“What happened?”
“Rainbow healed you with a dragon’s tears. They are quite effective.”
Annabelle shuddered another heaving breath. “Roland?”
“He’s alive.” Was that disappointment etched on Malachi’s features? She sighed.
“You will have to learn to get along with him, Malachi. He is my father.”
“I was hoping you’d decide to ditch him. But seeing as you still want him in your life, I’ll try to be on my most cordial behavior around him.”
“I am sure you will.”
Roland pushed his way past Rainbow, Daniel and Ardal. She looked up at him. Energy started to flow back through her body. She sat up on her own.
“Zara had a message for you.”
His eyes filled with hope and love. “You spoke to her?” He looked as desperate as she’d ever seen him. He actually looked vulnerable. Roland’s love for Zara had to have been greater than even she’d realized. If Zara had lived, he would have been an entirely different man. Now, they had to find and bring out the man he used to be.
“She told me that she still holds you in her heart. She also said that you must do right by me and by your subjects in order to atone for the sins of your past.”
Roland sighed with relief. “She doesn’t hate me, then. Thank the Fates. I still love her. They may say that Death parts you from your loved ones, but it can’t make you stop loving them. I will love her until the day I die.”
“Then, heed her words.”
“I will. I rescind on all of my claims over Thaliana. You are Thaliana’s Queen, and when I am gone, you will be my successor and you will become the Queen of Ronderna. All I have to give is yours.”
Malachi looked down at her, with love overflowing in his eyes. “You are powerful, Annabelle. It was your magic that defeated Anastasia. You did that much when you were so close to death, I can’t even fathom what you are now capable of.”
“I am capable of loving you, for the rest of my life. With you by my side, we will bring hope and glory back to Thaliana. Thaliana will prosper, and the magic kind and non-magic kind will live together in harmony.”
“With you as queen, I have no doubt.”
“You will be my Consort.”
He smiled. “It would be my honour.” She looked to the area directly behind Malachi. Melody and Ciaran stood there. She blinked her eyes.
“Melody?”
“Your Majesty,” Melody curtsied to her.
“I thought you were dead.”
“As did we. Daniel found our bodies in a crypt under the castle. We were only laying in a death slumber. Had we not been reunited with our bodies we would have surely perished. Anastasia and her most devout followers were feeding off of our magic. I am as alive as you are.”
With Malachi’s help, she stood up, and nearly screamed at the sight of a dragon sitting near them. Dragons still flew in the sky, circling the area of where they were clustered.
“What…why are the dragons still here?” Annabelle asked.
“You called them with the dragon ruby, and when they heard that my people were heading for your location, they offered us a ride.” Rainbow smiled. “They have come out of self-imposed hiding for you, Annabelle. They must know that a new age for Thaliana is on the horizon. Your reign will be the stuff that legends are made from.”
“Thaliana is a legend unto itself.” Annabelle looked cautiously over at the dragon that sat poised and ready for something. She could only hope it wasn’t hungry.
“Athena wishes to pay you homage. She will be your personal bodyguard,” Rainbow explained.
“Bodyguard? A dragon?” Annabelle couldn’t believe it.
“Thousands of years ago, the Kings and Queens of Thaliana were closely protected by dragons. Now, the dragons have decided that you are worthy of their counsel.”
“I am deeply honoured and humbled.” She stood up. Malachi gripped her hand tightly.
“Athena, thank you for helping Thaliana,” Annabelle said.
“It was my honour, Queen Annabelle.”
She shivered at the sound of the title spoken by the dragon. She looked as if she should have a loud terrible voice, and yet, her voice was soft and feminine.
“The rest of my kind, will return to our lands, only a handful of us will continue onward to escort you to the Royal Palace of Thaliana.”
“The Royal Palace? Queen Zara lived in Londonderry Castle,” Annabelle whispered.
“Indeed. And that was the royal seat of the Feylynn Line, but no more. With you as Queen, The Royal Palace of Thaliana will appear once again. We must continue onward to the capitol city of Londonderry, there you will see that The Royal Palace has returned from its mystical enchantment my kind protected it under ages ago.”
“I’m starting to feel overwhelmed,” she whispered to Malachi. He squeezed her hand.
“I will take to the sky.” Athena looked expectantly at her. “You will follow?”
“We will follow, aye.” She looked over at Malachi. “I guess we’re not getting any sleep tonight.”
“A new Golden Age has come for Thaliana, I have a feeling the coming days will bring many opportunities for us to catch up on our sleep and other things.”
“Indeed.” Everyone else started to gravitate away from them, instinctively sensing they needed a moment of privacy.
“I love you so much, Annabelle,” Malachi whispered huskily.
Annabelle traced her hand over his face, suddenly realizing that his scars had vanished. “You’ve been healed as well.”
“Aye. It took you long enough to notice.”
“Of course it did…I never saw your scars. To me, you always were the handsomest wizard I’d ever laid eyes on.”
“And, you were always my Enchanted Beauty. Together, we are strong.”
“Apart we are lost.” She leaned toward him, kissing him passionately. As long as she had Malachi, she knew the Fates were smiling down upon her.
A new age of enlightenment had come to Thaliana. It was the age of Queen Annabelle, The Enchanted Beauty.
The End
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