Chapter 136. Reunion
The music from the banquet is muffled by the velvet curtains drawn in a private, tasteful, yet unadorned guest room upstairs.
With a straight posture and a gentle voice, Duke Alric Caulem sat opposite Duke Selen Threx and Lady Hilda Threx. "Thank you for attending Lucian’s birthday banquet, Lord Selen and Lady Hilda. I am aware that it was a difficult journey."
Selen’s eyes carried a tired strength, shadowed by months of pain. "The thanks are ours, Lord Caulem," he said, his voice steady but heavy. "We’ve been lost in sorrow since Lysa was taken."
Lady Hilda’s soft face was tense with fear and hope, and her hands trembled in her lap. "Where is our Lysa, Lord Caulem? You said she was safe..."" she said, her voice hardly audible above a whisper. She was safe, you said.
The door creaked open before Alric could respond. Leo entered with Lysa nestled in his arms, her petite frame nestled against his chest. The young girl’s head raised, her eyes looking the room before settling on her parents.
Hilda and Selen froze, gasping for air and gaping in shock. A single tear trickled down Lysa’s cheek, softening her face and making her lips quiver. With the weight of months apart, she whispered, "Mother... Father..." in a tiny but distinct voice.
He gently placed Lysa on the floor, her small feet making a soft tap on the polished wood. As soon as she was free, she ran forward, rushed to her parents. Selen and Hilda, their faces glowing with joy and disbelief, dropped to their knees, arms open.
Lysa threw herself into their hug, and they held her tightly, their hands shaking as they clung to her. Lysa’s tiny body trembled with quiet sobs, her voice muffled against her mother’s shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Hilda’s tears fell freely, her whispering "My baby, my baby" mixing with Selen’s hoarse sighs of relief, his voice breaking with emotion.