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Nyx grimaced at the reminder. “I’ll make sure it’s a much more pleasant experience for Lucian.”
“Please do,” I agreed, dropping my hands and kissing my son. “Have fun, you two. Call me when you get there.”
I waved goodbye to them, watching them disappear into the castle before I turned to collect the glasses on the silver tray.
“Leave that, Luna,” Ayan suggested, reaching for it herself. “You should be resting.”
Even after all those years, the formal title still made me grin inwardly.
Luna.
I wondered if I would ever get used to it.
My eyebrows shot up, but Ayan purposely avoided my eyes as she busied herself with the tray. “Ayan?” I asked suspiciously. “Is there something you’d like to say to me?”
“Hm? No, Luna.”
She continued to collect the glasses, and I stepped closer, peering at her face. “Did the midwife talk to you?” I demanded, a spark of annoyance flashing through me.
She jerked her head up, her eyes widening. “Oh, no, Luna! Nothing like that. I…” Ayan cleared her throat and looked down guiltily. “I can simply sense the changes in you lately. I noticed them in you when I first came to the castle, and you seem to be sharing some of the same symptoms as when you carried Prince Lucian.”
I flushed, biting on my lower lip. I had hoped to keep this quiet for as long as possible, but now it appeared the rumors were going to start flying.
“Luna, I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Ayan rushed on. “Forgive me for overstepping?—”
The new enchantress had gone above and beyond to prove that she was the opposite of the one who had betrayed us so badly.
“You didn’t overstep, Ayan,” I told her honestly. “I’m probably a little bit sensitive.”
I gave her a smile as she picked up the tray and bowed her head. “Rest assured, I would never speak a word of it until you’re ready to announce it.”
“I know, Ayan. We’re lucky to have you.”
She beamed, pleased by the compliment, and in another swirl of teal, she was gone again, along with the lemonade.
I ambled along the pathway, Drakias a safe distance back, trying to remain inconspicuous, but the truth was, I barely noticed him anymore.
Pausing at the edge of the pond, I peered down to take in my reflection, and for a moment, I barely recognized the beautiful, confident fae staring back at me.
You’ve come a long way, Maren,I told myself.From a child on the run with her father to an orphan living in abandoned warehouses. And now, you’re Queen of Steelshire… and a mother.
My hands spread over my stomach, as they had so many times when Lucian was growing inside, but this baby would not feel the same threats and dangers that my son had known in his earliest formation. I was truly safe now, thanks to Nyx.
What am I doing here? I should be with my family.
“Drakias!” I called out, startling the guard.
“Luna?”
“Call me a car,” I announced, turning to rush back toward the castle.
“Where to, Luna?” he asked, hurrying to keep pace with me.
“I want to go to my husband and son,” I replied. “I have some news to share with them.”
Extended Epilogue
MAREN
