Rune closed his eyes.It might be too soon for them to think about children, but now that Palmer had mentioned it, he couldn’t help but imagine the sound of tiny wings moving through the air and the feeling of a small body curling into the nest with him and Palmer.
He fell asleep with a smile on his lips.
Epilogue
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RUNE STOOD OUTSIDEKillian’s office, taking a moment to steady himself before entering.He’d been asked to come early that morning, and even though he had a good idea what this meeting would be about, he couldn’t help the nervous flutter in his chest.Palmer had squeezed his hand before he left, offering a reassuring smile.
Everything would be okay.
He knocked twice and waited.
“Come in,” Killian’s voice called from inside.
Rune pushed open the door and stepped inside.The office was already full.Killian sat behind his desk, looking every inch the king despite the exhaustion evident in the lines around his eyes.Hedley sat on the arm of Killian’s chair, his arm around Killian’s shoulders as they leaned against each other.Marlin and Birch were there, too, relaxed but alert.
“Rune, thank you for coming,” Killian said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk.“Please, sit.”
Rune settled into the chair, aware of everyone’s eyes on him.He folded his hands in his lap and waited.This felt more official than usual, which confused him.
Killian leaned forward.“I wanted to update you on the situation with Pearl and Alatar.You deserve to know what’s been decided.”
Rune’s stomach churned, but he kept his expression neutral.
“Alatar will be locked up,” Killian continued.“The evidence we found in his rooms is damning enough, and his confession seals it.He’ll pay for the poisonings and the fire he attempted to start.”
Rune nodded slowly.Even though Alatar was their brother, he agreed with Killian’s decision.“And Pearl?”
Killian’s jaw tightened, and Rune saw the frustration there.This couldn’t be good.
“Pearl is more complicated,” Killian said.“Alatar has implicated her, but it’s essentially his word against hers.She’s denying everything, and without concrete evidence linking her directly to the crimes, I can’t arrest her.”
Rune felt disappointment settle in his stomach, but he understood.Of course Pearl would have been too careful to leave evidence.That was how she operated—always in the shadows, always using others to do her dirty work.
“But,” Killian continued, his voice hardening, “Iamexiling her.She’ll leave the palace by the end of the week.If she ever returns, I’ll have her arrested on sight.”
“It’s not perfect,” Hedley said quietly.“But it’s something.She won’t be able to hurt anyone here anymore.”
Rune looked at the consort.Hedley had always been gentle, but when it came to protecting the people he loved, he was fierce.Rune liked that about him.It kept his brother and his niece and nephew safe.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said with a nod.
Killian’s expression softened.“There’s something else I wanted to say.I know I asked you to stay close to Palmer to help protect him during all of this.I want to thank you for agreeing to it.”
Rune felt heat creep up his neck.He’d almost forgotten that his relationship with Palmer had started, at least partially, because of Killian’s request.So much had changed since then.What had begun as a request from the king had become something so much more.“You don’t need to thank me.I’m glad you asked me to do it.If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have what Palmer and I share now.”
A smile curled the corners of Killian’s lips.“I’m happy for you.You deserve this.”
“You both do,” Hedley added with a warm smile.“Palmer is a good man, and you two are good together.”
“Absolutely,” Marlin added from his position near the window.“Although I have to say, watching you two try to pretend you weren’t falling for each other in the beginning was pretty funny.”
Birch laughed.“I thought Rune was going to combust the first time Palmer smiled at him.”
Rune groaned, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.These people really were his friends, weren’t they?“I wasn’t that obvious.”
“You really were,” Marlin said, grinning.
