“Queen Everleigh of Calais, you are crowned, and you will serve Calais. Do you accept your birthright?” Master Light asks Everly as she kneels in front of him, the three other masters, and me. Her long red dress circles around her like she is kneeling in a cloud of sparkling fabric. The red represents the new royal symbol, a red rose. The old royal colour of green has been erased, and red is the new colour. Everly chose red to represent the amount of blood that was lost to secure the throne.

“I accept my birth right,” she replies, and he lowers the red ruby crown onto her head. The thousands of people gathered around cheer for their new queen as she stands, the official crowning finally over. The castle was destroyed, nothing but rubble and blood was left. We managed to pull many surviving guards out of the castle, like Jacob’s parents, but Livvy’s body was found near the queen’s. She must have died when the castle fell. Hunter and Ryland know how their mother died, and they don’t blame me for wanting to go alone. They were glad that it wasn’t me that killed her in the end though. We had a funeral for them all, a funeral that thousands of people attended. My baby kicks, and I smooth my hands over my rather large bump as Everly smiles at me and turns around, raising her hands in the air to stop the cheering.

“Thank you for your support,” she says first. “I am not like any queen, or any royal, that we have had before us. I was brought up on Onaya, starved for most my life, and my story’s past was nothing good. We as a world have suffered, Calais has suffered, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that we suffer no more! Calais will be strong, changed ones will be safe, and everyone will know true peace,” she stops her speech as cheers roll out, and she walks down the gap in the people, limping on her right leg that never fully recovered from the war. The healers and changed ones have tried to heal her, with no luck. Everly doesn’t talk about the limp now, but I know she is in pain when she walks. I nod respectfully at her four new personal guards, who follow her until she disappears out of sight.

“A grand party, full of dancing and celebration is to be had! Enjoy!” Master Pirate says, pulling a blonde woman to his side who grins up at him. We lost a lot of people in the war, thousands from both the king’s army and our own. The changed ones saved a lot of people using their powers, and everyone is looking at them in a different light. The first thing Everly did was to make a law stating that changed ones are free, and any changed one that needs a home has one in her mountains.

“Thank you for everything, but I believe I heard you will be leaving us soon,” Master Light says quietly from my side. I didn’t notice him move next to me, as I was lost in my own thoughts and happiness. My pirates reacted worse than I thought when I told them about the baby. They all got mad about me fighting the king and riding a dragon while pregnant. But once Chaz looked me over and told them that me and the baby were fine, they soon all became as delighted as I am. And then, they became the overprotective pirates that they are today.

“This is not my home, not my baby’s, nor my husbands’,” I say gently, not meaning any offense, but I know where my home is. This the last day in the mountains for me.

“Then safe travels, Cassandra. Know you are always welcome in the mountains as a master. The people will never forget the changed one from Onaya that changed everything,” Master Light says, placing his hand on my shoulder for a second before he walks away into the crowd. I walk through the middle, stopping a few times to speak to some people before moving to leave the room. My pirates are waiting at the door, standing in a line almost, and each one of them looks relaxed, happy.

“Time for us to leave. Have you told her yet?” Hunter asks as I get to him first, and he wraps his arms around me.

“She already knows,” Everly’s voice comes from behind me before I can answer Hunter’s question. I turn to see her standing watching me, with open arms.

“Say goodbye, little bird,” Hunter whispers behind me, and I run to Everly, hugging her tight, even though my large bump gets in the way.

“Go and enjoy your life with your pirates. Just please come back sometime. I want to meet this little one, and I will miss you,” Everly says, placing her hand on my bump. It’s harder than I thought it would be to leave her here, but I know this is her story and not mine. Everly is one of the strongest people I know, and she doesn’t need me. My story was always to get her here, and to set my people free. Now it’s time for me to enjoy what I fought for.

“Nothing could keep me away,” I promise her, and she nods, wiping her tears away.

“Be safe,” she whispers, and I hug her once more, whispering, so only she can hear.

“I am so proud of you, my lovely sister, and the true queen you were always meant to be.” I pull away before she can reply and walk over to my pirates, knowing we are finally free.