“Madison? Madison!” he roared.
“Yeah, so?”
“Where people have gone missing?”
“Yeah, they already hit Madison, so, statistically speaking, we were safer there than here with shadow portals popping up,” Meryn pointed out.
Aiden ran his hands through his hair.
Pierce rubbed his chin. “You know, Commander, when she puts it that way, it really does make a lot of sense.”
“Quiet Pierce! You’re just as bad as Ryuu, going along with her crazy schemes,” Aiden grumbled.
“Even I would have balked at going to Madison,” Ryuu said dryly, his arms crossed. He looked down at his charge with a flat expression.
Meryn went to him and hugged him around the waist. “I had to stay really busy because I missed you,” she said quietly.
Ryuu exhaled as his face softened. “Oh,denka.”
Zoe watched Meryn with her squire and realized that the smaller woman had been facing her own anxiety all day without her squire at her side. “You did really well, Meryn,” Zoe said.
Aiden pulled Meryn into a hug of his own. “I thought you said you were okay?”
Meryn rubbed at her eyes. “I was, well, I knew I had to be because what Ryuu was doing was important, but I never want to have him leave again, like ever.”
Ryuu gave a half bow. “I swear to you,denka, I will remain by your side from here on out.”
Zoe couldn’t help but look around. Where was the individual that had Ryuu gone for most of the day?
Ryuu caught her eye and nodded. “They are waiting for you in the queen’s chambers.” He smiled. “The queen is quite taken with them.”
Zoe took Gage’s hand and practically drug him into the palace. Together everyone made their way to the queen’s personal chambers.
“Auntie, I’m home!” Meryn announced.
“Good, I feel better knowing you are in Éire Danu,” the queen replied.
Zoe eyed the two new individuals at the table.
Ryuu walked around the table to stand behind them.
“Denka, Lady Zoe. This is Ame and Yuki. They are the ones who will be assisting Lady Zoe in her day-to-day life,” Ryuu placed a hand on each of the boy’s shoulders.
Zoe stared. They were just children, and why were there two of them?
“How comes there’s two? Was it buy one get one free or something?” Meryn asked.
Ryuu shook his head, then nodded. “Something like that. My old house had already expressed an interest in Ame. His gift is with rain, so he, of course, was highly sought after. We, however, asked after Yuki, whose gift is with snow.”
“And? I feel like there’s more to the story,” Meryn prompted.
Ryuu inclined his head. “As you know, my old house does not treat their people well. House Fujiwara was hesitant to let Ame go to them. By offering for Yuki, we were able to protect both of them.”
“How?” Zoe asked.
“Because you cannot have snow without rain,” Ryuu replied.
Like Ryuu, the boys had gorgeous Japanese features, but unlike the squire, their eyes were bright blue, and their hair was white. They watched them with wide, unblinking eyes. To Zoe, they didn’t look older than five or six.