She turned to go. “Stop,” I said in my most imperious voice. “Come back here.”
Taryn approached, wringing her hands.
“Taryn, I accept your apology, but I do not accept your departure. Unless... you want to go.”
“Oh, no, Your Highness. Never!” She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. “But, Your Highness, how could you ever forgive me?”
“Because you weren’t in your right mind, and we both know it. How could I not forgive you? And, if I recall, my friend Taryn calls me Jennica. Her friend.”
Taryn smiled at me through her tears. I held my arms open to her, and we embraced in a tight hug.
She pulled back, still sniffling. Mother smiled at her. “Taryn, you and your brother have done an immeasurable service to the kingdom of Calia.”
“Rufan told me that you sent his family a most generous gift of gold. Thank you, Your Majesty.” Perched next to my mother at the edge of my bed, Taryn dipped her head in thanks to the queen.
“You’re welcome. And as for you, Taryn — the kingdom could use a sharp mind like yours to guide it. If you’re amenable to it, we’d like to start training you for your new position as the Queen’s Advisor.”
Taryn’s jaw dropped. “Your Majesty, that would be incredible. Thank you!”
I smiled, although now I wanted to cry. “I’ll miss you, Taryn. You’re a wonderful lady-in-waiting, and I know you’ll be an incredible advisor.”
Mother laughed. “Silly. Taryn won’t be going anywhere. She’ll be your advisor, not mine. We’re just getting a head start so she’ll be ready to go when you become queen.”
Now my jaw dropped. “But... I thought...”
My mother regarded me with gentle, solemn eyes. “While I love my kingdom, it’s time for a new way of thinking, a new take on life. I’ll be here to guide you and help you grow into the position, but it’s time for love and honor to lead Calia instead of forced duty and tradition.” She and Joichan exchanged loving smiles. “And I think it’s time I learned how to listen to my own heart.”
Taryn stood up from my bedside, curtsying to both my mother and me. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, Your Highness. I have some tasks to attend to before dinner. Thank you, again, Your Majesty. I didn’t dare dream it would turn out so well. I — thank you.”
“You are extremely welcome, my dear,” my mother said. “And Taryn, if I may add one more task to your list...”
“Of course, Your Majesty. How may I assist you?”
“Please find the steward and have him remove the painting by the Great Hall. See if we can’t have a celebratory bonfire in the courtyard later today. Crisis averted, narrow save of the kingdom of Calia, and all that. I’m sure it would make great kindling.”
The slowly widening smile on my face was reflected on the faces of Taryn, Joichan, and my mother. Fervently, Taryn said, “With pleasure, Your Majesty.” She hurried out of the room.
I turned back to my mother. “What were you saying before Taryn came in?”
“Oh, yes. Now that you’re well, we can start getting you ready for the wedding.”
“The wedding? But, I thought... Do you mean I still have to marry Prince Anders?”
My mother laughed. “No, not unless you want to. The prince and his family snuck off sometime after the fighting ended, during the clean up. They didn’t say it outright, but I think the betrothal is off.”
“Then whose wedding...?”
My mother stood up and walked back to Joichan, who reached for her hand and held it proudly. “Ours. In a week’s time.”
I smiled. “Oh, that wedding. Yes, I’m definitely looking forward to that wedding. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to pick out my own jewelry.”
Our laughter echoed through the hallways, a promise of the brighter days to come for the kingdom of Calia.
Epilogue
QUEEN MELANDRIA AND Joichan had a lovely — and small — wedding. My parents hadn’t wanted the pomp of a big wedding. Plus, there really weren’t any relatives to invite. Mother’s immediate family had passed away years ago, and my orphaned father actually didn’t know who his family was. He had been left as a baby at a storefront in Annlyn and been adopted by the merchant who nearly tripped over him when opening the shop.
The private event was witnessed by me, Beyan, Farrah, and Rhyss. Lord Kye was also there, looking very at ease in his newfound position. Part of it was from, of course, the restoration of his family name and fortune. And part of it was from the fact that Lord Kye no longer limped or needed a cane.
Bringing Kye to the castle had been a somewhat risky proposition. After all, Kye and Joichan’s first and only meeting hadn’t gone well. The two men had a long, private discussion — similar to the one Joichan had had with Kye’s son Beyan. But when Joichan healed Kye using his dragon magic, that changed the tenor of their relationship from a wary truce to a true friendship.
After the wedding, Kye gifted the queen and new king with a familiar-looking carving of a stately golden dragon. They loved it instantly, exclaiming over the intricate detail and the perfect likeness of our new king (when he was in dragon form). The carving would eventually find a place of honor on a pedestal by the Great Hall. Right below the space where, formerly, a painting of Hendon had hung, depicting him fighting the dragon while Princess Melandria was held captive in its claws. Instead, in the old picture’s place, there was a new painting: two golden dragons and Queen Melandria fighting side by side against the evil red-eyed King Hendon in a battle to save the kingdom of Calia. The new painting never failed to make me smile proudly every time I saw it.
Now that I knew my true father, I was determined to find the rest of his
