I walked into the ball that night at King Lucian’s palace looking for the quickest way out, so I could slink away back to my darkness. I walked in there a man on the brink, about to lose the last of my humanity forever.

Instead? Well, instead, I found the light.

I found her. And through my Princess, I was saved.

The curse lifted that night, up in her room at the top of that tower under the glowing full moon. When I was young, and stupid, I’d been punished for chasing fleeting beauty, for looking for temporary escape in the arms of a stranger. I’d lost myself after that. I’d forgotten who I was, because I was convinced it was the nail in my coffin. I’d considered it the worst thing to ever happen to me

I’m not so sure anymore. Because however dark and bleak those years were, that fucking curse led me to Isla. And for that? Well, for that, it may as well have been the best damn thing to ever happen to me.

I found redemption in her arms that night, because there was nothing fleeting about my beautiful Princess. That was for always — hell, I knew that the second I saw her. But making her mine that night, and claiming her as my own, and promising her everything? Well, that was the key to it all. That was how I broke free of the curse that’d dogged me for years.

I can’t say “the beast” disappeared that night, because that’s not true. A monster did, that’s for sure. The anger and the blinding rage and the hate that’d filled me for years did go away that night. But the beast? Well, the beast I kept.

For her.

Because my princess loves bringing him out in me, and damn does she love when he breaks free and comes after her.

The morning after that night was interesting, I’ll say that. I’d wanted to walk down hand-in-hand with her and face her father like a man. Isla had assured me that was the noblest thing she’d ever heard, she just wasn’t quite on board with the “hi mom and dad I just lost my virginity last night. Good morning!” aspect of it.

Fair enough.

And besides, I looked like a fucking wreck, since I’d been up the entire night putting my hands and tongue on every fucking inch of her, and fucking her until neither of us could move.

Instead, stealing kisses on my way and even bending her over and making her come once more on my tongue, I slunk away out the secret passage and made myself scarce by the side entrance to the castle grounds.

…Which is where I caught Magnus, Cade, and fucking Caspian, looking as sleepless as me.

But, those are stories for another day.

The second I got home, changes were made. I called together the entire household staff, apologized for my bullshit over the last few years, and doubled all their pay. I tore the dark curtains off my chamber windows, and finally allowed my poor housekeeper to have at my dump of a room.

I showered. I shaved. I dressed like the damn king I was.

And then I went right back to Avlion. I went right back to Lucian’s palace, sent word that I needed an audience, and marched right into his offices upon admittance.

I told him everything. I told him his daughter was the light I’d been waiting for. I promised him the curse had been real, but that it was gone now. I swore on everything in this world and the next to do whatever it took to prove to him that I was the man for his daughter, and that I’d give her the world on a platter for the rest of her life.

Well, okay, I didn’t tell him everything. I figured it was prudent to leave out the part about taking her virginity the night before.

There was doubt, and I accepted that. After all, I’d spent years digging this reputation for myself as a total monster. And hell, it’s not like I had such a noble reputation before the curse either.

But through Isla, I’d seen the man I needed to be. For myself. For my kingdom.

For her.

In the end, I think that’s what got through to him. That and Queen Jessica, at his side as always, elbowing him sharply in the ribs and hissing at him to quit scowling at me.

We were married a week later. Fuck waiting. I’d been waiting for her my whole damn life.

She came back to Torsund with me a queen, and the whole damn kingdom seemed to light up the second she stepped foot into it. The people were crazy about her, the palace staff adored her, and I loved her as hard as I could.

And I always let the beast out of it’s cage behind our chamber doors whenever she asked for it, which was often.

So if you’re looking for a happy ever after, this is what I can give you: a curse lifted, a heart mended, and queen to complete me, along with the son she ended up bearing me forty weeks to the damn day of the night I took her for the first time.

I’d been an idiot in my youth. Then a monster for longer than I wish to dwell on. But now, I was the man I’d always been meant to be. He just need to find his princess first.

And now? Now we’re getting ready for a ball of our own. You see, there’s another wedding about to happen. I wasn’t the only one who found something he was expecting that night. And tonight, we were going to toast to another happy ending. Tonight we’d toast to—

Well, like I said, maybe that’s a fairy tale for another day.