Epilogue
The chapel doors gleamed in the late morning sun, polished wood and ancient iron that had witnessed generations of Colleoni ceremonies.
Rodrigo stood at the entrance in a sharp black tuxedo, watching guests filter through the gardens toward the open doors.
Guards in formal attire stood at discreet intervals, weapons hidden beneath well-tailored jackets. Family and found family mingled on the stone paths, an unlikely gathering of mercenaries and criminals and the people who loved them.
For a split second, he thought he saw Serapis in the crowd, but when he looked again, there was no one there.
Maybe anxiety over the big day had him hallucinating.
Beside him, Giana adjusted his boutonniere with fingers that trembled slightly.
"Nervous?" he asked with a grin.
She looked up at him, and the sight of her nearly stopped his heart. The gown was a deep jewel purple that made her dark hair gleam and her skin glow. She looked like a queen. She looked like his future.
"No," she said. "I'm ridiculously happy."
"You're shaking," he pointed out.
"I shake when I'm excited."
Rodrigo smirked. "I know."
"It's not the time to flirt," she said, rolling her eyes and smoothing the flower against his lapel one final time. "There. Perfect."
The chapel doors swung open, and music spilled out into the morning air. Rodrigo offered Giana his arm, and together they walked inside.
The pews were filled with faces both familiar and scarred by violence.
Athena sat beside Kon, her hand resting on his knee.
Silas had his arm around Iz, who was already dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
Altun and Julian occupied the row behind them, the sorceress resplendent in emerald silk.
Frederica sat in the second row, and Rodrigo noted with interest that she had saved the seat beside her, her eyes flicking to the door every few seconds.
Dario slipped in just as Rodrigo escorted Giana to her place. His brother's eyes were suspiciously bright as he settled into the seat next to Frederica, and Rodrigo hurried back to get in position.
At the altar, Father Lupo stood waiting, his weathered face creased in a warm smile. The old priest had donned his finest vestments for the occasion, and his eyes held the quiet joy of a man watching his wayward children finally find their way home. The music swelled, and everyone rose.
Rodrigo walked Leo down the aisle. His little brother was elegant in a midnight blue suit that offset his dark curls.
His face was calm, composed, the mask of the assassin firmly in place, but his eyes betrayed him.
They were fixed on the man waiting at the altar, and in them Rodrigo saw something he recognized: the look of someone who had found the thing worth living for.
Dante stood at the front of the chapel, tears already streaming down his face. The big mercenary made no attempt to hide them, his broad shoulders shaking with the force of his emotion as he watched Leo approach.
"He's going to flood the chapel," Giana whispered when Rodrigo took his seat beside her.
"Let him," Rodrigo murmured back. "Leo has made him earn it."
Leo took Dante's hands in his. Father Lupo began the ceremony, his voice carrying through the hushed space with the gravity of sacred words spoken over sacred ground.
When the time came for vows, Leo spoke first. His voice was steady, clear, carrying to every corner of the chapel.
"I spent most of my life believing I was made for death," Leo said.
"That the only thing I was good for was ending things.
You showed me I was wrong and that I could build something instead of destroying it.
You gave me a family when I thought I'd lost mine forever.
" His grip tightened on Dante's hands. "You pulled me out of hell, like my own Beatrice.
I promise to spend the rest of my life being worthy of you. "
Dante tried to speak, but the words came out as a choked sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. He took a breath and tried again.
"I had a whole speech prepared," he managed. "But I can't remember any of it because you're standing there looking like that, and my brain has completely stopped working."
Laughter rippled through the chapel. Leo smiled, soft and private, the mask finally cracking.
"So I'll just say this." Dante lifted their joined hands to his lips. "You're my home, Leo. Wherever you are, that's where I belong. I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt that."
Father Lupo spoke the final words, his voice thick with emotion. "Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you married. You may kiss your husband."
Dante didn't wait. He pulled Leo into his arms and kissed him with the desperation of a man who had nearly lost everything and the joy of one who had found it again.
The chapel erupted in cheers. Athena wolf-whistled, and Kon was grinning so wide, it looked almost painful. Even Altun was applauding with teary eyes, Julian's arm around her.
Rodrigo watched his youngest brother in the arms of the man who loved him, overcome by the moment.
After everything they had survived, after all the blood and betrayal and loss, this moment felt like proof that happiness was possible. Even for people like them. Maybe his family wasn't cursed after all.
The reception spilled out into the villa's gardens, transformed for the occasion into a wonderland of lights, flowers, and tables groaning with food.
Rodrigo danced with Giana beneath strings of fairy lights and watched Leo and Dante sway together like the rest of the world had ceased to exist.
As the evening wore on, he caught Giana's eye and tilted his head toward the villa. She nodded, and together they slipped out of the celebration.
They walked in comfortable silence through the corridors, her hand warm in his.
At the door to their room, Rodrigo stopped, turning to face her.
He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the Colleoni family ring on her finger.
The day she slid it back on his finger, he thought he was going to die of joy.
"You're going to make a very beautiful bride someday," he said quietly. "When you're ready."
"I know." Giana leaned her head against his chest, and he felt her smile. "And you'll be the first to know when I decide on a date."
He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close. "I'll wait forever, you know that."
They stood together in the comfortable silence, the kind they had both always longed for. The muffled sounds of celebration drifted up from the gardens below.
Somewhere out there, Leo was still dancing with his husband. Dario was probably arguing with Frederica about something inconsequential. The Edgeworths were laughing, drinking, and being the chaotic, loyal, deadly family they had always been.
The world could turn against them. Serapis could rise from the shadows. Old enemies could emerge, and new threats could form, but as long as he had Giana beside him, the world didn't stand a chance.
Thank you so much for reading Rodrigo and Giana’s story!