Caleb and Kataline have come back with smiles on their faces so the news must be good. She slides off the equine followed by Caleb as he says, “The news is good!”

Cheers ring out from all around me, and all I can think of is who did this. “Kataline, who is it that has done this?”

She comes to me and takes my hands in hers as she looks deep into my eyes. “This will be a shock to you, Sire. So ready yourself for news you have never expected.” She looks over at Kerr. “Kerr, can you come and join us? This new will shock you as well.”

She takes one of his hands as we form a circle. My heart is pounding even though she has told me to ready myself. I’m not sure how to accomplish that feat.

She speaks quietly so the others cannot hear. “Your wife is alive, Sire. And your brother as well.”

“What?” I ask. “No.”

Kerr’s eyes are as big as saucers. “My mother is alive?”

Kataline nods. “She is, and she was the one who staged the takeover.”

“My brother was on another planet, Kataline.”

“He was. The Queen sent Caleb and a small party to scout the nearest planet to see if it’s inhabitable and there they found Xavultan and brought him back to the palace.” Kataline looks at Kerr. “Are you okay, Kerr?”

“My mother is alive, Kataline. I am much better than okay,” he says. He then pulls her to him, and she lets my hand go to hug him. “My mother is alive!”

His voice is loud, and the others hear him. Nar shouts, “What?”

Kerr lets Kataline out of his arms and looks at them all. “The Queen in alive and at the palace!”

Nar breaks into a run. “My sister is alive!”

She starts the rest of the people running toward the palace. Kerr, Kataline, Caleb, and I stand still, letting them all go ahead of us. “No wonder she wanted me dead.”

Kataline touches my hand. “I showed her what would’ve happened if she didn’t call this off. It helped her see things in a better light. Come, let’s go to the palace and begin this new journey, King.”

“I may not be King for long,” I say as we begin to walk down the road to the capital city.

Kerr places his arm around my shoulders. “Father, no matter what, you will always have a place in my heart. I have no idea what to do about what you tried to do, but I am thankful the people you tried to do wrong to have been saved.”

I nod. “Me too, Son. You have no idea of the weight that lifted off my shoulders when I heard the words.”

Caleb clears his throat. “I do have to say, I think it’s best if we take the King in some side entrance and straight to his chambers, that have been moved by the way. The Queen took your bedroom.”

“As it should be. I will step down on my own,” I say. “If allowed to live, I will leave the palace. It’s the right thing to do after all.”

“We will see, Father. Give us time to make good decisions about that,” Kerr says as he runs his arm around Kataline’s shoulders and kisses the side of her head.

That act would have incensed me just a few weeks ago, but now I find it endearing.

As we make our way up the street to the palace, we find the mass of people standing in front. Just in front of the entrance, there is my wife, and my heart stops beating.

“There she is.”

Kerr sighs. “Mother.”

Caleb looks back at me. “Just try to remain calm, Sire. I’ll stay between you two so she doesn’t pull anything.”

Kataline says, “I have a shield around him. She can’t hurt him.”

“Thank you, Kataline.”

My heart is thumping so hard in my chest I’m sure everyone must hear it. Caleb eases us through the crowd and Nar runs up and hugs her sister.

I hang back as Gleeu lets Nar go with tearful eyes. She looks at Kerr and takes him up in her long and elegant arms. “Son.”

Kerr manages to choke out, “Mother, I have missed you.”

She kisses his cheek, and I try to stay behind Caleb regardless of the shield Kataline has around me. I cannot look my wife in her blue eyes.

Then her words fall upon my ears, and I have to look at her. “Come to me, Hexultan.”

I do as she says and kneel before her without looking up. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Rise and look your wife in her eyes,” she commands me.

I do as she says and find mine filling with tears. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

With one simple word, she hurts me far worse than the sharp tip of any sword, “Why?”

I shake my head, and a sob comes from me. “I wish I knew. I wish I understood why I did such a horrible thing to the woman I love. For I still love you, Gleeu. With everything in me. I love you.”

“I wanted nothing more than to see you dead, Hexultan.” She turns away from me.

I fall to my knees again. “Take my life, Gleeu. I deserve it.”

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look back to see Kataline. “Will you please rise, Sire?”

Her hand moves to take mine into it and then she takes Gleeu’s hand and looks at her. “Do you desire his death any longer, Your Majesty? For I can take his life now. If that is what you still wish for.”

I steady myself, preparing to take what I have coming to me. Gleeu’s voice is calm as she says, “Hexultan, I have seen your death. I thought it would fill me with something. Anything that would end the pain and void I’ve been filled with since the day the masked man took me at your request.”

“I understand, Gleeu. I accept my fate.”

“You don’t seem to understand, Hexultan. It did nothing to ease my pain. And furthermore, it added to it. Your death is not a thing I want any longer. For I have done a bit of soul searching, and I know my treatment of you spurred what you did. None know of that. None know of how cold I treated you for many, many years after our son’s death.”

I look at her and ask, “If you don’t want my death, what is it that you do want?”

“Step down from being the King. Move out of the palace and leave me alone.”

“I will do as you wish, My Queen,” I tell her and I have to admit this hurts far worse than death.

Death would’ve ended my agony. Now it will last much longer. Kerr’s arm runs around my shoulders. “Come, Father. You can stay here for tonight.”

I walk away with my son in this bittersweet moment in time and know it could’ve all ended right there, right that moment. But for some reason, it didn’t, and I make a vow to do more than I ever did as the king.

Today a new Chapter starts in my life!