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"We need to think about harm while we are alive to," Lukas said.

"Dying is one thing, but clearly with the right poison our power can be severely affected," I finished.

Persy nodded. “Speaking of, are you guys settled?”

“We’re set three down the line,” Dominic responded.

"Lukas, Daphne?" Persy asked. She spared a glance at Dominic and Rose then clearly decided it was appropriate company to talk about sensitive matters. "Nikolas is doing well. It didn't appear to be an addiction, more a poor choice of stress relief. But he's in counseling and he seems to be doing much better."

Lukas let out a heaving breath. "Thank you."

I ran my hand down his back. "Thank you, Persy."

Lukas grabbed my hand and held it, passing his thumb over my skin.

Persy smiled. "Of course. I didn't know if he was an heir."

"No." Lukas shook his head. "But we are settled. Three down the line as well."

We’d just decided last night, actually.

“Part of the wedding planning,” I said, trying to bring some levity back into the conversation.

Persy took the bait, smiling brightly and clapping her hands together. “I amsoexcited. Are you guys? You only have like four days being engaged left.”

It snuck up on us. What started as an arbitrary date selected to stay people off had turned into our actual wedding date. That was in four days.

“I’m ready for it to be now,” Lukas said, pulling my hand up to kiss the back of it. “I’d have married her years ago.”

I smiled at him, feeling the love in my eyes. “I like how we have it. Even though I could deal with a few hundred less attendees.”

Lukas groaned under his breath, his hand tightening on mine. “Don’t remind me.”

“Oh, I’m so excited to watch you squirm,” Dominic said, laughing low. Rose clearly pinched him because he jerked forward and added, “And to celebrate your love and happiness and all that.”

Rose smiled at himand Dominic looked momentarily shocked. Like he still wasn't used to seeing her do it.

Lukas and I both laughed, and I felt warmth spread through my chest. Even with so much chaos surrounding us, there were still moments like this. Where you cherished the love your best friend found.

Where we sat eating with friends.

We wrapped up our conversation about the conspiracy by agreeing to get together after the wedding to plan with Adrian.

We weren’t getting a honeymoon, not yet anyway. Lukas had made his opinions on that very well known, grumbling about once every two hours about having zero privacy in our house.

I wasn’t happy about it either. I could stand to have a few uninterrupted weeks with him. But we could sneak off to an island when all of this was over.

For now, I took what I could get. And that was a breakfast surrounded by my closest friends in a palace that I loved with the man that I loved.

And with sunlight streaming through the water and painting us in streaks of gold and soft blue, that felt like enough.

Epilogue

Daphne

“You are not doing this the night before Daphne’s wedding,” Lukas said, crossing his arms and blocking me from view.

“Hey!Ourwedding,” I corrected, stepping up next to him.