Kalen
Weeks after the end of the war, Niamh and I finally returned to Dubnos with our people. Ruari’s siblings took over leading Albyria, though they’d agreed that the three fae kingdoms should once again unite as the Kingdom of Aesir. They would become lords, not kings. There would be no more borders, no more walls. We would be a single, united people once again.
And with the gods’ powers now under control, the mists no longer permeated the lands. We weren’t divided by shadow and light and storms. Sun rose in Dubnos now, like it had done centuries before.
The humans had boarded their ships to return to Talaven. After a brief visit to Malroch to inform the civilian fae they were free from the gods, Tessa had sailed with the humans. She would begin the reign of her new kingdom there. Nellie and Val had accompanied her for support, as well as Silver. I was to follow shortly, but I had a few important matters to attend to first.
“Look at it,” Niamh said as she walked into the throne room, her arms spread wide. Empty, cold, and gray, it seemed uninviting at first glance. But it had been home to so many moments of my life. It was where I’d met Niamh, where our friendship had blossomed, and where I’d named her my heir all those years ago.
I smiled and slipped my hands into my pockets. She had always looked so at peace in this room, while most people hated it at first sight.
“Well,” she said, turning toward me. “Aren’t you going to sit on your throne? It’s been a long time.”
“You should try it.”
Her lips thinned. “Kal.”
“I mean it.” I nodded to the old chair, lit by a thousand diamonds. “Haven’t you always wondered what it felt like to sit there?”
“I’m certain there’s not a single fae in this city who hasn’t wondered. That doesn’t mean I should. It’s meant for the king and the king only. That’s you, not me.”
“What if I told you I’d like to step down?”
“I would say you’ve gone mad.” The muscles around her eyes tightened. “Is this why you left Alastair poking around the barracks and brought me here alone? So you could…what? Tell me you’re leaving? Because I know that’s what this is truly about. Tessa must reign in Talaven now. You are joining her.”
“She is my mate,” I said. “And truth be told, I have long wished to hand my reign over to you. I have been king a long time, Niamh. I am done.”
She searched my eyes. “You’d be king there, too, though.”
“In name only. Tessa will rule, and I will guide her. But she is the one who must lead Talaven to a better world. Druid Balfor was clear.”
Niamh began to pace. “I don’t know how to rule.”
“Yes, you do. You’ve been with me for nearly four hundred years.”
“But what about Alastair and Gaven? What about Toryn? We’re your Mist Guard,” she said.
“Perhaps they should beyourMist Guard,” I said with a smile.
She laughed. “I am no Mist King.”
“Neither am I. Not anymore.”
She stopped pacing then. The expression on her face was one of sudden understanding. I’d stepped in to fight my mother’s battle the moment she’d vanished into Oberon’s court. And I had not stopped fighting for so very long. I had done what I’d intended to do. I’d found out what had happened to her. I’d avenged her death as best I could. And I’d found a way to stop the gods. With help, of course. I had saved my people.
I’d fulfilled my every goal. Now it was time to move on to another.
Niamh moved to the throne and brushed her finger across the glittering diamonds. “I feel like I’m losing my brother.”
Sighing, I crossed the room and palmed her shoulder. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m only going to be across the sea. I can visit any time I’d like, and you can do the same. You know there’ll always be a bed for you there.”
“You mean that? You won’t become a stranger?”
“I could never be a stranger to you, Niamh.” Gently, I shifted her sideways and nudged her onto the throne. Kneeling before her, I took her hand in mine and said, “When my mother vanished, I was a broken man. I couldn’t have made it without you. You held this court together, even when I was falling apart. So please. Take my crown and take my throne. The fae deserve someone who is fully committed to them.”
She nodded. I knew she understood, even though she hadn’t fully processed my request. If I were to stay, my mind and heart would forever be somewhere else. I could visit Dubnos any time I liked, but a ruler needed to be present, especially during the formation of a new kingdom.
“And can I marry Val?” she asked.
