Epilogue

EPILOGUE

3 months later

Abraxas tugged at the uncomfortable neckline of his shirt. Zephyr had insisted that he dress in royal clothing, even though Abraxas hated the stiff fabric. His neck was too thick for clothing like this. It made him feel trapped, and a dragon feeling trapped was a dangerous thing indeed.

An angry hiss from behind him suggested his son was feeling the same.

Abraxas turned, grinning at Hyperion as he wrestled with the neckcloth that was supposed to be folded delicately around their throats. Another angry hiss was then followed by a belch of fire that incinerated the fabric.

“Hyperion,” he groaned. “That was the last one we had. I don’t think the servants will bring you another.”

“Then I won’t wear one.” With a sly grin, his son turned toward him and pointed. “And neither will you. We’ll match, Father, and then no one will think anything is wrong at all.”

Sighing, he tossed his up into the air and sent a blast of flames at it. “Fine, but you’re telling your mother why.”

“That you didn’t like the necktie and made a decision? I couldn’t let an old man wander out into the crowd looking like he’d finally succumbed to his age, so I also decided not to wear the necktie?”

The gleam in Hyperion’s eyes suggested he would absolutely throw his own father to the wolves.

If his timing had been better, that is.

Lore leaned against the door jamb with a sparkle of laughter in her eyes. “Yes, Hyperion, that would work if your mother wasn’t a goddess and couldn’t see through walls.”

She wore a lovely pale blue dress that synched in at her waist. He knew it was supposed to have a corset, but she hadn’t worn it. Instead, she looked like a woman who had just left her home on a bright summer day. So lovely it made his heart twist in his chest. Her hair was supposed to be up in a complicated coil, but instead, it was loose around her face. A bright mane of hair that was now slightly curled. He’d forgotten what it was like to see her so clean, so often.

Hyperion leaned his head back and groaned. “Mother! You are not supposed to be spying on us all the time!”

“Sorry, love.” She strode into the room and messed with his hair. “You know I can’t help myself. You two are always getting into trouble.”

Though it was clear, his son wanted to argue, Hyperion tossed his head and shrugged. “I can’t help it if this kingdom needs a little lighter heart. Zephyr hasn’t minded at all.”

“Zephyr wouldn’t mind. You two saved this kingdom and gave him a throne.” Lore tsked. “He would let you fly over the castle upside down while raining seaweed down upon their heads and he would laugh and shrug like you earned your moment.”

“Seaweed?” Hyperion grimaced. “Speaking of, I better go find Nyx. She’s been hiding in her room all morning.”

“I wonder why,” Abraxas growled as his son raced from the room.

Both of his children had been at each other’s throats for weeks now. If Hyperion wasn’t telling his sister that no one wanted her around, Nyx was telling her brother that all his projects were a waste of time and energy. The two of them were going to be the death of him, and it didn’t help that they both looked like adults.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose and waved for Lore to come over. “If anyone thinks that the dragons are uncultured because of that boy, I swear—”

Lore tucked herself underneath his arm and hugged him tight around the chest. “No one will think that. They will all be wonderfully honored that any dragon at all was at the coronation. And we are going to be late, so there’s no time for anything else.”

“But Nyx—”

“Hyperion will find her room empty and a deepmonger waiting for him to bring him to the Great Hall. We’ll be meeting all of them there.”

He felt some of the tension in his shoulders ease. “I am lucky to have you.”

“Yes, you are.”

Lore pressed a kiss to his cheek before drawing him out of their rooms and down the halls.

The castle was completely new. Tapestries of colorful threads covered the entire room. The floors and ceilings sparkled, they were so clean, with plants in pots rather than growing out of the stones themselves. The floors were covered with blush navy carpets and servants rushed from room to room, readying the bedrooms for the guests that would be staying.

It all suddenly felt... real. They’d done it. They’d saved the kingdom, and this right here was their proof.

And proof stood next to him, her hand held in his and squeezing his fingers as they reached the Great Hall. A man at the front was already placing a crown on top of Zephyr’s head, but Abraxas could barely keep his eyes away from the crowd itself.

Elves, dwarves, giants, ents, creatures from all shapes and sizes. They stood intermingled with humans, who looked decidedly nervous, but they were there. Standing with the rest of them. And they all watched their new king with a mixture of fear and hope. He knew that feeling. Better than he should.

Abraxas looked down at Lore, attached to his arm, hugging his bicep close as she watched with wide eyes. And he knew that the only feeling any of them should have was hope.

She’d made it so.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as Zephyr turned to address the crowd. He held a small staff in his hands, a symbol of his status, and his crown was slightly tilted to one side.

Zephyr looked more like himself than he ever had. Standing right there, nervous and uncomfortable but ready.

“This kingdom has seen its fair share of kings.” His quiet voice rang through the sudden silence of the crowd. “I don’t know if I’m the right one. I’ll be honest. I know nothing about running a kingdom, nor was I trained in politics or much other than what my mother thought I’d need to know. But a good friend told me that these are the reasons I am a good choice for your kingdom. Because I don’t think I deserve to be here, but I want to be. And I will do everything in my power to earn your trust, and to learn from all of you who know more about this than I do.”

Abraxas found his breath catching in his throat as Zephyr looked up, and he could see the determination on the young man’s face. He wanted this. He wanted the kingdom, and all who came with it, and he wanted to do it right.

“Now,” Zephyr continued. “I would be remiss not to thank the dwarves for what they did to get us here. I must also thank my peers and all the magical creatures who fought beside us during the war. I must thank the elves, especially the Ashen Deep, who went against their brethren to fight at our side. And, of course, the dragons who came to our rescue when all hope was lost. We are lucky to have such symbols of hope in our lives again.”

Abraxas felt his chest swell with pride. He peered through the crowd and found Tanis and Rowan standing with their arms full of baby dragons. Tanis had found the eggs, although she was waiting to hatch them until they were all safely back on the island. A whole mess of dragon eggs, and a wealth of possibility for their kind. Draven stood beside them, holding the little gold dragon in his arms. All three nodded at him, their prizes clutched close to their hearts.

Zephyr held out his arm and gestured toward Abraxas and Lore. “If it were up to me, I would have crowned the Goddess Divine. But she did not want this throne, nor did she want to take her place amongst my advisors. Instead, she will return to her home with her family. It is my hope that she will visit as often as possible.”

Lore inclined her head with a proud smile. “Make no trouble, my king! And you won’t see me.”

He pretended to clutch at his chest, his head shaking with laughter. “Ah, no, Goddess. I have no plans to make trouble for you. As we all agreed, you have earned your rest and your happiness.”

Then Zephyr did something that Abraxas had not expected. He turned toward the back of the stage and held out his arm for Beauty to join him. She wore a molten gold gown and a crown atop her head, a soft smile on her face that was eased by the blush on her cheeks.

“It is my honor to present to you now, your queen!”

The cheers from the crowd rose and Lore pressed tighter against him. “I love you,” she whispered into his ear. “Thank you for giving me such a wonderful family.”

Abraxas swept her up into his arms and kissed her with all the passion and love and hope that he felt. “Thank you for loving me,” he replied. “And thank you, Lorelei of Silverfell, for becoming my home.”