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Epilogue
Home was with Aspen and Roth, but since they needed a place to stay, Oriel picked Qualquetty. Aspen and Roth liked it too. The Castle was quite large, and they’d talked about getting it renovated later, but at the moment, they were enjoying the peace of being settled and not having a court.
On the day of the Spring Equinox, they stood in front of the altar in the Temple at midday. Oriel couldn’t see the crystal on the roof from inside, but he knew it was there and soaking up the sun’s rays.
The High Mage chanted in a low voice as he asked Elira to bless their reign and allow them to rule with a fair hand. On the altar sat three crowns with amethysts set in them. The middle was the original, and the second was nearly as old. The third crown had been made for Roth since this was the first time West Bay would have three Kings.
The maker of the first two had also made the crowns for the rulers of the Glasswood Kingdom back in ancient times when the Goddess Elira still came to visit her children. It was why they had the same design because the man, whose name was lost long to history, had wanted to remind them of something.
The King had great power, but he also had enormous responsibility. Sometimes, the bearer of the crown also had great losses.
The High Mage finished chanting and came around the altar. He picked up the oldest crown and set it on Oriel’s head. The gold thorny vine that was a part of the design didn’t cut his skin, but the little pricks on his scalp reminded him of Father explaining why the crown had been designed in such a way.
Being the King wasn’t all glamor and riches. Some rulers were lucky to keep everything for their whole lives and have peace. Others had to fight. They might fail, and it could be stolen from them because sometimes, the King’s position looked pretty good to others, or another ruler might want his land and power.
The crown could be a heavy, painful burden.
Once Roth and Aspen were wearing their crowns, the High Mage stepped back. “May Elira watch over you. Pray that she makes your words fair and your hand light.”
The other Mages went ahead to the wide steps and stood at the sides. Oriel glanced up at the painted ceiling that showed the ocean before they turned around and headed to the steps. The streets were packed, and the noise started to rise as they drew closer. At the top, they paused while the people cheered.
West Bay had the rightful heir once more and two other Kings. The burden had been heavy, and Oriel would feel it for a long time. He’d always thought he’d be one of those lucky Kings to have nothing but peace back when he was young and thought he’d always be safe. He’d also imagined that when he took the crown, his parents and brothers would be alive to see it. The lack of them made his throat tighten even though he plastered on a smile for the crowd and waved like Roth and Aspen were doing.
Oriel would feel many burdens for a long time, but he wasn’t alone. The two that had shouldered it with him stood on either side. If anything happened again, he knew they’d remain at his side.
It took a while for the crowd to calm down a little. Someone with light circles far off to their left started setting them off, and purple smoke gushed out above the crowd. The new Kings retreated to leave by the side entrance where their carriage awaited.
Their wedding would come in a few months once summer rolled around. All three had been so busy, they hadn’t done the coronation until spring. It was more of a formality, but it needed to be done.
Oriel had felt a bit guilty about doing something celebratory after a war. Plenty of Kings did so, but he knew plenty of citizens had lost loved ones. His own grief over his family certainly hadn’t gone away either. They didn’t even have a court at their new Castle, so why have a party with three people.
Aspen had suggested that they pay for food and wine to be delivered to the city. Let them drink and eat themselves silly if they wanted. Whoever wanted it would be happy, and the Kings could celebrate in their own way.
“Almost done,” Oriel later told Roth as he tied his long red hair back for him. “I can’t believe I’m a King now, and I still have to sneak out like a damn kid.”
“That almost makes it more fun,” Aspen said from the couch. Behind him on a bookshelf, the three soft bears that Oriel had salvaged from the attic sat and watched them.
Oriel knew damn well that if they rode out today, they’d have people following in their excitement. He still put on his trousers one leg at a time, and so did Roth and Aspen, but they’d act like Elira herself was riding by since it was their Coronation Day.
The excitement would die down as normal life took over, the citizens here would grow used to them, and they could go out without having a bunch of people trying to gawp at them, but he wasn’t waiting. None of them felt like having a stupidly big dinner by themselves in the Castle, and new memories were waiting to be made here.
Aspen already had his black hair tied back, his cloak on, and his hood up. A servant had said the basket would be in the stables. Oriel made sure Roth’s hair was hidden with his hood, and he went into the closet room to grab his cloak.
Mother’s shawl was folded on a shelf, and it had already lost her smell, but he touched the soft fabric for a moment before he grabbed his cloak. He’d never found Father’s sword, but he told himself to focus on what he did have today.
He could have lost far more than items.
When they rode out, the city was celebrating, and it was rather hard to get through on their horses. They’d used plain saddles, and with their borrowed clothes, they didn’t look very fancy. Hardly anyone paid them any mind. Oriel didn’t need to hide since the guards wouldn’t forbid him from leaving if they realized who he was. This time, Aspen held him from behind when they rode through, and they had a third at their side.
Oriel kicked the horse into a gallop, and Roth’s followed alongside. The wide roads that wound through grassy fields for a bit led to the beach. Oriel wouldn’t go to the old ones, but he could make new memories here with the two most important men in his life.
The grass gave way to sand, and the horses carried them parallel to the water for a while since they wanted to be far away from the city itself. Aspen tightened his grip on Oriel as he looked out.
Roth pushed his hood back. “This is nice. Maybe we should do this for our wedding too. We don’t need to bring a court or have a big meal, and who’s going to say otherwise?”
“True,” said Oriel. “Peace and quiet is nice too.”
Partly, Oriel hadn’t bothered with a court so Aspen wouldn’t feel so uncomfortable. He’d done all right with the coronation, but he still preferred being around only them two in general. Beyond that, it was easier to keep the place empty.
