The Prince’s Heart

Epilogue

Ten Months Later

I grin to myself as I walk into the grand ballroom where Tag and I will get married in just a few short hours; it’s been nearly ten months since I proposed, and I can scarcely believe the day is already here. The Hall of Lights—named for the multitude of brightly colored glowbulbs hanging from chandeliers and sconces—is by far the most glamorous room in the palace. It’s mostly used for formal events, like the annual Founding Day ball, where hundreds of people in resplendent outfits enjoy a banquet dinner and dance the night away. Today, though, the glowbulbs are dimmed; golden sunlight streaming in through the large windows is more than enough to make the room bright. Even so, it looks as resplendent as ever, the perfect setting for what I hope will be a perfect wedding.

I stand in the back of the room, off to one side, watching the servants put the finishing touches on the wedding decorations. Emma directs them, although she seems content to let them do their work without interfering. Almost as soon as she found out that Tag and I had gotten engaged, she asked if she could be in charge of the wedding planning, and I gladly said yes. As far as I can tell, she’s doing an excellent job. At any rate, the hall looks even more magnificent than ever, which is quite a feat.

Satisfied that everything’s going well, I walk out of the hall and head back to my chambers. There are still a few hours left before the wedding, and even though I’m ready to get on with it, I have a feeling my self-appointed stylist and general fashion manager will want to use every last second she has to make me look perfect.

Sure enough, when I get back to my chambers, Ivy gives me a frustrated look. “Where were you?” she asks. “I have to finish styling your hair. And you still have to decide whether you want to wear any jewelry.” She pauses, her eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion. “You didn’t go outside, did you? If you messed up your shoes…”

I hold up my hand in mock surrender, as though it will protect me from her verbal onslaught. “Calm down. I just went to see how the hall is coming along.” I look past her, out the window. Winter has come and gone, and trees have regrown their leaves, making the land beyond the city walls look like a sea of green. “Although maybe I should have gone outside. It looks like the weather is beautiful.”

She looks me over with a critical eye for a moment longer, then nods, evidently reassured I haven’t ruined my outfit. “You certainly couldn’t have picked a better day,” she says. “Now come over here so I can fix your hair. I had an idea, and I know you’ll love it. I’m thinking we can…”

I tune her out and let her do her thing. Some things never change .

A few hours later, I’m standing by myself outside the hall again. By now, all the guests who are going to show up have already done so, and the great doors that lead to the hall are closed. I haven’t seen Tag since last night—apparently in Zeteyon, it’s bad luck for the engaged couple to see each other before the wedding. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my nerves … but to my mild surprise, I find I’m not nervous at all. Instead, when I think about all the trouble it took to get to this point, all I feel is relief and excitement.

At that moment, I hear a voice behind me; I don’t need to look to know who it belongs to.

“Are you ready, my love?”

I turn around anyway. Tag is standing there, looking perfect, with a big grin on his handsome face. “I am, my love.” I walk up to him and cup his face in one hand, taking one of his hands in the other. “You look amazing, by the way.”

“You do, too,” he says, still smiling widely. “I suppose we’ll have to thank Ivy and Riella when this is over, won’t we?”

“We will. But for now, let’s just enjoy being with each other.”

He kisses me, then lays his head against my chest, careful not to mess up his hair. “That sounds wonderful.”

We stay like that for a few moments, just holding each other close, before Tag lifts his head. “You know,” he says, “you never did tell me how you convinced the council to let us marry.”

I shrug, careful not to mess up my outfit lest I incur Ivy’s wrath. “There was nothing to it, really. I just told them that the alliance with Zeteyon was back on, and they agreed that it wasn’t necessary for me to marry some foreign prince I’ve never met anymore. I guess that, plus your family’s connection to royalty, was enough for them to deem you acceptable.”

He raises one eyebrow. “Come on. There’s no way it was that easy.”

“I suppose I may have implied that Zeikas would only agree to renew the alliance on the condition that you and I get married.”

He laughs and gently punches my arm. “You didn’t have to lie to them for me.” His laughter fades, and his expression settles into a sweet smile. “I suppose I can’t complain though. I’m just happy that everything turned out well.”

“I am, too.” I kiss him gently, feeling my heart soar as I do. “So very happy.”

For a moment, we stare into each other’s eyes, the world around us briefly disappearing. Then, one of the servants gives us a signal, and we turn to face the large, ornate doors. As we approach, they begin to open slowly, and the hall quiets as the guests realize the wedding is starting.

When the doors stand fully open, I offer my arm to Tag. “Shall we?”

He takes my arm, his handsome face a picture of eagerness. “We shall.”

Together, we begin the long walk down the aisle that divides the row of seats. I look around and see the happy faces of the guests, knowing that none of them could possibly be happier than Tag and I are right now. There are so many faces in the crowd that I recognize—Ivy and her parents, Joram, Voeli, and Arondel and Belling and the rest of the council, ambassadors and envoys from far and wide. Seeing everyone gathered together drives home how special this moment is, how lucky I am to share it with Tag. I even spot Petris holding hands with a tall man with dark hair and blue eyes; Petris sees me looking and waves with his unoccupied hand, he and his date both grinning. Good for him .

Tag and I make our way towards the altar, the cheering of the guests crescendoing until it feels like my heart will burst with joy. When we get to the front row of seats, I see Mother, Emma, and Kenessa on one side, and Tag’s parents and Riella on the other. Kenessa holds a wide-eyed baby in her arms—my nephew Samir, named in memory of his father. Other than her, all our family members have huge smiles on their faces, and my heart soars even higher as it really hits me. This is it . I waited so long, and it’s finally here .

When Tag and I reach the far end of the hall, we stop and turn to face each other. Lord Kerion stands before us; presiding over royal weddings is one of his official duties as High Chancellor. This part of the ceremony is short, and to be honest, I don’t hear most of what Kerion says. My attention is on Tag, and I gladly let myself get lost in his eyes, as I did when we first met. He looks delighted beyond belief, and even though I can’t see it, I have no doubt that there’s a similar expression on my face.

Almost before I know it, Kerion finishes his ritual benediction and turns to Tag. “Tag Leara, do you take Darien Garros to be your husband, now and forever?”

Tag doesn’t hesitate. “I do,” he says, beaming.

Kerion nods and turns to me. “Darien Garros, do you take Tag Leara to be your husband, now and forever?”

I look into Tag’s eyes—his deep, brown, beautiful eyes. All I can see is the man I love, the man who stole my heart and gave me his own in return. I love him, and I know I always will, no matter what. It feels like I’m going to overflow with joy and relief and love and wonder, as though I’m a vessel that’s filled to the brim. I open my mouth to let the emotions pour out of me, and as they do, they take the form of words, the words that will bind me to him, and him to me, joining us together for the rest of our lives: “I do.”