The sound of galloping hooves had barely faded into the courtyard when Roman abandoned his ball in the center of the garden.
"Mama!" he shouted. He sprinted toward the entrance, his pace quickening the moment Eilika's silhouette appeared.
Eilika was already dropping to her knees when Roman collided with her. He threw his tiny arms around her neck, hugging her with a strength that nearly toppled them both.
"I missed you," he whispered, burying his face into the soft fabric of her shoulder.
Eilika pulled him closer, her eyes closing as she breathed in the familiar, sweet scent of her son. The exhaustion of her journey seemed to evaporate the moment she felt his small heart beating against hers. "I missed you more than the stars miss the moon, my little knight," she murmured, pulling back just enough to cup his face in her hands.
