A REUNION

The morning sun filtered through the dirty windows of the tavern as Darian wiped down the last table. His hands had already become accustomed to these simple tasks, but the feeling of emptiness in his chest didn't fade.

Tobias stood behind the counter, leaning on the board, watching him with a mild smile.

"Derek," he began, using the name Darian had introduced himself with, "I have some bad news and some good news."

Darian turned around, wiping his hands on his apron.

"Bad news first."

Tobias shrugged.

"There's no more work for you here, lad. The worker is coming back today, and I can't wait for her to take over again. It's not easy running a tavern without proper help."

Darian nodded, not feeling surprised. He had known this was only temporary.

"And the good news?"

Tobias smiled.

"You can stay at my place for as long as you need while you figure out what's next. I might even find you a job in the village, something that might suit you better."

Darian smiled gratefully. Tobias was a good man, much better than anyone would expect from someone running a small tavern at the edge of the world.

"Thank you. For everything."

"Ah, stop making a drama out of it," Tobias waved his hand. "Now, as far as I'm concerned, you can head out. The worker's arriving soon. It wouldn't hurt to meet her and see who kicked you out of a job."

Darian laughed and left the towel on the counter.

"I'm curious to meet this lucky woman."

Just then, the tavern door creaked open.

Darian turned, not looking at the person who entered right away.

Then, his blood froze in his veins.

There, standing at the door of the tavern, was Sophie.

Sophie.

His Sophie.

His breath caught, his eyes widened, and his hands fell to his sides, as if they had suddenly become too heavy to hold.

She looked different… but still beautiful.

She wore a simple, faded dress, torn in a few places, but that didn't diminish her beauty. On the contrary, her face was glowing, with a healthy, rosy blush on her cheeks.

But what took the ground from under him was her belly.

Round, large, several months pregnant.

His breath turned into a tremor as their eyes met.

"Sophie…" he whispered.

In that moment, he stopped thinking.

He didn't care about anything – where they were, who was watching.

He just ran toward her.

She already had her arms outstretched.

They collided in a powerful embrace, holding each other as if they would disappear if they let go.

"Oh God, Sophie…" he murmured through his tears as he kissed her hair, her face, everything he could. "I thought I'd never find you…"

She cried, but laughed at the same time, holding him as if she wasn't sure if it was a dream.

"You've really fallen apart," she teased through her tears, running her hands over his face. "You look like a beggar!"

He smiled through his tears, still unable to let her go.

"And you… you're beautiful," he whispered, lowering his hand to her belly. "And… this…"

Sophie nodded, smiling, but her eyes were full of emotions.

"Our baby."

Darian closed his eyes, and a wave of love and sorrow washed over him.

His child.

His and hers.

He had lost months… months he should have spent with her, months he should have been by her side, loving her, protecting her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner. Sophie, forgive me…"

Sophie shook her head and placed her hand on his face.

"We're together now. That's all that matters."

At that moment, Tobias, who had been silently watching up until then, slowly walked to the door, locked the tavern, and left them alone.

Darian looked at Sophie again.

"How… how did you escape? Where have you been? How did you end up here?"

Sophie sighed and gently caressed his cheek.

"It's a long story. Sit down, my king, we have a lot of catching up to do."

He smiled through his tears and squeezed her once more in an embrace, determined never to let her go again.