Epilogue 2
Eight Years Later
I stare at the late-summer landscape, thinking that in a few days we won’t be able to stay outdoors anymore.
Our two dogs run around happily, occasionally fighting over a stick they both want, while my daughter laughs at their clumsiness.
She looks just like me, red-haired and blue-eyed, except for her temperament, which is entirely Jazmina’s. But in appearance, all three of my children take after me, which makes them stand out even more whenever they go to Rheadur.
Kaled managed not only to punish those responsible for the attack against Jazmina, but after a few years, he also crushed the remaining rebels with an iron hand, putting an end to the wave of insurgency.
Even so, I don’t feel comfortable when our children go there on vacation. Although most of the country accepts our union and sees them as legitimate royalty, I believe there are still people who judge my wife as a rebellious princess who defied their beliefs by marrying a foreigner.
She told me that here in Scotland she used to feel the same way, but that in recent times, people have begun treating her as an equal.
They didn’t stand a chance against her charisma. Jazmina is strong and gentle at the same time. She knows how to assert herself and never allows anyone to mistreat her.
“Grandpa Athol, these dogs are crazy.”
Skye is sitting on a garden bench with my middle child, Magnus, beside Athol, who can barely stand these days but loves the time he spends with my children.
My former guardian whispers something, and Skye’s laughter grows louder. The sound of my children’s laughter brings me peace, gives me the certainty that I made it. I have the woman I love and three happy, protected children by my side.
I remember the day my firstborn was born as if it were yesterday.
I was terrified. While my daughter was still in her mother’s womb, not so much, but bringing someone into this fucked-up world was frightening.
When Skye was born, I had already been in therapy for a few months. I was discharged years ago, but back then, I still had many issues to deal with.
The main one was understanding that, no matter how much I wish it, I don’t have the power to shield them from everything, but I can make sure they know how loved they are, how every single breath they take makes my own possible.
“Can I wear my kilt in Rheadur?” Skye asks, coming closer when she sees me.
“Hm, I think it’s better not to, sweetheart. Remember what Mommy explained to you? In Rheadur, customs are different. Women don’t walk around with their legs exposed.”
“I’m not a woman. I’m Daddy’s little girl,” Skye says, full of charm and in that way that wraps me around her finger in the blink of an eye.
“Yes, you are, but rules are rules, and even if you’re just a little girl, in Rheadur it’s not allowed for girls or women to walk around with their legs uncovered.”
“What if I wear a sheer skirt? My legs would be covered, but like the dancers, with veils,” she says, lifting her arms and imitating belly-dancing steps that Jazmina probably taught her. “Mommy said we’re both princesses of a thousand and one nights.”
Jesus Christ.
I hear a snort of laughter behind me and see my duchess approaching with our youngest hooked on her hip.
He’s the clingiest with my wife, but at nine months old, it seems impossible for Jazmina to carry him all day without feeling back pain by nightfall. My two youngest children, Kendrick and Magnus, also take after me physically, so they’re big kids for their ages.
“Give him to me,” I say as I watch our firstborn run after our two Gordon Setter dogs.
She kisses me before handing him over.
“Did you hear that? Princesses of a thousand and one nights?” I ask.
The shameless woman’s laughter grows.
“That’s not funny. Imagine her wanting to belly-dance in a nightclub when she’s a teenager.”
“Kaled would have a heart attack,” she says, not sounding the least bit worried.
“Kaled, me, and everyone else. I don’t even want to hear about it.”
“I’ll talk to her. Belly dancing . . . only for her husband,” she says.
“It’s far too early for talk of husbands. She’s only getting married at around forty.”
I get a sexy eye roll in response, and even knowing I’m being an idiot, my insides twist at the thought of my daughter married. She’s just a baby!
“Now, seriously, what’s your concern? I only caught the end of the conversation.”
“Skye asked to wear a kilt in Rheadur.”
“That would be quite the event,” she says, sounding relaxed.
“She needs to learn Rheadur’s rules. She belongs to both cultures and has to know how to behave in each.”
My wife wraps her arms around my waist, snuggling close. “Skye knows very well that she can’t wear short skirts in Rheadur, my duke. What you haven’t realized yet is that, like her mother, your girl is a provocateur.”
I hold her chin, as I always do, unsure whether I should lay her down on the grass right now and provide another heir or start an argument.
It takes me a few seconds to decide.
“Never change. I’m crazy about you exactly because of that bold way of yours.”
“I don’t intend to, husband. I wouldn’t risk losing your love.”