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“Does that mean you’re leaving me, Faline?” I said, giving her an exaggerated pout.

“Oh dear girl, you know I love you,” she said, taking me into a hug. “But our queen needs me more. And besides, knights are usually only seen to by their squires—you’re in good hands with Beric.”

“Why Faline, are you giving a boy permission to undress me?”

She blushed, sighing in frustration. “You’re making me regret it.”

Albert wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, and she didn’t say anything more.

“Cali,” said Eliza, “I hope you’ll stay on as Royal Knight. Not to battle dark evil, of course. Just as the Royal Physician.”

“I would love to.” I hugged her around the neck, before remembering that she was the literal Queen of England. “Absolutely honored to serve you, Your Majesty.”

“As I was to serve you, my lady,” she said, with a small laugh. “We’re still friends, as we always were. I just have a new position.”

“You ‘just have a new position’?” Beric eyed Eliza as if she’d momentarily gone mad. “You’re the reigning Queen of England, Elle.”

She wrapped her arms around us both, pulling us close, and I was glad to see it knocked Beric out of his serious ponderings and into a smile. “And I would still be a forgotten princess without the two of you. Which is why, Beric, I’d love for you to be part of my Royal Council.”

His smile immediately dropped. “Royal Council?”

“Your knowledge is as valuable as theirs.”

Beric was silent, as if gathering his words.

I felt as if I’d known Beric my entire life, now. I at least knew him well enough to understand that brief hesitation. I put my hand on his chest, and he looked at me. “There’s no longer a reason to manipulate your answers to hide things or please people, Beric. Say your truth.”

“You could never hurt my feelings, sweet boy,” Eliza added.

“I don’t want to disappoint you,” Beric said, sighing as if even the thought of it was unbearable. “You’re like a sister to me. But I don’t know anything about ruling in a world without an immortal king. And even if I did…”

“It’s too much responsibility?” Eliza finished for him. “It’s not, you know. I know how capable you are, and you’re selling yourself short.”

“I am, perhaps.” He gave an absent nod, as if his mind was still on the words he meant to say. And then he looked at me, and his mind seemed to settle. “But someone once said, ‘Why can’t we have things just because we want them?’” I recognized my own words and drew him closer to me, as he turned to our queen. “You’re already an effective queen, Elle, without any input from me. So, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to forgo national-level responsibility and to serve you in the way I know I’ll enjoy—as your knight’s squire.”

“Oh, Beric,” I said, on the verge of emotional tears as I tugged on his arm. It might as well have been a proposal, it had been so romantic.

“Are you sure?” said Eliza. “I know you become just as anxious when you have too little to do as when you have too much.”

Beric shrugged. “I suppose I could use some of that extra time to actually sleep.”

We laughed. Eliza cradled his face and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s about time you took care of yourself. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you, Elle,” Beric said quietly, a moment that felt as if it was just for the two of them.

Eliza blinked rapidly, patting his cheeks in a motherly fashion and releasing him. She turned away, and her hand lift as to wipe her eyes. I’d never seen her cry in all my time here, and from what I knew of her life, there were so many moments deserving of her tears. It was sweet that this was the moment her body had finally given in.

“Well.” She turned back to us with a sniff, her eyes glistening. “What about you, Albert? Would you—?”

“Yes,” Albert said with finality, grinning in that cheery way only sweet Albert could grin.

Eliza smirked. “What was I going to say?”

“Would I like to be your personal bodyguard? Yes.”

“You’d prefer to be my personal bodyguard?” she asked, blinking at him. “I was going to make you a captain. A promotion.”

“If it’s all the same, Your Majesty, I’d like to remain close to Faline.”