Epilogue
Three months later.
The lion lounged in the sun at the top of the cliff, soaking in the afternoon warmth as he looked out over his city. The rebuilding was going very well. They still had a lot of work to do before winter came again, but he was confident now that they would manage to finish the most urgent repairs before the first frost.
Most importantly, they had a plentiful supply of food until they could generate enough on their own. After he had cast daily spells to make adjustments to the weather where they were needed, conditions had stabilized, and healthy crops grew in the farmers’ fields throughout Lyonesse.
For almost everybody in his demesne, the worst of the crisis was over.
He was very aware of the woman who climbed the path toward him. Anticipation thrummed through his body, light and golden like salveri wine.
As Kathryn grew near, she said with a smile, “You look comfortable.”
I am. He blinked at her lazily. How was your session?
She assumed her doctorly give-nothing-away expression. “It was fine.” He growled so softly it was nearly inaudible, and she tapped him on the nose. “Stop that. No matter how many times you ask, I’m not going to talk about it.”
Suppressing a sigh, he replied, I do understand, but all I ever want to know is if I should be concerned about him and do something to help.
Amber eyes narrowed as she looked out over the water, she paused a little too long for his liking. Then she told him carefully, “It’s only been a few months, but I don’t think so. I will tell you this much—Robin’s no longer giving me the silent treatment. He has started talking, and even though it’s difficult for him, that’s a very good sign. He’s trusting me, and he’s no longer keeping everything bottled up inside—he’s letting the poison out.”
He relaxed again. I’m glad to hear it. Thank you.
“You’re welcome.” She threw herself down beside him and burrowed into his mane. “Mmm, you’re all yummy and warm. Why did you want to meet up here?”
The temptation was too much to resist, and as he shapeshifted, he slipped his arms around her. “Because you and I never get enough time to ourselves. I had the kitchen pack a picnic. It’s waiting in the shade behind us.”
“What a thoughtful idea—thank you,” she said. “I’m famished.”
“So am I.” He kissed her swiftly and then stood to pull her to her feet. “Come on.”
As he led her to the picnic, he watched her face light with pleasure as she took in the charming scene. He had spread out a large blanket, and a basket full of food waited for them along with a bottle of wine that rested in a bucket filled with ice from the palace’s underground store.
Settling on the blanket, they unpacked hard-boiled eggs, ribs cooked in a delicious sweet and smoky tomato sauce—barbecue sauce, she called it—and roast chicken, slices of cheese, olives, and a small jar of caviar from Earth, with packets of salt bread.
“This is quite a feast,” she said, surveying the bounty.
“We deserve it.” He reached for the bottle of wine to open it. “We haven’t yet had a chance to take that camping trip we talked about, but this is the next best thing.”
“It’s beautiful.” Her eyes widened as she looked at the wine he poured into goblets. “And we get to enjoy some salveri? I thought you only had five bottles left.”
“I did. After this, there will be four.” Smiling, he handed her one of the goblets.
She smiled as she accepted it. “Is there a special occasion I don’t know about? Are we celebrating something?”
He certainly hoped so. He told her, “I don’t think we should wait for special occasions to celebrate. Being alive is something to celebrate. I don’t ever want to forget how close I came to losing everything, or how grateful I am to have regained all of it—along with so much more.”
Her smile widened, and she clinked his goblet gently with hers. “Hear, hear.”
She let him serve her a plate of food, and she waited until he had served himself. Then they talked over various things as they ate.
Sophie and Nikolas were settling into their new home very well, close to the palace, and she and Kathryn were enjoying working together on running a free clinic for people who were relocating back to the city. After a few more months, Kathryn planned on handing the clinic over to other healers, and she would turn her attention to something new.
Annwyn was absent from court a great deal as she assembled the scattered troops and reassigned them to repairing Lyonesse’s infrastructure of roads and passageway stations.
Oberon and Nikolas had the task of rebuilding the crown’s finances, and they took the influx of capital from Kathryn’s assets to use in a variety of investments. Even though she told him repeatedly that she didn’t care, Oberon was determined to not only replenish Lyonesse’s resources but to pay her back every penny she had given them.
Rowan had left with a small party to join an expedition from the States to locate Isabeau’s lost library and work to stabilize the Light Fae demesne, and Gawain and Brielle were deepening a relationship that had been put on hold for far too long.
Things weren’t always easy. Sometimes Kathryn disappeared for hours to take long solitary flights, once she had received her first packet of letters and packages from New York. She always told Oberon when and where she was going. As she never chose to go very far, he couldn’t object, but he never quite relaxed until she was home again.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her or believe she would be safe. Lyonesse’s borders were secure again, and he did trust her. Plus he knew the falcon could look after for herself very well. But he also knew she was using the solitary time to deal with the loss of everything and everyone she had loved and left behind.
“It’s not that I don’t love everything here,” she tried to explain one night after she had returned. “I do, very much.”
“Kathryn, it’s all right,” he told her gently. “You lived in New York for a long time, and you were settled and happy there. Even if we do visit someday, it won’t ever be the same. You get to mourn giving up your old life.”
Besides, he could afford to be understanding and magnanimous, because he had won. He got to keep his mate. But he would still be glad when she stopped needing to take those flights.
Now, as they finished their meal and set the plates aside, he reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a box.
He told her, “I have something for you.”
“You do?” Looking pleased, she eyed the box curiously. “What is it?”
Opening the lid, he reached inside and pulled out an agate-and-diamond ring. Holding it out for her inspection, he said, “Here’s the most important piece. I had it made especially for you. While I know agate isn’t usually paired with diamonds, I thought you might enjoy this piece with these diamonds. It’s part of the slab from the crystal cave, and the diamonds are from the ones you used when you operated on me. The ring itself is made of white gold. As soon as my favorite artisan returned to the city, I commissioned him to make it.”
As he talked, her gaze widened, and she looked deeply touched. “Oberon, it’s stunning.”
He rolled out of his sitting position and knelt on one knee in front of her. Taking her hand, he said, “Because we rushed into everything else, I wanted to wait and take my time with this. I didn’t want us to be overshadowed with a sense of emergency, and I wanted you to have a chance to feel more comfortable with being here—”
“I do feel comfortable! Remarkably so after such a short time.” Catching herself up, she gave him a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I interrupted you.”
He kissed her fingers. “It’s all right. I’m glad you feel so comfortable with being here. I want you to know that you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. And you are not just my beautiful, strong, capable mate. You’ve already become my best friend. And I fell head over heels in love with you months ago.”
“You never said,” she whispered.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “You never asked. It was one of those things I wanted to tell you after we’d had a little time to lend some weight to our relationship. I didn’t want you to think it was infatuation with our mating.”
Leaning forward, she laid a hand to his cheek. “I fell in love with you too, the night I got back from crossing over to Earth. You were so angry with me, yet you were still so careful in almost everything you did.”
“Almost?” At that, he put both eyebrows up even as he warmed with pleasure and relief at her words.
She laughed. “Well, we weren’t very careful when we made love that night—or the next morning either.”
“All right, I’ll give you that.” He grinned. “I fell in love with you before then, and I’ll never forget it. It was when I watched that little falcon hurtle out of the air and tap Isabeau on the head. I had no idea what you were doing, but you were so deadly and fearless, and fast, and perfect. You were perfect, and I wanted to laugh out loud from joy except I had too many assholes to kill. Dr. Kathryn Shaw, you brought me back to life. You make me laugh. You make me crazy, and you have my back, even when I don’t know that I need it. I love staying up too late talking with you. I love making love to you. I love having you as my partner and my mate. Will you do me the utmost honor of marrying me?”
She was nodding before he could finish the question. Tears spilled over as she laughed. “Henceforth, you can always remember that I answered your question with oh hell yeah.”
“Henceforth, I shall.” He laughed too while he slipped the ring on her finger. And then he had to take a few moments to kiss her deeply while she nestled against him and wound her arms around his neck. Holding her close, he told her, “I have other things for you. Would you like to see them?”
“I would love to.”
Positioning the box close beside them, he opened the lid again and pulled out more jewelry—a diamond bracelet, and a necklace of diamonds with a gold pendant of a lion’s head with diamond eyes. “The three pieces are made with the fifty-eight magic-quality diamonds from the surgery. Granted, the necklace is probably too grand for everyday wear, but I’m hoping the bracelet isn’t.” He paused. “I know you don’t usually wear jewelry, but you could—and you could use the stones in the ring and the bracelet for healing spells, so that you could have them on hand for emergencies.”
She took a slow, deep breath, her expression filling with wonder as she pored over the pieces. “What a brilliant idea. I could, and I will. Oberon, these are simply gorgeous.”
“I’m so glad you like them.” He kissed her forehead.
“Like them—I love them! Thank you so much. I’ve never been given such thoughtful and beautiful gifts before.”
“Get used to it, because I’ve got a promise to live up to,” he told her. “I told you that if you saved my life, I would lay the world at your feet. Now I’ve put my life in your hands twice, and I’ve not once regretted either decision.”
She turned her shining gaze up to his. She told him fiercely, “I’ll never give you cause to.”
Everything that made her Kathryn was there in her eyes—her steadiness, intelligence, and determination. Everything that he loved.
“I know you won’t,” he said with complete certainty. “And I never will.”
They were too busy kissing to notice when a small monkey slipped onto the picnic blanket to steal the caviar, the packet of salt bread, and what remained of the bottle of salveri. He climbed the nearby tree and enjoyed his loot while looking out over the sparkling water.
He probably shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but he had never been any good at doing the things he probably should do.
It was a good day to be alive. As Oberon had said, that was something to celebrate.
It was good to be free. Good to be home.