Epilogue
Brimming with anticipated excitement, Jasyn led Iskra through a canopy of foliage.
“Slow down,” Iskra hissed behind him. “My legs can’t keep up with yours.”
Jasyn did as she bade and stopped in his tracks. He pushed Iskra's tinted eyeglasses up her nose so they were straight. Then, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose.
She swatted him away. “Don’t get too close, or you’ll fog them up. It’s already exhausting keeping these clean. Apparently, being free from Kryth did not free me from the mundane torture of cleaning glass.”
Jasyn snorted. “Yet, you look more radiant than the sun.”
Iskra rolled her eyes, but he meant it. Ever since she was able to get back on her feet, Iskra glowed.
It was like she had swallowed some of his power during the Undertaking.
Beneath the surface of her skin beat the faintest echo of his light, and right now, before first dawn, it became more prominent.
“As much as I want to admire you right here, we must keep moving.”
“Why are we in a rush?” She pouted. Their days had been long, between meetings preparing for his coronation in two days’ time, finally meeting Dominik for the first time, and finding a new minister.
Dominik had been lovely and cheery, a perfect fit for Esi.
They would be leaving after Jasyn was crowned for the outskirts of the court, somewhere private, without any pressure on their relationship.
Bron would not be joining the lady; he would be staying here, as a new member of the royal guard, working under Mych’s command.
Jasyn had no doubt Mych was delighted at the prospect of bossing Bron around.
At first, Jasyn worried Mych wouldn’t forgive Bron, but after some explaining, Mych had warmed up to him again.
Now, they were inseparable, and Jasyn noticed how much lighter Bron walked with Kryth dead and his debts eliminated.
“Trust me and you’ll learn,” Jasyn replied to Iskra, who still didn’t seem impressed.
He took her hand in his, and he savored how she clasped around him.
They were like a lock and key, and he was forever grateful she was here with him still.
It made letting go of her difficult, but he refused to cage her.
Every day, she explored the town with less weight on her shoulders, and it was an honor to watch her live her new life.
Most importantly, with practice, she had been able to shift on command again.
“As long as you promise to reward me after?” Iskra winked.
“I promise,” Jasyn replied. Though she definitely spoke about a tumble in the sheets, there would be another reward waiting for her too.
If they got there.
“You’re dragging your feet still,” Jasyn noted, having to pull on her to keep a steady pace.
“Because I would rather be asleep next to you.”
“Let’s go, Sundrop,” he said, this time bending down and lifting her.
She screeched with laughter and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You fell for my plan.”
“Oh?” He raised a brow.
She wiggled her feet. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist making sure I was comfortable.”
He shook his head in amusement. How did he get so lucky to find someone like her? The woman in his arms would make sure he was never bored, never afraid to live the way he wanted.
“You’re lucky we’re almost there.”
She nuzzled her head into his neck and pressed a gentle kiss to his skin. Goosebumps freckled across his flesh at her touch. He would never get used to it, the love in his heart that had blossomed.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. He suspected Iskra fell asleep, but he couldn’t care less. She deserved to be well rested for this moment anyways.
As they neared their destination, Jasyn quietly nudged her awake. She made the smallest grunting noises as her eyes opened.
“We’re here,” he whispered, gesturing toward a gate so covered in vines, one couldn’t see the other side. They were almost an hour’s trek away from the castle, in a part of the court where nature roamed free.
“This better be good,” she muttered as she got on her feet, facing him with tired eyes.
Jasyn took one last, deep breath before pulling open the door to let Iskra through, and the way her face lit up would be stamped into his memory for the rest of his life.
She was blinking furiously, but she wasn’t able to stop the tears rolling down her face.
From her reaction, they got here at the perfect time. The sun just reached above the horizon, the field of sundrops opening in front of their eyes.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, so quietly, he barely heard it.
Jasyn joined her in the sundrop field, taking her hand again to encourage her forward.
“How is this here?”
Jasyn smiled. “It’s always been here. I discovered it when I was young, and when I told my parents, they said it was here even before them, a gift from Slone or something.”
“It’s magical.”
“I have so many good memories with my family here. And…” He cleared his throat, fully facing Iskra and taking both of her hands. “I want to add another.”
Her eyes were wide in anticipation. Her cheeks were still tear-streaked, and she was the most magical thing in existence.
He realized then that this moment was inevitable. There would have been nothing and no one who could have stopped the two of them from reaching this point, holding hands in a field of sundrops with the waking sun above them.
“Iskra, you dug me out of the dark. You reminded me how full life can be as long as I wasn’t afraid to live it. You gave me confidence to believe I could rule.”
“It was always in you,” she said, downplaying her magnificence. It would be his honor to ensure she was reminded of it each day—at least, if everything went how he hoped.
“Yet, there is one missing piece left to complete it all.”
Her eyes were wide and unsure through those tinted glasses, so he reached into his pocket, took out the small box, and got on one knee. Iskra gasped, her hands covering her face.
“I need my Sundrop, my love, my queen, beside me. Will you marry me, Iskra?”
As the sun rose and the sundrops bloomed, Iskra laughed with tears in her eyes. She responded so brightly, it could be heard across the continent.
“Yes!”