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Ari and Saga both wore dark circlets of raven’s wings. Saga waved once she saw me, but Ari was too distracted with his daughter. Mira seemed content to sit on her father’s lap, playing tricks with their illusion magic, laughing as they kept trying to outsmart the other by making pebbles appear and disappear in Ari’s palm.
Seats in the hall skidded as folk rose. Sol and Tor stood near the front. My Sun Prince strained to catch a look at the two of us, grinning. Lilianna and Arvad stood hand in hand beside them.
I was their storyteller. I’d been the one to guide them once, but somewhere along the way we’d switched places. They guided me, taught me, loved me. The fools had already dragged me into their family before discovering the truth, but even more now, they treated me as their own.
Like their blood family.
Gorm and Elder Klok from Etta stepped in front of us.
“To a king and queen of fate,” Gorm said, bowing his head.
“To the king and queen,” said Elder Klok. “For a queen of cunning who united us all.”
The two men marked our foreheads in runes with goat blood. Then, they left us to take our places among the others. Silas clung to my hand. He’d removed his mask, and even knowing how little scars bothered our folk, he despised scrutiny; likely worse than the Nightrender.
I clung to him much the same. My pulse raced. Hard to imagine we were finally here after all this time. This was the ending my father, my mother, my Rave brother, had all sacrificed their lives for our lands to reach.
Silas held my hand as I stepped onto the dais, struggling with the damn gown. I’d much prefer trousers, but for one bleeding day I supposed I could manage.
Once he was on the dais with me, he took my hand again, and as Gorm had instructed before dawn, we sat as one in the center thrones.
“To the kings and queens!” Gorm shouted again, then took to one knee.
“To the kings and queens!” Folk rumbled after, every land, every kingdom lowering to their knees (except for Niklas and Junie, but I thought it was more to draw out Kase’s deeper scowl than anything).
I looked to my sides, taking in the faces of my royals. I refused to cry, but the sting was there.
My folk. My family. They’d fought for me. They’d saved me. Much more than I’d ever saved them.
I faced Silas, grinning. I would always love my royals for their bold choices, their will to love so fiercely. Without them, I would never have foundhim.
* * *
Feasts followed. A final night of celebration, for tomorrow the trials of the remaining sea fae would be had. Dreary works. Most of our captives were young fae. All the grown folk left them to be at the mercy of enemies.
It seemed the Ever Kingdom did not know the meaning of loyalty. Not like it was known here.
I snuck a glance at the table where the young royals ate with each other.
“Livie,” I said, crouching down by the sneaky princess. “What’s that you’ve got?”
She flushed and held up a silver charm in the shape of a swallow. “Bought it from a forest fae. Thinking of making a necklace with it. Maybe an arm band.”
“What’s the meaning behind the bird?”
She popped a shoulder, studying her little charm. “I just like it.”
I lifted a brow. She was clearly wanting me to cease with the questions. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Looks beautiful. Giving it as a gift?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Well, if you do, whoever receives it will be fortunate.”
* * *
Sun split the hazy clouds over the sea. What looked to be a storm hovered over the thrashing current of the Chasm of Seas. The black streak of darker water never faded, never stilled. Sometimes it seemed like the sea knew its king remained on land and would not calm until it took him back.
Now that the coronation was finished, the sea fae were at last set to be returned to their watery kingdom. Two weeks since Davorin’s death, two weeks since they’d lived within the tides.
