59. Annani

59

ANNANI

A s Annani waited for Kian to join her for lunch, she looked out the sliding doors of her house at the lushly green backyard. The view, together with the sounds and smells coming from the kitchen where Oridu was bustling about, provided a soothing background to her racing thoughts.

How could it be that a half-brother, born on a distant planet and raised under such different circumstances, was so much like her?

They shared a father, but, although Annani had loved Ahn dearly and respected him immensely, he hadn't been ruled by his heart like she was and like the prince seemed to be.

Ahn hadn't been known for his compassion either.

Her father had never been cruel for cruelty's sake, and he had not been a tyrant obsessed with ruling, but he had been ruthless, unforgiving, and steadfast in following the code he had imposed on their people. But then, Annani hadn't inherited her impulsivity and her romanticism from her mother either. She actually shared those traits with her uncle Ekin, who was also the Eternal King's son, but not Queen Ani's, so if they were, in fact, inherited traits, they had to have come from the Eternal King, the only ancestor they had in common. But, Annani sincerely doubted that they had all inherited good hearts from him.

Genetics were complicated, and as much as the gods thought they could control every aspect of creating an intelligent being, some things were the Fates' doing.

As the warm, savory scent of the simmering stew filled the air, Annani started to get impatient for her son's arrival.

She was eager to share lunch with Kian, a rare treat they seldom enjoyed, and then drive together to see her brother again. It wasn't that she didn't like family meals with Syssi and Allegra, but it was nice to get her son all to herself occasionally.

The sound of the doorbell brought a smile to her lips, and as Ogidu opened the door for Kian, she rose to her feet and walked over to greet him.

"You are right on time." She tilted her head for him to kiss her cheek and then the other way so he could kiss the other.

"Something smells good," he said.

"Oridu got excited when I told him you would join us for lunch. He made the vegetable stew you like."

Usually, her butler prepared the stew with beef, but since Kian did not eat animal products, Ogidu had found wonderful substitutes.

Kian's eyes widened. "I have not had that in such a long time."

"Then let us begin the meal without delay." She led him to the dining room table.

After pulling out a chair for her and waiting until she was seated, Kian took the seat to her right.

"I have good news," he said as he unfurled his napkin and draped it over his lap. "Bridget called me this morning to tell me that the prince remembered his and his sister's names."

Annani's heart rate accelerated. She had not expected such fast progress. "This is indeed wonderful news. What are their names?"

"His is Ell-rom, and his sister's is Morelle."

Annani felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "Ell-rom and Morelle," she repeated softly, the names feeling both foreign and achingly familiar on her tongue. "My brother and sister. What jogged his memory? Did Bridget say?"

"She did, and she credited Jasmine with the idea that led to it. Ell-rom was desperate to see his sister, so he tried to get out of bed on his own. Naturally, he was in no state to do that, and Bridget caught him in time before he face-planted on the floor. Bridget offered to show him a camera feed of his sister, but the prince was adamant about seeing her himself and holding her hand. When Jasmine saw how distraught he was because he couldn't see his sister, she suggested that they take him to see her by wheeling his bed into her room. Bridget agreed to try it, and somehow, they managed to squeeze his bed next to his sister's so he could reach over and take her hand."

Imagining the reunion, Annani could not hold back the tears falling down her cheeks.

"I wish I had been there to see them together. It must have been such an emotional moment."

"I bet it was," Kian said. "So much so that the prince remembered his sister's name, which in turn brought back his own."

Annani smiled through the tears. "I think the Fates were very wise choosing Jasmine as my brother's mate." She chuckled. "She is so dedicated to him and so resourceful. I hope she will transition and prove that she is a princess at heart."

She waited for Ogidu to serve the stew, toasted bread, and fresh salad. "We do not know anything about her family." Annani leaned back to allow Ogidu to place some stew on her plate. "From what you told me, she is not close to her father, and her mother died when she was young. I would like you to look into that."

Kian nodded. "I'll get someone onto that. If she is to become my aunt, I need to know more about her history."

Annani winced. "An actress who is a Wiccan witch would not have been my first or second or third choice for my brother's mate, but I need to have faith in the Fates."

"She is a lovely young lady." Kian reached for a piece of toast to dip in his stew. "Beautiful, kind, and most importantly, full of joie de vivre. You will like her."

"I would like to meet her. Perhaps today, you will allow her to remain by his side when I visit?"

Kian sighed. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

"First of all, I would rather wait for her to transition. Meeting you will leave such an indelible impression that we will not be able to erase her memory of that, provided that it is needed."

Annani laughed. "After finding an alien pod with twenty stasis chambers inside, eighteen dead Kra-ell, and two live half gods, half Kra-ell royal twins, I do not think meeting me will be the most memorable thing in Jasmine's mind."

For a moment, it seemed like she had won the verbal sparring with her son, but then he got that gleam in his eyes that portended otherwise.

"You might be right about that, but it's also not the right way to introduce her to you. Would you rob Jasmine of the full experience of meeting a goddess for the first time by doing so in a cramped clinic room?"

He got her there.

Or maybe not.

"We can do this in your office in the keep. I will sit at the head of the conference table, looking regal and glowing, and you will bring her in to meet me. I will do my thing, welcoming her to the clan and acting godly, and from there, we can walk together to Ell-rom's room."