Epilogue
Five Months Later
If someone had told Cormal six or seven months ago that Brannal would be back as Summus, that the castle would have a Royal Life Mage, and that Cormal would get along pretty well with both of them, he would have thought they’d taken leave of their senses.
If someone had told him that in a few months, he would be marrying the Crown Prince of Plenarra, Cormal would have known they were speaking utter nonsense.
And yet, here he was, planning a wedding.
“And then,” Larenia said enthusiastically, eyes alight, “someone jumps out of the cake!”
There were moments where he regretted that the Princess had started talking to him. But then he took in Kinan’s amused, indulgent expression, and he couldn’t help but melt a little.
It was astonishing how much better she looked now, with months of growing when all her energy was her own. Cormal knew Kinan still felt guilty about that, but seeing her flourish now was the best medicine. They’d all made it here, after all.
Even if some of them thought giant cakes were necessary.
“I think people jumping out of cakes might be a little much, even for a prince’s wedding,” Kinan said with endless patience. “And doesn’t it seem a little messy?”
The Princess shrugged, not seeming bothered by this at all. “It’ll still taste good.”
Cormal couldn’t help but grimace at the idea of eating chunks of cake that had probably fallen on the floor after someone had burst through it.
“I know I’ll regret asking this,” he said, “but how do they get someone in a cake?”
Larenia turned to him with luminous eyes that were very like her brother’s and launched into a convoluted explanation that Cormal was pretty sure came down to much of the cake being a wooden construct with only a layer of actual cake on the outside.
That did actually make it much better, but it still seemed entirely unnecessary.
“No giant cakes,” Kinan repeated. Larenia pouted. “I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be for someone to be stuck in there. I think we can have a good celebration without it. We’ll have our friends, a normal-sized cake, and music. It will be lovely as it is, Renny, I promise.”
She nodded, contemplated for a long moment, and then said, “I guess a giant cake isn’t really necessary. But what about—”
And she was off again, with another wild idea that would definitely not make it into their wedding, but even Cormal could admire her creativity.
Kinan curled his hand against Cormal’s, and Cormal twined their fingers together, smiling softly.
“I still can’t believe there is this much preparation,” Kinan muttered as they undressed for bed hours later. “It’s still months away! I mean, I know it’s sort of a big deal, but isn’t this excessive?”
Cormal laughed. “Darling, you’re the once lost, newly recovered Crown Prince of the country. You’re getting married. It’s pretty much impossible for it to be more of a big deal.”
Kinan bit his lip. His eyes were hopeful. “Can’t we elope?”
Cormal held up his hands palms up. “Oh, no. Not a chance. Your Mother and sister would never forgive me, never mind the others, and I’m still rebuilding bridges there. I really don’t want to do anything to risk that.”
The amusement fell away from Kinan immediately. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
Cormal looked at him with fond exasperation. “That’s because you love me and are kinder than I deserve. I hurt people, and that’s not easy to get over. I just… I want this to go well.”
Kinan came over to wrap his arms around him. “It’s going to go well, I promise.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Of course I know that,” Kinan replied. “We’re getting married. Nothing could be more amazing than that. I mean, other than actually being married with all this planning done.”
Cormal laughed. “Your mother is… very enthusiastic.”
He couldn’t even really blame her. She’d gotten her son back from seeming death, and her daughter’s health was restored. Of course she was planning the wedding to end all weddings.
And given that not being involved in all of this would mean not being involved with Kinan, it was well worth it.
If, occasionally, a bit much.
Kinan sighed. “I know she thought this was never going to happen. I know it’s a statement, and, given our guest list, it will be useful for the Life Mages and carnalions. But I sort of wish it could just… be about us?”
Smiling softly at Kinan, Cormal tugged him closer and then cupped his face with his hands.
“Even if we have to stand up in front of a million people, our experience will still be for us. We’ll be pledging ourselves to one another, and we’ll have every night to prove it to one another.” Cormal winked at him. “And occasionally some days, too.”
Kinan’s face broke into a broad grin even as he stepped closer still so their bodies could brush together, arousal obvious.
“That’s true,” he agreed. “I guess not even a twelve-hour ceremony can take away from that.”
They had a few months to rein the Queen in. It would be fine. Twelve hours was improbable, and surely no one could turn what could happen in five minutes into a ceremony that took twelve hours. Right?
“We only have to get through it once,” Cormal reminded them both. “Then it’s done, and we can enjoy the rest of our lives.”
Kinan rocked against him. “And what are we going to do with the rest of our lives?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Cormal said with mock casualness, his own hips chasing the sensation. “But we can probably think of something.”
“Maybe we should test something out,” Kinan suggested, hands coming to clutch at Cormal’s hips. “Get some practice before the wedding.”
“Good idea,” Cormal said, a little bit breathless. “Make sure we know what we’re doing?”
Laughing, they tumbled into bed together. They’d made intimacy work when Kinan had been intangible, but they’d also made up for lost time once they could get their hands all over one another.
Cormal had never had sex as amazing as the sex with Kinan. Nothing had prepared him for the emotions of Kinan being inside him for the first time, and it was that good every time.
He wasn’t at all certain how he’d lucked out and wound up with such a life, but he was extremely grateful.
They rolled around on the bed until Kinan pinned him on his back, hips pressing Cormal into the mattress, hands twining with his and stretching his arms above his head before he leaned in to take Cormal’s mouth.
Cormal leaned into the touch hungrily, wanting everything this man would give him.
He’d never touched someone as much as he touched Kinan, and he loved it, the constant physical reminder of what they meant to one another.
He knew it was partly a reassurance for Kinan, who woke sometimes from frantic nightmares where he hadn’t really been cured.
Cormal would wrap around every inch of the man and hold him tight until he was able to sleep again.
Cormal hoped the nightmares would ease with time, but the touching never would.
“I want to be inside you,” Kinan murmured against his lips. “Would you like that?”
“So much,” Cormal said, trying to buck up against him, but Kinan was the perfect solid weight above him, holding him down. “Please.”
Kinan got the oil, and Cormal spread his bent legs wide, feet pressed into the mattress. Kinan teased him open, and Cormal had to practice his non-existent patience, because he’d learned that Kinan loathed the idea of hurting him, so he had to be patient here.
Kinan always smiled a very particular smile when Cormal was stretched on three of his fingers, cursing and begging the other man to get on with it. It was clearly a key part of his experience.
“Please,” Cormal gasped. “I need you inside me. Right now.”
Kinan’s eyes flashed, and then he was removing his fingers and lining up his cock so that he could sink inside Cormal.
They’d both teared up the first time, which was a bit embarrassing, except that it had been a shared moment of overwhelming emotion.
Now they could do it whenever they wanted.
And each time Kinan filled him up, there was that moment of recognition again, that they were able to do something precious and almost unbelievable.
Cormal had never felt so possessed, but in the best possible way, like it was impossible to know where one of them ended and the other began, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. They were together, and it was glorious.
Kinan started to move, pulling out and then thrusting home, making Cormal cry out as pleasure sparked through him.
Kinan grinned at him and repeated the movement.
He was entirely capable of making Cormal come without even touching his cock, a talent which Cormal was very grateful for.
(Cormal always touched Kinan everywhere he could.
Kinan liked touch more than anything.) Their favorite positions were ones where they faced one another, because they liked that connection.
Kinan looked at Cormal in a way that no one else did, not even now that things had improved so very much between Cormal and everyone else. He looked at him like he was Kinan’s prince, precious and worthy, and Cormal would always strive to live up to that.
Snapping his hips again, Kinan pushed back into Cormal, and Cormal groaned and clutched at him.
“Yes!” he groaned. “Please!”
Kinan grinned at him fiercely and began to speed up his tempo, driving into Cormal again and again, showing off yet more of his very much appreciated strength. Cormal tried to match him thrust for thrust, striving to get just a little bit closer, to sink a little bit further into him.
“Come for me,” Kinan panted, gray eyes bright. “Want you to come, and then I’m going to fill you up.”
With a groan, Cormal obeyed, cock pulsing between them. Kinan’s rhythm stuttered, and after a handful more thrusts, his orgasm overtook him as he buried himself as deep inside Cormal as he could.