by Zara Zenia
“Good for you,” Rabbina answered, sulking.
“I wish you peace,” Margot said. “And I would be willing to help in any way I can.”
“I want to be gone by tonight,” Rabbina said. “I don’t want Bhatraz anywhere near me. Not him, not his toxic mother, nothing. I have my own title and lands, if you didn’t know, and I want to be out of here.”
“Of course,” Margot said. “I’m sorry.”
Her compassion apparently affected Rabbina a bit, and the older princess spoke a bit quieter.
“How is Milinna?”
“I don’t know,” Margot admitted. “I haven’t seen her yet, but I assume that she is getting better.”
“Give her my condolences,” Rabbina said. “And my relief that she will be all right. I feel like she’s the innocent in all of this. She doesn’t deserve anything that’s happening to her.”
“Well,” Margot said softly, “on the bright side, from what I hear, Pralmav hasn’t left her side.”
“That is her dream come true,” Rabbina said, and the two exchanged a small smile.
“Yeah,” Margot said. “It probably is.”
“Then I’m glad that some good came of this,” Rabbina said.
It wasn’t quite an apology, but Margot knew that it was the best she was going to get. The two of them awkwardly bade each other goodbye knowing it was the last time they would stand in a room as princesses together.
Margot found her way back across the hospital to Milinna's room. The middle princess was sitting up on the bed, and despite the fact that she still looked pale, she looked much better than she was the last time they were together.
“Hi,” Margot said, giving her a hug. To do so, she had to move around Pralmav, who seemed to be unwilling to let go of his wife’s hand. Margot hoped that this was the start of a new chapter of their marriage. So far, it seemed like Pralmav was never going to neglect her nor so much as leave her side again.
“Hello, Margot,” Milinna said warmly. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Well, you probably don’t remember the last time I saw you,” Margot replied. “You were a bit . . .”
“Dead.” Milinna was blunt. “I was dead. And you saved me.”
“Well, Pralmav saved you,” she said, glancing at Milinna’s husband.
“Oh, God,” Draklan replied. “We’ve already argued about this once. No one wants to take responsibility for saving you, Sister.”
Milinna rolled her eyes and Pralmav spoke.
“Margot and I had equal parts in saving you,” he said. “If that makes you feel better. As opposed to the emergency response team, who had zero part in saving you.”
“I’m glad you’re better now,” Margot said, not wanting to get into an argument again. “You look fantastic. And without you two, we may have had no one figure out that we were being hunted for months.”
“But how are you?” Milinna asked. “You had quite the adventure.”
“I wouldn’t call it an adventure,” Pralmav said. “They were kidnapped.”
“Yes, silly, I know,” she said. “But they survived.”
“Barely,” Draklan said and began to regale the pair with the story of their survival.
It was one of the most casual meetings the four of them had ever had, laughing and talking. Margot felt like she was part of the family. As the tale wound down, Margot got up the courage to ask Milinna a question she’d wanted to since the night before.
“I was wondering,” she said. “If you are better, would you be my maid of honor? Draklan and I want to solidify our vows.”
Milinna didn’t know what to say. Her jaw fell open, and she turned to Pralmav, looking for support.
Margot was at first afraid that her sister-in-law didn’t understand the word, as there were still some things that got lost between English and Tamaraxian. She turned to Draklan, asking for a translation.
“No, I understand,” Milinna said. “I just didn’t expect . . . are you sure?”
“Well, yes,” Margot answered. “I’m sure. If you’d like to?”
“I’d love to,” Milinna replied. “Oh, my goodness, I didn’t think anyone would ever ask me such a question.”
“Oh,” Margot said. “Don’t say that. I’m sure lots of people would love to have you in their weddings. There is a catch, though.”
“A catch?” Milinna asked.
“Well . . . we’re going to have two weddings,” she said. “One here on Tamarax, where I actually know what is happening this time, and then a repeat on Earth. If that’s all right with you.”
“Oh, my,” Milinna said. “That’s a lot of excitement.”
“When you’re better,” Margot said, squeezing her husband’s hand. “I couldn’t think of doing it without you.”
“And brother, if you could stand at my side?” Draklan said. “I could think of nothing better in the world.”
“You two are very flattering,” Pralmav said. “I’m sure that we would be honored. When Milinna is better, of course.”
“Of course,” Margot promised.
After visiting for a little bit longer, they decided that it was time to take the next step. Miss Drax had been moved into a locked conference room, and they needed to decide what to do with her.
“I’ve just realized I don’t have a plan,” Margot said as they walked down to the conference room. “Do you?”
“I’m going to strip her of her license,” Draklan said, “and put a black mark on her name throughout the universe. It won’t stop her, but it should make her a bit slower in ruining people’s lives.”
“Well, she didn’t entirely ruin our lives,” Margot reminded him as they opened the doors.
She had seen a picture of Drax before, but seeing her in person was different. She had enormous crimson eyes and reminded her of a large blue monkey, tiny and flowy in her movements. She was covered in blue fur, and when she looked at them, she seemed to take in everything at once.
“Why, hello,” she said. “There’s the happy couple. So nice to finally meet you. Such a rude way you brought me here, but I can forgive you.”
Her voice was cute and she spoke quickly, but Margot was not going to be fooled.
“Nice to finally meet you, too,” she said. “Thanks for making off with our cash, by the way, and throwing darts at a board to match us.”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“Sure, we’re happy,” Draklan said. “How many other couples are not?”
Drax said nothing to that, blinking her big eyes. “I don’t know,” she said. “That’s up to them.”
“No,” Margot said. “It’s not, because they have no choice.”
“And now,” Draklan said, “You’re going to have no choice.”
He lay down the punishment he had set out for her, and Drax raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, she didn’t look so cute. Her face contorted into a scowl, and she growled.
“You can’t do that,” she said. “You’re just the lower king of a tiny little island system—”
“And a prince of the most powerful planet in the universe,” he reminded her. “And when I have an opinion on something, the rest of the universe follows suit.”
“What you did to us was pick random numbers in a lottery,” Margot said. “And now you want credit for the fact that you won, even though you used absolutely no skill to get us here.”
“Or maybe I have more skill than you thought?” she tried.
Margot shook her head. “Nice try,” she replied. “But we’ve been hunting for you for a while, and we’re going to make sure it doesn’t ever happen to anyone else.”
Drax protested but the couple held firm.
“I’ll let you sort out your arrangements,” Draklan said. “But just so you know, it takes effect the second you leave here.”
“You can’t do this!” she screamed, but they were already out the door.
“Wow,” Margot said as soon as they were out in the hallway. “That felt . . .”
“Anticlimactic?” he asked. “I know what you mean. But people like that . . . they are manipulative. They’re dangerous to be around for long periods of times.”
“Do you think she’ll hurt anyone else?” she asked.
“Maybe,” he said. “But for now, it’s taken care of.”
“Good,” she said. “So . . .”
“Draklan, Margot!”
She recognized her mother-in-law's voice and turned around.
“Queen Joronna,” she said, bowing to her.
Her mother-in-law looked frantic and she was immediately worried.
“Is something wrong?”
Draklan clearly thought the same, because he took his mother’s hands.
“Is everyone all right?” he asked. “Mother, calm down.”
“Everything is all right,” she said. “I just wanted to see you both after yesterday. But you two are hard people to find.”
Margot smiled at her husband. “We’ve been busy,” she said. “I’m sorry. If we knew you were looking for us . . .”
“No, it’s best that I tell you now,” Joronna said. “This is the perfect place since we are alone. I just spoke to Bhatraz.”
“Oh?” Draklan replied. “And?”
“And he told me what you proposed,” Joronna answered. “Which I agree with. And I realize my part in this has not been innocent.”
Both Draklan and Margot agreed with that assessment, but neither of them dared to say anything to Queen Joronna. She kept her head bowed, though, as she continued to speak.
“I wanted to apologize,” she said, which obviously stunned Draklan.
“I think that’s the first time I can ever remember you apologizing for anything, Mother.”
“I know.” She nodded. “I blame myself for all of this.”
“We’re all to blame,” Draklan said.
“I’m the one who orchestrated all of your marriages,” Joronna answered. “And I knew, of course, how Rabbina and Bhatraz were getting along. Rabbina deserved no part in the mess that Bhatraz's head was, but I pushed her into it. And now, he tried to kill you, my—”
“Mother.” Draklan put his hand on her face. “I forgave Bhatraz. I forgive you.”
Queen Joronna, to Margot's surprise, started crying.
“I could have lost both of you,” she said. “I could have lost all of you like I lost your father.”
“But that isn’t going to happen,” Draklan assured her. “It isn’t. We’re going to be better at this. We are going to find a way to survive.”
“I know you will,” she said. “I know you will be a wonderful ruler, as you have been a wonderful prince. That’s why I would like to gift you your kingdom now.”
“What?”
Margot struggled to understand. “Really?” she said. “You want us to get . . . you want us to rule the islands now?”
“I think you’re both ready,” Joronna said. “You’ve proven it to me, based on what you have been through these past few days.”
“But we would have to . . .” Margot took a deep breath, turning to Draklan. “We’d have to move? We’d have to go there?”
“I think it’s high time we went to the islands, anyway,” Draklan said. “And if we took over now, you’d have to be coroneted. As a queen.”
“Coroneted?” Margot replied. “My goodness. These things only exist in fairy tales, don’t they? I can’t believe this is real.”
“Shall we do it before or after our wedding?” Draklan replied.
Joronna looked confused. “You two are already married,” she said in confusion.
“Turns out we aren’t, technically . . .” Draklan said and began to tell her the story.
Margot’s head was tied up thinking of hundreds of ideas while her husband talked. She was going to get married. She was going to be coroneted. She was a princess.
And she was Draklan’s.
Looking at him with love, she was pretty sure that she had been Draklan’s all along.
Chapter 20
Draklan
“How fast is it?” Margot asked Draklan. “I remember it being about twelve seconds last time.”
“I would say that’s exactly how fast it is,” he said. When they had decided to remarry, they realized that it couldn’t be a grand affair, or the entire kingdom would know that the first time was a sham. Wanting to seal the bond legally, but quietly, they had agreed to have a quiet ceremony the morning of the coronation. Draklan had asked Margot not to worry about it because it was a simple reading, but now, as they got ready for their day, her curiosity was piqued.
“Are you sure that I don’t have to wear anything special or say anything?”
“Nothing,” he assured her. “It’s a civil ceremony, as you would call it. The less attention we draw to it, the better. I promise you, on Earth, you’ll have all the beauty you want in a ceremony.”
“It’s not that,” she said. “I just really want to make sure that everything is all right. I don’t want to look silly.”
“You could never look silly,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Now, is everything prepared for the coronation?”
“I think so,” she replied. “At least . . . I think I’m prepared. I can’t speak for the others.”
“You’re going to be beautiful, Margot,” he assured her. “And you are going to be a wonderful queen. Don’t worry so much.”
“Aren’t you worried?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m never worried when you are by my side,” he assured her.
“So . . .” she started.
Both of them had to go their separate ways in order to complete their final tasks for the day. Knowing this, they kissed and then lingered.
“I’ll see you soon?” she asked hopefully. “You know,” Margot said, “my mother asked if we weren’t legally married, would I consider leaving you?”
Draklan turned pale. “She did?” he said.
“It was just an idle thought,” Margot replied. “Since I wasn’t legally bound.”
His stomach turned over in knots.
“What did you say?” he asked.
Margot smiled. “I told her that there wasn’t a chance,” Margot replied, and Draklan's smile widened. “You’re stuck with me for the rest of my life.”
“I can only hope,” Draklan said, and they finally tore apart.
They had chosen a small room in the castle in order to get married, overlooking the beautiful landscape. They were trying to draw as little attention as possible, so the royal family entered discreetly, separate from each other. Draklan found himself pacing nervously as he waited for Margot to enter, so much so that even Pralmav teased him.
“I’m sure she is coming,” he said.
“I know she is . . .” Draklan replied. “But what if she doesn’t?”
“Then I’ll find her,” Milinna put in. “And I’ll make sure that she marries you because you are the perfect match.”
Pralmav smiled at his wife, and Draklan was relieved to see that Milinna looked much better. Since her release from the hospital, it seemed Pralmav was making up for the years he spent focused on work and ignoring his wife’s passion. The two of them weren’t holding hands, but their gaze across the room was unbreakable.
The room felt empty without Bhatraz, who was safely admitted to a mind healer.
Joronna touched Draklan’s shoulder. “She will come, Son,” she said with the certainty of a queen. And then, as if on cue, Margot stepped through the doors.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said. “I was just . . . I’m here. I’m here.”
“Good,” Draklan said, and it seemed that the rest of the world didn’t exist.
There was an official in the room, a man by the name of Robert who was sworn to secrecy. He was only told that Draklan and Margot wanted a private family ceremony to renew their vows. As soon as Margot came to join hands with Draklan, Robert began.
“Draklan, Prince of Tamarax, you have been summoned here to take Margo
t Carter of Earth to be your bride. Margot Carter of Earth, you are here to marry Prince Draklan of Tamarax. For the rest of your natural lives, you are oathbound to support and care, to love each other above all else, and to be faithful to each other. You are bound by the laws of Tamarax and the Creator as you choose to accept and view him.”
Margot felt like she should say something, because of Earth’s ceremonies and vows. But before she even had a chance to say anything, Robert handed them a piece of paper.
“You’re now married,” he said.
“What?” Margot asked. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Draklan said and swooped down to kiss her.
His family applauded gently.
“Now,” Draklan said. “Let’s get coroneted.”
“I can’t believe that’s it!” Margot said, but she was grinning. “I guess I should have known from the last one.” She giggled.
The coronation ceremony had been much more rehearsed and was going to be much more of a ceremony. They had been receiving guests for the past three days, and the Grand Hall was half-full already. Margot was nervous, but she had been through the script several times, and she felt half-prepared by the time she was fully dressed and outside the Grand Hall. This time, she and Draklan would escort each other in and sit on two identical thrones.
“Is it the same as what Bhatraz and his . . . future wife will go through?” Margot asked Draklan as they waited.
“Yes,” Draklan said. “Except that he will be a higher king. We will retain our titles of prince and princess for Tamarax, of course, but take on king and queen for the islands. We can use the titles of either, depending on where we are.”
“I think if people just call me Margot, I might feel more normal about this,” she said, laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you are with me.”
Both of them were dressed in elegant Tamaraxian clothes, and she could hear the crowds inside. Draklan kissed her on the cheek and then they heard the trumpets blaring. Whether or not either of them were ready, it was time.
The doors flew open and both of them approached the threshold. Everyone rose, and Draklan was sure that he could have heard a pin drop in the room.
