Epilogue
Tressa
The early morning sun warms my skin as I stand at the top of the staircase, watching the road that winds through the palace grounds.
The weather has turned pleasant, almost hot, and I can feel the excitement buzzing through the palace like electricity.
Servants hurry past me with fresh linens and flowers, their faces bright with anticipation.
They love me now, after everything that happened, and they want to make sure Alana and her sisters feel welcome.
I smooth down the front of my dress, a beautiful emerald-green gown that Altair insisted I wear this morning.
He’s been making me change three times a day, saying he wants to see me in every single dress he bought for me.
I don’t mind. It makes him happy, and I like seeing that light in his eyes when he looks at me.
When I finally spot the carriage approaching, my heart leaps.
I rush down the stairs, not caring if I look undignified.
I’m waiting at the bottom when the door opens.
Alana steps out first, and the sight of her makes my throat tight.
She looks beautiful and healthy, so different from the last time I saw her.
I throw my arms around her. She holds me just as tightly, and I breathe in the familiar scent of her hair.
“It’s been too long,” she says against my shoulder.
“I know, I missed you so much.”
When we pull apart, I notice her four sisters climbing out of the carriage behind her. They’re all younger than Alana, staring up at the palace with wide eyes. I count them quickly, and my smile falters.
“Where’s your mother?” I ask.
Alana’s expression shifts.
“She didn’t want to come. I insisted, believe me, but she said she couldn’t leave my father. In the end, I had to concede.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, reaching for her hand.
She shrugs and squeezes my fingers.
“It was her choice. I couldn’t do anything about it.”
I want to say more, but I can see she doesn’t want to dwell on it, so I turn to her sisters with a bright smile.
“Come inside, all of you. Let me show you your new home.”
I usher them through the massive doors and into the entrance hall, watching their faces as they take in the soaring ceilings and elegant furnishings.
I lead them through the ground floor, pointing out the library with its thousands of books, the dining room where we take our meals, the various salons where we can sit and talk, and finally, the kitchen where the cook is already preparing a feast for tonight.
As we walk through one of the salons, Alana touches my arm.
“Tressa, I wanted to ask you something. Could I have a job here? I don’t want to just sit around doing nothing, and two of my sisters are old enough to work as well.”
I stop so abruptly that she nearly runs into me.
“Absolutely not. You are not here to work.”
“But Tressa–”
“No.” I take both her hands in mine and hold them firmly. “You will not work. You are my guest, and while you and your sisters live under my roof, you will not lift a finger. Do you understand?”
Her cheeks flush, and she looks down at our joined hands.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Let me show you your rooms,” I say, and lead them up the grand staircase.
I take them to the south wing and push open the door to their new sitting room. The girls pour inside, exclaiming over the beautiful furniture and the view from the windows.
Before I can follow them in, there’s a rush of wind and a heavy thud on the balcony. Altair lands in his wyvern form, his golden scales gleaming in the sunlight.
Alana and her sisters gasp and stare at him in wonder, frozen in place.
I laugh at their expressions.
“You’ll get used to it.”
Alana shakes her head, her eyes fixed on Altair.
“I don’t know, it’s hard to get used to seeing all those dragons flying in the sky. I think it will be nearly impossible to get used to one landing on the palace’s balconies.”
I laugh again and motion for them to follow me.
“Come, he doesn’t bite.”
Alana rolls her eyes.
I approach Altair and gently touch his snout. His breath is warm on my palm.
“This is Alana, my best friend, and these are her sisters,” I whisper to him.
He looks at the women and inclines his massive head respectfully.
“Welcome. My home is your home.”
“Thank you,” Alana says, taking a little bow while her sisters giggle nervously behind her.
Altair turns to me and nudges my side with his head, his blue eyes bright with mischief.
“Ride me?”
I smile at him, my heart racing. He lowers himself to the floor, pressing his body flat, and I move around to his side. I grip his larger scales and hoist myself up, settling between his wings. The scales are smooth and warm beneath me, and I can feel the power in his body as he shifts his weight.
He launches into the air, and my stomach drops as we rise. The wind whips my hair back and steals my breath. The temperature drops as we climb higher. I’m not afraid; we’ve done this a few times now.
I grip his scales tightly and lean into the movement, feeling his massive muscles shift and bunch underneath me as he flaps his wings. We circle over the palace, and I look down at the ground below. Everything looks so small from up here, the palace like a toy, the gardens like painted miniatures.
As we soar, my heart fills with the certainty that our future is bright and open ahead of us.
***
Altair
Ten Years Later
I stand on the balcony watching my twin sons circle overhead, their golden scales gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Brandon and Ryson turned ten a few days ago, and today’s lesson on shifting and flying has left them buzzing with energy. They want to go again, but I can see they need a moment to catch their breath even if they won’t admit it.
“I shifted faster,” Brandon declares, landing on the balcony with a heavy thud.
Ryson lands beside him and shifts back to his human form, his green eyes flashing with indignation.
“You did not. I was in the air before you even finished your transformation.”
“That’s not true, I saw–”
Before they can escalate into a full argument, two younger girls burst onto the balcony, chasing each other and laughing.
Lily and Fiona, Alana’s daughters with her human husband, run straight into the middle of the twins’ debate.
Lily is eight and Fiona is seven, and they’re so close to my sons that one might think they’re all siblings.
“Did you really fly?” Lily asks breathlessly, grabbing Brandon’s arm. “How high did you go?”
“We went so high,” Ryson says, spreading his arms wide. “You could see the whole kingdom from up there.”
Fiona’s face falls, and she kicks at the ground with her shoe.
“I wish I could fly. It’s not fair that you get to be dragons and we’re just human.”
Lily nods sadly.
“We’ll never know what it’s like.”
An idea strikes me, and I clap my hands together to silence all four children. They turn to look at me with expectant faces.
“Lily, Fiona, would you like to ride on Brandon and Ryson?”
The girls start jumping up and down, squealing with excitement.
My sons shout in unison, “Yes, let’s do it!”
Then Brandon shoves Ryson. “I want to take Lily.”
“No, I’m taking Lily,” Ryson shoves him back.
“Stop it, both of you,” I say, stepping between them and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Shift now, and we’ll figure out the rest.”
They obey, their bodies rippling and transforming into their wyvern forms. They’re smaller than me, still growing, but their golden scales shine brilliantly, and their wings spread wide with youthful eagerness.
I lift Lily carefully and place her on Brandon’s back, settling her between his wings, where she’ll be safest. Then I lift Fiona and do the same with Ryson.
“Remember what I taught you today,” I tell my sons, keeping my voice firm but gentle. “Take off slowly and carefully. Don’t fly too high, stay where I can see you, and be responsible. These are your friends, and you need to keep them safe.”
I turn to the girls. “Hold on tightly and don’t let go, no matter what. Can you do that?”
They both nod solemnly, gripping the larger scales with determined little hands.
Brandon and Ryson flap their wings, testing their balance with the added weight, and then they launch into the air.
My heart clenches for a second, but then I see how carefully they move.
They’re attentive and deliberate, keeping their flight smooth and level as they circle the balcony.
I relax and watch them, pride swelling in my chest.
Soft arms wrap around me from behind, and I turn in Tressa’s embrace to kiss her on the mouth.
“Are you sure about this?” she asks, her green eyes searching mine.
“Yes, the kids are enjoying themselves.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
I smile and cup her face with my hand.
“I know what you mean. Remember, I am not like my father.”
She smiles back at me, and the love in her expression makes my chest tight.
“I know. You are nothing like him and for that, I am grateful.”
We stand together watching our sons fly loops, while Lily and Fiona shriek with laughter. The mountains rise in the distance, their peaks capped with snow, and below us, the rose garden blooms in a riot of colors. Everything is peaceful and perfect.
“Alana is going to freak out when she finds out,” Tressa says after a while, her voice filled with amusement.
“Well, we have to tell her, because I’m afraid this is going to become a usual occurrence.”
She chuckles and presses her head against my chest. I hold her closer.
My whole being overflows with love and gratitude as I stand here, with the woman I love in my arms, the mother of my children, watching my boys be so happy and carefree. This is a blessing I never thought I’d get.
I want my sons to have the childhood that I never had, to grow up free to be friends with whoever they want, and love whoever they want, without the pressure of outdated traditions and beliefs about purity.
If I do nothing else with my life, at least I will do this: allow those around me to be free.
THE END