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It took Vienne a moment to recognize her, but when she did, a smile lit up her face. “Nanny Wynter!” she cried, quickly handing Anniston back to me so she could pull the old woman into her arms for a hug. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for months.”
The Lowden woman of magic cackled in glee. “Oh, don’t mind me, dearie. I accidentally zapped myself into another dimension the day I tried to hide from the Donnelly guards who stormed my cottage. I wasn’t able to free myself until today.”
Vienne sent me a reprimanding glance for causing her old nanny the need to hide in the first place. Then she turned back and took Nanny Wynter’s wrinkled old hands into hers. “How ever did you escape?”
“I just had to wait for the door to open again, and then I got through with ease. Now, forget about that and tell me what I missed, child. I wasn’t expecting to hear you were about to wed again on the very day I returned. What happened to that first louse of a husband you had?”
Vienne flushed and clear
ed her throat discreetly as she glanced around the room to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. “Long story short, he was a traitor and died a traitor’s death. King Brentley pardoned me from my mourning period so I could marry Urban.” Grinning proudly up at me, she announced, “He’s my one true love.”
The old nanny nodded knowingly as her gaze shifted to me. “Well, good. I never approved of that other fellow for you, but this one…” She stared at me a moment before she held out a hand my way.
I blinked at it, glanced at Vienne questionably, and then hesitantly reached out when Vienne nodded for me to do so.
Weathered old fingers wrapped around mine. They were cold but warmed within moments until, fuck… I jumped back, pulling away when the nanny’s skin grew too uncomfortably hot to hold.
“Sorry about that,” Nanny Wynter apologized. “I didn’t mean to dig quite that far. I just…” She glanced toward Vienne and winked. “There were many pleasant things to see. You’re going to enjoy this one, my dear.”
Vienne’s face bloomed with a smile. “I had a suspicion I might.”
The woman of magic nodded. “And it’s a good thing you got your little girl already.” She tweaked Anniston’s nose playfully before she added, “As she’ll have only brothers to follow. Four of them, I saw.”
My eyes widened. “Four…?” I spun toward Vienne, my mouth falling open.
She looked similarly overwhelmed, but shook her head and laughed. “Did I ever mention that Nanny Wynter’s magic was soothsaying?”
“No,” I uttered, still overcome with joy and pride and…and even intimidation. Because… Four sons? With Vienne? Holy shit. Tears of elation filled my eyes. “No, you never mentioned that part.”
“If you would permit it,” the nanny went on, smiling between us, “I would be honored to bless your union.”
“Excuse me,” a new voice broke in, causing us to turn toward a man dressed in purple and white robes. “But I’m a magic man myself. From the kingdom of Tipton.” His gaze landed on me. “When your armies freed the Lowden people of Graykey’s dark reign, it sent a shudder of relief through all the magical kind, in every realm. So I’ve come all this way to bless your union as well, in gratitude for what you’ve done for us.”
“I’ve also come to bless your union,” a third voice broke in as the priestess who’d given Vienne her love mark the day before stepped up beside the magic man from Tipton.
I turned toward Vienne, my eyebrows raised.
“You know what they say,” Brentley announced, joining the conversation with Allera at his side. “A thrice-blessed union will ensure an unbreakable marriage.”
“Not that we were even worried about that,” Vienne said in a daze before she laughed out her pleasure and blinked away grateful tears. “Thank you,” she told the three people of magic. “Thank you so much for being here with us today. We’d be honored to receive all your blessings.”
I smiled at her, my heart bursting with pride and joy.
The day I’d come to this kingdom within the sand, I’d been lost. But as I gazed at my one true love, I knew I was found. I had a place and a reason, and this woman had helped me find it. Now, we had a future with four more sons, along with Anniston, plus, an unbreakable marriage to look forward to.
I wasn’t sure if I could ever feel as happy as I felt in this moment, until Vienne glanced up at me as if sensing the delight coursing through my veins. She smiled in understanding, topping the moment even more.
THE END
Thank You
Much love to my family!! Poor Kurt, Lydia, Sadie, and even Holly the cat have to suffer through every time I go off into my writing mode and I’m not mentally present, even when I’m right there. Thanks for being my foundation and still loving me for who I am.
And to the rest of my family: Even though we lost our glue—our matriarch—I love you guys more than I did before, and I feel closer to you than ever. Whenever I get to missing Mom, I just have to see one of you, and there she is. You keep her memory alive.
Thanks to the family members who always read the first, roughest drafts of my stories. This time, I believe it was Alaina, Shi, Kayla, Jamie, and maybe even Morgan. Your initial responses are the most important to me! Big hugs.
Then there is always Amanda, who is my go-to beta reader. I swear, her feedback is almost as long as the story itself, and I love, love, LOVE that. I enjoy seeing the story from her point of view; it helps me fix and polish more than anything else. Her help is invaluable.
