Epilogue
It’s late September. Stef’s officially moved to Copenhagen, and we’re both thrilled. To be honest, he’s spending more nights together with me in my bed rather than his new suite. And believe me, we’re making up for lost time.
I’ve never been happier.
And I’m scaring Stef and Mads less often with my unsettled dreams, which is a win.
This morning, I’m trying to dress, except I keep getting distracted by Stef. First in bed. Now by him in formal wear. I push myself into his hand, already getting hard for him.
“Later,” Stef teases me between kisses. “You’re going to be late. You can’t be late.”
“To be honest, I’m already late. So worth it.”
We had an excellent start to the day. Twice.
I lean in to kiss him, yearning and joy combined. Like I could never imagine before what it was to be truly in love with someone. And for someone to want me right back, just as much as I want him.
Stef joins Mamma and me for dinners regularly. She calls us her boys, elated to see us happy. And she’s happy to have us in Copenhagen, with Stef a new addition to the family. I’ve taken Stef to my father’s grave to pay his respects. For him to meet my hero. It was a difficult but important day.
I promised Freja I would continue with the coronation celebration, which had been built up in the public’s imagination by her promise. Today, at Christiansborg Palace, the crowd goes as far as the eye can see, according to Mamma, who peeked from behind a curtain.
Freja’s living with Avery in America. But she’s here with him right now, in Copenhagen. As are Auggie and Thomas, James, Ethan, Sacha, and Eddie too. So many of my friends have come to show their support. With all of them here, I’m almost ready to face the coronation today.
Almost.
“There’s one more thing.” I gaze at Stef. My whole world. Our whole future. “If you’ve got a minute,” I say as casually as I can muster. “I don’t think I can go out there unless I do something first.”
“Naughty,” Stef teases, then peers at me in surprise. “Of course I have a minute for you. Maybe even two,” he says affectionately, grinning. “If you play your cards right.”
I draw a deep breath. We’re in our suite. Well, my suite. But he’s here so often it may as well be his too.
Then, I get down on one knee before him, in my full king regalia. Even though I should have been outside on the balcony five minutes ago, making a kingly address to the public. Stef’s eyes widen, and he catches his breath.
“Theo?” he asks unsteadily, staring at me in plain shock.
“Stef… I love you so incredibly much. And I know it hasn’t been that long in the scheme of things.
But you mean everything to me. My whole world.
And I want to have a future together with you.
If… if you’ll have me. I’m promising to ask you to marry me, which is probably an impulsively gay thing to do after so soon—”
Stef hauls me up, kissing me fiercely till I bump into a wall, gasping.
I peer at him, grinning. “Is that a yes?”
“You don’t need to promise to ask. I’ll marry you.”
And we’re kissing again, laughing and crying, and he’s everything to me.
More than I could have hoped for. We’re in the reception room with the balcony to meet Mamma and Freja, who are waiting for me to give the formal address after Freja confirms me as King, since the prime minister made my Proclamation in the summer when she formally abdicated. Before my speech, I turn to Stef.
“Would you go out there with me? After my speech, with Mamma and Freja?”
“I would go anywhere with you, Theo. All you need to do is ask.”
Mamma’s smiling. With a deep breath to the bottom of my lungs, I kiss Stef again. “For luck.”
He smooths my shoulders, adjusts my collar, a tilted smile on his lips. “Go on. I’ll be waiting for you. You have your speech?”
“Memorized.”
“Good.”
I steal one last kiss, his lips warm. “You’re sure you want to go out there?”
“Absolutely. I love you.”
“I love you too. So much.”
Then, at last, I turn to the tall balcony doors, pulling them open to the crowd’s roars as I go outside and wave with the prime minister and soon address the public as their King.
With my family at my back.
When I’m finished speaking, to the eruption of the crowd, Mamma comes out first to wave, and the crowd’s cheers for her are deafening. For Papa’s memory. And Freja comes out too. And when Stef comes out and I kiss him, it’s hard to imagine them any louder.
Together, we’ll face the future.
After all, I believe in us. I believe in love.