Epilogue

Four months later

"Rise and shine!" Mom pulled the blankets off me. I groan at the intrusion and snuggle to where Tidun's scent was the strongest. The first thing we did after getting a new magically spelled RV was buy a king-size bed for his large frame. I joked the bed was pointless since I slept basically on top of him most nights, anyway.

The best part about having a magical RV was it looked about the same size as my old one from the outside, but there was so much more space on the inside. I had a whole art set up near the front of the RV where I did my streams and online art lessons. I didn't have many students yet, but it didn't matter how many people I taught, teaching even one person was so fulfilling.

Tidun and I still followed the circus to each new city, and I still worked the morning shift operating rides while Tidun held meetings with his sisters or the other whale shifter species. At night, I still did live sketches at the circus for a couple of hours a day, but now I had Tidun to keep me company during those times.

I patted underneath me, expecting delicious warm skin, but found nothing but the cold bed. It took a minute for my sleep-clogged brain to remember Tidun had gone back to his kingdom to prepare for our wedding today.

Today's our wedding!

I shot up in bed and found Mom standing there watching me with a smirk and still holding the blanket. "Finally remember what today is?"

"Shit, what time is it?" I asked, scrambling out of bed to check the time on my phone. I had a hard time sleeping last night because of nerves for today as well as not having spent a single night away from Tidun since his month-long trip to set up the Gam.

The Whale Gam, or just shortened to ‘the Gam,' had their first meeting at the circus a month after Tidun came home. It had been mostly successful, with the other whale shifter species realizing they needed to adapt to the changing world.

Thus, Tidun achieved the alliance he had hoped for, and Corelyn didn't have to go through with the arranged marriage and got together with her guard instead. They were taking their relationship slow but would attend today's wedding together.

Tidun's and my wedding.

I sighed with relief when I saw I hadn't overslept, but that didn't mean I had time to waste. The rest of the morning went by in a blur with all the last-minute preparations, making sure my outfit was ready and getting the early guests where they needed to be. A lot of the members of the Gam came to support Tidun, which had surprised him, but he also seemed grateful for it.

Aisha arrived as I was getting my makeup done by my mom. I'd never worn makeup before, but since we were getting married on stage, and Mom, being the makeup artist for all the performers, insisted that I needed some or else I'd look washed out under the harsh light. I wasn't going to argue with the pro.

My best friend smirked as she watched my mom conceal the dark circles I'd gotten from the lack of sleep. I looked in the mirror, and hey, if makeup was going to make me look more alive, then I could get behind it.

"I can't believe you're getting married," Aisha said, and my mom immediately agreed and started going on about how her little baby was all grown up now.

I glared at Aisha and gritted out, "See what you did? Now she's not gonna stop until I'm actually married. And like you're one to talk. Who was the one who got married first? Let me think..." I pressed a finger to my chin and pretended to think, then grabbed her left hand to reveal the gold band on her ring finger. "Oh yeah, you!"

"Stop moving," Mom ordered and forced my face back toward her. I muttered sorry while Aisha continued to smirk at me.

Aisha and Naial held their wedding last month in the sperm whale kingdom. Aisha still lived and worked at the circus for the most part—thank god, since I didn't know what I would do without her—but they visited their underwater home often. Who knew Aisha would one day become a water feline?

Once makeup was done, I put on my suit. Dad came to help me with the tie, and then clapped me on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you, son," he said, his voice full of emotion. Beside us, Mom was already wiping her tears with a tissue paper. I was never a sympathetic crier, but damn if the feels weren't getting to me.

"I love you guys so much. Thank you for raising me," I said, pulling them both into a hug. Mom sobbed into my chest and Dad pulled both of us into his large arms. His eyes were suspiciously wet as well.

Aisha stood to the side, and I reached out to her. "Come here, bestie. You can't escape my love," I teased. My parents made room for her in our little hug pile, hugging her as tightly as they hugged me.

I sometimes wondered how the hell I got so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who loved me, and now I was about to marry the love of my life. Luck really must be on my side.

Mom fixed our makeup and hair again, then it was time. The three of us made our way to the large tent. I'd seen the magnificent structure probably thousands of times since my childhood and watched just as many of our circus shows, but this time was different from all the others. Today I wouldn't be in the audience, I would be one of the stars of the show.

Aisha said Naial was already saving a seat for her in what I considered the best seats in the house. She'd promised to tell me just how fantastic I looked on stage from there.

Before leaving to find her seat, though, Aisha pulled me into a hug again. "I love you too, bestie."

I gasped and pulled back. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head? Because there was no way you would have willingly said that without me forcing you."

She rolled her eyes and started walking toward the front entrance of the tent. She didn't get far before turning her head and saying, "It's finally your time to shine on the stage, so kick some ass."

I smiled widely and told her I would. Once she left, my parents and I went to the backstage area. Tidun and I weren't going to follow the traditional human wedding and decided to walk on stage with both our parents from opposite ends of the stage.

That meant Tidun was probably waiting nearby with his parents as well. My heartbeat sped up at the thought of being married soon. It wasn't that I was scared of moving too fast or that I didn't want to get married, but I was just too excited. This was it. The fairy tale happily ever after my romantic heart always wished for, except this wasn't a fairy tale. This was my life, and it was so much better than any storybook could portray.

I peeked through the curtains to see the front and saw the seats filled to the brim. My entire circus family was here as well as most of the sperm whale shifters and the members of the Gam. They were all here to witness our union.

The nerves got to me again. Mom told me to breathe, but I didn't even have time for that as the lights dimmed and the music started.

Like the start of any show, the stage light turned on and Seven appeared on stage in his best suit and top hat. He spread his arms wide as he faced the audience.

"Welcome, friends and family. Thank you all for joining us today on a very special day."

His words faded out in a haze of nerves, and before I knew it, Seven was calling us out to the stage. Our curtains opened and loud roars of cheering came from the audience. It didn't do anything to help my loudly pounding heart.

But then I saw him.

Tidun was walking from the other end of the circular stage with his parents, and everything else faded away. I sped up, wanting to get to him faster. He did as well. We met in the middle of the stage, and I jumped into his arms. I had to.

He caught me and held me close. Protected.

The cheering around us got louder, almost deafening now, but none of that was important. All I could see was Tidun. He smiled, and my heart settled in my chest.

"Are you ready to spend the rest of our lives together?" he whispered.

I smirked, never feeling more ready than I did now to commit my life to him with my circus family—and my new whale one as well—to witness our story.

"Let's get this show on the road."