I’m still dealing with learning that Guendolyn is the princess of both Shadow and Ash Courts… and now, added to that, she is now also the queen of the fairies. My mind can barely comprehend this turn of events. If anyone deserves this, it’s my Guendolyn.
“There is more,” the queen says. “Many know my daughter as the cursed girl in our realm, but not many understand she was cursed as an infant by my mother-in-law and husband so that she would never return to our realm to claim the thrones and to unite our kingdoms. I was never given a choice and did what I could to protect my girl, which is why I hid her amid humans in the Earth realm. But now that she is back, I want to bestow a gift upon her for all the wrongs done against her. To make things right.”
She moves to take her daughter’s hand. “My bloodline is of the original family that came from the fairy queen herself. I was forced into a loveless marriage. Now I am taking a stand. I am officially abdicating my position as Queen of Ash Court. The throne is open to be claimed by a family member as I have stepped away. And my husband can’t do anything about it as you are the heir by blood.” She glances over to Guendolyn, who is crying happy tears.
My stomach knots up, because this is unprecedented. No royalty has ever renounced their throne. Deimos' mouth drops open, while Luther blinks in disbelief.
“Mother,” Guendolyn whispers, her voice shaken. She draws away from me and rushes into her arms.
My heart warms to finally see Guendolyn find her family, to know where she belongs. I grew up loathing what my father did to me, so focused on becoming a better king, on what changes I’d need to make in order to achieve some semblance of happiness in the future, that I didn’t see that I already had everything I needed. It took a while, but with Guendolyn, we got there. And there’s nothing I would ever change… though I do wish the path here wasn’t so treacherous or heartbreaking.
I turn to my mother and collect her in my arms, as do my brothers.
“Looks like we have another wedding to plan?” she says, tears pooling in her eyes, glancing up at me, smiling like she used to when life was easier.
“And you’re fine with the union between the kingdoms, with us three marrying her?” I ask.
“Of course. I lived too long with hatred; now I just want peace, and grandchildren. And if this brings my three boys what I couldn’t have, then I give my blessing.”
“About time!” Deimos calls out, drawing everyone’s attention.
Guendolyn glances over and laughs like she can’t believe this is happening. The rest of the guests and councilmen are silent, clearly lost for words.
I step aside from my family and kneel in front of my queen, my brothers following suit.
“Guendolyn, to make it official, will you have us three as your husbands as you claim the thrones?” I ask, wishing I had a ring to offer her.
The way she looks at us is heart-warming, and a tear slips down her cheek. “Absolutely. It’s why we did all this. So we can all finally be together.”
In that same moment, the fairies break out into a beautiful song and begin fluttering around the room in a splendid aerial dance.
My heart thumps, and adrenaline races through my veins. We have found our queen. This is the day I’ve dreamed of… to get what I want in the end. Never believed it could happen, but now that it’s here, I will fight to the end to ensure it remains. We will prove ourselves to her.
I tilt my head as she kneels in front of us and she embraces us all saying, “Please tell me this isn’t a dream?”
We all burst out laughing, and I lean in to brush my lips over hers. I try to act casual, to pretend my heart isn’t pounding in my chest and that I want to scream at the top of my voice that she’s mine. Instead, I just whisper, “This is only the beginning of your new life.”
Chapter 21
Guendolyn
One Day Later
I'm in my room in the mansion, staring out the window at the landscape. The rolling hills and woodlands coated in snow, the superb sunlight brightening the blue sky, the landscape that I reign over. Me, the lost girl who only wanted to find her family, but instead, I found something more incredible than I ever thought possible.
The notion of who I really am and what this means still doesn't feel real, but I haven't been able to stop smiling or spinning around on the spot each time I think about how things ended up.
I recall a corny saying about how when life gives you lemons, you give it lemonade back. Well, I’ve just created the fucking golden ambrosia of the gods’ kind of drink with my lemons.
Don't get me wrong... I'm nervous as hell to become a Queen. But I get to be with my three princes unquestionably now, and that is what I really care about.
Yesterday's events at Ahren’s wedding to a princess turned into a whirlwind. Everyone keeps telling me, the day will go down in history, talked about across the realm, and my name will be on their lips. The cursed girl who will become Queen. Songs will be written about me, and in truth, that just makes me laugh because it can’t be me they are talking about.
The princes had assured me, they are by my side and
