Choosing Life

Chapter Eleven

"Clara! Hali! Come on you two, we're going to be late! You don't want to miss out on time with grandma and grandpa!" Claudine called as she looked up the staircase that led to the bedrooms of their lighthouse.

While technically it was Eric and Ariel's lighthouse, since it was in Eric and Ariel's kingdom, Claudine and Henry ran it for them. It had been part of the deal they had created back when they were getting their wedding underway. Neither Henry nor Claudine had felt comfortable using the beach for free while neither Eric nor Ariel felt comfortable charging them for its use.

Working the lighthouse had been a compromise that suited everyone—even if Eric and Ariel insisted on paying them for the work.

"Coming mama!" Clara called as she and Hali slowly and carefully made their way down the stairs.

"Alright you two, you got everything?" Henry asked as he walked in. "Boots? Hats? Swords?"

"Yes papa!"

"Henry, they won't need swords at Aurora and Phillip's," Claudine said, shaking her head in amusement.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what if Ari and Paige want to spar? You told me that Phil's going to be there with his kids and I'm pretty sure Percy and Maddie aren't at sparring ages yet."

"Knowing you, you'd be training the infants on their footwork sooner or later," Claudine chuckled.

"No I usually like to hold off until the person learning to spar can walk...with the exception of Ryan but that was because I practically raised him since he was three," Henry said, a fond smile gracing his lips. Claudine couldn't help but smile as well as she thought back on those times on the Isle, though it was a slightly sad smile.

Those times when no one thought escape from the Isle was possible. Those times when Freddy was still plaguing their every movement.

Those times where their girls weren't even a possibility.

No, Claudine told herself as they made their way out to the car, Hali bouncing slightly in Henry's arms as Clara ran ahead to be the 'line leader'. Whatever that was. Don't think about that. Not when you're with the girls.

While the girls knew about the fact that their parents had grown up on the Isle of the Lost, if only because Henry always took the time to tell them to take pride in the fact that their Queen was like them, a girl of the Isle, the girls didn't know about Freddy.

How could they tell them? Clara was only three and Hali was a year younger than her sister. How could they possibly explain the wickedness that was Freddy to their innocent daughters?

Henry reached over and gently grabbed her hand, giving it a small squeeze. It was as if he could sense what she was thinking.

I get it, he seemed to say. But we've got time. Ari and Paige haven't even started asking about Freddy yet.

If Freddy's own daughters weren't asking about him, it was safe to say that their girls wouldn't be asking about Freddy for a long time.

Claudine gave Henry a small smile and started up the car. The trip to Honeymoon Castle was uneventful—if one ignored the repetitive loop of children's music on the CD player for the entire trip. Honestly, it almost made one yearn for the Isle where such things didn't exist.

"I swear, whoever came up with that song should partner with Lord Hades to torment people in Tartarus," Henry muttered as they got out of the car, having arrived at Honeymoon Castle.

"I know dear but the girls love it," Claudine sighed as Clara ran up ahead, excited to see Aurora and Phillip or as she called them 'Gram and Grampie'. Aurora and Phillip loved seeing the girls and always offered to watch them if Claudine and Henry needed a break.