Epilogue
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RUNE STOOD OUTSIDE Killian’s office, taking a moment to steady himself before entering.
He’d been asked to come early that morning, and even though he had a good idea what this meeting would be about, he couldn’t help the nervous flutter in his chest. Palmer had squeezed his hand before he left, offering a reassuring smile.
Everything would be okay.
He knocked twice and waited.
“Come in,” Killian’s voice called from inside.
Rune pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The office was already full. Killian sat behind his desk, looking every inch the king despite the exhaustion evident in the lines around his eyes.
Hedley sat on the arm of Killian’s chair, his arm around Killian’s shoulders as they leaned against each other.
Marlin and Birch were there, too, relaxed but alert.
“Rune, thank you for coming,” Killian said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk. “Please, sit.”
Rune settled into the chair, aware of everyone’s eyes on him. He folded his hands in his lap and waited. This felt more official than usual, which confused him.
Killian leaned forward. “I wanted to update you on the situation with Pearl and Alatar. You deserve to know what’s been decided.”
Rune’s stomach churned, but he kept his expression neutral.
“Alatar will be locked up,” Killian continued. “The evidence we found in his rooms is damning enough, and his confession seals it. He’ll pay for the poisonings and the fire he attempted to start.”
Rune nodded slowly. Even though Alatar was their brother, he agreed with Killian’s decision. “And Pearl?”
Killian’s jaw tightened, and Rune saw the frustration there. This couldn’t be good.
“Pearl is more complicated,” Killian said. “Alatar has implicated her, but it’s essentially his word against hers. She’s denying everything, and without concrete evidence linking her directly to the crimes, I can’t arrest her.”
Rune felt disappointment settle in his stomach, but he understood. Of course Pearl would have been too careful to leave evidence. That was how she operated—always in the shadows, always using others to do her dirty work.
“But,” Killian continued, his voice hardening, “I am exiling her. She’ll leave the palace by the end of the week. If she ever returns, I’ll have her arrested on sight.”
“It’s not perfect,” Hedley said quietly. “But it’s something. She won’t be able to hurt anyone here anymore.”
Rune looked at the consort. Hedley had always been gentle, but when it came to protecting the people he loved, he was fierce. Rune liked that about him. It kept his brother and his niece and nephew safe.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said with a nod.
Killian’s expression softened. “There’s something else I wanted to say. I know I asked you to stay close to Palmer to help protect him during all of this. I want to thank you for agreeing to it.”
Rune felt heat creep up his neck. He’d almost forgotten that his relationship with Palmer had started, at least partially, because of Killian’s request. So much had changed since then.
What had begun as a request from the king had become something so much more.
“You don’t need to thank me. I’m glad you asked me to do it.
If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have what Palmer and I share now. ”
A smile curled the corners of Killian’s lips. “I’m happy for you. You deserve this.”
“You both do,” Hedley added with a warm smile. “Palmer is a good man, and you two are good together.”
“Absolutely,” Marlin added from his position near the window. “Although I have to say, watching you two try to pretend you weren’t falling for each other in the beginning was pretty funny.”
Birch laughed. “I thought Rune was going to combust the first time Palmer smiled at him.”
Rune groaned, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. These people really were his friends, weren’t they? “I wasn’t that obvious.”
“You really were,” Marlin said, grinning.
The tension in the room had lifted, and Rune felt himself relax. This was what he’d always wanted. He’d spent so many years feeling like an outsider in his own family because they hadn’t actually been a family. But here, in this room with Killian and the others, he felt like he belonged.
“If there’s nothing else,” Rune said, standing, “Palmer and I were planning to visit Curran and the egg this morning.”
“Of course,” Killian said. “And Rune? Try to relax. Pearl is leaving, Alatar is locked up, and the worst is behind us now.”
Rune nodded and left the office, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath, letting Killian’s words sink in. The worst was behind them. Pearl was leaving.
Palmer was safe.
Palmer was waiting for Rune at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. When he saw Rune, his face lit up with a smile that never failed to make Rune’s heart skip a beat.
“How did it go?” Palmer asked.
“Pearl’s being exiled. Alatar is getting locked up,” Rune said, reaching out to take Palmer’s hand. “It’s over.”
Palmer squeezed his hand. “Good. That’s really good.”
They walked together toward Marlin and Curran’s quarters, their fingers intertwined. It felt natural by now, but just a few months ago, Rune never would have imagined walking through the palace halls hand in hand with someone who cared about him—who loved him—heading to visit friends.
When they reached Marlin and Curran’s door, Palmer knocked softly. Curran’s voice called for them to enter, and they stepped inside.
The living room was warm and dimly lit, the perfect environment for a recovering new parent and his egg. Curran was propped up on the couch, looking tired but smiling. The egg was next to him, nestled in a bunch of blankets.
It was beautiful—smooth, with swirls of color dancing across its surface.
Rune had seen eggs before, of course, but there was something special about this one.
Maybe it was because he’d been there when it was laid, or maybe it was because of how much Curran and Marlin meant to him.
Whatever the reason, Rune found that he couldn’t look away.
“How are you feeling?” Palmer asked, moving closer to Curran.
“Much better,” Curran said. “Sore, exhausted, but happy.”
Palmer knelt by the couch to examine the egg without touching it. Rune stayed back, giving them space but watching with a soft smile.
“Can you believe we’ll have a little one soon?” Curran asked.
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Palmer told him. He wasn’t only here as a doctor, but also as a friend.
Palmer stood and moved back to Rune’s side.
They stayed for a while longer, talking quietly about nothing and everything.
The conversation included updates on Curran’s recovery, Palmer’s observations about the egg’s development, and plans for when the baby hatched.
It was comfortable and warm, the kind of moment Rune wanted to hold onto forever.
Eventually, they said their goodbyes and left Curran to rest. As they walked back through the palace, Palmer leaned his head against Rune’s shoulder.
“Do you think we’ll have that someday?” Palmer asked quietly. “A family of our own?”
Rune tightened his arm around Palmer. “I hope so, when we’re ready. But we have time. For now, I’m happy just being with you.”
“Me, too,” Palmer murmured.
They made their way back to Rune’s quarters, and as they stepped inside, Rune felt a sense of peace settle over him. Pearl was leaving. Alatar was imprisoned. The threat that had loomed over them was finally gone.
The clan could settle, live in peace, and finally thrive with Killian as their king. Rune had Palmer, their friends, his siblings, and a future that looked brighter than anything he’d ever dared to imagine.
Palmer pulled him toward their nestroom, and Rune followed willingly, a smile playing on his lips. Whatever came next, they would face it together.
And that was all that mattered.