CHAPTER 74 Welcome Home, Dear

CHAPTER 74

Welcome Home, Dear

Brownie

Brownie stared at her Aunt Glindy in confusion and unease.

Her parents were supposed to be staying with her maternal family in Drendil, investigating the changes being implemented in the kingdom. The new regent was promoting acceptance of nonhumans, but that didn’t mean it would change overnight. Her parents had been chosen to inspect.

Most of her mother’s family had moved to Peldeep, since her aunts had, one and all, married nonhumans, but her maternal grandparents still lived in Drendil. Brownie had been raised there for half of her life. Drendil hadn’t been the best place to grow up as a half giantess, but she hadn’t spent very much time there until her teens—and then, she’d had music and Henrietta to keep her busy. The previous king and queen had promoted intolerance and violence against nonhumans; how they begat a sweet princess like Henrietta was anyone’s guess.

“Your parents traveled here with Persia on her last delivery. They wanted to meet your partner .” Aunt Glindy waved a hand at Rufus, who’d jumped down to join them.

“But how did they know ? We’ve only just started courting today!” Brownie accepted Rufus’s offered hand. He tucked hers into the crook of his elbow and smiled down at her.

“Just because it took us a while to figure it out doesn’t mean it wasn’t obvious to everyone else that I was chasing you,” he teased.

“You weren’t chasing me,” Brownie grumped. “You were sitting in the wagon right next to me.”

“That’s because you let me ride with you,” Rufus pointed out. “Otherwise, I would have been chasing you, all the way to Servalt and back. ”

“Nevertheless”—Aunt Glindy took a step to the side and waved them forward—“your parents are waiting.”

Brownie drew a deep breath. “Then I’ll leave Donna to you, Aunt Glindy. Her enchantment should run out in the next hour or so.”

“I’m going to head out as well.” Slake hopped up from the back of the wagon and shook himself. “I’ve a report to make at the palace. But I’ll be back to visit before your meeting with the guild leader.”

The grimalcat flew away before anyone could do more than bid a polite farewell.

Aunt Glindy raised an eyebrow at them having traveled with the mythical beast, but joined in the goodbyes, adding a slight bow to be polite. “That wasn’t your grimalcat, was it?”

“No.” Brownie shook her head.

Aunt Glindy sighed before waving the pair of them on as she led Donna away.

Brownie’s family home was almost a fortress in its own right, with a two-story wall that guarded the compound, a stable to the left, and a training field to the right.

Rufus followed Brownie as she tried to explain her family and the grounds as simply as possible. In the center rose a giant elegant tower with a few balconies and windows placed in strategic positions in case of attack. Eldest Uncle Derek lived there with his foxbride Sue, their foxson Luke with his human wife, Jasmine, and the fox granddaughter Lily. Luke’s sister, the storm giant Candace, had moved out to be an adventurer.

Strategically placed in four corners around the tower were four houses also build for giants, each with sliding doors and covered wooden patios that bridged the large and smaller units. In the front right, her forever single-and-happy Uncle Tobias; the back right was Brownie’s parents’; the back left was Uncle Ulric and his wife, Aunt Glindy; the front left was Uncle Ulric’s son and his troll wife Lucy and their four children.

There were smaller-size buildings in between which housed all of her nongiant uncles and their wives and children and grandchildren. It was a busy place.

They passed by her human uncle Bruce on his way to the palace. He lived in one of the smaller units, but he was rarely home, as his ratkin husband Benji lived in the palace, and they mostly stayed there.

Brownie explained all of this as they walked … and assumed that Rufus retained none of it . Her family was huge , and just explaining this much was pretty overwhelming.

And she didn’t include her mother’s side.

Rufus, for his part, listened intently.

“And this is my house.” Brownie motioned toward a large building with open windows and delicate wind chimes hanging from the eaves. A collection of marigolds hung in planter boxes off the patio railings. The entire place was warm and welcoming.

Her father, wearing all black and sharpening a collection of throwing knives while sitting on a seat on the patio, was less so, though her mother, wearing a flowing green summer gown with floral trim along the seams, was watering the plants happily. They could not be more different; her father a rogue assassin and her mother a priestess of earth who specialized in blessing crops.

But they loved each other, and they loved her.

“Mother, Father!” Brownie beamed up at them, still linked arm and arm with Rufus. “Welcome back. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Greetings.” Rufus nodded.

“It’s a good thing we arrived when we did.” Her father eyed them, focusing mostly on Rufus as he slowly ka-shinked a knife across the sharpening stone before resting the blade flat side down on his knees. “As I’m sure there is much to speak about before dinner.”

The slight to Rufus by not returning his greeting wasn’t a good sign, and was actually kind of rude, but Brownie didn’t worry.

Her father was one for dramatics, while her mother …

“Welcome home, dear.” Her mother put aside the watering can and smiled down at them. “Why don’t we all go inside for a nice cup of elder-raspberry tea? I just picked up a fresh tin of leaves from the Pixie Prim booth at the market this morning.”

“Alright.” Brownie squeezed Rufus’s arm, and they walked up the stairs together.

Her father placed the sharpening stone aside and stood, holding the shining knife in his hand. He flipped the blade a few times in the air, deftly displaying the [Knife Play] skill that all of her family prided themselves on. He finally sheathed the blade and clipped it to his belt, resting his hand on the clip. With a sweep, he gestured them forward with his free hand, all the while leaving the other in place and staring daggers at Rufus.

The entry of her childhood home remained the same, opening into a mudroom used for taking off their shoes and donning indoor footwear. Rufus accepted a pair, sliding his wolf feet into ill-fitting slippers. In the common room, her mother was pouring hot water into a teapot to steep. She’d also placed out a few snacks: lotus blossom cakes, fried vegetable dumplings, mixed nuts, and a small platter of dried meats.

The sentiment warmed Brownie’s heart. Her mother was a vegetarian and never served meat unless they were hosting a purely carnivorous guest of honor.

Marigold didn’t know what Rufus could eat, so she’d added meat just for him.

Brownie resisted the sudden urge to cry; she loved her parents, which was why convincing them to accept Rufus was all the more important .

Her father sat down cross-legged on a pillow at the low table. At least, low by half-giant standards. While standing, it came up to Brownie’s shin and her mother’s knee.

“So, Rufus,” Linden Stannard said. “Tell us about yourself.”