Page 73 of The Never Queen

She offers us her hand and we each place a chaste kiss on the rise of her knuckles.

“You two look sexy in that glitter.”

“It’ll be on your thighs later,” Vane mutters, causing her to blush all the way up her neck.

Across the aisle, Merry and Hansel hug her, before she makes her final ascent up the dais.

The twins stand on either side of her as the royal officiant begins her oration.

They make their vows to one another, and then all three are bound hand in hand with a royal blue sash before they are finally declared as one.

Kas kisses her first, his hand gently cradling the back of her head.

Bash turns her next, dipping her back with a deeper kiss and the court erupts into applause.

When Darling straightens, her eyes are glittering. She smiles brightly at the crowd, but emotion is fanning through her features.

“Is she happy?” I ask Vane.

He whistles around two fingers, then says to me, “She’s happier than ever.”

Even when we declared ourselves to her, all four of us on our knees, Darling didn’t see herself as powerful or commanding or worthy of dedication.

But she cannot deny it now.

Every eye is on her in this Great Hall. It’s impossible to look away from her.

37

WINNIE

The gathering after the binding ceremony is a whirlwind.

There’s dancing and fairy wine and glorious amounts of food. I made Bash promise not to get too wrapped up in the food, or the baking of it, but he spent the last several days in the kitchens of the fae palace directing the menu, tasting the food, and making sure every detail was perfect.

We feast on golden chicken and roasted vegetables, salmon cakes and braised pork. I eat far too much bread dipped in whipped honey butter, but the crust is so crunchy and the insides so airy that I can’t seem to stop myself. By the time dessert comes out, I think I can’t possibly eat another crumb, but I rally and devour the glazed maple walnut cake, the lemon thyme cookies, and the miniature cloudberry sweet tarts.

I spend the rest of the night twirling between Bash, Kas, then Pan and Vane. I’m charmed by Pan and Vane adding glitter and jewels to their ceremony attire. The girls who helped them introduce themselves later, gushing about how pretty I look inmy dress, with my hair up, my shoulders dusted with fine fairy glitter.

I never want this night to end.

I want to spend every night enchanted by the magic of the fae court and the Neverland night.

And now I finally feel like I can.

When the party wanes, we part from the court saying our goodbyes. Mom and Hansel decide to stay at the fae palace where they’ve been given adjoining rooms in the royal suite. They plan to sail for Summerland in the next few days. I’m excited for Mom and what it could mean for her.

We take the long way back to the treehouse, walking through the forest rather than flying in the sky.

We’re all a little drunk and tipsy on fairy wine, with another bottle being passed back and forth as we walk. The night is warm and close and and I am buzzy with more than just wine. We have done the hard work and have come out the other side better for it.

I am proud of myself, most of all.

As the path curves around the base of Marooner’s Rock and turns from forest to beach, I remove my slippers and dig my feet into the cool sand. The water of the lagoon laps noisily against the shore, almost as if it’s performing, trying to catch our attention.

“Hold on,” Bash says and passes the wine to Vane. “Darling, we made you a promise. Do you remember?”

I spin around, feeling happy and content. “I remember.” I spin and spin until I stumble into Bash’s arms. “You told me youwould take me to the grotto beneath Marooner’s Rock on the new moon, which is tonight.”