"Now your hunters are here to stay, I want them to have a place to call home," he says, waiting for my reaction.
I'm holding my breath. I'm aware I'm holding my breath, but I can't not. Because he has built my people a fuckinghome.
"How long has this taken you?" I whisper, eyes wide.
"A few months, with several hundred builders. I figured it'd be useful even if you declined my proposal. Plus, I wanted to get your hunters out of the shadow camp and use the shadow camp to take in refugees. It was the Shadow Hunter Training Village, but then I renamed it."
"The name is..." I swallow the lump in my throat. "The name is absolutely perfect." I open the huge iron gate, stepping past the hedgerow, and gasp.
It's...holy fuck, it’sheaven.
Rows of high beams, climbing walls, archery targets, ropes, nets, and training dummies line a huge stone courtyard. There are steps for crowds to watch. There are racks of expensive weapons. Fifty or so of my hunters sit round a giant campfire, a few of the introverted ones sat round one of the three smaller campfires.
There are fuckinghouses.Log cabins like Obsidian and Rexxan's one, with one, two, or three bedrooms. Anna has her own little house. Onyx has his own little house. Even I have one. There are two freshwater wells. There is a big shed full of food. There are weights for people to lift. There are barrels of wine to drink.
They're all elated, crawling on all the equipment like children in a brand-new playground. For these two hundred and fifty people who were never given a chance at life, it'shome.
* * *
"We'll havelots to do this year," says Rex, as we eat strawberries on the lawn back at the cabin. "Lots for you to learn, lots of people for you to meet as Queen. If it's ever too much, just say."
I nod, my mouth full. High-pitched laughter echoes around from the other side of the house and my mood lifts. With Poppy, you never know whether it'll be a happy day, a silent day, an angry day, a leave-me-alone day, or anything else. But today must be a happy day because she's singing a nursery rhyme as Siddie carries her onto the lawn.
"Daddy?" She shouts, when she sees us.
"Yes, little love?" He says, opening his arms as she wobbles towards him.
"I change my mind. I do want to be at your married."
"Our wedding? You want to come now?"
She nods, and Rexxan pulls anoh-shit-we-have-to-get-married-again-to-keep-our-daughter-happyface at me.
And that's how we end up dressed in our still-damp wedding clothes, stood on the lawn with Onyx and Siddie as our guests. Poppy stands between us with a towel on her head for reasons we're not sure of. "Does daddy agree for Renna to be his wife?" She shouts, when Rexxan's eyes lock on mine.
"He does," he tells her, grinning at me with glassy eyes.
"And does Renna agree for daddy to be his..."
Big green eyes look to Onyx for help. Onyx mouths the wordhusbandto her.
"To be his cupboard?" She says, and we all laugh.
"I do, Poppy," I confirm. Even though this is silly, it feels serious, and Rexxan is looking at me with the same emotional expression he gave me yesterday.
"Then you are married!" She shrieks, bouncing up and down with excitement. Rexxan scoops her up into a hug, kissing her face. She tugs on my hand. "Can I have a cuddle?"
I'll never get used to her asking that. It's rare that she does, and I treasure each one. "How long?"
"Four seconds this time."
I hug her, counting to four and then pulling away. She smiles. "Two more seconds!"
I hug her again, blinking back tears.
I love her.
I love Siddie.
