"Time to troll!"~ Trundle The Troll King(Towers go bonk!)
Lads drop a comment and maybe a stone.
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"Oh my boy you've grown so much!" Willa whispered as she grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him up and down, almost proudly.
Gregori smiled as he brought her into a hug, "And you've grown older Willa."
She pulled away and smacked his chest playfully, "OH! You shouldn't speak like that to a lady, whatever her age might be."
He laughed, "Of course Willa. It was more out of love anyway."
She reached up and placed both hands on his face lovingly, "Life has been hard for you." She whispered as she observed the wrinkles on his face.
He let the woman he considered akin to a mother hold him without word, only letting out a small smile to acknowledge her words.
She then pulled away and quickly reached for the pie, "Of course this is for you then. I made after word from your sister reached." Willa called Eileen his sister after watching their mannerisms. Gregori wasn't the type to let them close to him after what they had done but his sister was a child and he seemed to have forgiven something beyond her power. She had been just a child.
Lifting the pie she proudly presented it to Gregori. "For you my little survivor."
Gregori took it like a prized possession, "Thank you Willa, my children would enjoy this with me."
Willa stilled, "Children?"
"You haven't been paying attention to what is happening in Demacia, Willa? Eileen asked.
Willa composed herself before turning to Eileen, "No lass I'm too old for all the gossip."
"Gossip?" Eileen exclaimed. "What gossip? This man-" She slapped Gregori's back, "He just scared every noble in the kingdom alone!"
"Scared?" Willa turned to Gregori, "What have you done?" she said sternly.
"Me?" Gregori pointed to himself. "I didn't do anything."
She frowned and turned to Eileen, "What did he do?"
"Well mister messenger here, came to the king and decided to throw the kingdom into chaos." Eileen said.
Gregori turned to her with an amused expression, "I did what I was told to do. You guys made it harder than it was supposed to be. That is completely your fault."
"I don't accept that."
"The truth remains the same." He shot back.
"Stop bickering!" Willa interrupted.
She looked at Gregori with eyes full of love, "Tell me about your children."
Gregori said, "Come on. I'll take you to them."
"But I'm working right now." Willa replied.
"You can quit and come with me." He said. "I know you have not remarried after your husband's passing and you are not happy with the Spiritmights. Not after what they did to me." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Willa. Please. Come with me."
"But your family-"
"Cannot do anything." Gregori finished for her. "My journey through life has changed me in ways you cannot imagine and if you choose to join me and my children..... we will leave Demacia and travel around."
She seemed excited until she heard the word travel. Her face fell. "Travel... at this age..." She raised her head sadly, "I'm sorry Titan but I can't."
"It is just a small relocation." Gregori insisted. "I plan on settling down just east of Targon. It is a beautiful place. Perfect for your age. And you do not actually need to walk. We have some interesting beasts that would carry you on their backs all the way. And even if you feel that isn't enough..." He smiled deviously.
Willa felt herself slowly rise off the ground.
The nearby servants stumbled and stepped back.
With a thought, she slowly moved forward and backward.
"I can do this all day." Gregori said. "What used to be a small pull here is now a massive force."
"You have gotten strong." She said in surprise as he gently placed her down.
Gregori shrugged, "Wait till you see what my children can do with their magic."
Will looked at her surroundings and then Gregori. She nodded, "Okay."
Gregori lunged forward and lifted her off her feet with his own hands this time. "I've missed you Willa."
"Me too Titan." She said. "Me too."
-x-
As they walked to the place Gregori currently called home, Willa asked Gregori the question weighed in her mind, "Titan. How many children do you have?"
Eileen doubled over in laughter as Gregori just stopped in his tracks.
He muttered something softly.
"What was that?" Willa asked, "My hearing is not the best Gregori."
"Seven." He repeated, a little louder.
Willa tilted her head, "I think I heard you wrong.... did you say seven?"
Gregori nodded.
"How many women-"
"One." Gregori cut her off. "Just one that is of my blood. The rest I saved from worse fates."
"But they are your children now." Willa said.
Gregori corrected her, "They are my children now and will remain my children even after my death."
"Seven children..." Willa whispered as she looked at the home. "I'd like to meet them all."
Gregori placed his hands within hers, "I'd like them to meet the person I consider a mother as well."
"They seem to like their aunt well enough." Eileen chirped from the side.
"The only people who don't like you are your parents girl." Willa said turning back to face Eileen. "Haven't seen a single person who hates you other than them."
"Add my brother to that list." She said off-handedly.
Willa shook her head, "He doesn't hate you."
"I'd like to disagree." She answered immediately.
Willa shook her head helplessly.
"Ah..." Gregori remembered. "Willa don't call me by Titan anymore. In my travels, I went by a different name. Still go by it. Gregori. Gregori Hastur."
"Gregori." Willa repeated. "Doesn't quite roll off the tongue as well as Titan."
"But it is what my children know me as." Gregori said. "And I do not intend to change names Willa. This suits me just fine."
She placed a hand on his back, "And no one will force you to do the same and Gregori?"
He looked at her questioningly.
"Grow a beard." She smiled, "It'll suit you better."
Chuckling, he nodded.
A moment later, with a gasp Willa's hand shot to her chest. "What are those?"
"Our beasts." Gregori said. "Avalance beasts from the Freljord. They just look intimidating otherwise they are just harmless."
"You said that they will carry me?"
"They will." Gregori answered, "They like carrying things and to them you weigh next to nothing."
She looked at the creatures in relative surprise.
"Do you want to go closer?" He asked.
"This distance is fine for now." She replied with her hand still at her chest.
Eileen just walked her way to the beasts and patted them. "Harmless really." She repeated Gregori's words.
That moment a large smile popped up on Gregori's face. They had all started to believe that they were a harmless creatures.
He imagined the faces of the Draklorn. What would they think if they saw their beasts of war treated as a house pet. A harmless creature.
Avalance beasts were strong enough to destroy Alpha Wildclaws. And these two really liked his children.
One could never be safe enough.
Willa reached the steps of the home and pushed the door open.
Within seconds seven children shot to the door. They looked at her and seemed disappointed. Then they spotted their father.
"Daddy!" One yelled as she leapt up at him.
Willa watched as the girl froze in the air and then glided back to her original position.
"Wait." Gregori said as he stepped forward. "Children.... I would like you to meet someone very important to me."
"Who?" A couple of the kids asked. A few tilted their heads.
Placing a hand on Willa's shoulder, He introduced her. "This is Willa. She is someone I consider a mother to me. She raised me and is the reason that I am alive right now."
The children looked at her.
One of the walked forward. Red haired girl with a toy bear in her hand. She held out her free hand to Willa.
Willa smiled and placed her hand on top of the girl's.
"Are you my grandmother?" She asked.
Willa stilled for a moment.
Gregori nodded encouragingly.
"Yes." She smiled.
The girl's face lit up and she gave Willa a tight hug. "Nice to meet you grandma." She said into her clothes.
Willa patted the child and then looked toward all the other children.
Following Annie's actions, everyone other than Sydell and Rell received hugs from their new grandmother.
"And she has made pie for you all to share." Gregori raised the pie in the air.
"Sweets!" Briar yelled as she leapt at the pie only to be stopped mid air.
Gregori cut the pie into equal pieces and placed them in front of the children. He cut tiny pieces for himself and his sister. Willa refused a piece saying she makes enough of them already.
The tart and sweet taste sent him back decades.
He remembered the days where a younger Willa used to smuggle him into the kitchen, set him on one of the counters and bake the pie alongside him. She fed him watching as he smiled the same smile his children were smiling.
Amoline was right.
Coming to Demacia wasn't a mistake.