THE FINAL HAPTER
Aidan assured her, with his words and with his touch, that he would never allow her to be sent back, but she couldn’t help the fear she felt as they entered the throne room the next morning. Unlike every other time she had approached the golden dais, Lord Kennet was not alone. Niall sat on his left side, and other members of the court had seats on every step of the dais. Most of them viewed Rowan with either open disdain or bored indifference.
She, of course, did not get a chair and had to stand in front of all these eyes of disapproval, but she did not cower. She held her head up like the queen she would one day be, if Aidan had his way. She had asked him, the night before, why he and his brother were called princes, but their father was not a king.
“An old custom,” he had said. “Ages and ages ago, there was a King who ruled all three Courts, and by tradition, he never had children but chose his successor from the most worthy heirs of the other three courts. So, we are all deemed potential heirs to this greater throne, even though that king disappeared without naming a successor long before I was even born.”
But, no matter the name, Aidan intended that Rowan would rule the Court of the Heavens at his side, no matter how ridiculous that seemed, and she was determined to show them that she was worthy of it. For his part, Aidan kissed her unashamedly before he mounted the dais, making his opinion on the matter quite clear. Some of the councilors looked positively scandalized.
“You are the mortal woman known as Rowan Ravencroft?” one of them asked in a disinterested tone. It was difficult to see which of them was speaking because the dais was so high and the light so bright, but it hardly mattered.
“I am,” she answered.
The next voice that spoke was decidedly unfriendly. “Do you deny that you interfered in the outcome of a duel on the field of honor between Their Majesties, Prince Aidan and Prince Niall?”
“No. I don’t deny it, though I would hesitate to call anything about it honorable,” she replied, crossing her arms. Niall started to protest from the top step, but Lord Kennet shushed him with a glare.
“Why would you say such a thing?” asked another voice, but this one, she thought, sounded interested and not terribly antagonistic, which gave her courage.
“I received information that Prince Aidan had been poisoned by an arrow likely fired by his brother’s subordinates.” There were some gasps of shock and some angry denials.
“Do you have any proof of these allegations?” said the councilor who had spoken before. He appeared to be an older fae with fair hair and gentle green eyes.
“Of course not,” she said, pursing her lips. “It hardly matters, since I’ve been made aware that poisoning your brother isn’t technically breaking the law. Either way, I believe if Niall can’t defeat Aidan when he’s at full strength, then he hardly deserves to gain the throne that way.”
There was a slight uproar at this. Niall, of course, did not like the implication that he had in any way cheated, and half of the councilors seemed to be impressed by her daring, while the other half were scandalized. “In any case,” she continued loudly, “I was not going to let the person I love be harmed by that cheating scoundrel, so if you’d like to punish me for it, that’s your affair.”
“Impudent girl!” shouted one of the councilors “You may say what you wish, but it is obvious to me that you do not belong here. We should send you back to the mortal world and be done with it.”
“You do not have that authority,” Aidan said from the dais, standing up. Lord Kennet did not interrupt, which Rowan took as a sign of tacit agreement. “You could vote to banish her from this Court, but she has already been offered a place in the Court of Waves.”
Rowan’s eyes widened, He hadn’t told her that the night before. “Of course, I cannot stop you, if that is what you wish to do,” he continued.
“But I will let you know that in the case that occurs, myself and my entire domain will withdraw from the Court. I’ve already made arrangements with Lady Aine.”
Some of the councilors were obviously alarmed by this prospect, and others were angry, calling Aidan a traitor to his people, and worse. Niall said nothing, but Rowan couldn’t tell if he was surprised or pleased. For herself, she was having a hard time coming to terms with the idea. Of course, she wanted to be with Aidan, and she had liked the Court of Waves and its Lady, but he had already sacrificed so much in order to inherit his father’s throne.
She didn’t want him to give it up just for her. But his expression was peaceful, and she realized that this plan had been in the works long ago. He had known that Niall would try to cheat. Aidan didn’t care about the Court of the Heavens as a whole. He cared about Serenalis. If Lady Aine had promise to aid him in his reforms, he would have no hesitation about abandoning the throne.
All around them, the councilors were still arguing, but Rowan smiled up at her beloved, wanting him to know that she would be with him, no matter what happened. Lord Kennet stood, and his booming voice silenced everyone. “That’s enough of this nonsense. Lady Rowan, if you would please come here.”
She glanced at Aidan. He nodded, though he looked somewhat nervous. Niall’s expression was confident, if a bit hateful. Rowan took a deep breath and mounted the dais, but when she was on the sixth step, Lord Kennet suddenly started to laugh, not the cruel, cold thing she had heard from him before, but a sound of real mirth.
“I called you up here partly to thank you for what you’ve done for Aidan, and partly to congratulate you on your recent engagement,” he said with a nod to the ring on her finger. “But it seems we have something else to celebrate.”
Rowan was reeling with confusion, but the Lord did not explain; he simply took her hand and placed it in Aidan’s. Her love pulled her up onto the dais next to him, his arm slipping around her waist. Niall looked just as stunned as she felt, and even Aidan was frowning as Lord Kennet began to speak.
“I am ready to offer my judgment on this matter. I have heard all of these arguments, but it has come to my attention that the point is moot. As Lady Rowan is with child, she fulfilled the terms of the bargain before it was dismissed, and therefore, I must select Prince Aidan as my successor.”
There was a moment of stunned silence. Everyone was staring at the Lord in surprise, except Aidan, who was staring at her in an appraising way. A heartbreakingly gentle smile broke over his face like a slow sunrise.
“What? No!” Niall’s enraged shout broke the stillness. “That bargain was canceled You can’t even be sure that’s his child. It could be anyone’s.” Aidan took a step forward, obviously ready to defend her honor, but his father put a restraining hand on his chest.
“Don’t be petty, Niall,” Lord Kennet said sharply. “Even I can tell that this is Aidan’s child. The truth is that you failed the test I gave almost the moment it began, and only now do you realize the stakes.
If you want to put your complaints on hold until after the child is born, you may certainly do so, but I have no intention of banishing Lady Rowan anywhere. She is soon to be a member of our family, after all.”
The Lord addressed the Councilors again. “Prince Aidan and Lady Rowan shall be wed whenever they are ready, and will ascend as the Lord and Lady of this Court after their child is born. This meeting is adjourned.”
The councilors stood and started to file out of the room, and Lord Kennet turned to Aidan. “I hope you’re prepared to announce your engagement publicly because I doubt any of those old busybodies will be able to keep their mouths shut.”
Aidan looked down at Rowan, and she gave him an encouraging smile. Everything was a bit overwhelming at the moment, but she wanted to share their happiness with everyone. “We can say something tonight at dinner,” he told his father. They started to descend the dais hand in hand, smiling at each other in love and relief, when Rowan saw something flash out of the corner of her eye.
But before she could react herself, Lord Kennet shouted in alarm, and Aidan scooped her up in his arms almost by instinct.
When they turned, the Lord was holding Niall by the wrist, and as they watched, a dagger fell from his hand and clattered to the floor. “You would shed blood in my throne room?” Kennet thundered at his son.
“You’re making that mortal whore the Lady of the Court! She’s poisoned your mind!” Rowan felt Aidan tense at the insult, but he didn’t intervene.
Lord Kennet sighed, and for a moment, he looked unspeakably old and weary. “No, Niall, it seems that your mind has been poisoned. I encouraged you to fight for your right to rule, but I never thought you would try to murder your brother’s lover right in front of him. The situation has gone too far.”
He straightened and, in a commanding voice, said, “You are no longer welcome here, Niall. You are banished from my Court and my sight. If your brother can see fit to forgive you later, you will have to take it up with him.
If you or your associates do any violence to any member of this Court, I will have you executed.” Magical bindings appeared at Niall’s wrists, ankles, and around his head for some reason.
“Father, please!” Niall cried out, but Lord Kennet did not acknowledge him. Two guards, who might have been people or animated suits of giant armor, clanked up the dais and took the disgraced prince by the arms and carried him out of the throne room.
He continued to call out to his brother and father, even to some of the horrified councilors who had frozen in the entrance, but no one acknowledged him. Only Rowan watched him go, and she felt a moment of indescribable sadness.
But Aidan let out a deep sigh, regret and relief mingled, and he set her on her feet. “I believe the worst of it is behind us, and you are safe, and that is all that matters. Although I nearly fainted when my father decided to tell me I was going to be a father in the middle of a serious council meeting.”
“Is it really true? I mean, he wouldn’t just say that, would he? But I haven’t noticed anything,” she said, looking down at herself as if she could see the truth by staring at her stomach.
“It is,” he said, the same gentle smile gracing his face as he kissed her. “You wouldn’t be able to tell except with magic, but yes, you are pregnant.”
It could have been overwhelming, even terrifying, to have so much change in such a short period of time, but Rowan looked up into his eyes and saw the love and wonder there, and she could feel nothing but indescribable joy.
*
kissed, and there was a roar of cheering and applause. Rowan felt tears springing to her eyes, and Aidan wiped them away with his thumbs, and then they walked hand in hand through a storm of flower petals and well-wishers. And at the end of the aisle, there was the dais with three thrones upon it. Lord Kennet occupied the central one, and on one side of him was Lady Aine, who smiled warmly at them.
The occupant of the other throne was an almost skeletally slender male fae with hair the color of blood and a disturbing smile. He had been introduced as Lord Cian of the Court of Bones, but Rowan was rather glad that he didn’t seem to be terribly social.
Lord Kennet stood and took both of their hands in his. “I truly hope the two of you will be happy together. I have a special wedding gift to present to you from all three Courts. But you should wait until you are alone to open it.”
Rowan couldn’t imagine what such a gift would be, but she was a bit afraid it was going to be something embarrassing. Several people had already sent her scandalous underwear as wedding presents. But Aidan took the small, carved box from his father with a startled and almost reverent expression. “Do you know what it is?” she asked him as they made their way to the feast table.
“I have a…suspicion,” he said, and then he smiled, squeezing her hand. “But it is nothing to worry about. If I am correct, it is a good thing.” Reassured, she thought no more about it, resolving to enjoy the celebration of their marriage to the fullest.
There was one person whose attendance she did miss, and that was her father. She had hoped that after what he’d said about Aidan before she left, he might have developed a softer attitude toward the Aos Si. But when she had tried to go back home to speak to him, she found the house warded against her.
Blair had met her in the garden, pleased to see her healthy and whole, and delighted, if surprised to hear the news about her impending nuptials, and he had desired the explosive argument between her father and Professor Archwood.
The latter had apparently left the city, and she hoped he was all right. She would have liked to give him a less hurried thanks, at the least. But there was no way to change her father’s mind if he would not see her, so she threw herself into the joys of her new life and tried not to think too much about regrets.
Much later in the evening, Aidan carried her into the bedroom at the top of the tower by the lake. His face was flushed with wine, which she, of course, wasn’t permitted to drink due to her pregnancy, but as she didn’t think she’d ever seen him actually intoxicated, she was rather enjoying it. “Have you finally given up complaining about being carried?” he asked as he laid her on the bed.
“No,” she said with a chuckle. “I simply thought I ought to allow it today, as it is traditional for the husband to carry his new bride over the threshold.”
“Interesting,” he said, crawling into bed next to her. His coronet slid over his eyes, and he laughed and tossed it aside. “Are there any other human wedding traditions I should know about?” he asked, rolling toward her, his fingers tracing over her cheek and down her neck.
“Traditionally,” she said with a raised eyebrow, “the wedding night would be the first time a couple would make love, but we’ve done it all backwards.”
Aidan shook his head. “Mortals are strange. That’s a terrible idea. What if it turned out you were completely incompatible?”
“I didn’t make the rules, such as they are,” she said with a chuckle. “I suppose that must be why married men are always going around having affairs, if rumor is correct.”
“How lucky that I will never want anyone else,” he said, a whisper against her ear. She shivered and slid her hand over his chest. At one time, she might have been inclined to argue. How could he ever be satisfied with just her?
But his love burned as hot and true as the stars over Serenalis; she no longer had any doubts. She turned her head to capture his lips, kissing him deeply, and he brought his hand to her shoulder, pushing the sleeve of her gown away.
Rowan pushed him back against the bed, her fingers toying with the top button of his silk jacket. “I think today it is my turn to undress you.”
He answered with a seductive grin. “Please, do not let me interfere.” Her magic was much more developed now, and with a thought, his jacket and shoes disappeared, and she began to work the button of his high-collared tunic, baring his skin an inch at a time.
As she did so, she let her mouth explore what she uncovered, kissing his throat, his chest, and his stomach, and when all of the buttons were undone, she paused and pulled her gown slowly over her head, so she could straddle his waist in nothing but her insubstantial shift.
Aidan’s eyes were wide and dark as he drank in the sight of her and she ran her nails teasingly over his chest and stomach. After nearly half a year as lovers, she was at least passably acquainted with what he liked, and now she intended to drive him as wild as possible.
She pressed her hips against him, rolling them erotically, and he let out a faint groan. She kissed him deeply and turned her attention to his ear, running her fingers lightly over the edge, from base to tip while she kissed and nipped at his earlobe.
When he let out at broken gasp of need, his fingers grasping frantically for any bit of her skin he could reach, she slid down his body to pay more attention to his lower half. She started unlacing his breeches with deliberate slowness, her fingers stroking the length of him as it strained against its confines.
“Gods, Rowan, please,” he moaned, his fingers twisting in the sheets. She laughed low in her throat, feeling quite pleased with herself, but she did as he asked, pulling his pants all the way off and tossing them aside.
But she didn’t straddle him, as she knew he wanted, instead taking him gently in her hand. He gasped and shivered, but then when she took him in her mouth, his back arched off the bed and he let out an unrestrained sound of pleasure.
It seemed he could take no more. Before she could react, he had pulled her up to him, kissing her hard on the mouth, and then rolling them over so that he was now on top. “You’ll drive me out of my mind,” he said roughly.
“That was the idea,” she replied, not at all repentant. He growled and pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it away so that his hands could cradle her breasts. They were more round and full now, and much more sensitive; she shuddered when his thumbs swirled over her nipples.
He thrust inside her in a single fluid movement, and his hands caressed the mound of her stomach with a possessive sort of gentleness. She knew it pleased and excited him to watch her grow with his child, a side effect of pregnancy that she had not expected, but she was certainly enjoying.
He captured her mouth with his as they moved together, their bodies perfectly attuned to one another now, and his teeth scraped her lower lip as he sucked on it. Today, he was hungry and demanding, just as she had wanted, and it made her feel pleased and powerful, even as her body tensed with impending ecstasy.
The sight of him unraveling before her as he spent himself within her, his head thrown back in a wordless cry of pleasure, took her the rest of the way over the edge. Their fingers intertwined as she shuddered through the aftershocks, and he rolled to lie beside her.
As their breathing slowed and synchronized, the way it often did as they laid together, she reflected that she felt more connected to him in this moment of peace than she ever had while making love.
“You are, without a doubt, the best of all possible wives,” he murmured against her hair. “I’m glad I got you before anyone else could snatch you up.”
She laughed and nestled more closely against him. “I think anyone would be glad to marry a handsome lord of the fae, so I suppose I should be thanking the gods that you only have eyes for me.”
“I doubt the deities, if they indeed exist, are involved.”
*
“If you don’t hand him over, you’re going to be late,” Fenella said, somewhat irritably. Aidan was sitting on the edge of the bed, cradling his infant son with an expression of indulgent wonder. He pretended not to have heard her. “You can’t get dressed if you’re holding a baby, and being late to your own coronation is probably a bad omen.”
“I could get dressed while holding you. That’s what magic is for,” Aidan cooed in a sing-song voice, rubbing noses with the infant in his arms. Little chubby-fingered hands reached up and patted his cheeks before pulling violently on his nose. “Ouch. I need that.”
Rowan watched this exchange with mingled amusement and adoration. She had thought she had known what love felt like on the day she had returned to the Otherworld to save Aidan from Niall, or perhaps on the day they had married. But being a mother had given her a new perspective.
Of course, she loved their son with a fierce and protective instinctual affection, but it was the sight of Aidan holding their child that had filled her heart to overflowing. Her love for the man she had married truly made everything else feel insignificant.
“I thought you had something important to discuss with you wife,” Fenella continued, hands on her hips.
“Oh, you’re right,” Aidan replied, handing the baby over with only slight reluctance. “Bye-bye. We’ll see you at the ceremony,” he added, waving and receiving a toothless smile in return.
“What is it that you are supposed to discuss with me?” Rowan asked after Fenella, cooing cheerfully in the baby’s face, had left the room. “It seems a little early for matters of state.”
Aidan smiled and bent down to take a small box from a cabinet. “There’s a wedding present we never opened.”
Rowan gasped. “I completely forgot about that. The other Courts must think we’re terribly rude.”
He laughed and shook his head. “No, as I thought, it’s something we couldn’t really use until the baby was born. I’m sure they understand.”
“Well, what is it?” she asked, a little miffed that he had known about it the whole time and not said anything.
“Why don’t you open it?” he said, handing her the box with a smile. She lifted the lid and beheld a small crystal phial, wrapped in velvet. Even covered, it shone with ethereal light. She could feel the magic pulsing off it in waves.
“What is it?” she asked, both awed and curious. Aidan lifted the bottle carefully out of its protected nest.
“It is the Water of Life. To be perfectly honest, I was not sure it was even real. For you to use, but it is truly a gift for me. If you drink it, it will make you one of us. Immortal.” Rowan drew in a startled gasp. It sounded like a dream.
“You think I should drink it right now?”
“What could be better timing than the day on which you are to be presented to the world as the Lady of the Heavens?” he said with a dazzling smile. She pulled the stopper from the phial and tipped it back. Eternity exploded on her tongue.
******************
Kennet was gone; they knew not where. He had placed the crowns on the heads of his son and daughter-in-law with an expression of profound pride and relief. But now, as the new Lord and Lady accepted the oaths of fealty from their courtiers, he slipped away into the night.
And when the last oath was heard, Fenella stepped onto the dais with a squirming bundle. She was delighted in her position as royal nursemaid, though she still considered her primary duty to be Rowan’s fashion adviser
She handed the infant to his mother with a bow, and Rowan pushed the blanket away from his sleeping face and held him so that everyone could see his raven hair and tiny, slightly pointed ears. He looked much like his father, even at three months old, which would put the last of the rumors to rest. But, like his mother, his eyes were blue.
Aidan spoke, his voice resounding, his power still rippling off him like a cloak and mingling with the faint pale glow of Rowan’s newfound magic, almost a match for his own. “Now that we have heard your oaths, we would like to present our firstborn child. Behold Idris, the Prince of the Heavens.”
“Long live Prince Idris!” the court shouted as one. Tomorrow would begin the hard work of changing the Court for the better, but today was a day of celebration.
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