Judge Galbraith snorted and glanced at the two. “They’ve only been threatening to do it for twenty years. About time they made good on the threat. All right, let’s get along with this. Did anyone draft up a transfer of power?”
“I did.” James lifted the paper from the desk and handed it to him. “Would you like to sit?”
“I would. I need a minute. Someone ready my wax for the seal.”
I automatically stepped forward to do so. Sheer occupational habit, I supposed. Judge Galbraith appraised me—it only lasted a second, but I felt like he saw everything he needed to. He sat behind the desk with a pained sigh, settled, and read through the agreement. In fact, he read through them all, even as I lit a match and warmed the wax stick nearby.
Every agreement was straightforward and not needlessly flowery in language, so it didn’t take him long to read them. Then he grunted and gestured for the wax, which I dripped into the corner. He pressed his seal firmly in place before signing near the mark. “Good. All parties sign.”
Beatrice, Patrick, and James all bent and added their signatures before each pressed their own seals into different spots near their names. With the last seal complete, the immense pressure that had gathered around the room burst like a bubble, the world seemed to start breathing again, and the very air felt rarefied. I heard a whisperedWell done, Edwin,and my eyes burned with tears of relief.
Finally,finally, the worst of this was over. I had completed my Task this time. We had diverted the old future and created a better path forward. James was king, and we had nothing to fear after this point.
Judge Galbraith lifted each of the individual agreements and signed and sealed those as well, passing them to Patrick and Beatrice in turn. “There. Now, a divorce decree will take a bit more than all this, so meet me in my office in two days to sign it. I’ll have it ready by then. This is quite the momentous occasion, King James. Congratulations, and may you reign long and well.”
James nodded, a happy smile stretching from ear to ear. “Thank you, Supreme Judge.”
“You said you had two favors to ask of me. What’s the second?”
James held out a hand toward me, and I came around the desk to take it. Strange, how nervous I felt, like a legion of butterflies was engaged in fisticuffs in my stomach. Well, maybe not strange, as my entire life was about to change. Literally nothing would be the same after this moment. This realization should have given me pause, but all it really did was fortify my determination.
“I wish for you to do the honors and marry us,” James requested, hand firm around mine.
Beatrice, standing behind me, immediately started screaming. “You can’t marry a commoner!”
“Shut up, Beatrice,” James said calmly, not even turning around. “You can’t tell me what to do anymore, remember? You just signed over that right.”
“I can and do protest!”
“Ink’s not even dry on the parchment,” Royce said with disgust. “Mom. Shut the fuck up.”
Beatrice kept screeching.
Patrick had to raise his voice to be heard over her. “I protest as well. I can introduce you to—”
James turned enough to face them down and snarled, “Both of you shut up. If you can’t witness this quietly, then I’ll have you removed. You donotget a say in any choice I make.”
Both of them clammed up, more startled into submission than anything.
Judge Galbraith broke the quiet with a soft, rusty sounding chuckle. “I have to say, I agree with this choice.”
He, uh, did? “Might I ask why?”
“Because you’re incredibly competent,” Judge Galbraith answered bluntly while looking me dead in the eye. “You can run this kingdom blindfolded. People put too much stock in bloodlines, when it’s men likeyouwe need to run this country. King James, I knew you were a man of good judgement, and I’m glad you’ve proven me right again by choosing him as your spouse. Edwin Grantham, are you ready to assume this mantle?”
“No,” I admitted with a wry shrug. “But I guess I’d better strap on my boots and catch up.”
“Ha! An honest answer. I like it. Do either of you have rings, or are we skipping that part?”
“Galbraith!” Beatrice wailed. “You can’t possibly be considering going on with this!”
“Seems to me you’ve forgotten I was a commoner myself, once.”
From the way she flapped her jaw around without croaking out a single word, she had forgotten. I think most of the palace had. But Supreme Judge Galbraith had started as a runner for the justice division at a young age and worked his way up. It wasn’t until he’d been conferred the position of judge that he’d been given a title.
I fished the ring boxes from my pocket. “I have rings.”
“Of course you’re prepared.” Judge Galbraith chuckled again before sobering. “James Kronenscheld, speak your vows.”
