Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
ELARIYA
Three weeks later
Dear Journal,
I used to wonder what peace would feel like.
For so long I imagined it would arrive like a great celebration. That the world would suddenly become brighter. That all the hurt would simply disappear.
It didn't.
Peace came quietly for me.
It arrived after the battle when we all went home and I listened to the birdsong the next morning at Vyrenth Hollow.
Then I felt it in the dragons sleeping beneath the afternoon sun. Peace settled in my soul days later when I watched my family return for Wolfe’s coronation and I gazed at them from beside him, taking in the joy on the faces of my mother and father.
Peace lived in everything around me.
It made me think of the girl I’d been before.
The scared girl who lived from one month to the next in a memory loop. It turned out that, like Wolfe’s curse, it had become a gift.
A gift that had opened the door for everything else.
Especially meeting the love of my life.
That was the greatest victory of all.
The Fae king who consumed me with his kisses and loved me with his whole heart.
I paused there. It was a good place to stop. I’d come back to it later.
There would always be more to write.
I was sitting in the chair by the bedroom window with the hearth in the background warming the room.
It was midday. I’d just taken a break to update the journal. Wolfe was meeting with the Bloodsworn and would be with me soon.
It was at these quiet moments that I was calm enough to reflect.
The other day I decided to take up journaling again.
While I didn’t need to record my daily life so I could remember it, I found a new love for recording the things that made me happy.
There were so many of those moments now. I wanted to always remember them.
It had been three weeks since the battle. So much had happened since.
Wolfe’s coronation was perhaps the biggest. Many had turned up. Apart from the battle, it was the second biggest gathering of all the Fae kingdoms. And a beautiful celebration.
My father was slowly returning to normal life, following King Varis's full recovery.
The Seer’s magic had restored him and cleansed him of the poison Maelor had given him.
All was right in the world again and I was happy to be here, here in Galaythia. Home.
The door opened and Wolfe poked his head in.
“Finished writing?” he asked.
I smiled back at him. “Yes.”
“Good, we’re going out.”
“Out?” My interest piqued. “Where?”
“It’s a surprise. Come on.”
I giggled and set my journal down.
I stood and went over to him. He slipped an arm around me and grinned.
“Hope you like butterflies.” He pressed his nose against mine.
I sucked in a breath. “Butterflies. Who doesn’t like butterflies?”
“I don’t know. I just hoped you wouldn’t be one of those people.” He huffed out a laugh.
“I love butterflies Wolfe.”
“Then brace yourself. You’re about to see the most beautiful of them all.”
I was so excited I couldn’t wait to see them.
Wolfe opened a portal and we walked inside. The Void only swallowed us for a moment before sunlight greeted us and we were surrounded by a storm of butterflies.
Blue wings brushed against pink. Emerald melted into gold. Thousands drifted through the air in graceful currents until the entire clearing seemed alive with color.
We were in the woods somewhere.
The butterflies settled on flowers, tree branches, everywhere and the scent of wildflowers filled the breeze.
Wolfe and I stood there taking it all in.
Everything was so beautiful I could hardly breathe.
I looked back at Wolfe. He was watching me enjoy the butterflies. I hadn’t realized.
“Where are we, Wolfe? This place is amazing.”
He took my hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss my knuckles. “Welcome to the Ravenwood Realm, my lady.”
My entire body stilled and I stared back at him shocked. “We’re where?”
“The Ravenwood realm.”
My hands flew up to my cheeks. “Oh Wolfe.”
“I thought we’d wait until the butterflies took flight.” He beamed down at me. “I didn’t want to do this trip before. With everything going on I didn’t think you’d enjoy it as much.”
He never ceased to amaze me. “You are…the absolute best. Thank you for this.”
“Come there’s more. Let’s go exploring, Ziyka. See where you came from.”
He took my hand and I squeezed his allowing him to guide me through the place I’d always longed to visit.
It was a dream.
My husband was a dream.
And in this dream the Lord of the Shadows and the Daughter of the Hourglass got their happily ever after.