Epilogue
Two Months Later
My hands can’t stop shaking as Kieran and I walk down the aisle of the throne room. We’re both dressed in sumptuous silks and robes of mink, only lacking the crowns that will soon be placed on our brows.
“You’re going to make a wonderful queen, Gen. And I get the honor of being by your side through it all,” Kieran whispers as we pass crowds of bluebloods and redbloods alike.
“I feel so much more nervous than I did on our wedding day,” I admit, and he smiles down at me.
“Of course, there was no doubt on our wedding day. This makes me terrified,” he murmurs, and I’m grateful I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Being responsible for an entire nation—for protecting and supporting everyone, from nobles to the poorest miners—will fall to my shoulders the moment that crown is placed on my head.
It’s something I’ve always feared, the pressure of supporting so many people. But I know I can do it. I’ve been trained for it, and now it’s up to me to decide how I will better the lives of my countrymen.
“It makes me feel better knowing you’ll always be at my side,” I say as we step onto the dais.
The clergyman bows before us, and the ceremony begins: the anointing our foreheads with oil, incense to clear the air of the previous reign, and finally the crowns atop our heads as we swear our oath to uphold the kingdom above all.
I take that oath very seriously, after seeing how terribly my mother squandered it in the end—how deeply she betrayed it to satisfy her own greed.
“I declare before you Queen Genevieve Ashcroft and King Consort Kieran Ashcroft of Naseria!”
***
We enter the ballroom in a flurry of illuminated lights, the announcement of our presence overrun by the cheers of the court—blueblood and redblood alike. Astoria greets me with a warm smile.
“I’m so proud of you, Genny.”
I smile back, knowing how difficult these changes have been for her, especially with how occupied my time has become. “Thank you, Astoria. I only wish Mari could have been here with us.”
She shrugs. “She seems happy enough. I think the change has been good for her. She says Mother is doing better too. Perhaps removing them both from court will allow them to find their own happiness.”
“I hope so. I want Mari to be able to return to society someday. It would be cruel for her to spend her entire life in exile.”
Gabe approaches, interrupting our conversation. “Are you speaking of my own forced exile to Icelantica? I’d much prefer the sunshine Mari is getting.”
I scoff. “Oh, brother, do you forget you made that decision yourself? Is Queen Kalise still insistent on not receiving you until this winter?”
“Yes. We’re exchanging correspondence on the subject. It’s riveting,” he says with all the boredom he can muster.
“And you still hate her?” I ask.
“Despise her. She’s horrible. At least once the railway is finished, I’ll be able to travel quickly back to Crawford and indulge in some actual culture.
Did you know they consider standing next to a hole in the ice, hoping a fish goes by, entertainment?
At least they’re known for their generous pours of spirits on cold nights. ”
“I think you’ll do just fine there, Gabe,” I reply, laughing as I make my way toward Kieran.
He’s gorgeous in his silk evening suit, fitted to accentuate his broad shoulders and strong physique.
It still catches me off guard to realize he’s actually mine—that the man I thought I’d lost forever is now my husband.
As if sensing my eyes on him, he turns, shamelessly letting his gaze roam over me. It’s indecent, really, to behave like that in front of the court, but I don’t object. Perhaps it’s for the best, letting go of Naseria’s obsession with decency and propriety in public.
And that’s exactly what I do as he pulls me into his arms, a herald announcing our first song as Queen and King Consort of Naseria.
I reach for his face, bringing his lips to mine in a long, languorous kiss that is probably scandalizing half the room. But I don’t care, because the man I once thought lost to me is mine forever.