The Butterfly Effect

They considered it all a job well done—Beika was safe with her family and, with any luck, they'd all be able to find a happier alternative. Enebish knew that they would.

And since the job was done and they were in the area, why not pay Nadia and Leon a visit?

So they made sure that no one from Adidell would trail after them, then they made the trip to the town they'd moved to. It would be nice to talk to Nadia again face to face, since it sounded like a lot had changed since they'd last seen each other.

Enebish looked around one last time, then knocked on the door to their house.

From the other side of the door, they heard Nadia remark, "Huh, you were right! Sounds like we do have a visitor! How'd you do that?" Then she opened the door and realized who was on the other side. "Enebish! You didn't say you were coming. Were you in the area? Oh, come on in, Uncle Leon just finished making dinner! Hey, Uncle Leon, we have enough for one more, right?"

They could hear a "It should be enough." from another room.

She eagerly gestured Enebish inside, then started showing them to the dining room.

While they walked, Enebish explained their visit. "I just finished something else and I was kind of close, so I thought I'd stop by! I'm not interrupting anything, right?"

"Definitely not! You couldn't have come at a better time, actually. I mean, we already have a guest, but the more the merrier, right?"

"You have a—"

Enebish didn't need to finish their question—it was answered just by turning the corner into the dining room.

Prince Tavin was sitting at the table, giving them both a weak smile. "Good evening, Mx. Enebish."

"A-ah, if you've already got another guest, maybe I should just come back later," Enebish said quickly. They let out a bit of nervous laughter. "I don't want to interrupt anything, you know? I bet you two had a quiet night planned or something. I don't want to be the third wheel or anything."

"I don't mind if you stay," he said casually. "I think it would make Nadia happy to be able to talk with you in person. That's why you're here, right?"

"I—I mean, yes, but…"

Nadia looked between the two of them until she was able to piece it together. "Wait, is this because of that dreamer thing? Tavin said he was sensitive to them, and Enebish wrote in a letter about how they were a dreamer, so…"

"Yeah," Enebish sighed. "I really don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Prince Tavin. I can definitely come back tomorrow. You don't need to be nice just for Nadia's sake…"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Tavin shook his head. "I honestly don't mind if you'd like to stay. You're here already, after all. It's actually quite manageable, all things considered—not nearly as bad as what Natheniel was."

Slowly, Enebish nodded. "Alright, I'll take you up on that offer, then."

Leon had just sat down from giving them each a plate of food and glasses of water. "Tavin, I'm trusting you to go if you start feeling too uncomfortable. I don't want to have to explain to your parents what happened if you end up getting one of those serious dizzy spells again…" Tavin mumbled his agreement.

Now, Enebish couldn't deny being curious about the statement. But they kept quiet; they didn't want to overstep.

All of them upheld a casual conversation, actually, despite the fact they would've assumed things would be uncomfortable. It was, honestly, in no small part thanks to Nadia—she spent time telling Enebish how she'd been, then making connections between Enebish and Tavin so they could talk together.

It was when they were almost done that Enebish remembered now was a perfect time to check on something. "Hey, Prince Tavin, do you think the royal families are going to be at the Lake for New Year's? It's part of a, uh… case I'm doing."

Tavin nodded. "That's the plan. If nothing else, Step-Father and Domenique will go—Aunt Zofie wants him to visit." He turned his attention to Nadia. "I was actually wondering if you and Leon would like to come with us. Father's alright with you going, if you don't have anything else planned. I'd like to spend the New Year's with you."

Nadia nodded. "I'd like that, too! Uncle Leon, we can go, right?"

"I don't see why not," Leon decided. "Tavin, when do you plan on leaving?"

"My guess is about a week before," Tavin answered. "I'll tell you the specific date as soon as Father knows." Then he surprised Enebish by glancing at them. "Mx. Enebish, while we're on the topic, what do you think your plans for New Year's are?"

Honestly, they couldn't see themselves do anything more than wander around the border to make sure Adidell didn't try anything with Beika. But they kept that to themselves, letting out a chuckle and saying, "I don't know yet. I'll probably try to head back home soon—Mom will be happy to see me."

"Give Lady Enuolare my regards, then. These past few years probably haven't been very easy for her, either."

If only he knew the full story…

Nadia, much brighter, said, "And say hi to her for me, too! There's still a lot we owe her."

Enebish smiled. "Yeah, I will. I think she'd be happy to know you're all doing well, too." They got up. "Thanks for dinner, but I think it's about time I get going—I don't want to bother you too long. Do you know where the inn is around here?"

Leon stood up, too. "It's just down the street. I can point you in the right direction." He looked between Tavin and Nadia. "Can I trust you two to start cleaning up?"

They both nodded.

Leon gestured for Enebish to follow him and they did. As they both stood by the door, he quietly asked, "There's nothing we need to worry about, right?"

"Oh, no! Not at all. I mean, yeah, I was in the area because of them, but it wasn't about you."

"What was it about, then?"

"H99. I have the situation handled, though. I don't think they're going to be coming around here anytime soon, and they're definitely not going to try to find the two of you. Nadia isn't worth anything to them anymore—in their eyes, without her spirit, she's just a distraction. They've got ten dozen more important things to worry about."

"I'll… take your word for it." He opened the door and gestured to one of the streets. "The inn is just down there. Do you think you'll need me to walk you there?"

"No, I think I can find it on my own." Enebish stepped out the door. "Thanks again for dinner. All three of you stay safe, alright? And early Happy New Year's, since I probably won't see you guys any closer to it. I have a good feeling about next year—something big's going to happen. I just know it." They gave him a smile before they left.