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Trinity
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"These journals were given to me by my personal assistant. I had him doing some research for me." I didn't know if I should go all out and tell him all of it right up front. I didn't know if I could trust this man yet or not.
"Why was he researching Rhinum? Why would he need to know about him when he died over five hundred years ago?"
"Well, I had him researching my family." Here it goes, I am about to tell him the truth of it all. "Those journals belonged to my great great grandmother. So, according to this, Rhinum was my great great grandfather."
"The child of hers lived? She truly was able to make it without help? What happened to the child? Fynn? Where is he now? Where is my grandson?"
That answered my question. This man, he was Rhinum's father, and he was my great great great grandfather. Well, those genetics of his are strong, since he was truly very old, but looked only a little older than my husband.
"Fynn died, about seventy years ago I would say. Or at least, he is presumed dead. He never returned home from the war that he was sent to fight." There were tears streaming down his cheeks now.
"So my only son, and my only grandson died while at war. How could I have let all of this happen to my family?" He sobbed for a moment, his shoulders shaking while Gloriana held him in her small arms.
"I know it is hard, Val, but there is a silver lining. Think about what she has said. These journals belonged to her great great grandmother. That great great grandmother only had one child."
His head lifted at her words, stunned awe filling his face. It was like he was just making the connection from her words, my words, and the journals. I could understand that he was upset, that he was having a hard time processing anything other than the true way that his son died.
"My grandson had an heir?" He looked at me with hope. "His family continued?"
I watched as he looked around at all of us in the room. There were a lot of people, and I knew he didn't know which of us here might be his family and which might not be.
"You?! You're his family?! And, and this little one here." He looked down at Reagan who was still in my arms.
"Yes, Fynn married and fathered a child before he left. His daughter wasn't born until after he was gone, and she never met him, but the family continued. His daughter, my grandmother, married Samuel Whitton, my grandfather over there. They had two children, my biological mother, Lily who died twenty years ago, and Wesley. In my generation, aside from me, there is Noah and Carter." I indicated everyone as I spoke their name by pointing at them. "Over there is my adoptive mother, who is technically my Aunt Eve, but she and Wesley raised me so they are my mom and dad. Noah married Nikki, and that is their son Elias. Carter married Emmalee, and that is their son Carter Junior, or CJ. Over there is my husband Reece, and our twins are Reagan and Rika."
With each name that I added to his growing family tree, the man before me smiled. It was like someone was giving him the greatest gift he had ever been given.
"So many of you." He grinned as he looked around at us all. "I cannot believe that there are so many of you. I thought that I had no family aside from my sister and the children of my brother's line. B..b..but I have a family!" He laughed and sobbed at the same time while tears streamed.
"So, if you're our family, that would make you our, what, great great great grandfather?" Carter wondered. "That's a lot of generations to keep track of." He laughed and broke the tension in the room.
"Yes, that is exactly what it makes me. And add another great to that for these babies." I watched as he took one large finger and gently stroked Reagan's cheek. "He is quite cute."
"I am sorry to interrupt." Noah stood and walked to my side. "I know that Queen Gloriana referred to you as Val, but I do not think that is your real name. Is it?"
"Ahh, you are quite right." He smacked a hand to his head. "That is the nickname she has had for me our whole lives. My name is Valerian. Valerian Undine. Well, the last name is more of a species. It is what I am. I am a Sidhe from the water lines. The first of them to be exact. But, because of that fact, the surname was adapted to me. Sorrel, our brother, was given the surname Greenman. And Gloriana, as she was already the Queen, was given the name Belphoebe."
That was a lot of information that I didn't expect right then. It wasn't bad though, to be honest I was glad that I was learning more about all of this.
"So, Valerian Undine, I guess we're family." I smirked at him. "I hope you're not disappointed to have a bunch of wolves for your family, with a spattering of warlocks and witches just for kicks."
Valerian laughed then. It was a real laugh that was filled with joy and happiness.
"I think, somehow, I might be able to survive." At that moment, and without warning, Valerian reached out and wrapped his arms around me. He was holding me tight, hugging me to his chest as he laughed and cried at the same time. "I have a family. I never thought this day would ever happen for me. I cannot believe that I have so many family members that I never knew about. This is the happiest day I have had in centuries. Thank you, Trinity, thank you for bringing me this surprise!"