Epilogue
EPILOGUE
CHARLOTTE
C harlotte stared at herself in the full-length mirror. Her dress wasn’t as elaborate as Gwen’s had been, but it was far fancier than the dress she had worn at her first wedding. And—more importantly than either fact—it suited her perfectly. The clean lines of the satin gown exuded an elegance befitting a princess without overwhelming the woman inside the dress.
She met Gwen’s eyes in the mirror, and her friend smiled knowingly.
“It’s hard to see yourself as a princess—or queen—and also yourself. But it’s possible. If I can get there, so can you.”
Charlotte smiled tremulously. Gwen of all people knew exactly what she was going through. She could never have guessed that the woman in the portrait would become her best friend and the most amazing support. She was only glad that the mountains were no longer a barrier between them.
“Promise you’ll come and visit,” she said, trying not to sniffle.
“Of course I will!” Gwen hesitated. “Although I understand you’ll have your sisters with you in Arcadia. You might not have as much need for—”
Charlotte shook her head firmly, turning to give her friend a pointed look. “You’ve met my sisters. While I’m glad I can offer them a new life in Arcadia—the kind of life they’ve always wanted—their presence can’t make up for your absence.”
Gwen’s smile grew stronger. “I’m actually curious to see Arcadia. I’ve read about it in books, and it sounds beautiful.”
Charlotte glanced out the window at the mountains. They were visible from any direction, their peaks white with snow despite the warm sun that shone into the enormous valley housing the mountain kingdom.
“I’m going to miss the mountains,” she said. “I’ve gotten used to having them always there in the distance. There’s something solid and calming about their presence. It was one of the things I liked about my old life in the valleys.”
“Do your parents love the mountains as well?” Gwen asked. “Is that why they’re not going with your sisters to Arcadia?”
Charlotte hesitated. “I don’t think it’s the mountains exactly.” She sighed. “My father dreams of new horizons and new frontiers. He loves the idea of building a life from nothing. So how could he turn away now that a true new frontier has opened up?” She gestured at the mountains outside.
Gwen grimaced guiltily. “I suppose we only made that worse by having the first courier through the new pass go straight to his door with instructions to bring your family here without delay.”
Charlotte chuckled. “Maybe a little. He already has grand plans for the trading route he’s going to set up. But Henry and I appreciated it so much.”
Gwen laughed along with her. “Poor Henry was so impatient. He could barely wait for your family to get here as it was. I almost pulled out the halter to get them here more quickly.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Do not let my father get word of the possibility of riding the wind!”
Gwen nodded solemnly. “Noted.”
Charlotte relented. “My relationship with my family was so broken at my first wedding, and they won’t be part of my daily life in Arcadia going forward. I couldn’t have a second, proper wedding without them. Henry understands.”
“Have you really forgiven them for everything?” Gwen asked, and Charlotte could hear the echo of another question behind it. Had Charlotte really forgiven Gwen for her role in the candle disaster?
Charlotte smiled. “I have forgiven them for everything. I don’t want any resentment hanging over the new life I’m about to start. But I haven’t forgotten. Henry and I have already discussed it, and we’re going to set my sisters up in a comfortable house in the Arcadian capital but not in the court itself. They’re family, and I want to do what I can to support them in building a fulfilling life for themselves, but I can’t build my own new life with them too close.”
“What about your mother?” Gwen asked. “Is she upset your father is insisting they stay?”
Charlotte considered the question. Her family had only arrived the day before—thanks to Henry’s determination to have a proper wedding as soon as possible. But she had spent the evening with them, and her mother had seemed content with the plans being made.
“I think she would like Arcadia,” she said. “But she would never leave my father, despite his flaws.”
She and Gwen’s eyes met, and they shared a look of silent understanding. They were both newlyweds themselves, and they understood what it meant to enter a marriage. It was inevitable there would be times when one member of a couple would have to compromise for the other. That was part of being a team.
“Their new house disappeared, you know,” Charlotte added, trying not to laugh at the thought. “It was created for them by the bell, so when Henry broke his enchantment and the castle and bell disappeared, everything else it had created disappeared with them.”
Gwen’s eyes widened, but Charlotte continued to smile. “I think it worked out for the best, though. They fled to my aunt and uncle’s house, and since the last of my cousins has just become betrothed, my mother and aunt realized they enjoy living together. Henry is going to give them the gold he originally promised, and they plan to use it to expand my aunt and uncle’s house. When my father—and probably my uncle with him—are traveling through the mountain pass, my mother will still have company. I think she’ll be happy enough in that life.”
“And you’ll be happy having some distance from them,” Gwen murmured.
Charlotte grimaced, not denying it. “Some relationships improve with some distance. We’ll be very happy to see each other when we have a chance to visit.” She hesitated. “My family is far from perfect, and they’ve hurt me, but I know it doesn’t compare to your situation. Even if Celandine had been your true birth mother…” She hesitated, shaking her head. “Some relationships can’t be salvaged.”
Gwen’s smile didn’t waver. “Don’t be sad for me. Not on your special day. I have a new family now. Lydia and Jett are already the parents I always wished I could have.”
Charlotte impulsively embraced her friend, and Gwen hugged her back. She wished she could have Gwen as her attendant, but she understood that Gwen’s new role as queen precluded it. At least Gwen and Easton would be present in the front row, which was better than Charlotte had managed for their wedding.
She had been prepared for her sisters to throw fits at not being included in the wedding themselves, but they seemed to accept the excuse that there was no time to organize the necessary outfits. It probably helped that they were still in shock at the discovery of Henry’s true identity and the coming changes in their lives.
“Are you ready?” Natalie bounced into the room, looking beautiful in a gown of deep gold. “I had no idea it took so long to get ready for a wedding!”
Gwen threw a speaking look at Charlotte. “Are you regretting your choice of attendant yet?”
Charlotte stifled a laugh. “Never.”
Natalie joined her beside the mirror, surveying herself with satisfaction. “How could she regret it? I was clearly born to wear a dress like this.”
Gwen and Charlotte exchanged looks of concern at the disturbing light in Natalie’s eyes. There was something both terrifying and exhilarating about never knowing what outrageous plan the girl would get into her head next.
At least her inclusion in the event had succeeded in raising her spirits. Ever since the revelation that her brother Baden had been the one to reveal the rebels’ plans to the queen, she had been unnaturally downcast. Charlotte was just glad the job of sorting out that particular delicate situation fell to Gwen, not her.
Natalie herself was above reproach. Even without her brother’s assistance, she had managed to rouse the city’s youth, leading them to gather their families and storm the palace in support of Gwen, arriving at the crucial moment.
Natalie finished her perusal of her reflection. “Well? Are you ready, Charlotte?”
“She is,” Gwen said with a smile. “She’s perfect.”
Charlotte laughed. “Perfectly happy, perhaps.”
“Come on, then.” Natalie opened the door. “You don’t want Henry to think you’re not coming.”
Gwen shook her head. “I think Charlotte, of all people, has proven her devotion. She came all the way to the mountain kingdom to find Henry. She’s not going to run away now.”
“Will you really let me visit you in Arcadia?” Natalie asked Charlotte as they walked through the corridors toward the throne room.
“Of course,” she said before hastily adding, “Once you’re a bit older, and if your parents give permission.”
Natalie nodded absentmindedly, but Charlotte wasn’t sure she’d actually heard the last part.
They reached the double doors of the throne room and found Charlotte’s father waiting for them, a beaming smile on his face.
He leaned in to kiss her forehead, his eyes gleaming. “I’ve never been so proud of you, Charli-bear.”
She smiled back. “Just don’t let Henry hear you using that nickname. I think he’s had enough of bears for a lifetime.”
Her father laughed back. “If anyone deserves to become a crown princess, it’s you, my daughter.”
Charlotte shook her head but didn’t protest aloud. It was no use trying to convince her father how unqualified she was for the role. He believed in her, and she would have to believe in herself as well.
As Natalie took up her position in front of them, ready to enter first, Charlotte caught a considering look in her eye. When Charlotte glanced at Gwen, she saw she’d noticed it too, but whatever Gwen’s thoughts on the matter, they were clearly swept away when Easton appeared, the golden circlet from his own wedding glinting among his brown curls. His eyes moved quickly over Charlotte to land on Gwen.
They lit up at the sight of his wife, regal in frothy layers of deep blue. Charlotte sighed and smiled. In just moments she would be standing at Henry’s side. She couldn’t wait to see the same look in his eyes as Easton wore when he looked at Gwen.
The doors creaked open, and Easton offered Gwen his arm. She accepted it, and the two of them walked into the throne room. The audience rose at their entrance, bowing or dropping into curtsies, sending a rippling wave through the room in line with their progress.
Only when they were seated at the front of the room did everyone else resume their seats, craning their heads toward the door as the wedding music began.
Natalie stepped out confidently, making her way slowly down the aisle. Charlotte took her father’s offered arm and let him lead her behind her lone attendant. She had insisted that the room’s decorations be kept simple, given all the tasks facing the palace in the wake of the transfer of power. But just the presence of Henry was enough to make the whole room beautiful in her eyes.
He didn’t take his gaze off her from the moment she appeared, and as soon as she reached him, he squeezed her hands.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured.
She smiled back, forgetting both the pain of their past and the anxiety of her future role. In that moment, she was free to do nothing but celebrate this reminder of their vows. They had already promised with both word and action to be loyal and to love and be loved. But she couldn’t wait to make the same promises again.
Some elements of the ceremony were unfamiliar, but she succeeded in weaving their arms together and circling without tripping over her small train, grateful for their several practice runs the day before. But when they brought out the tubs for washing, she made the mistake of meeting Natalie’s eyes.
The look on the younger girl’s face made it almost impossible not to break out into giggles, and Charlotte spent the entire time she was scrubbing trying not to let them burst free. Henry kept shooting her amused glances as he struggled through the task himself. He had more experience than most princes his age, but apparently scrubbing shirts wasn’t part of his skill set.
Eventually they both had the garments clean, however, holding them up proudly and enjoying the cheers of the crowd. When Count Oswin proclaimed the final words of the ceremony, declaring that what had been done could not be undone, Henry and Charlotte gazed into each other’s eyes, feeling the special weight of the words. No one could dispute their marriage now.
Henry pulled her close and kissed her, leading to more cheers, and Charlotte’s cheeks were flushed by the time she pulled back. Henry grinned down at her unrepentant, though. He hadn’t stopped smiling since she had entered the room and just seeing him gave Charlotte a swell of happiness. How long would it be before she stopped feeling that way every time her eyes fell on his tall form?
The party following the ceremony continued long into the night. Charlotte and Henry had allowed Gwen and Easton to choose the guest list, knowing they wanted to make use of the invitations. There was far too much politics involved in setting up their new court to miss such a valuable opportunity.
Charlotte didn’t mind all the unfamiliar faces. Her family was there, along with the new friends she had made, and Henry was at her side. Nothing else mattered.
But when Gwen had finally finished circulating—having needed to talk to every one of the guests—she collapsed into a chair beside Charlotte.
“Did I know being queen would be so exhausting?” she moaned.
Charlotte grinned back. “If you’re trying to terrify me, know that nothing will ruin my mood today.”
Gwen straightened in her chair. “Of course I’m not trying to do that! I’m sure you’ll love making polite talk with every single person at all those future Arcadian parties.”
Charlotte snorted but didn’t retort since Natalie bounded up to them at that moment, her eyes concerningly bright.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said ominously.
Gwen and Charlotte exchanged a look.
“What are you planning now?” Gwen asked in an even more exhausted voice.
“Charlotte said I can visit Arcadia in a few years, but why stop there?” Natalie gazed into the distance dreamily.
“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked warily.
“It hit me during the ceremony,” Natalie said. “You’re a queen, Gwen.”
“Queen Gwendolyn to you,” Charlotte said sternly. “At least in public.”
Natalie waved a hand dismissively. “But you were born a princess, so it’s not surprising. But Charlotte on the other hand…She’s going to be a queen one day too, but she was born into a family just as ordinary as mine.”
Charlotte winced. Was Natalie’s introduction to Charlotte’s family responsible for sparking this train of thought?
“So if Charlotte can become a queen, then I’m going to become a queen too,” Natalie finished cheerfully.
“You’re going to become a queen?” Gwen asked incredulously. “How would that work, exactly?”
Charlotte could see the connection, though. “By marrying a crown prince, I suppose,” she said.
Natalie nodded. “Exactly. Did you know the old crown historian is one of the guests today? He’s absolutely ancient, but he’s the one who’s been updating the official records since the traders reestablished contact with the Four Kingdoms. I’ve just had a very interesting talk with him.”
“Don’t tell me…” Gwen said weakly.
Natalie continued on, unheeding. “It turns out,” she said triumphantly, “that Crown Prince Frederic of Lanover has a son who is sixteen years old and who will one day be king of Lanover.”
Charlotte wracked her brains, trying to remember the royal family trees she had learned as a child in school. “You mean Prince Leo?” she asked.
“That sounds right,” Natalie said. “Or Leon, or Luca, something like that. Anyway, as soon as I’m eighteen, I’ll come to Arcadia to visit you, Charlotte, and then I’ll continue straight on to Lanover. It’s perfect.”
Gwen and Charlotte stared at her, rendered equally silent by the matter-of-fact plans. Natalie eyed them both as if they were the strange ones before shrugging and bounding off again, perhaps to regale someone else with tales of her glorious future.
“You don’t…You don’t think there’s any chance she might actually succeed, do you?” Gwen whispered in the silence after her departure.
“Let’s hope not—for Lanover’s sake,” Charlotte said back with feeling, and then both of them dissolved into helpless laughter.
Their laughs had finally subsided to the occasional chuckle, and they were wiping at their eyes when Henry appeared, eager to steal his bride.
Gwen sent them off with a wave, and Charlotte went joyfully. As lovely as the day had been, she couldn’t wait until it was just the two of them again as it had been all those weeks in their castle.
Henry pulled her into a shadowed corner and wrapped his arms around her, gazing down into her face. “I talked to Easton. He and Gwen are lending us their lodge for two weeks. He said it’s their wedding present.”
Charlotte’s face lit up. “The one right on the edge of the valley?”
Henry nodded. “I told them we don’t need any servants. I think we can survive two weeks on our own, even without the bell.”
Charlotte nodded fervently, overwhelmed at the thoughtful offer from their friends. As happy as she had been already, the knowledge they would leave so soon for Arcadia had been a slight shadow. Knowing she would have some time alone with Henry before she had to face his family and the Arcadian court made the whole prospect easier to bear.
She sighed and leaned against him.
“It will be nice to have some time to ourselves before we head home,” Henry said, echoing her thoughts. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I suspect we’ll have to have a third wedding when we do eventually reach Arcadie. I am their crown prince, after all, and you’ll be their queen one day. We might be well and truly legally married now, but my people will want their own celebration.”
Charlotte swallowed. She didn’t mind another ceremony. It was what it signified that scared her.
“How can I be a queen one day? I’m just an ordinary girl.”
Henry threw back his head and laughed. “An ordinary girl? You are far from ordinary, my beautiful wife. Who else could find their way to the palace east of the sun and west of the moon? Who else has ridden the wind, stolen back the sun, and helped defeat the mountain queen? I’ve never met anyone less ordinary.” He paused. “Unless it’s my mother. You know she was born a woodcutter’s daughter, right?”
Charlotte nodded, the vague memory of Alyssa’s history coming back to her. But everyone said the Arcadians loved Princess Alyssa—or Queen Alyssa as she must now be. Was it possible they could accept Charlotte in the same way?
Henry smiled down at her, reading her thoughts on her face. “They’re going to love you just like they love her. You’re not only beautiful, you’re intelligent, kind, and considerate of others. And my mother will love you most of all. You don’t have to worry. Queen Alyssa is going to approve of the newest princess of Arcadia.”