Alban’s hope of finding Valerie at the foot of the mountain vanished once they arrived. It was then his strength left him and he fought Claymore to let him stay a while longer in hopes of her returning. The captain refused to leave him, so the two men camped out while some of the more able-bodied prisoners led the group to Liston. The first day went by uneventfully, and the second day as well. On the third day, Claymore became restless after he had to fight off a pack of wolves. Alban merely sat by the side of his makeshift tent and watched the mountains for any sign of movement. A rumble in the ground, his lover’s voice carrying across the wind. Anything. 

“Alban, she’s not coming back. I’m sorry.”

Alban merely sat there, unmoving. It wasn’t true, he knew it. She couldn’t be gone. The love of his life, the only thing that kept him going through his lowest times, she had to be alive. He couldn’t live with himself otherwise.

“Alban, please. We can’t stay here forever.”

“I didn’t ask you to Claymore. You chose to stay with me. If you will only bring my spirits down, I suggest you leave.”

“That is not fair, Alban, you are my friend! I lost my wife years ago, so trust me when I tell you that you owe it to her to keep living. You have to keep her memory alive with you.”

“She’s still out there, Claymore! I can’t give up on her!”

“Alban, it has been three days! She’s gone, you can’t waste away here! No one could have survived that fall.” It was just then that the two men detected movement on the mountain path. Alban stood, strength filling his legs once more, but when his vision became clearer he could see it was a boy. “Luke!” Claymore ran to the young prince and knelt before him. “You’re alive! You fell with Valerie, how did you survive?” Alban gave his full attention to the boy, hoping to hear some sort of good news.

“Is she alive? Does she need help?” All Luke could do was cry as he looked at the two men. “Luke please, is Valerie alright?” The young boy wiped the tears from his eyes, then merely shook his head. 

“It’s all right, Luke, tell us what happened.” 

“V-Valerie...s-she saved me. I-I hid in her pocket when you came to that giant’s house. H-he found me and I told him what was happening. S-she rescued me, and fell into the pit. The giant died, b-but she lived long enough to help me get out.”

“Is she still alive?!” 

“N-no. She told me to tell you that...that she loves you...” Alban stepped away, his knees weak again, and he fell to the ground near his tent. So that was it. His reason for living was gone. His closest companion... 

“Alban. Alban, we must get Luke home. We know what happened. Again, I am truly sorry, but you have a family to return to as well. Live for them, my friend.” Alban closed his eyes, then nodded. Claymore put a hand on his shoulder and helped him stand, walking beside him as they began the journey to Liston. 

*

“They’re back! Our captain returns!” King Ferran exited the front gate once he heard his guard, and his excitement grew when he saw his son with them. 

“Luke! You’re alive, thank the gods!” Ferran ran to the weary travelers and hoisted the boy into his arms. He then set him down and embraced Claymore before he turned his attention to Alban. “Great king of Vandan, where is your wife? Why have you all come alone? We must thank her for returning the prisoners from that giant.” 

“She’s gone, my king,” Claymore said. “She died saving us.”

“No...oh, I am sorry Alban! If there is anything we can do-”

“I’d like enough supplies to make it home. I need to see my children.”

“Of course, of course. You wouldn’t like to stay at all? Rest from your journey?”

“No. I need to tell them what happened.” 

“Yes, I understand. Quick, get him saddled up!” Before anyone could get a horse, the giant owl flew above the city and landed just outside the gates, its eyes glowing. In Alban’s head, he heard an old and wise female voice.

I am Ophelia. I was a close friend of Valerie. Her loss has brought me great pain. Let me bring you home. Though we have never formally met, I trust you with my life. You gave Valerie someone to love, and you loved her back. 

“Don’t worry about the horse, Ferran. I have a ride.”

“An owl! Father, can I-”

“Quiet, Luke!” Alban approached Ophelia as she let down her wing for him to mount her. Before he climbed on, he looked back at the people of Liston. Claymore nodded to him and King Ferran bowed before they all entered the gates, closing a chapter of the adventure. 

I shall watch over the city. 

“No need. We will not forget the help Ferran gave Vandan. We will ensure he is protected.” Alban climbed the wing and held tightly to her feathers as she lifted off and soared over the trees. Alban looked down, further up than he had been with Valerie too. He could even see her footprints in the ground, seemingly normal sized from his point of view. He dug his face into Ophelia’s feathers, fighting back another onslaught of tears. He had to be strong for his children. He had to be the leader of his family. Hold them together like Valerie had. He had to be a lone king. 

*

    Lorek and Valdan sat together in a windowsill, watching the sun rise over the kingdom. “Belena has been feeling off lately,” Lorek mused as he kicked a pebble to the ground. “I’m worried. I think the responsibility of leading the kingdom has been getting to her.”

    “How so?”

    “She’s been short-tempered, she’s been staying up later, waking up early. I’ve had to sleep by myself because I can’t keep up with her hours! I think this is too much for her. And she’s been getting cramps too. I don’t know how to help her. I never prepared for this.”

    “Lorek, Belena is a very special person. She’s been through hell these last few weeks, so it’s understandable that she’s been changing. We all have. It will be different when my parents return though, I promise.” 

    “If you say so.” On the horizon, the two could spot some kind of bird flying towards the castle. It wasn’t any bird though, it was an owl; it was a giant owl. “Valdan…”

    “Call the guards!” Valdan grabbed a bow that he had brought with him just for this occasion and fitted an arrow in. As he took aim though, he yelled to Lorek. “Wait! It’s my father!” He dropped the bow and ducked as the owl flew in and landed on a nearby table. Sylvie had just entered the hall they were in and shrieked. 

    “Valdan, get to cover! I’ll get it out!” 

    “Sylvie, no-”

    “Isylvine, stop at once! It’s me!” Sylvie stopped and looked closer at the bird’s back. 

    “Daddy!” Sylvie ran over and grabbed Alban off Ophelia’s back, and as soon as she did the owl flew out and away. “Oh Father, you’re safe! What happened, where’s Mom? I’m sure you have so much to share!”

    “Sylvie, please, let me breathe!” The giant princess loosened her tight embrace and opened her palm, letting her father catch his breath. 

    “Sorry Dad, it’s just been so long!” 

    “I know, I know. I’ve missed you all dearly too. Where’s Belena?”

    “Dad!” His eldest daughter came running in after hearing the commotion and gently took him in her palm. She held him to her cheek as he kissed it, then she held him out in front of her. “You’re back! Where’s Mother?”

“Belena, please sit down. Sylvie, you too.” She nodded, setting him down on the table. As she pulled two chairs up, Lorek and Valdan climbed on to join him, sitting cross legged on the edge of the table. Once everyone was present and waiting with bated breath, Alban began. 

“My children. My wonderful children. It’s been too long. Your mother...your mother and I did good deeds during our travels. The giant we sought...he wasn’t what we had hoped for. We freed the prisoners he had taken. Your mother...she fought valiantly. I…” He hid his face and coughed into his sleeve before he went on. He was on the verge of breaking. He had to pull through. Be strong. “I helped them escape, but the giant was strong. I tried to help her, but he nearly killed me in the process. Before I knew it...she...she fell.” 

“Dad...what do you mean she fell? Is she hurt? Does she need us?” Belena asked. She was beginning to panic, he could hear it in her voice. The other children were joining in, taking after the eldest of the siblings. 

“She...your mother is gone. She...she died saving the prisoners.” The news sank in for a minute without anything happening. Sylvie was the first to start balling. Lorek’s face fell and Valdan couldn’t hold back his tears either. Belena, though, merely stood still for a moment and then ran away. Alban wanted to call after her, but his voice was gone. He merely stood there and allowed his tears to fall. Valdan stood and ran to his father, throwing his arms around him. 

“Tell me it’s not true, please, tell me it’s not!”

“I’m sorry, son. I’m sorry…”

As father and son hugged each other, Sylvie, still weeping loudly,let her hand fall down on the table next to them. Taking a step towards it, Alban put his arm around her finger, in this way embracing her as well. Lorek remained where he was, sitting silently, eyes downcast. But Alban gave him a look that beckoned him closer and he suddenly jumped up and ran towards the group. While the three men were huddled together, united in their grief, Sylvie carefully wrapped her fingers around them and lifted them up to her chest. Even though she was breathing heavily from crying, she held her family against her, unable to bear the tragic news all by herself. Alban didn’t demand to be put back down: his youngest daughter was a powerful giantess on the outside, but she was as emotionally vulnerable as any human inside. She needed his support right now: all of them needed one another in this sorrowful time.

After many hours, during which all of them let their emotions out, Sylvie put them back down on the table again. She was crying less intensely now, but it was obvious she needed a lot more time to process what she’d just heard, so Alban gave her a nod, letting her know she had his permission to return to her room. She headed off, carrying Lorek and valdan to their own rooms at their request, leaving Alban to stand alone on the table, the sun now high in the sky. He climbed to the windowsill and sat there, watching the kingdom far below. Rismark was busy, the people were in the middle of their routines, unaware of the heartbreak within the castle walls. Life was going on, but Alban felt like it shouldn’t. His world was gone. His anchor, his true love. Was he really expected to lead these people now? He couldn’t lead this new nation alone, not like Valerie had. She had run Rismark and the castle when he was off in Elgon. She had defended the lands from great beasts and raised his giant daughters at the same time. She had loved him from the first, even when he had been unkind to her initially.

After an hour some of the castle’s guards approached him, and he snapped out of his self-loathing for a moment. It was time to be a king for a moment. “My liege,” one said, “the princess Isylvine has requested your presence.”

“Thank you. I’ll go to her immediately.” The guards nodded and left the king alone again. He took one last look at the view outside before he made his descent.

*

Sylvie saw her father enter her room and got up to carry him to her bed immediately. Her eyes were still red from crying, but her outward appearance was calm and composed - for now. “Thank you for coming, Dad. I need to talk.” She set him on her bed as she sat on the other end, her legs pulled up to her chest. “Tell me...how it happened.”

“Sylvie...it won’t help-”

“It will help me! I want to know what she was doing in her last moments.”

“I...very well. Your mother couldn’t bear to know what the giant, Naaman, was doing to his human prisoners. We both planned to rescue them. She would distract Naaman while I freed the prisoners with a local we met. She was able to hold him back long enough for over a hundred people to escape. But…” Alban began to choke up, “a lightning blast hit the mountainside and she went down with him. Her last moments were spent saving others.” Sylvie breathed heavily and closed her eyes, letting a few more tears escape. 

“So,” she said, wiping her eyes, “she...she didn’t die for nothing.”

“No, my dearest daughter, she died as she had lived - selflessly, putting the lives of others before her own. She was the greatest hero these lands had ever known.”

“And...and the people of Vandan...they need to know…”

“They will know: I will make sure of that. I miss her, Sylvie, I will always miss her. If you need me, I’ll be up in our...my room,” he said, his eyes on the floor.

“Daddy...when will you tell them? We can’t let them wonder where she is!”

“That’s a very mature thing to say, Sylvie. But...I need time. We need to take time to allow this to sink in. We will address the people when the time is right.” He reached out to her and she gave him her finger. He held it and placed his other hand on top, then left her to herself again.