onto the stirrup. She tried to swing her leg around but accidentally hit Quentin on the way, causing him to yelp. But she quickly shimmied into place after that.

“Hey!” Quentin frowned and tried to look back at her. “You hit me!”

“Sorry,” Amabel said. “I was focusing. Thank you, Jameson.”

Jameson shook his hands. Not a problem, Amabel! You three will have a great trip, I’m sure. Locket has been totally unbothered this whole time, she’s a very good pony.

Amabel smiled. “Hear that, Quen? Good pony.”

“Good pony,” Quentin repeated absentmindedly.

Chase took a deep breath and also got on Locket. It was a bit cramped with the kids in front of him. But if things got too uncomfortable he was okay with getting off and walking beside the horse. “Alright, Jameson. Are you ready to go, too? Or... get on your horse, at least?”

Jameson nodded. I’ll see you on the road, then?

“See you on the road,” Chase repeated, grinning.

Jameson gave him a small salute, then walked over to his own horse—again, borrowed from the warriors. All of the horses were being put to use, either for riding, or for carrying supplies. The black horse Aneirin rode as in the latter category, as Jack felt uneasy around the tall steed. By now, almost everyone who was going to Suilthair was ready and mounted. Chase scanned the area. Jackie was on his own horse, and Marvin was nearby, preferring to walk with Draco at his feet. Henrik was coming, but he wasn’t here yet. Chase didn’t blame him for that, though, as he had something very important to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Henrik stared out at the ocean, watching as boats rowed back and forth between the coast and the Serpent’s Wake, still anchored just off the side of the Cliffs of Feall. Though not for much longer. They’d stayed for weeks, doing all they could to help the Phantoms and the warriors recover from the battle. But they could only stay in one place for so long. “Where will you be going now?” Henrik asked.

Next to him, Vsevna shrugged and leaned back, resting his weight on his arms. The two of them were sitting near the edge of the cliffs, watching the ocean together. “Before we joined up with the Masked Phantoms, we were a simple merchant ship. Perhaps we will go back to doing that.”

“So... you will be leaving the island, then?” Henrik asked tentatively.

“Eventually, yes.” Vsevna nodded. “But you knew that, did you not?”

Henrik sighed. “I did. You have always been a sailor. But... I will miss you.”

Vsevna scooted closer to him. “I will miss you too, sova. Sometimes, I miss you even when we are away for only an hour.”

“Well that is a bit extreme, is it not?” Henrik chuckled.

“Heh. That is exaggeration, but you know what I mean.” Vsevna laughed as well. “You are... dear to me. And you always will be. I promise you that.”

Henrik nodded. “You are dear to me as well.” After a moment of hesitation, he leaned his head against Vsevna’s shoulder. “But I know that you belong on the ocean. That is your passion, and I would not keep you from that. But I... I just hope you write to me a lot.”

“Every night I will write down anything interesting that happened, so that I can put it into a letter when enough is piled up,” Vsevna said.

“Oh, you do not have to do that—”

“I have just decided that I will. I have spoken it into the world and so it must be fulfilled.”

Henrik laughed. “Then I will do the same!”

“You will probably have a lot more to write about, then.” Vsevna glanced back at the camp behind them. “I know that a lot will be happening in this kingdom in the next while. Which is why... I don’t think we will be leaving the kingdom behind entirely for a while more. We will probably be doing some internal shipping, from one city on the coast to another. But ah, the Wake, you know it is meant for deep waters.”

“It would be a shame to keep it too close to the shore,” Henrik agreed. “It runs more risk of running aground.”

“The very idea scares me.” Vsevna shivered, a look of exaggerated horror on his face. Henrik couldn’t help but smile.

They fell silent for a bit. The rowboats’ journeys became less and less frequent out on the water. Until, finally, just one more rowed out to the base of the cliffs. Henrik could barely make out the faces of the passengers far below. One of them belonged to Yuko, Vsevna’s second mate. She looked up towards them and waved. Vsevna waved back, then held up a single finger. She nodded, and turned away. “That is the sign for you to go, then?” Henrik asked, trying not to let his sadness into his voice.

“Yes, unfortunately.” Vsevna sighed and shifted his weight. Henrik leaned away so that he could get to his feet, then stood up next to him as well. “We are going to make our first stop at Kroswealosh, I think. It is a big port city, very likely to have things that must be shipped. I want to send you a message once we arrive. Should I tell Yuko to send the bird towards Suilthair?”

Henrik nodded. “I feel as though that is where I will be for a long while. Perhaps I will even... settle down there. Become a city doctor, instead of a traveling one. I-it will make it a lot easier for you, if you do not have to worry about where to send the message bird each time.”

“I do not want to stop you from traveling, sova,” Vsevna said softly. “After all, you are not stopping me.”

“Well, I think it is different for me,” Henrik said slowly. “You... you love the adventure, you love the seeing new places. Travel is not so important to me. It has always been because... that is how I thought I could help the most people.”

Vsevna chuckled. “Of course it has. I know this about you. Brilliant, caring Henrik.” He turned to face Henrik completely and reached out to grab his hands. Henrik let this happen, gripping Vsevna’s hands tightly in turn. “I hope... I hope things work out with your medicine, Henrik. I-if something goes wrong while I am gone, I... I want you to message me, yes? Yuko is leaving one of her birds here—”

“I know she is,” Henrik said.

“Right, of course you know, I-I told you.” Vsevna laughed nervously. “But... please do not only tell me... the happy news, yes? Do you understand? I-I know you may be scared, you may not want to worry me or... risk pushing me away. But I want to know the bad things as well. I want to know, so that I can send you back the reassurances and whatever other comforts you need. That is what we do in this situation, yes?”

“Yes.” Henrik nodded. “In that case... you must do the same. We can tell each other all the good and bad things, and it will be like we are right with each other. Do you promise?”

“I promise. Do you?”

“Of course.” Henrik smiled. “Now... I do not want to keep you waiting, so—”

Suddenly, Vsevna leaned forward, pressing his face against Henrik’s. The movement—the meeting—was unexpected, and Henrik gasped slightly, the sound muffled. Vsevna quickly pulled back. “S-sorry, did you not want to—”

“No, no, I-I did.” Henrik laughed. “I just... I thought you would say something first. Or move slower. H-here, here, let’s try again.” He leaned forward, and after a split second of hesitation, Vsevna did as well, the two of them meeting in the middle.

The kiss lingered for a good few seconds before they both stopped at the same time. Henrik couldn’t stop from smiling, and he saw the same dumb grin on Vsevna’s face, too. “Next time, I will say something,” Vsevna said.

“Let it be the first thing you say to me,” Henrik said. He squeezed Vsevna’s hands one last time, then let go. “Now... please go join your crew. You might be worrying them.”

“Oh, I think they know what the delay was for,” Vsevna chuckled. “You keep an eye out for my message bird, sova.”

“I will. I will send a reply back straight away after.” Henrik nodded. “Stay safe. Farewell.”

“Farewell, Henrik.” Vsevna smiled, then turned and hurried to the path down the cliffs.

Henrik watched him go. He leaned over the side to watch Vsevna get in the row boat, and stayed watching until the boat got out into the water. Then he took a deep breath and went back to camp. No doubt the others already had all the horses saddled up to go already.

Part of his heart was already aching. But he thought back to that last moment, to their closeness. And he couldn’t help but smile again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The journey to Suilthair was long and not very interesting. Despite how they were traveling with a squad of warriors wearing the royal crest, as well as the King himself, they didn’t attract much attention. Then again, that might be because they deliberately avoided towns whenever possible. They didn’t want to cause a fuss or risk something delaying them. It was crucial that they get to the city as soon as possible.

Over time, Amabel and Quentin both grew to really love and appreciate the horses—especially Locket, who they usually spent most of the day riding on. Neither the kids nor Chase really liked horseriding, as it was very bouncy and sort of uncomfortable. But they got used to it. It was a small price to pay for a quick pace.

Jackie wasn’t too fond of horses either, but unlike Chase and his kids, he couldn’t get off the horse to walk sometimes. Henrik insisted that he not walk because it might open his wound back up. Despite Jackie protesting that he was “almost completely healed” by this point. Once they got closer to the city, Marvin got tired of hearing Henrik and Jackie argue about this, and used some magic one night to heal the rest of Jackie’s lingering injury. Chase... didn’t know that was something he could do. “Why hadn’t you used magical healing before?” he asked. “That would’ve come in handy countless times!”

Marvin glanced side to side, then pulled Chase close. “Because the only healing spell I know involves me actually taking on the injuries and pain of the wound,” he explained. “I think there are other ones, but I never bothered to learn them because they all have consequences along those lines.”

“Oh!” Chase’s eyes widened. “Will... will you be okay for the rest of the journey?”

“Of course.” Marvin snorted. “Jackie’s ‘wound’ by this point has been naturally healed down to a small cut. Henrik is just being overprotective. But you have to let him be, sometimes. It’s how he shows he cares.”

Jameson spent the first couple days on the trip looking at his new mask. Or rather, the new decorations on his old mask. He’d agreed to take over as the lead for administration, letting Anna go home to see her family. Now, dark blue circles colored the inside of the rabbit’s ears, while the nose was made purple. A pair of curving, light blue lines traced the shape of the mask, one to the left and one to the right. Anna hadn’t had any colored decorations, but Marvin, Jackie, and Henrik all insisted that he have some. “You came with us into the Wyldwood, Jameson!” Jackie had said. “You’re a huge part of this. You deserve some color.” Which was true, Jameson supposed. Even so, it didn’t really feel real. He never would have guessed his life would lead him here. But as the journey progressed, he started to settle into this new role... which wasn’t really too new to him, anyway. After all, before all this, he’d been a noble, training to take over the responsibilities of the Jairsolas family one day. It took him a bit to remember his old lessons about leadership, but... something told him he would figure it out.

Jack, meanwhile, was becoming more and more nervous the closer they got to Suilthair. Everyone could see it. He hadn’t been too outgoing in the first place, but as time went on he began fidgeting, his face drawn, barely picking at his food during meal times and constantly shifting back and forth while riding his horse. By the time they were a day away from the city, it was beginning to actually be a problem, as dark bags from lack of sleep were clearly forming under his eyes.

While the group was riding, Chase stalled for a moment to get off Locket, handing her reins to a nearby rider so that she wouldn’t go off course (and take his kids with her.) “I’ll be right back,” he said to Amabel and Quentin, then hurried over to Jack, who was riding nearby. “Hey Jack.” He looked up at him, maintaining a brisk pace so he was even with the trotting horse. “We’re going to reach Suilthair before nightfall, you know.”

Jack tensed slightly, gripping the reins of his horse tighter. “Y-yes, of course I know. I heard you all talk about it when we were breaking camp.”

“Right, we were.” Chase nodded. “So... how nervous are you about that?”

“Nervous? What makes you say that?” Jack gave him a smile... nervously.

“You’re... not exactly doing a great job at hiding it,” Chase said slowly. “I don’t blame you for feeling that way, there are a lot of reasons why you might, but... I just wanted to check on you.”

Jack’s smiled faded. He looked away and sighed. “You’re a really good man, Chase.”

“I try to be.” Chase laughed a little. “So... how nervous are you?”

“Very, I think,” Jack admitted. “I know that your group has been doing some, uh... research into the city’s current state—and the whole country’s, too, of course. I know that we’ll be walking into a place that’s mostly confused, but... I can’t help but be afraid that some people there will remember what I—what Aneirin did to them. All the enchantment, and all the harm he caused... Not to mention I distinctly remember he left Thalia Tinechroí in charge as regent, and she’s not exactly the most pleasant person, even though she tries to be charming.”

Chase laughed. “I think Marvin and all the rest of us would agree.” Then he looked ahead as well—down the road leading to Suilthair. His expression turned serious. “I know it’s probably going to be hard. And complicated. But we’re here to stand by you. You have us with you—and a squad of warriors who probably have high ranks in the, uh... rankings. We’ll all lend you support and backup. In whatever way you need.”

“I know you will, Chase.” Jack nodded. He took a deep breath. “It’s just... hard not to think about all the bad things that could happen.”

“Well, at least nothing will be as bad as that spirit, right?” Chase shrugged.

Jack laughed. “You’re fucking right about that!”

Chase grinned. “Besides, you’re a very good man, too, Jack. Everything will be fine. You just... need to look royal. And speak royally.”

“That might be a bit tricky,” Jack said slowly. “I don’t feel very royal.”

“Hm... well, maybe there’s some magic that could help with that?” Chase suggested. “I saw you talking to your horse a couple times during the journey. Is that... helping you get... familiar with your magic again?”

“O-oh, you... saw that.” Jack looked a bit embarrassed, but pressed on. “I guess it has.”

“Maybe you could make some sort of illusion around yourself,” Chase continued. “Like how the Fair Folk are said to wear glamours to change their appearance.”

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard of that.” Jack nodded. “You know, it’s funny, I picked up on some tidbits from that spirit while it was... h-here.” He went a bit pale, but again, pressed on. “Back in his day, there was a rumor that Smauel’s father was a Fair Folk—explaining why he had such strong enchantment magic. I... guess that would mean the spirit’s father was the same. With them being twins and all that. So... I could probably do a Fair-Folk-like glamour. I doubt I could make myself look like an entirely different person, but I could probably make some slight modifications to my appearance.”

“You might want to get rid of the dark circles under your eyes,” Chase suggested.

“I have dark circles?” Jack blinked. “Alright, uh... Chase, do you mind watching me while I practice this? Tell me when the dark circles disappear.”

Chase smiled. “I will. Not a problem.”

Later that day, shortly after they stopped for a quick lunch break, the Emerald Lake came into view, its water gleaming in the sunlight. The group had spent a lot of the journey avoiding the roads, but now they met up with one, hoofbeats and footsteps thudding on the packed dirt. They had to take the ferry to the island in the center, of course, but they’d worked out the timing carefully so that one would definitely be there when they arrived. The small dock area where the ferry arrived and departed was pretty much empty except for the sailors who ran the place and a handful of warriors. The traveling group was easily spotted—in part because Jack had put on the King’s golden circlet again. It had been tucked away for most of the journey—and indeed, it had been tucked away since the end of the battle at the Cliffs. But now it was out again, and though there was a bit of dirt clinging to it, Jack had practiced enhancing its shine with his powers, making it so that anyone who looked at it thought they saw it perfectly clean and almost glowing. He’d done the same with the rest of his clothes, dusty from travel, and had made himself look less tired and drawn, with Chase’s help.

Everyone nearby stopped and stared at the group as they approached. Then one of the warriors gasped. “Ronnie!” They ran towards the group, and while the Phantoms all tensed instinctively, one of the formerly-enchanted warriors laughed and ran forward to meet this other warrior, and the two of them embraced. That certainly broke the tension.

“Your Majesty, you—you’ve returned!” gasped one of the sailors. “You’re—do you—you wish to use the public ferry?”

“It seems the most efficient, doesn’t it?” Jack said. His tone was lighthearted, almost joking. The sailor couldn’t see the way he gripped the reins of his horse tightly. “We’ll be leaving our mounts in the stable here. How soon can you be ready to depart for the island?”

“A-as soon as possible!” The sailor bowed, and so did everyone else. Some of the formerly-enchanted warriors hurried forward to explain the situation to the warriors here. Or at least, to give them the most basic of basic rundowns. There probably wouldn’t be time to explain everything.

One ferry ride later (the whole group was pretty crowded on the small boat), and they had arrived in Suilthair proper. Everyone spilled out of the ferry and onto land, immediately garnering attention from the regular cityfolk, who stopped in their tracks to stare. Then, once they realized who was among this group, they all gasped. The King?! With not only royal warriors, but some of those mask-wearing rebels as well?! And they were all... getting along?! Talk began to buzz around them like a hive of bees. Some shouted at others to come look at this, and people began leaning out the windows of buildings to look at what all the fuss was about.

Chase made sure that Amabel and Quentin were close to him. He held Amabel’s hand tightly in his left, and Quentin’s in his right. His eyes darted around. At least people didn’t seem angry. They didn’t seem happy, either, but he wasn’t expecting that. They mostly just seemed shocked and confused.

“Alright, Your Majesty.” Jackie stepped close to Jack, scanning the crowd for potential dangers. On Jack’s other side, Lydia the warrior did the same thing. “Let’s get to the castle fast.”

“Right.” Jack nodded. He looked out at the crowd on the docks and raised a hand, waving in greeting with a half-smile on his face. “Sorry! We have business to attend to.”

The fact that the King actually spoke to them just seemed to shock and confuse the crowd more. “Okay, really, everyone go.” Jackie began ushering people forward. “We don’t want to create a bottleneck on these narrow wooden paths.”

The group hurried through the city, the wooden pathways bouncing under the weight of their many boots but never dipping too far into the water. Despite Jackie’s best efforts, there were occasional spots where their progress slowed because of the onlookers. A crowd was starting to develop, some of said onlookers following the group as they made their way towards the palace in the center. It seemed to disperse for a moment as the group stepped from the wooden pathways to the actual island, but then it began to gather up again in even greater force. None of the onlookers got too close, always keeping a couple arm’s lengths away from the edge of the group, but they were there. Jack smiled slightly and waved a couple times. And every time he did, the crowd was clearly surprised.

Then they reached the castle wall.

The crowd fell back a bit, reluctant to get too close. A pair of warriors outside the front gate looked at the group as they approached, wary at first but then becoming more confused as they saw the King and some royal warriors walking among the strange masked rebels (though not all of the Phantoms wore their masks, nor did all of the warriors wear their tunics with the royal crest.) Jack stalled for a moment. The enchantment he was sending out hid his anxiety, but Chase knew it was there. “You can do this,” he whispered.

“Yea, Mr. Your Majesty,” Amabel added, nodding seriously. “You can do this.”

Jack looked down at her in mild surprise, then nodded back at her. He stepped past Jackie and Lydia, who had taken the lead during this walk, and looked at the pair of warriors. Taking a deep breath, he said, “As you can see, I’ve returned. Open the gates. Please.”

The guards hesitated. “Your... Your Majesty?” one of them asked slowly. “Is that... really you?”

“As opposed to...?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Your eyes are... different,” the other one said.

“Yes, I know they are,” Jack said calmly. “There’s a reason for that, though I know if I say it, it will sound very unlikely. Do you want to hear the reason, anyway? Because I know I will have to explain to Lady Tinechroí, and it will likely be much more efficient to only do it once. Let me inside so I can do that, please.”

The warriors glanced at each other. “Your Majesty, we... we were told not to open the gate for any visitors the Lady did not approve beforehand.”

“And that includes your King?” Lydia asked.

Jackie nodded. “Whatever Lady Tinechroí ordered, you know she is outranked by the King.”

Again, the warriors glanced at each other. “Can you wait outside while we alert her?” the first one asked.

Jack glanced at the Phantoms and warriors around him, who had all started to close in. Then he looked at the crowd of onlookers further back. He nodded slowly. “If you’re quick about it.”

One of the warriors looked upwards at the top of the castle wall and shouted for someone to go get Thalia. A figure on top hurried off, and silence fell for a moment. Chase glanced at Jack. The illusion was still in place, but it couldn’t hide the slight trembling all over his frame. As Jack looked back at Chase in turn, Chase gave him an encouraging smile. Quentin and Amabel also gave him thumbs up with their free hands, which caused Jack to laugh fondly a little.

The group shifted around as someone came closer to the front. First, a small off-white cat—Draco. And then following him, Marvin. “I knew she would try something like this,” Marvin muttered. “Your Majesty. Jack. You have to stand firm. She’s very stubborn. Worst comes to worst, say you’ll be speaking to her parents, or maybe mention that you doubt she could handle a high-up position if she won’t listen.”

“Thank you, Marvin,” Jack whispered back. “Ah... are you... sure you want to be in sight? It might just... make things worse for everyone.”

“I’ll be fine,” Marvin said, reaching up to pull his mask down over his face. “She won’t even know it’s me.”

“Draco is a bit of a giveaway,” Chase muttered to him.

Marvin tried to gently push him out of sight. Draco stubbornly remained where he was for a whole minute before he finally got annoyed and trotted away, heading back through the group until he reached Jameson, who quickly scooped him up and carefully moved so that he was hidden from view.

After a few minutes, the castle doors opened. Thalia Tinechroí stepped out. She looked very noble, her hair flowing around her face in a blonde wave, wearing a deep yellow dress with ruffles and a thick skirt. Next to her, Enid, her dog and familiar, stuck by her side, sniffing the air. Somewhere in the back of the group, Draco wriggled about and narrowed his eyes. “Your Majesty,” Thalia said calmly. “I am glad to see you back after such a long delay. I know you said you were not sure when you would be back, but we expected it to be sooner.”

“Yes, I am aware,” Jack said, managing to stay calm. “Lady Thalia, a lot has happened in the past half season, as I’m sure you can tell just by who stands before you. But I have returned—truly returned, and I need to know what state the kingdom is in.”

“What state the kingdom is in?” Thalia repeated. “Your Majesty, I can promise you, I’ve done my utmost to serve as your regent.”

“Yes, I am sure you have, and I’m sure you’ve done a fine job,” Jack said. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I am ready to return to my duties.”

“You say that, Your Majesty, but I can’t help but look at your eyes,” Thalia said. “They seem to have shifted color. Such a thing is not natural. How are we to know you are the true King, and not some sort of trick? After all, those people in the masks have been working against the crown.”

“If you ask me any question the King should know, I can answer it,” Jack said. “For example, I know that before I left, you stopped me and awkwardly hinted that you would be ready for an engagement, by using some sort of metaphor about butterflies and flowers?”

Thalia’s jaw dropped. She was clearly trying to say something, but no words came out. Her face turned very, very red.

“The reason for the change in my eyes is simple.” Jack looked around. Some castle servants and warriors had gathered on the wall above, while around them, the onlookers had crept forward into earshot. “The truth is... for as long as you’ve known my eyes to be green, I have not been... myself. A spiolash invaded my body and took control. For the past seven years.”

Everyone muttered at the sound of the possessive spirits’ true name. That was not something said lightly.

“With the help of these Masked Phantoms, I have been freed,” Jack continued. “And the spirit’s spells have ended. I’m sure you all must have felt something shift in the air some time ago.”

More muttering, mostly from the growing crowd of onlookers.

“I have taken some time to recover and now I am ready to return to my duties,” Jack said. “Again, I thank you for your help running the city and the kingdom as I did so. But I ask you to step down now.”

Thalia blinked slowly, eyes darting back and forth. “And, ah... these Phantoms, as you call them, are to be allowed into the palace as well? How well do you... know these people, Your Majesty?”

“Well enough,” Jack said. “And if you have doubts, I have with me here several of our most trusted warriors who can also vouch for the Phantoms—as well as verify my story of the possessive spirit.” Lydia nodded, as did the other warriors in the group.

Thalia looked at the guards who’d been at the front gate. “Do you recognize these warriors?”

“Yes, of course,” one of them said. “Though it has been a while since we’ve seen their faces without helmets. There's no doubt who they are.”

The onlookers muttered among themselves, some of them pointing at Thalia. She saw them doing this and stiffened slightly. Apparently the idea of looking bad in front of a crowd made her uncomfortable. Enough that she nodded. “V-very well, Your Majesty. Welcome back. And welcome to all the rest of your group as well.” She looked up towards the top of the castle wall (where servants and warriors had gathered to watch). “Open the gate!”

The servants up above moved about quickly, and the massive front doors soon opened. Behind them was a portcullis blocking the way, which rose upwards. The onlooking crowd all gasped and murmured, sounding very interested and curious as to what’s going on. Jack looked at them and waved, smiling slightly. Some of the crowd—mostly the younger ones—waved back. And with that, the group all headed into the castle.

Chase tensed slightly as they walked through the wall. The last time he was here, he was helping Jameson escape. He glanced back through the group towards Jameson, and saw that he also looked a bit pale and worried. But he was standing strong, so Chase felt like he should be able to as well.

“I... assume you’ll be wanting to go back to your rooms, King Aodhán?” Thalia asked slowly. “The servants have been keeping it clean. But, ah... where will the rest of your... friends stay?”

Jack glanced back at them. “Well, some might prefer to stay in the barracks on site, but I know that we have the whole east wing and towers full of guest rooms for the others. Though I’ll warn you guys now, they’re probably in disrepair.”

“That’s fine, Your Majesty,” Jackie said. “We’ve slept in worse places.”

Thalia blinked and looked at him. More specifically, at his mask. She narrowed her eyes. “Have we met?”

“Yes,” Jackie said. “But don’t worry about it. We both have the common goal of helping the kingdom, so there’s nothing to worry about, is there?” He looked at her pointedly.

“...right,” Thalia said slowly. She glanced at the other Phantoms and all their masks, clearly taking note of ones she was familiar with. “Your Majesty.” She stepped forward, leaning close to Jack despite how Jackie and Lydia both stiffened as she got close, unafraid of how several of the Phantoms and warriors reached for their weapons. “May I speak with you alone later?”

Jack hesitated for a moment. Then he made a decision. “No, if alone means with just the two of us, you may not. I know that you mean the best, but this is a very tense situation we’re in right now, and I don’t think it would look good if I spent time alone with one person. These Phantoms here might think you’re trying to conspire with me. You may speak with me in a group setting, though.”

Thalia blinked. “I... simply want you to think about the type of people you spend your company with. If you can really trust them.”

“I am thinking about that, Lady, I assure you,” Jack said. “And if you keep pushing the matter, I may start to reconsider my trust in you.”

Thalia immediately shut her mouth. She nodded, and gave a little curtsey. “As you wish, King Aodhán.”

“Thank you.” Jack nodded. “Now, if you could please alert the servants to open up the east wing and towers.”

“Right away, Your Majesty.” And Thalia turned, crossing the gardens of the castle grounds and quickly heading to the palace.

The moment she was gone, Jack let out a long breath, his posture deflating. He glanced back at Chase, who smiled. “You did a great job, Jack,” he said quietly.

“Very great,” Amabel agreed.

Jack smiled slightly, then looked at Jackie and Lydia. “Do you two mind... staying nearby for the rest of the day?”

“Of course.” Jackie nodded, and Lydia bowed.

“Your Majesty, do you... actually trust her?” Marvin asked. “Believe she put her best foot forward, and all that?”

“Not fully,” Jack said. “I don’t trust her character, but I trust her to be consistent—and to not do anything that would make her lose favor. Don’t worry, we can all keep an eye on her.”

Marvin nodded, looking relieved.

“Alright...” Jack sighed. “Let’s see what a mess they’ve made of the castle.”

It took all day for everything to settle down. The servants and warriors of the palace were surprised to have the King back—and shocked that he was so different from what they remembered. Many of them were relieved, but a bit confused. Still, none of them questioned Jack’s orders, and went about opening up the parts of the palace that had been closed, doing their best to get it all back in order. The Phantoms helped, even though most of them didn’t know anything about how to maintain rooms in a palace.

A brief meeting was held around dinnertime where everyone talked about what happened in Suilthair since the King left, and about the news that had come in from the rest of the kingdom. It seemed that the moment the spirit had been banished, all the enchantments he made had disappeared, meaning that a lot of warriors and servants came out of trances they’d been in for years, and even common citizens of Suilthair felt as though they’d awoken from a fog. There had been confusion, but Thalia had managed to keep order—seemed she was good at that, at least, even if she was just doing so to cozy up to the King. The servants and warriors had maintained the status quo in the castle, but loosened up, generally. Many people living in Suilthair had left, but others had come in from the surrounding countryside, wondering what was going on in the city and why rumors said the King had gone. Overall, it could have been much worse. But there was still a lot of work to be done.

Later that night, Chase found himself settling down for bed in an actual room for the first time in a long while. Jack had asked him to stay close by, so the room was rather fancy, being in the royal wing where Jack’s rooms were. It was dirty and dusty and the legs of some of the chairs had snapped off, but it could have been worse. Marvin, Jackie, Henrik, and Jameson all shared another room also nearby, though theirs was bigger, with an actual connected living room. They offered to let Chase share, too, but he declined. He would rather have a room with just him and his kids.

“This is a really nice bed,” Quentin said, bouncing on the mattress—then sneezing as doing so caused a lot of dust to fly into the air.

“Careful, Quen, you don’t know what’s in there,” Chase chuckled.

Amabel climbed onto the bed next to Quentin and threw the blankets to the side. “Hm... I don’t see anything.”

“Good idea to check, though,” Chase said.

Quentin nodded. “Good idea. Now, come on, Dad! It’s night time!”

Chase smiled and climbed into bed next to them. “Are you two sure you want to share with me? You’re not too ‘big’ for that? There’s a nice sofa in here I could use.”

“The bed is giant, Dad, it’s no problem,” Amabel said. “We’ll be on one side and you can be on the other!”

“Ha! Good point.” Chase had brought a candle into the room for light. He set it down on the table next to the bed while he and the kids got comfortable. “Alright... you two know what we’re doing tomorrow, right?”

The two of them looked at him and nodded seriously. “We remember where Mom lived,” Amabel said. “I hope she’s still there.”

“Of course she is,” Chase reassured her. “And she’ll be so happy to see you again.” Though he was a bit nervous, himself, he knew that Stacia would have been so worried this whole time. He could barely stand to delay seeing her for another night, but she would probably be asleep by now, anyway. “Alright. So we have to all get some good rest tonight. Got it?”

“Got it, Dad,” Amabel said, and Quentin nodded. “We’ll be so rested. Look.” She pulled the blanket up to her chin—meaning that it was up to Quentin’s nose, as he was still much smaller than her.

Chase chuckled. “Okay. Good night, you two. I love you.”

“Love you too,” both kids said in unison.

Chase leaned over and blew out the candle, then settled down for the night. Tomorrow, the family would be fully reunited again. Tomorrow would be the start of the rest of their lives.

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