16

The interviewing of the bears who wanted to join Lucca’s sloth went fine. They were all truly just hoping to get out of their toxic, sexist, and racist sloth. The new leadership was just as bad as Mason’s father had been and just wanted them to be isolated from everyone, and they didn’t want that. But no one would take them after all of the issues.

So they hoped Lucca would because they assumed fairies would be involved with his sloth and we could vouch for them. It was their suggestion that we interview them and clear them as truly wanting this.

Yeah, those were people who were desperate, not trying to con anyone. It was good that it was being handled and we could focus on the piles of everything else we had going on.

I felt like I blinked and it was finals. I obviously aced my power training given I beat up all the applicants for the royal security force and was the “final boss” they were using as their new training level.

Faerie’s Justice System was reviewing all of the laws and adding some that were specific to the situation we were in and had never been in before. Also, I had a whole everything drawn up to standardize sentences and more. Plus, I was changing some of the court system as I could not be the judge for everything. That wasn’t even reasonable.

But it had been a really great distraction for both queens before to have that role while the ancients did the real ruling of the realms.

No, we were implementing a new judge system after I became queen. They had to have served as a Guardian and either have years of experience on the policing side or as an attorney since. For the first level of judge at least. And they were elected for ten years but not to serve in their own area.

That was how corruption bred. It was also a blind election. Some might know the resumes, but that was what we were putting forth. The resumes. Not who had money or connections. It was who was the most qualified. From there, it would be their voting records to be reelected or not.

Nothing else. Not while I was the boss.

We didn’t need juries to convict when there was magic, but I developed a system of five random citizens to be formed in a tribunal to decide on sentencing when the case was more complicated or layered. They would work with a second-level judge for those cases.

And then I was the final judge. Me or Neldor and any two randomly selected commanders. Those were rare cases that were appealed or no one could really agree on.

So yeah, I aced that class after proposing those changes and people liked them… And Faerie’s Legislation. I’d already done all of that with proposing the laws and setting up a new system to vote. Redoing how our military and police would be—I aced everything. My master’s project as well.

Practical Enchantments II was for me to learn more of the basics, and I wanted more of that even after I graduated. People should always keep learning and growing, and if I was to be the beacon of what people in Faerie aspired to, I wanted to make sure that was always part of my life.

There was now going to be an Advanced Healing class at Artemis and hopefully at a few other of the colleges. We’d started something amazing with that class, and even if a few were still bitching that I wasn’t as transparent as I’d promised to be, no one could deny the results.

And that people were being pushed to do more with their magic and minds again.

So yeah, aced that too.

That left New Magical Development III… And given I kept doing new things like power gauges for specific magic, I was pretty well covered. Those hadn’t been a thing before, and now anyone in Faerie could go see how much magic I truly had to save them all.

Apparently, it was profound for them to experience and shut a lot of my haters up. Mostly because they were probably scared of me now, but I didn’t care as long as my life was more peaceful.

It wasn’t really part of my class, but I did create a new portal to Earth like my dad wanted while he was still around. I did it to one of the sanctuaries I’d bought that any supe could use for safety and would always have Guardians stationed at.

I also took down several portals that had been problematic or could be in the future given where humans had expanded cities or areas from. Once I was queen—and in my spare time—I wanted to do a full audit of every portal and a security threat assessment of them even.

As much as I’d used the portal to Faerie in the Townsend house, one didn’t need to be there. We could open portals like we breathed. Fewer portals for the wrong people to find or try and attack was always smartest.

Most people seemed to agree with me.

Once it was time for finals, I made sure to have a discussion with Edelman on the side after discovering a few things I’d heard the commanders whispering about.

“I’m not sure I truly thought we’d ever make it here,” he admitted once I was seated.

I snorted. “You have no idea how many times I truly almost fled this place or had to stop myself from burning it to the ground.”

He simply blinked at me for a full minute and clearly didn’t know how to process that. “What can I do for you, Your Highness?”

“If there’s a chance that I’m valedictorian, take my name out of the running,” I told him firmly. “I don’t mean to sound egotistical—”

“You are the presumed valedictorian of your class,” he confirmed.

I sighed. “No. Just… No.”

“Whyever not?” he asked gently, his tone confused and not upset. “You have come so far, and—no one has worked harder. You started so far behind the line of everyone else and—”

“Because I know that. You know that. Everyone who truly cares for me and values me knows that, Headmaster.” I gestured to his door and meant everything outside of it. “The rest of them won’t. It will be another shitstorm of this being unfair, and honestly this time I won’t disagree with them.” I shrugged when he frowned. “This school wasn’t set up for fairies.

“I did have an unfair advantage, and my last years of classes weren’t even Artemis’s curriculum. I’m also going to be Queen of Fairie. I broke the curve, not just topped it. That’s not fair to fuck with the final rankings of everyone else. Not when they will be judged because of where they land to go get jobs and more. I’ve also got too much else going on to deal with that fallout.”

He was quiet for several moments. “You know some will judge you if you aren’t at the top.”

I shrugged. “Make what I’m doing known. I don’t care. There’s nothing wrong with this conversation. Given this school wasn’t designed for complete fairy attendance all six years, I recuse myself from the final graduation ranking. That’s fair .” I held up my hand when he went to argue. “I also don’t want it.

“I’m a mess, Headmaster. My coronation is around the corner and that’s enough focus, thanks. My dad will leave me then. I have to grieve and establish my government—my plate is full . It’s so full that full isn’t a strong enough word. It’s beyond overflowing, and I don’t have the emotional capacity to also handle a valedictorian speech and the attention.”

“As you wish,” he accepted. “Yes, I fully understand your mature reasons. I will make sure a statement is put out today.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you.”

I nodded as I stood. I hadn’t thought of the flak he could get but yeah, I could only imagine the amount of headaches he would receive from people bitching if I was the top spot.

However… “You’ll let me know if it’s really me, right?”

He snorted. “It’s you, but yes.” He rubbed his chin. “I’m curious to see who it will be now. The next three are fairly close, but your roommate will probably take it.” He nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock. “She was always one of our brightest students, but now that you’ve helped her with her magic—she’s unstoppable and could have vast options if she hadn’t already found a position.”

“Make sure that gets spread around as a favor to me.” I smiled when he winked at me.

Nice.

A few days later, I was completely done and showed up for the photo shoot that Julian had gifted me for my birthday… Sort of. I had expanded the present.

A lot.

I now had the photographer and his team—who were all supes—for the whole day along with their studio. We were doing a lot of everything all day and incorporating too much into not enough hours, so people had better behave.

For real, because I was using what little remaining time I had with my family to do all of this.

Lucca and his family were already taking pictures when I arrived. He had asked to sneak it in and promised they would all get up extra early to be pretty and ready to go right at the start time without fuss. I thought his brother Jason would have started shit, but he was as worried about Mrs. Von Thann as Lucca was.

That was apparent when he thanked me on the side later for including them and even having fairy makeup artists work on his mom and sisters. It was a really mature thing to do and acknowledge, so I was kind as well.

“I will always have too much on my plate, but I do care,” I told him quietly. “If you see something I should know about, always come to me. It’s not a problem if you’re not being selfish, Jason.”

I was ready too and took a quick picture with Lucca and his family before we moved on. Izzy and I took one with Anya White who was surprised to be invited, but she’d honestly become like an aunt to us with how much she’d helped us both.

Katrina arrived with apologies for not being on time but hurried to join us. The two women were instrumental in how far I’d come after all. Then the female commanders joined us, and we took a couple of different shots before Izzy had a chance for a few with just Anya and Katrina.

Hudson’s family slipped in for a couple of pictures in between meetings and their kids getting to school. It was all before eight in the morning, so it was kind of crazy honestly. They thanked me for including them, Sasha tearing up when she saw the picture of her and Xavier with Hudson alone.

I nodded that I understood. He was so grown up now. He’d always been a man when we’d met, but now… He was an adult.

We all were even if we were twits in our mid-twenties.

Mr. and Mrs. Rothchild quickly snuck in a picture with me, and I thanked them before they hurried off with the Vogels.

Then I had a picture with each of my guys in a variety of cute or snuggly poses. We took one all together, and I beamed as my dad arrived looking a bit shy about it all. I waved him to join us, kissing his cheek when he did.

A few were snapped, but then it was just the two of us and we both teared up. Luckily, Izzy demanded to join us as his adopted daughter and our family as well.

He chuckled and kissed her hair, saying he was blessed to have such a wonderful woman want to be his daughter, and it was forever recorded just how red Izzy turned. It was a pretty big compliment coming from a damn demigod after all.

Lageos and I took pictures with Iolas, and then Neldor joined us before Taeral did as well. Fine, we were jumping the gun on some of this, but… My dad wouldn’t be here much longer.

I wanted all of the moments possible to look back on forever.

Dad and I also took pictures with all the light fairy commanders before all of them and Neldor as well. We added the majors as well who basically filed in quickly just for this, bowing to Neldor and me and thanking us for the honor.

I was shocked when Rafe snuck in with all of his friends and Wyn who pulled Darby in as well. It made sense because they’d all become really close going to law school.

“Congrats,” I praised them both. “I heard you’re all graduating at the top, not just Darby.”

“I can’t always be a twit, Your Highness,” Wyn chuckled.

“If only, Wyn,” I teased. I smiled as they had fun and was really glad that their exception had gone through. Law school was normally three years but given their resumes and the degrees they had listed—they hit the prerequisites that weren’t law and fillers.

I stepped out and let Rafe, Dalyor, Kerym, Agis, and their group have a few quick shots alone, Neldor giving me a look that I was a total softie. I shrugged; it was the day for that. I nodded to where Stefanie was standing with Colton, clearly going to slip in as well… And I was thrilled they were. It warmed my soul that they were at the point of taking couples pictures.

“They flew together,” Neldor told me under his breath, nodding when I gasped. “I gave permission for Colton to be allowed to fly around Faerie as long as he was escorted. They went flying at sunset the other night. People were worried and checked on them but kept far enough behind.” He rubbed my back. “She can still glide. She does what you and Hudson used to do.”

“Thank fuck,” I rasped, turning away so no one saw me cry. “Asshole. Tell me this later and don’t mess up my makeup.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m horrible,” he chuckled as he checked my face. “You look perfect, baby doll.”

I rolled my eyes and went for the next picture. It was with Cara and Jordan who were already showing. It was kind of trippy to stand in between two pregnant women sporting baby bumps, but I was glad we got a picture.

Next were all my hobgoblin buddies. I started with the kids, and my guys joined in—Izzy as well. They were so excited to do something this fancy and be the center of attention. They might be older now, but they remembered all of the years of hiding and trying to stay under the radar.

Now I was extra glad to do this, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed the mood and emotional response. I had the hobgoblins take shots with their kids and also as a big group before joining as well.

We honestly took so many pictures my head was spinning.

For real.

And that was just before second lunch.

I changed and so did all of my guys. I smiled when I saw Darby was in one of the new suits he’d been fitted for. Neldor had actually taken him to the tailor he liked in Paris and gotten him squared away. It was really nice of him, and Darby had said Neldor had taught him a few things and had been genuine.

I loved when they got along like that. I truly did.

We took more pictures with my dad and then as a couple. I noticed Lucca snuck in a few with just Hudson and me, and I was glad they got the chance to have that as well. They didn’t really do much without me in the picture, but I’d seen them share a few kisses or touches when no one was looking.

Especially recently with everything that Lucca had been going through. I wasn’t sure I would have been enough to get him through it. Hudson was really such a rock for both of us.

I was fairly sure that was why dragons were really called rock heads instead of a slur against their intelligence.

One of Freya’s new nannies brought her, so we took a few pictures and then with Izzy and Claudia who snuck in just for the quick shots when Izzy texted her their turn was coming up. They took a few very cute couple shots and then a few with Freya.

The level of cuteness was unreal.

“I’m so, so proud of you that you have all of these people in your life and on your side, Daughter,” Lageos whispered as he moved next to me. I’d been standing off to the side watching it all and taking it in. “It warms my heart to know so many will love and help you. It makes it easier on my guilt that I must leave you.”

I blinked back tears. “I think I fooled myself that it would get easier knowing it was coming, but I guess it was always going to be too much to ask from both of us, huh?”

“Yes, yes it was, and I regret agreeing with your mother,” he admitted for the first time ever. “I wish we had taken you and run, and I know that’s horrible and selfish, but—I wish we had. I wish she’d let me do more and—”

“You couldn’t have,” I told him gently, turning my head and meeting his gaze. “I felt Elora’s power, Dad. It’s different than yours. You might be a demigod, but she was top of a whole world. It’s like water and oil and don’t always mix like you know. Both are just different.” I swallowed loudly. “But one is flammable, and it wasn’t yours.”

Shock flashed in his eyes and he nodded, understanding that it wasn’t only my mother’s kind heart that kept him out of the fight but that he wouldn’t have won. She was willing to give her life for this fight and protect me—all of Faerie, but not Lageos’s.

Not directly. Not when she would live on.

And she knew she would have. Lageos gave his immortality to be mated to her. She simply mated. She could have survived the loss of him.

Physically, at least.

That was the answer to why this was the path that I’d always missed. It was both of them or neither of them… Even if Lageos joined her a few decades later.

They were truly one and soulmates like that. It was touching even as it was tragic.

I reached over and took his hand. “No regrets. We had more fun and good times than most father-daughter duos get even in a handful of years. We’ve laughed, we’ve drank too much, we’ve eaten out restaurants, we’ve taken down cartels and illegal gambling rings.”

“You are the best heist partner I’ve ever had,” he chuckled. “Much better than your mother. She was always too much like a deer in headlights, shocked I was misbehaving even if she knew what we were going to do.”

I laughed at that, glad when he squeezed my hand. “I’ve forgiven her a lot now that I understand more. I’ll forgive her this too. I’ll see you both again, Dad. I just can’t—it’s limbo for her. She’s trapped in that moment of death and it was setting Elora free. Mom deserves the same no matter how much it hurts both of us.”

“You are certainly the best thing we ever did, Daughter,” he rasped as he kissed my hair. “And I’m so happy we shared this day too. I never thought—this was magical, and not an ounce of power was involved. Just you. You were the magic.”

Not just me, but I knew what he meant.

There were more pictures, and honestly my head spun… And the photographer looked exhausted. His assistants and everyone with the studio looked ready to drop. This definitely wasn’t the normal day or speed, but I was glad we fit it all in.

I was really, really glad we’d made it work and finally made the time for it.

“I hear you were supposed to be valedictorian,” Izzy said after we wrapped up and were all going out to dinner.

I went to reply but then froze. “How did you know that?”

“Edelman asked me to tell you when he called to say I am now.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth. “That man needs to learn some fucking tact.” I sighed when she snorted. “Sorry you found out like that.”

She gave me a curious look. “It should have been you.”

“No, it shouldn’t have been, and people would have been valid to bitch if it was,” I argued. “Artemis isn’t set up for a fairy student full-time especially all the years and certainly not one who’s half demigod or whatever.”

She bobbed her head as I spoke. “Fair, but you did work harder than I did, Tams. That’s the part that upsets me.”

“I don’t want it, Izzy,” I admitted quietly. “I just… Don’t want it. I also don’t want it for my people.” I hurried on when she seemed shocked. “Not that their queen went to Artemis or school with regular supes—”

“But that she had to,” she whispered, understanding. It would forever be another reminder of what was done to me instead of what I’d achieved.

Maybe not, but it made sense in my head and I understood it.

More than that, I saw Izzy wanted it.

“You deserve it too, boo,” I promised her as I patted her shoulder. “Take the victory and let me step out of your way. I will always be front and center for so much. Take this one. I can admit I maybe deserved it, but so do you, Izzy. You worked just as hard as I did. It wasn’t your fault that I was behind and had to work harder. You put in the years of work before that.”

“You sure?” she hedged.

I grabbed her arms and shook her. “Please do this for both of us. I cannot handle a speech in front of those vipers with everything else on my plate. Take this crown you deserve. I have a crown to accept already, and the stress of it is killing me.”

I admitted a bit too much there, and I saw she caught it. She leaned in and kissed my cheek. I was glad she believed me at least.

And I was glad it was her. She really did deserve it.

Which was why I walked into the restaurant and spilled the news like a proud bestie. “Guess who is the valedictorian? Let’s hear it for Ms. Isabella Thorne!”

Our people immediately started cheering, most standing and clapping for her and not caring if we bothered others there. Screw them. This was awesome, and we weren’t going to be loud for long.

Julian pulled me off to the side later and pressed his lips to my ear. “As a former professor and valedictorian of his class at Artemis, I’m proud of you, my sweet mate. For being at the top and also knowing what’s more important and giving the honor to Izzy.”

I kissed him. “It was always hers. Artemis wasn’t ready for a fairy who’s part demigod. I play fair.”

“It’s one of your best qualities, Tams,” he whispered. “It always has been.”

I was glad he thought that way. It was something I wanted people to think about me. I truly did.