Epilogue
One year later…
“Have you seen my husband?” I ask, poking my head into the kitchen.
Brutus looks up from where he and Kaitlyn are decorating the cake for tonight. It’s four layers, draped in yellow and accented with little bronze sunbeams all over. Alistair doesn’t know it, but today we’re celebrating one year of sunshine.
After the wedding last year, we took our time traveling to the capital, treating the trip like a honeymoon. We slept in late, stayed at nice inns, ate too much food, and kissed a lot.
I smile at the memories we’ve made over the last year. It’s been hard. The people welcomed us as replacements for Orrin’s cruelty, but they were slow to trust. That, Alistair and I had no problem understanding. So we were patient and benevolent and did as the queen suggested.
During our first week in Roburry, Alistair met with each castle staff member and every city guard and listened to their reports of their time during the duke’s reign. It took a month to verify the stories and determine which people had committed crimes under Orrin’s reign under duress and which had done so happily.
A small portion of the staff was let go, a few sentenced to work in the mines up north, and some executed.
Jareth is currently serving the eleventh month of his five-year sentence in the mines, and his supervisor says he still complains of the arrow wound he got on our first day in the city.
I haven’t said anything to my husband, but a part of me hopes that Jareth comes out of those mines a different man. A better one.
Alistair thinks he’ll just come out vengeful, which is why we monitor his progress so closely with letters from his supervisor every month. But tonight, I won’t lose any sleep over it.
“Last I saw him, he stole some food and was on his way outside,” Brutus says, concentrating on the cake.
“He said not to disturb him because he was going to visit his mistress,” Kaitlynn giggles, handing her father a bag of icing.
I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed with my husband’s obsession. “I swear, I don’t know who married him. Me or her.”
“Her,” Kaitlyn laughs.
I leave the two of them and head for the garden. The castle feels so much different now that Orrin isn’t the one in charge of it. Guards nod as I pass, their uniforms now brown leather with green accents instead of black.
People are friendlier, the mood is lighter, and the place looks happier. Though that may have something to do with the fact that when we got home from our time with the queen, Alistair begged me to paint as many murals in the castle as I was willing to do.
Having many dark memories here myself, I readily agreed.
I smile as I walk past a long wall painted with roses and blue skies. It’s amazing how a little bit of art can quickly turn a prison into a palace.
“Oh, your Grace,” Milly grins as she walks toward me, a young maid trailing behind her. “If you’re looking for the master—”
“He’s with his other wife, I know.”
She laughs and pats my hand. The eyes of the maid behind her go wide at the familiarity. Many of the staff are still put off that Alistair and I have such familiar relationships with those who were trapped with us at the manor. But we pay them no mind.
Mildred bids me good luck, chuckling as she leads the confused maid away. When I finally make it out to the garden, I find my husband in the arms of his favorite woman.
“And what, pray tell, do you think you’re doing?” I say, arms crossed as I walk through the garden door and into the sunlight.
Alistair just smiles, his eyes closed as he lays out on the lawn, his arms tucked behind his head. “Waiting for you.” He unfolds one arm out beside him, an unspoken invitation.
“Am I supposed to lie with you while you’re thinking of another woman?”
His eyes squint open and he looks up at me. He’s unfairly handsome at all times, but especially when he’s happy like this. “Who says I’m thinking of anyone but you?”
“Oh? And what are you thinking?”
“Lay down and I’ll tell you.”
I glance back at the guards who flank the door back into the castle, but they stare straight ahead, unfazed by our behavior. Sighing, I lie next to my husband, still a little unused to living with a constant audience.
Alistair’s arm immediately curls me closer until I have my head on his shoulder and my hand on his chest. “Alright, pay up,” I say. “Are you thinking about your other wife?”
He smirks and I resist the urge to kiss the look away. “Mm…sort of.”
I smack his chest and he chuckles. “Easy there, Tiger. Let me finish.”
I raise an expectant brow and he turns his head to look at me. “Yes, I’m thinking about my mistress. The way she heats my skin and shines through my eyelids. The way she makes me so cozy that I’m delirious. But mostly, I’m thinking about you lying with me, her rays warming our skin…”
His nose nuzzles my temple and I feel his fingers dancing along the bare skin on my arm. My hand flexes on his shirt, and I feel my heart start pounding.
“And did I mention that our clothes are discarded in the grass in this daydream?” he teases, whispering in my ear.
“Alistair!” I squeal, wiggling as he kisses my neck. “You can’t talk like that when there are people around.”
He lifts his head and glances carelessly at the guards. “They’re paid not to pay attention to us unless we’re in danger. And I think if I pay them a little more money, they’ll wait for us inside.”
“You are in danger,” I say, shoving him back to the ground and setting my elbows on his chest to prop myself up. “From your wife.”
“No, I don’t think sunshine is burning me today,” he says, inspecting his hands.
I nudge him and he grins, wrapping his arms around my back. “You’re a pain,” I whisper, relaxing against him.
“I love you too, Little Wolf.”
I smile and kiss him, grateful even when he annoys me. His hands are in my hair, and based on the groans rumbling in his chest, I think he’s genuinely considering losing our clothes here in the grass. But though I may be tempted to get lost in my handsome husband, I’m too aware of all the windows behind us to actually do it.
“Later,” I whisper, laying my cheek against his chest, the beat of his heart pulsing fast in my ear.
“Mm, deal,” he hums, and I can hear his smile. “But in all honesty, you know that I don’t need the sun as long as I have you, right?”
“Really?”
His hands stroke the length of my hair. “Slither, you gave me the sun when you walked into the manor. I don’t need sunlight to feel warmth and happiness. I just need you.”
And even later that night when I surprise him with a party to celebrate the end of his curse, complete with a sun themed cake, dancing, yellow drinks ,his favorite foods and a surprise visit from his mother, he doesn’t spout his love for the sun in his speech, but his love for me.
And when we’re lying in bed afterward, his arms warm against my back, his chest beneath my ear, and our feet tangled together, it’s me that he whispers sweet nothings to.
“Have I ever said thank you for taking one last chance to run from my brother?” he whispers, his fingers gliding along the seven scars on the inside of my forearm.
“No.”
“Thank you for running, Little Wolf. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have you now.”
I lift my head and kiss him, perfectly content. “Thank you for being cursed so you couldn’t run away from me,” I tease.
He squeezes me tight, kissing me sweetly, and when I fall asleep a while later, it’s with a smile on my face.
Four years ago, I became an indentured spy to the duke. Long story short, it was a bad time. But because of it, I stumbled onto a cursed manor and learned to trust others and myself. And now, this Little Wolf doesn’t need to run anymore.
Not unless she’s running home.
THE END