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“Remove the bodies, and let all the nobles enter,” Tes called.

It took far less time than the battle itself for the evidence to be cleared, the only difficulty being her father’s body. Although she was tempted to have him buried far from here, she couldn’t do it. No matter how awful, he’d been her blood. He’d been king. And so, she ordered him carried to the royal tomb for a quiet internment. Far better to have him pass quietly into history, a counter to his excesses in life.

Finally, the courtiers gathered beneath the throne. It wasn’t all of them, of course, only the boldest. But the boldest were the ones she needed now.

“As your queen,” she began, “I declare Prince Berret Eyamiri as King Consort. If he accepts, he will become King Berret Bryamiri of Centoi.”

Ber crossed to her side. “I would be nowhere else, my queen.”

She smiled up at him for a moment before leveling a glare on the courtiers. “Ber has been a friend of Centoi and Llyalia both, his assignment here to protect his brother from Ryenil’s machinations. If you prefer to pass around speculations, let it be on your own behavior, not his.”

There was uncomfortable shuffling at that. Good.

“Furthermore, I issue a formal apology to High King Toren of Llyalia for my father’s attempts to interfere in the Llyalian throne. With his accord, peace will return, and our alliance will resume,” Tes declared.

Nobles from trade-heavy Houses showed visible relief, sagging or sighing at the news. No doubt, the Llyalian nobles would react much the same. Both of their peoples had stood to lose a great deal from the war. Now, it would end. If nothing else, that would give her a favorable beginning to her reign.

Taking a step forward, Lord Vulwin bowed and then dared to speak up. “Your Majesty, forgive me, but I must ask. Did I hear correctly that you’re already bearing an heir?”

Of course, that would be the first thing the gossip focused on, though in this case, it wasn’t a bad thing. With all the changes to come, her people needed some sign of stability. “That is so, but he is not the first in line for the throne.”

“But—”

“That would be our son, Prince Speran,” Tes interrupted. “My husband played the villain so that I might birth our first child in safety, which is why I was gone for almost a year. Yourprince is being guarded by his uncles and aunt in the Llyalian palace. As soon as it is safe, we will have a proper celebration for his arrival.”

The questions erupted, then, and unlike her father, she let them come. Some of the courtiers here would be removed from power, but she would need the cooperation of those who weren’t. And there was no better way to gain their loyalty than to answer each query as openly as she could.

After all, she would have charge of this kingdom for millennia.

Epilogue

Peace suffused Tes as she cuddled her newborn against her chest, the both of them tucked close to Ber’s side. He kept reaching out to touch their daughter as though he couldn’t believe she existed, and Tes could empathize. A year ago, she never could have imagined this moment. She’d been recovering from Speran’s birth, then, the loneliness almost overwhelming. If only she’d known how many of her fears were lies.

Across the room, their son stood, leaving his blocks behind to toddle over to the bed. As soon as he’d been let in after the birth, he hadn’t wanted to leave them. Indeed, his harried nursemaid followed after him for the third time in an hour, but this time, Ber shifted to scoop their son up and dismissed the tired woman with a smile.

Speran settled between them and grinned at Reyelle. “Baba.”

“That’s right,” Tes said. “Baby Reyelle is your little sister.”

He nodded happily, but after a moment, he began to fidget with boredom. As he had the three other times, he wriggled down and toddled back to his toys.

Laughing low, Ber pressed a kiss to the side of Tes’s neck. “How many times will we have to repeat it?” he asked.

Tes sighed, though she felt contentment more than anything. “An infinite number, I imagine.”

And she would do so as often as needed.

Life wasn’t perfect, not with a kingdom to manage. The nobles had mostly settled after the changes she’d made, but they still challenged her constantly. There had also been countless ceremonies and more visits from ambassadors than she wanted to remember. Even the king of Vorwen had sent a representative, one far more suitable than the injured Lord Orpem. Some days, the work seemed never ending.

Every hardship was worth it, though, for it meant that she and her family could live here in peace.

And that was worth any sacrifice.