“Branwen’s blessing,” she cried out swiftly hugging him as tightly as she could trying to make sure it wasn’t an illusion (she had imagined his return many times in the past) and to ensure he wouldn’t leave again.
“It’s good to see you Tissya. After all this time, I wouldn’t have believed that you would’ve remained in Castle Grey,” Michéal said returning her hug.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I lost control of myself. Please forgive me, Your Highness, I’m sorry,” Tissya apologised over and over trying to clean the dust from Michéal’s shirt.
“What have I told you time and time again?” he asked but she couldn’t remember; her mind was fixated on him.
“You are not to address me as Your Highness. While other may do so, you do not,” he instructed.
“Now please, my name. I would like to hear it spoken by your lips,” he asked looking into her amethyst eyes.
“Michéal,” she replied in a soft and gentle warm voice that could have soothed even the most enraged savage of beast.
“Thank you,” he smiled.
“Now come we need to adown you in proper attire. If I am to address my people and announce my return, I will need you all by my side as I do so. Speaking of which, I would ask you to send a messenger to gather as many people as possible in the centre of town by the end of the hour,” he explained bringing the light and life back into her smile.
“Are you truly going to take the throne?” she asked
“I shall do so when the time is right,” he replied with a grin.
While in the rejuvenation chamber room, Aisling and Noelle spoke of what had happened and Aisling had to ask the burning question,
“Tell me this, when I left, you and me croí were on good terms, but now it appears, well if he had the opportunity, he would have killed you today, so what happened after I left?” Her question was blunt but softened only by the fact that she meant no harm by it.
“You need not worry on such things, Michéal has returned and should he wish to extract his rage of things long since gone, he will find I am no pushover,” Noelle sharply retorted, flicking her curly red hair to her left shoulder when she began to initiate the chamber to begin its medical treatment program. The chamber filled with tinted blue fluid causing Marie to gently float from side to side.
“It’ll take a few hours for the fluid to work its magic, while we wait, we should get a little something to eat?” Noelle suggested but she didn’t wait for Aisling’s response, she hastily left. Aisling felt she had touched a nerve when she asked about Michéal’s reaction when he was freed.
The hour reached its end and all the servants in Castle Grey joined the people of the dishevelled town at the podium in the centre of town while they awaited the announcement from an unknown person or persons. To their surprise and delight both Michéal and Aisling stood on the podium hand in hand dressed in finery and beaming with smiles. The people cheered so loudly it was deafening. They were all so overjoyed to see their prince had returned. There was no possible way they could contain their emotions. Michéal raised his left hand, slowly lowering it to calm the crowd. Rather quickly a hush fell over the people and Michéal began to speak.
“I have finally found my way back, home,” he declared to which the crowd erupted in a momentary gleeful cheer.
“I’ve returned to my home, I’ve returned to the love of my life and I’ve returned to all of you,” his words began to get an even greater reaction as they now begun to chant his name ‘Michéal Michéal Michéal’ it all made him so proud and so strong and revitalised.
“My people, my people, I’ve seen the effect my venomous family has had on you all and I can assure that evil ends this very day. They have fled from Eiru to the mainland however they shall return and in force.”
Despite what he had said they didn’t seem worried. His revitalised strength seemed to empower them also.
“When they return, I shall face them. Their army will hold nothing over us as I intend to restore the fallen enforcers and do as I always have. I will slay any man, any beast, any creature that threatens you fine people.”
Aisling held his hand tighter and thought how much she unknowingly longed for this very day. Noelle however looked up at him from the crowd with worry and hate. Why should he be given so much praise when it was her who kept order when he was gone. Her blue eyes peered out from behind her red hair as she offered the gods her soul for her vengeance.
“I won’t promise you anything I cannot deliver, so I promise you this. I shall regain Eiru’s golden age and slay every last one of these vile symbiotic creatures that plague my land! Not because I enjoy the hunt, not because I rise to every challenge but because I am the prince of all lycans. I am the best there is, the best there was and the absolute best there every will be,” Michéal shouted with power raising his hands to the sky and
