by Noah Harris
Minerva turned her attention to them completely, the impish light returning to her eyes. “And you two had better serve as an example of what I can look forward to. Makepeace and Verity are one, but they’ve not had to worry about ruling an entire nation in the process. I want to know that people like us can come through the other side with something to hold on to at the end of the night. If you two can make it, then I can comfort myself knowing there’s a chance for me.”
“And I’m more than sure there is hope for you yet, sister,” Jaeger said, tacking on the title after only a brief pause.
Minerva smiled. “Even if we weren’t related by blood, you would still be a brother to me Jaeger. The same goes for everyone sitting at this table. After everything we’ve been through together, I consider each of you my family. And even if I’m the only leader here who’s walking away from this table without the love of my life, I walk away happier than I’ve ever been because I have you all. The crown is a vindication of what is mine, but you all, you will be what keeps me warm and happy when things are hardest.”
“I believe that’s the most sentimental I have ever seen her be,” Makepeace quipped, cocking his head curiously.
Minerva shrugged. “What can I say? I think I can afford to be after everything that’s happened. My parents have been avenged, my kingdom restored to me as well as my magic. I have been united with a brother, and I’ve made alliances and friendships with people who will be there for the remainder of my life. We’ve begun the work which will provide the foundation for our kingdoms for generations to come.”
“After everything that’s happened, it feels odd sitting around, talking about what comes next,” Philip said.
Makepeace nodded. “It is peculiar, finally having everything you strived for. After all the fighting and struggling, to finally have what you’ve wanted all along, no matter how hard you worked for it, feels a bit like you’ve cheated the system.”
Jaeger looked at Philip, catching the flicker of a smirk on his mate’s face. Jaeger squeezed Philip’s fingers again, unable to stop himself from grinning. He would bet just about anything he owned that Philip was thinking the same thing he was. Even if they’d somehow cheated the system, they would happily do it all over again. They’d waited far too long to finally have the chance to be with one another, and now that they had, they weren’t going to spend too much time obsessing over whether or not they had earned it.
Minerva was watching them again. “I’m glad you have each other, it feels right. More right than you having your crown, and me having mine. Maybe I’m just feeling a little more sentimental because we came out on top, but…”
Philip smiled. “I think we’re all feeling a little sentimental. There’s still a lot we need to recover from, as individual nations, as rulers, and as people. However, I think we’re allowed to feel good about ourselves and what we’ve accomplished. Minerva has the right of it, we’ve created a solid foundation to build from, let’s make sure we do right by those we lead.”
Makepeace nodded, smiling warmly. “You’ve come quite a way in such a short time. It seems you have finally found what you needed.”
“And I will never forget your part in helping me get here. I hope in the coming years, I can prove that your faith in me was not unwarranted,” Philip replied.
Makepeace and Verity pushed away from the table, standing. “I have no doubt in my mind that you will be an able and just ruler. You will do your father proud.”
Verity smiled. “And I hope we find ourselves sitting at the same table as you again.”
Jaeger watched them go, the two older men staying close to one another as they walked the length of the room. There was a lightness to their steps he hadn’t seen before, as if an unseen weight had been lifted from their shoulders. As they passed through the double doors at the end of the hall, their hands slipped together, holding onto one another as they disappeared.
Minerva watched them leave before standing up. “I should take that as my cue to leave as well. There’s still much to do in my own kingdom and nothing will get done so long as I’m here talking the day away with you.”
“I imagine we’ll be seeing more of one another in the coming months,” Philip said.
Minerva chuckled, adjusting her clothes absently. “I imagine we will…I hope so.”
With another smile, Minerva followed the path of Makepeace and Verity. The folds of her dress billowed around her feet as she took long, patient strides. She never glanced back as she opened the doors, her handmaidens in her shadow as she disappeared. The doors closed behind her with a soft thud, leaving the two of them alone.
The silence hung around them, almost deafening in its completeness. They sat in the quiet for a moment, their minds on their entwined hands. Minerva had been right, there was still plenty of work ahead of them. Philip had ordered an entire summary of the rulings and policies over the past decade, and they were mounting up quickly. Even if they arranged for a team of people to go through the reports, Jaeger suspected it would take the better part of a year to go through everything.
“Thinking any good thoughts?” Philip asked.
Jaeger snorted. “Paperwork.”
Philip wrinkled his nose. “And here I was hoping for something exciting.”
Jaeger eyed him. “Well, how would you feel about good news instead?”
“Have you been holding out on me?” Philip asked playfully.
Jaeger chuckled. “We’ve both been a little busy. I figured it could wait until things had calmed down a little.”
Philip looked at the empty room. “I think this is as calm as it’s going to get.”
Jaeger laid a hand on his stomach. “Well, in about nine months or so, it’s going to be even less calm.”
Philip looked at Jaeger’s hand, his eyes widening. “You mean…”
Jaeger nodded. “I guess that’s what happens when you get so caught up having amazing sex, you forget to take the normal precautions.”
Philip threw his arms around Jaeger and yanked him close. Jaeger laughed, instinctively taking a deep inhale of Philip’s scent as his face was smooshed against his mate’s chest. A happiness he’d never known before welled up inside him, reaching his eyes and threatening to spill over. Philip was shaking him, kissing his neck and shoulders repeatedly.
“I didn’t think things could get any better,” Philip said, voice muffled.
Jaeger nuzzled Philip. “Now it’s our turn, to rule, and to guide.”
“And we’re going to do it right,” Philip promised.
With Philip’s warmth against him, and the sound of his joy, Jaeger couldn’t help but agree.
Epilogue
The preparations for the Midwinter celebration were in full-swing. Servants and nobles alike ran around as they attempted to prepare for the upcoming festivities. The singing had already started, and Philip had caught more than a handful of people dancing as they prepared. Midwinter had always been his favorite time of year, but it felt as if the castle was filled with more joy and light than ever before.
Philip lay responsibility for the increase in holiday spirit on his husband. As much as Philip loved the season, Jaeger was positively enthralled by it. With it being his first Midwinter as co-ruler of the kingdom, and as Philip’s husband, Jaeger had taken to preparing for the festivities with an enthusiasm Philip didn’t see from him often. It was a joy to watch his husband take a break from the more serious duties of ruling and focus on creating a warm and welcoming castle.
It didn’t hurt that Jaeger was trying to make as memorable a Midwinter as he could for their son. The last few months of pregnancy had been tiring for Jaeger, and a couple of months after the birth, Jaeger was on his feet and ready to go. Despite taking a well needed break from ruling over more serious matters, Jaeger hadn’t stopped being the doting parent. Everywhere Jaeger went, he always had their son in tow, or in the arms of a trusted servant who stood nearby.
That Makepeace, Verity, and Minerva were al
l in the castle probably wasn’t helping the new energy Jaeger had. The rulers had come, not only to join in the celebrations of Midwinter, but to bring tribute to the new prince. Philip thought they would be perfectly happy with a normal celebration, but he wasn’t going to interrupt Jaeger’s decorating frenzy to tell him that.
A soft knock came from the door, a young personal guardsman in training stood in the entrance. “Your Grace? They’re ready for you.”
Philip adjusted a button with a chuckle. “And my husband?”
“Practically vibrating out of his clothes as he awaits you,” the young man said with a laugh.
Philip nodded. “Thank you, Alistair. I should hurry up before he comes to drag me out.”
The young guardsman backed away, still smiling a secret smile. There was something of a story and a bond between Alistair and Jaeger, though Philip had never been privy to the exact details. All he had known was that Jaeger had trusted Alistair completely, and sought to elevate him to the personal guard. Having watched the quiet but happy way in which Alistair went about his duties, and how devoted he was to Jaeger, Philip had bore no objections.
When he finally found Jaeger waiting for him, he realized the description of him had been no exaggeration. Jaeger’s dark eyes were narrowed, his attention darting around the various decorations in the hall as he waited. His fingers were moving restlessly at his side as he took note of everything, evaluating and debating with himself.
Jaeger looked up when he saw Philip, letting out a sigh. “It took you long enough, they’ve been waiting on us.”
Philip smiled, bending down to the bundle in Jaeger’s arms. “And how is my son?”
Prince Vernal Chrysomon smiled up at him, waving his chubby arms at Philip in an attempt to grab hold of him. The boy’s hair was dark, but he’d inherited Philip’s eyes. He’d been strong and healthy from the moment he was born, quiet like Jaeger often was, but he was quicker to smile, just as Philip was. Jaeger had been the one to suggest the name, and Philip had been quick to agree. One day, they would be able to explain the honor of the name to their son, and just what sort of man Philip’s father had been before sorcery had stolen him from them.
“He’s been restless, won’t hold still,” Jaeger said.
Philip chuckled, allowing the Prince to take hold of his finger. “And that wouldn’t have anything to do with the restless energy pouring out of his father, now would it?”
Jaeger scowled. “Well, if his other father wouldn’t take his sweet time getting here, I wouldn’t be so jumpy. Plus, he’s normally restless, gets it from you.”
Philip kissed Jaeger’s temple. “The castle looks breathtaking, letting you take over was the best idea I’ve had in a while. It would have been a mess if I’d done it.”
Jaeger smiled, a little mollified. “I can only imagine the mess you would have created.”
Philip brushed his fingers over a bruise he could see on Jaeger’s collarbone. “Taken to training again?”
Jaeger sighed. “I was informed that if I didn’t find something to do with my energy besides ‘freak out’ over decorating and preparations, I was going to hurt someone.”
“And it doesn’t hurt that you were complaining non-stop about being unable to train during the last few months,” Philip pointed out.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Jaeger protested.
The last couple of months during the pregnancy and the time after the birth had been that bad. Unused to having to be at ease for long periods of time, Jaeger had been restless, then frustrated, and eventually downright grumpy. Even Philip had been unable to shake his mate free from his foul mood. Only once Jaeger had been allowed to be more active had his mood improved, much to the relief of just about every inhabitant of the castle.
Philip tugged at Jaeger’s jacket, pulling it over the bruise with a smile. “And did it feel good to do a little fighting again?”
“I’m rusty, but it’s better than nothing,” Jaeger admitted with a small smile.
Philip kissed him under the archway of the door before they stepped through. The sound of the growing crowd outside drifted toward them, and a thrill of excitement ran up Philip’s back. For almost a year, he and Jaeger had been caught up in the running of the kingdom, steadily trying to fix the damage Orrin had wrought through his greed and selfish policies. Taxes had been raised to levels which could only be called usury, penalties for certain laws broken had been increased to inhumane levels, and far too many resources had been diverted from the kingdom to the castle instead. There was still much to be done, but Philip absorbed the sounds of life coming from the hall as a sign of how far they’d come and how much further they would go.
“Well, I hope your ability to smile and nod hasn’t gotten too rusty,” Philip said, wiggling the finger his son had hold of.
Jaeger laughed softly. “I think I can manage. We’re both due for a bit of a good time, wouldn’t you say?”
Philip looked down at their son, happily cooing in Jaeger’s arms. “And being able to show off our pride and joy doesn’t hurt either.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Jaeger said with a proud smile.
Standing side by side, the two of them walked through the lit archway and into the hall. Both trumpets and the herald announced their arrival, with a fanfare that Philip was still adjusting to. The warmth of the hall bathed them as they walked down the carpet laid out for them. A crowd on each side of the aisle greeted them warmly, everyone still relieved that peace and some semblance of order had returned to the kingdom.
Philip felt Jaeger at his side, smiling and waving comfortably at the crowd as they walked past. It had been a slow start for Jaeger, adjusting to his new position at the center of attention. In some ways, Jaeger had endured more attention than Philip had, having once been little more than a personal guard, then being seen at the new King’s side, to inevitably marry and rule beside him. When the news of Jaeger’s royal blood had been officially announced, the man had been an even greater source of conversation and attention. While Philip had been forced to fill his father’s shoes, Jaeger had to endure changing every aspect of his life in ways he’d never thought he’d need to. While he was still the somewhat quiet, soft-spoken, and subtle man he’d always been, Jaeger had learned how to incorporate his personality into a more public, and amicable face.
Vernal had stopped fussing by the time they made it to the two thrones upon the dais. The small baby peered around his environment as best he could, entranced by all the lights and noise. Almost from day one, he’d been able to pick up his head for short periods of time and gaze about at his leisure, and the past couple of months had only strengthened those muscles. Bright blue eyes gazed back at the crowd of people as the herald announced the next set of arrivals, the first being Queen Minerva.
The Queen emerged through the far doors in a large, her billowing dress dancing around her feet like clouds. She was beaming, with more warmth and happiness on her face than Philip had ever seen. While the two women who hung around behind her were expected, Philip was surprised to see a large, dark haired man, dressed to match, walking beside her. Philip recognized him as General Merit, from their attack on Orrin and the regents.
Minerva strode up to the throne, bowing as an equal. “Don’t you three just look proper and majestic?”
The lack of decorum on her part sent a murmur through the room, and Philip ignored it with a laugh. “Minerva, it is, as always, a refreshing pleasure to see you. It’s been far too long.”
Minerva smiled, knowing full well the stir she’d caused. “We’ve been a little preoccupied with our respective kingdoms, I can’t say I blame us. Bringing order and change is a time-consuming process.”
And so it had been. He’d received countless reports informing him just how busy Minerva had been. In the beginning, the Queen had been forced to root out the various traitors and schemers who’d been aligned with the regents. The regents themselves had been stripped of everything, and through some trick Philip knew
little of, had been stripped of their power as well. The last he’d heard, they, along with so many of their associates, had been forced to work in the fields and mills of the kingdom. Theirs was backbreaking labor, and they would be doing it for the rest of their lives.
“Order and change can wait I think, as we could all use a little more joy,” Philip told her.
Minerva laughed, motioning to the Prince. “And we have many reasons to be happy, don’t we? Though, I admit, I brought gifts, but I didn’t really know what to bring for your child so…”
Philip looked past her and her entourage, spying a large assortment of gifts being dragged into the room by servants. “I see you brought everything.”
“I imagine he won’t go wanting, but still, it’s an aunt’s obligation to spoil her nephew,” Minerva said with a wide grin.
Jaeger shook his head, smiling. “As if he won’t be spoiled enough as it is.”
Philip glanced at Merit. “And it’s a pleasure to see you as well Merit, though I’ll admit, I would have expected you in the company of our friends from the forest.”
The grim looking man smiled, looking down. “I belong elsewhere.”
“He’s been a boon companion these past few months, as a representative of the Forest of Arden,” Minerva explained affectionately.
“Funny, we didn’t require a representative from the forest here,” Jaeger noted with some amusement.
Minerva shrugged, looking innocent. “As I said, a boon companion. I think I’ll keep him around a bit longer, and then some. I’ll spare you the details for the moment and keep everyone else buzzing about it for a little while longer,” Minerva said, her hand resting gently on her stomach.
Philip looked between the two of them, seeing the faint blush on Merit’s face and the beaming smile on Minerva’s. His gaze lingered on her resting hand for a moment before breaking into another smile. Philip couldn’t be sure if she was alluding to her being pregnant, but he knew better than to ask, especially because she seemed to be enjoying her coy act.
