Epilogue
Silas
It was another day of working in my office. A paper detailing a request to build a new hospital rested on the desk before me. I carefully analyzed every point, making notes on the margins for what had to be improved for me to accept the proposal. The humans needed a new hospital soon, but the request had to be worded perfectly first.
There was a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I called to the person who wanted my attention. My guards wouldn’t have let anybody through whom I didn’t want to see, which meant my visitor must be either Luke or Grace.
Indeed, my wife stepped into the office, a warm smile on her face. She wore a gorgeous deep blue gown today that accentuated her curves. I gave her an appreciative look.
Grace approached my desk and sat down in one of the guest chairs.
“What brings you to my office, Lady Hoyt?” I flashed her a fanged smile.
“I wanted to see you, Lord Hoyt,” she replied in kind. “I was wondering about your plans for dinner.”
“For you, I’m always free,” I replied. “I’m happy to spend time with you.”
“Do you really not have any plans?” She arched her eyebrows. She knew how busy I always was.
I glanced into my planner. “I have dinner with one of the nobles, but he certainly isn’t more important than you.”
Grace gave me a long look. “Are you sure he won’t get mad if you move him to another day?”
“He won’t if I say I need to spend time with my wife,” I smiled at her again. “The whole court knows how deeply in love we are.”
Grace groaned, blushing a deep red. “They’ll never let us live down that one time the media caught us making out in the garden?”
“Or that other time when we were kissing in the main square?” I arched my eyebrows.
Grace shook her head. “We have to… hold back more on our displays of affection.”
“Why?” I was genuinely curious. “Everyone knows we’re mated, and it’s normal that mates can’t keep their hands off each other.”
“But,” she protested, “it’s not proper to display one’s love so much.”
“The media likes it,” I shrugged. “And the fact that I’m madly in love with my wife has improved my image too. One cannot truly fear a man who’s under his wife’s thumb.”
Grace sighed.
I continued. “One should fear that man’s wife instead.”
Grace gave me a defeated look. “You’re not going to keep your hands off of me in public no matter what I say, are you?”
“It’s not like you aren’t a willing participant,” I raised my eyebrows. “Really, Grace, the country is happy we’re happily married. We need to feed the media enough content so that they’ll have something to report and not be tempted to dig further into our private lives.”
She nodded. “Alright. I get it. As long as you’re happy.”
“Excuse me? I’m the happiest man on Earth. All thanks to you.”
She sighed. “Of course you are.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Really, Silas, if there’s anything I can improve about the way I act towards you…” She trailed off.
“You’re perfect just the way you are,” I frowned.
“Are you sure?” She bit her lip.
“Perfectly sure,” I confirmed. “You’ve accepted me the way I am; me, the jaded man broken by the war. What more could I ask for?”
“I love you just the way you are. You know that.”
I nodded. “I do. And I love you the way you are as well.”
She gave a content sigh. “Sometimes I think it’s a miracle that I met someone like you; someone who accepts me fully.”
I smiled. “It is a miracle. Love is a miracle. Getting to be mates is a miracle too. I’m grateful everyday that we’re bonded, Grace.”
“What do you think our future will be like? I can’t wrap my head around living more than a hundred years,” she said. “Will my ruby blood work for you? What about me, will I go mad?”
“Bonded humans with ruby blood are immune to insanity, and ruby blood remains ruby blood forever,” I explained. “You’ve got nothing to fear. All you need to do is live alongside me and let me protect you.”
“Sounds like a perfect life,” she said.
“I will make sure it’s all you could ever hope for and more. I promise,” I swore. “As for living for more than a hundred years – after the first hundred years the next ones will come and go much more easily. Slowly you’ll get used to the passage of time until you barely notice it at all.”
“That’s… a strange thought,” she said. “But with you at my side, I think I can get used to such a life.” She thought for a moment. “What about war? Do you think Rosworth will attack us again?”
“Rosworth is now in a state of disarray,” I said. “Their King is gone, and he didn’t have a clear successor. The nobles are fighting each other for the throne now. I don’t think they’re going to settle on a new ruler anytime soon. So Rosworth shouldn’t be in any position to attack us for at least a few decades. As for what might happen later on, only time will tell. A vampire’s life is unfortunately often one full of brutality. I will do my best to shield you from the worst of it, though.”
She nodded. “I hope you’ll never die on the battlefield. Please don’t be reckless anymore.”
“I must do anything necessary within my power to protect our country and you,” I said softly.
“That’s not the answer I wanted,” she huffed. Then she sighed and nodded. “I understand, though. You’re a powerful vampire – the most powerful one in Estone now. You need to fight if there’s trouble. Who else would protect all of us?”
“Yes, as much as I hate going to the battlefield directly and taking the lives of others, doing so when needed is part of my duty to my country and you. I must protect you.”
“Then I’ll just have to hope no other wars come,” she said.
We looked each other in the eyes, sharing a quiet moment of intimacy.
“I love you, Grace,” I finally said.
“I love you too,” she smiled. Her expression was so full of happiness; my heart warmed.
I was so grateful for my wife. I had been drawn to her from the first time I had seen her picture, but I could never have guessed that she would end up being my mate. I hadn’t realized I would get to share my entire life with her. I had certainly never expected to fall in love so madly and deeply.
Grace was my world now. I looked forward to our future together. I hoped it would be a peaceful one in which we could both realize our dreams. From the moment of our marriage, we had promised to walk through life together, and now we would continue to do so until our deaths.
Grace was the part of me I had always been missing; the better half of my soul. She brought so much light and love into my life – a warmth I had never expected to receive.
Yet, she was here; loving me and making me whole.
The fact that we were different species or that nearly a hundred years separated our ages didn’t matter. I wanted her more than anybody else in the world, and she wanted me too. Our love would overcome any difficulties. We were mates.
Together we would withstand any difficulties and defeat any problems. We had each other, and each other was all we needed.
*****
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