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“It’s already started,” I answered. “And I couldn’t be happier.”
EPILOGUE
HAZEL
One Year Later
Being back in Jasfin felt a lot like coming home, although I had more than one home now. Ellie came to the courtyard when we stepped out of the hovercraft and threw her arms around me before she hugged Mom and Zita.
Finally, she gave Erol a hug. He tensed, but only briefly. My strong, warrior Fae was still getting used to love and friendly embraces.
“Welcome, welcome!” she cried. “I can’t believe you’re finally here! It’s been too long!”
I laughed. “We saw you last month!”
“Do you know how much time has passed since then? Come, you won’t believe how much Deron has grown! He’s sitting now! The royal sitter told me it’s early, and I’m so proud!”
She gushed and relayed everything about the little prince as only a proud mother could.
“When will you and Erol have children?” Ellie asked, interrupting herself and her rambling.
Erol cleared his throat.
“Oh,” I said, blushing hard. “I don’t know. It will happen when the time is right.” I wouldn’t admit that seeing Ellie and Rainier with baby Deron so often made me broody, but all would happen in good time. Terra had divine timing, and Erol and I both trusted her that everything would turn out the way it should.
“You’ll love it,” Ellie said with a warm smile. “I can’t tell you how wonderful motherhood is. I’d never thought it would be this fulfilling.” We walked into the royal nursery, and the three of us greeted the nanny.
Deron sat in a playpen, drooling over something he kept sticking in his mouth.
“Hello, handsome man!” I cried and reached for him. He held out chubby hands, and I scooped him up and nuzzled his neck. He blew spit bubbles and giggled, tangling his sticky fingers in my hair.
“Oh, no, let me help,” Ellie giggled and carefully untangled his fingers from my hair.
“He looks so much like Rainier,” I said. Deron had black hair, like the Fae king, and icy blue eyes. But he had Ellie’s nose, and when he offered me a toothless grin, I noticed he had her smile, too.
Magic washed over me, a little scattered and haphazard, but it was clearly there.
“Oh, he’s powerful,” I breathed.
Ellie nodded. “Nylah says she’s never seen anything like his display of power—not even when Rainier was younger! I’m trusting Nylah and Terra to guide us. I’m completely out of my depth here.”
I nodded. Ellie had grown up human, and she didn’t always know what it meant to raise a Fae baby. She had Nylah at her side, who was like a mother and a sister combined. Sometimes, she called Mom, who also offered advice and guided Ellie and Rainier.
After handing Deron back to the nanny, Ellie showed us to our rooms herself, and then we settled for the evening to rest after our journey.
Erol was excited about the ceremony in the morning, and he made love to me in all the ways he knew how before we fell asleep, tangled together.
The next morning, we dressed in royal robes and walked to the throne room together. Mom and Zita were already there. We were all dressed in white, wearing varying styles that were in fashion, our clothing made of different fabrics. The throne room had been decorated with vases filled with lilies, white roses, and Lettles, and the white silk covered both thrones to complete the picture of purity.
Nylah, wearing her white priestess robes, took her place between the thrones, and a moment later, Ellie and Rainier arrived with Deron, completely dressed in white satin and silk. He grinned at everyone watching him, and awe rippled through the crowd.
Deron was already stealing hearts left and right.
Rainier and Ellie handed their precious child to Nylah before they sat on their thrones.
“Today, we’re here for a very special event,” Nylah said. “A son has been born, the heir to the throne of Jasfin, and we call on Terra to take this child and make him her own.”
A white flash of light filled the room, and everyone gasped, bowing their heads in reverence. Terra wasn’t here, but her presence was, and it was enough.
