Chapter 157

MILA

I was glad Felix suggested staying that first night in his city apartment. The idea of going back to the castle right away made my hands shake and my stomach weak. I was not ready to face his parents, Esmeralda, or the trauma I’d endured throughout my past lives.

I don’t know how long I slept for. It could have been hours, it could have been days. All I knew was that when I woke up, I finally felt rested.

There were still some monumental tasks ahead of me: restoring the magic alongside Felix, reconciling with his family, and figuring out the best way forward in this new world in a council alongside the other magical kingdoms. It felt a bit overwhelming, to be completely honest, but I just needed to take things one day at a time.

The bed next to me was empty when I woke up, but I was not worried. I assumed Felix was around the apartment somewhere.

Sure enough, barely a few moments later, my husband tentatively entered the bedroom, carrying a large takeout cup of coffee. He smiled when he saw me sitting up in bed.

“I brought you a vanilla latte,” Felix said shyly. “Your favorite.”

I grinned and extended my hands towards him–either reaching for my husband or the coffee, but at this time of day, who was really to say?

Felix handed me the coffee and gave me a small kiss on my forehead. “I wanted to wake you up with something special.”

I heard the wary note in his voice and raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to bribe me, Your Majesty?”

Felix laughed awkwardly. “Yes and no. I would have gotten you coffee anyway. But my parents want to speak with you. I told them you needed space and time, but they insisted.”

I frowned. I knew that eventually I needed to have a conversation with Ivan and Rowena, but deep down, I was afraid. Did they really think so little of me that they were willing to have me killed?

What did they think of me now?”

“So, did you agree to this little meet up on my behalf?” I asked, slowly taking a sip of my coffee.

Felix shook his head furiously. “No, of course not! I told them I wasn’t going to speak for you. I said I’d be happy to ask you if you were ready for a conversation, but when and how you all speak is not in my control. Nor is it my choice.”

I took another sip of coffee, considering his words. “Well, thank you for doing that.”

Felix sat down on the bed next to me. “I want to be there, though. My parents are complicated people, but I don’t think they would have hurt you if they felt they had any other option.”

I rested my head against his shoulder. “I know. I know. I just… I can talk to them this afternoon, but it all needs to be on my terms.”

Felix smiled slightly. “Anything you want. Name it.”

We ended up meeting Felix’s parents at my restaurant.

I wanted our conversion to happen on my territory, not in the castle or anywhere else. They needed a reminder of everything they had attempted to rip away from me, and see exactly what kind of damage was caused.

The former King and Queen entered the restaurant with their heads bowed, clearly prepared for some serious atoning. They wore simple, all-black clothing, and there was not a jewel in sight. Esmeralda followed behind them, her expression unreadable.

Felix, meanwhile, had taken the occasion to wear one of his golden crowns, a clear symbol of authority. I thought he looked exceptionally handsome, and made sure to tell him so before his parents arrived.

I had complicated feelings about this conversation. On one hand, I was sad and frustrated with how they had treated me. On the other hand, I had now met my own parents. I understood the deep-rooted desperation to do whatever it takes for your child.

Ivan and Rowena sat down across from us, their faces full of pain and sorrow. Esmeralda stood behind them, looking uncomfortable.

“I’m so sorry, Mila,” Rowena blurted out. “We really were not thinking straight. What we did was unconscionable. I deeply regret all of our actions.”

Ivan nodded, but his stare remained a little icy. “We were putting the kingdom first, Mila.”

I shook my head. “I needed to have a say in whether I lived or died. That wasn’t your decision to make.”

“Isn’t Felix your soulmate? Wouldn’t you gladly die for the man that you love?” Ivan asked.

I shrugged. “Maybe. Probably. But it wasn’t my choice. My issue is that I had no say in the matter. I was seized in the middle of the night and poisoned in the center of the castle courtyard.”

Esmeralda bowed her head in a moment of contrition. “We had no idea what we were doing. We should have told you.”

“You should have–” I cut myself off, feeling my voice raise to a higher volume. I took a deep breath to steady myself. “I just need you to understand why this was all so awful for me.”

Rowena nodded miserably. “I was so lost in grief, Mila. That’s not an excuse, but it is an explanation.”

Ivan said gruffly, “I was trained my whole life to put the kingdom and the crown above everything else. It was not until we sacrificed you that I even started to question whether putting Fresonia above everything was the right decision.”

I could hear the pain in his voice. This was a man who had spent the last few weeks unlearning everything he had once held dear and precious to his heart.

Esmeralda chimed in. “I swore to protect the royal family. I was so blinded by my vows that I never once stopped to consider whether you would agree with my intentions.”

“To be fair,” I said, offering the witch a slight smile, “I was the one who told you to do that.”

Esmeralda nodded, a tiny bit of warmth coming into her eyes. I knew Felix had explained to his family the truth about my past lives, and the trauma he and I both were still healing from. I also knew that they did regret their part in everything, despite the good that came from it.

“All I ask is that next time, if a decision is to be made about my life or Felix’s, that we are consulted first,” I continued. “Maybe I would have sacrificed myself for Felix. But we’ll never know. I never got to make that choice.”

“We are terribly sorry,” Ivan offered up. “I understand that you may never forgive us, but know that we will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you.”

Esmeralda and Rowena chimed in in agreement.

I took a deep breath. “We are all family now. We just need to remember that.”

Rowena clasped my hand. “We love you, Mila. I swear.”

I looked at the three of them. I had not decided what I was going to say in this meeting, but seeing their faces, I knew what had to be done.

I took a deep breath. “I forgive you.”