“It’s good to see you back home and settled again.” Siobhan reclined against the lumpy old sofa in the library. “I just wish Veren could have made it back.” She played with the fringe on the pillow in her lap. “I can’t shake this feeling of overwhelming guilt that I wasn’t there for all of you. Maybe he would have made it if I’d done my part.”
“His death was an accident.” Tierney plopped onto the sofa beside Siobhan, weary down to her bones. “It’s not anyone’s fault, but I feel the same guilt.”
“Must be a survivor’s thing.” Siobhan sighed. “I just wonder how different things might have gone if I’d ended up in Grima with him from the beginning. Having an extra Iskaltian there might have made the difference. With Logan and with Veren. We might have made that final push a bit faster.”
Tierney choked on her tears. She’d shed too many in recent days. Instead, she reached for Siobhan’s hand. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine for screwing up the portal in the first place.”
“Then the whole of Lenya would have suffered.” Siobhan reminded her.
“How about we just blame fate for being cruel?”
“Deal.” Siobhan squeezed her hand.
“Well, I, for one, am glad we’re back in Iskalt.” Gulliver rummaged around in his bag, placing several new figurines on the mantle over the enormous fireplace. He’d returned from Lenya with a bag full of new carvings and spent crystals he planned to turn into something beautiful. Tierney had no doubt they’d be just as stunning as the queen of the night blossom he’d carved for her. It lay next to her bed now. A constant reminder of her time on the other side of the fae world.
“But I can’t wait to get home-home soon.” Gulliver adjusted a series of fiery flames he’d carved from the brightest orange crystals he could find. A reminder of the fire plains that were no more. “I miss Myrkur.”
“You can’t go home yet.” Tierney glanced out the window and caught sight of three odd specks of white in the sky. “There’s too much work to do between Lenya and the four kingdoms.”
“I guess we’re the five kingdoms now, aren’t we?” Siobhan said softy, staring out the window as the bird-like specks drew closer to the palace.
“Exactly. And we will have so much work to do to bring Lenya up to speed with the rest of us. Trade agreements and the like. Father will need you and I to act as liaisons since we know the Lenyans so well. I imagine we will be needed for a delegation trip soon”
Gulliver turned to face her, hands on hips and his tail lashing behind him. “I am not going back to that awful place, and you can’t make me! And I will not think of Vondur or that crappy dungeon ever again.”
“Relax.” Tierney pulled him down on the settee beside her, sharing a secretive smile with Siobhan. “It’s not like anyone will ever mistake you for a—”
“Mongrel? Freak of nature?” Gulliver supplied, his cheeks bright with color.
“I was going to say a nobody.” Tierney rolled her eyes. “Everyone in Lenya knows of the great Lord Gulliver O’Shea of Myrkur by now. And it won’t be long before they’re introduced to other Dark Fae.”
“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, Tia.” Gulliver crossed his arms over his narrow chest. “I am not, nor will I ever, return to the palace in Vondur. Period. I don’t care if my life depends on it; I’m not going. I am going home to see my sisters. I miss them, but don’t you ever tell either of them I said that or I’ll deny it.”
“Gulliver O’Shea,” a familiar stern voice sounded at the front of the library. “I know the princess is your best friend, but you should have more respect.” Riona stepped around a tall bookshelf, and Gulliver froze.
“Mom? I thought you went home already.”
The room exploded into shrieks of “Gullie!” as two small, very loud balls of energy flew into the library, swarming around Gulliver’s head. One of them pulled his tail, and the other wrapped her silvery-white wings around his middle.
“Niamh and Nora, what have I told you girls about flying inside? It’s rude. And for heaven’s sake, let your brother have some breathing room.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” Gulliver hugged Niamh, the older of the two siblings, ignoring the way Nora fluttered around him, her wings flapping in his face.
“What did you bring us?” the girls demanded.
“You do realize I wasn’t on a pleasure trip, don’t you?” He eyed his sisters in mock seriousness.
“You still brought us something. We know you did.”
“Girls, calm down or we will go straight back to Myrkur this instant.” Riona elbowed her way into the fray, yanking Gulliver roughly into her arms. “I haven’t had nearly enough hugs since you returned.” She clutched him tightly in her arms. “Every time I think about what you got yourself into, I want to break things.”
“It wasn’t actually my doing, you know,” he muttered into her shoulder.
“I know. I was talking to your princess friend here.” She managed to take her glare down a notch or two for Tierney’s sake.
“You have no idea how sorry I am, Aunt Riona.” Tierney’s shoulders slumped as she avoided her aunt’s silent reprimand.
“Good luck with your sisters.” Riona patted Gulliver on the back. “I made a special trip to bring them here because they missed you so much. We flew the whole way back, and I was hoping it would tire them out, but you see how that’s worked out.” Riona moved to sit beside Tierney, folding her into her arms. “I was scared for you too, silly girl.”
Niamh and Nora hurled questions at Gulliver faster than Tierney could keep up with the tiny Dark Fae girls. The smile on her best friend’s face was worth the headache that was sure to strike any moment from the level of shrieking the girls were doing.
Tierney sank into the comfort of her aunt’s embrace, feeling like the ten-year-old version of herself who fought in the war for Myrkur’s freedom right alongside Riona.
“I ran into your father on the way in.” Riona finally pulled back. “He’s looking for you. That’s as good an excuse as you’ll get to escape the madness of Niamh and Nora.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Siobhan leapt from the sofa, and the two women left Gulliver to his chaotic family reunion.
Tierney found her father in his study, the doors to the moonlit courtyard flung open to let the cool evening breeze in. She had missed the ice and snow of Iskalt. The temperatures were milder this time of year but still far colder than any she’d experienced since leaving Iskalt.
“You called for me?” Tierney sat on the chair beside her father’s desk. It was her chair. Had been since she was old enough to crawl up in it on her own. It was where she had learned how to become the heir of Iskalt.
Lochlan sat back in his chair, turning to face her. “I’m proud of you, Tierney O’Shea.” A hint of a smile tugged at his stern features. This was King Lochlan, not just her dad.
“I kind of made a mess of things.”
“But you fixed it. And you did a beautiful job of bringing Lenya into the fold of the now five kingdoms. You’re ready.”
“Ready for what?” A twinge of uneasiness crept up her spine.
“To rule.”
“Oh no, I’m not.” She shook her head furiously. “Not even a little bit. Are you daft, old man?”
Lochlan chuckled at her reaction. “You know how I became King of Iskalt. I fought to take our kingdom away from my uncle, who had brought us to near ruin with his greed for power.”
“Don’t remind me of Uncle Callum.” Tierney shivered, thinking of her kidnapper from another lifetime.
“It was my duty to our people to rid them of a cruel ruler and to give them an heir capable of leading them into a bright future. That was my job, and it’s done.”
“Are you dying?” she blurted, her eyes wide with fear. That was the only thing she could think of that would have her father talking about such things. And she was prepared to drag him to the Vondur palace this instant for a dunk in the healing pools to cure him.
“No. I’m perfectly healthy, but I’ve always known my time as king would be brief. I grew up in Eldur, unsure of my future. You have grown up knowing you would one day rule. You and I have worked together, right here, side by side as it should be. It was the way my father would have groomed me to take his place had he lived.”
“If you’re not dying, why are we having this conversation?” Her hands twisted in her lap as she tried not to sound as panicked as she felt.
“The fae world is changing, Tia. It’s growing and evolving. And I believe Iskalt needs you more than it needs me. You are ready to be queen. You are so strong and wise. A little reckless, but you wouldn’t be your mother’s daughter if you weren’t.” Humor danced in his eyes along with something else she wasn’t certain she’d ever seen there before. The respect of one monarch for another.
Tierney dragged in a steadying breath. “Are you … abdicating?”
“Yes. I have done all I can do for Iskalt, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life under a crown that doesn’t need me anymore. And I don’t want to watch you waste your best days as a bored princess when you can bring the fire of youth and passion to our people who love you.”
“But, Dad. No.” Tierney clutched her hands in her lap to keep them still, staring into the fathomless blue eyes of the one man she respected more than any other. “You are a wonderful king. I cannot hope to follow in your footsteps. Not yet. Not for a long, long time.”
“Sweetheart, that’s just it. I don’t want you to follow in my footsteps. I want you to forge your own path. You are the future of Iskalt. You have always been the future. I have just been holding the crown for you until you were ready. The woman I saw down there fighting the fire plains and leading the fae to victory was every inch a queen. A queen I would be proud to serve.”
“Are you sure you aren’t … old and addled? Because you aren’t making any sense.”
“I am not old or addled.” His mouth narrowed into a thin line. “But I am determined. You are ready, and it’s time to pass the torch to you. I will always be here to guide and advise you, but I am stepping down.”
Tierney looked into his eyes and saw his resolve. Eventually, she nodded. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be. I’ll always be here to catch you if you fall.”
Tierney lunged from her seat and threw her arms around her father. “I have to admit one thing, though. You were right.”
Lochlan leaned back to study her face. “About what?”
“I need to get married. If you’re going to abdicate, the kingdom will feel more settled if I am married when that happens. Our people need to see me as an adult, rather than the little princess they’ve watched grow up.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Lochlan crossed his arms over his chest. “And who do you have in mind for the role of husband?”
“You let me handle the whole husband thing.” Tierney rose from her seat.
“Have you talked to Keir about this?”
“Not yet, but he’ll get over it.”
Tierney scoured the castle and the grounds, looking for Keir, but he was nowhere to be found.
Bursting through the doors of her least favorite pub in the village, she was well on her way to angry. Had the blasted fae gone back home without telling her? If he had, he had better not get too comfortable.
“Your Highness?” The man behind the counter dipped into a stiff bow. “What can I do for you?”
Tierney’s gaze swept the nearly empty room, dim and dingy, with only a few patrons tucked away in secluded corners. Her shoulders slumped in defeat when there was no sign of Keir’s imposing figure anywhere. This was the last place she could think of to look for him. “A glass of your best Gelsi red.” She sank down onto a barstool at the counter.
“Are you sure, Highness?” He gave her a wary look. “The stuff is potent, you know.”
“I do, and I am certain.” She sighed, trying to hang on to her anger so the tears wouldn’t come. “Where in the fracking five kingdoms could he be?” she muttered to herself.
“Here you are, Princess.” The man set a glass of her favorite red wine in front of her and she took a long draught. It wasn’t sweet and refreshing like the Gelsi berry wine she couldn’t drink if she wanted to access her magic. This was crisp and tart, and it went right to her head the way even a sip of the weakest Vondurian wine made Gulliver a drunken fool.
“Should I send to the castle for someone, Princess?” The bartender gave her a strange look.
“No, I’m fine.” She took another sip from her glass, letting the magical intoxication wash over her. “I’m going to be just fine, I promise.” She hiccupped and ran a hand through her wind-swept hair. A few scattered leaves fell out, and she scowled at them, wondering how she’d managed to get leaves in her hair. She must look a sight.
“Did … did you know you’re crying, your Highness?” The kind man gave her a linen handkerchief.
“No, I’m not.” She sniffed. “It’s the cold.” She dabbed at her face. “I’ll have another please.” She drained the rest of her wine and set the glass on the counter.
“How about an ale instead?” A shadow loomed over her. “I hear the red stuff is pretty potent.”
“That’s the point,” she muttered, frowning at the bartender when he set two mugs of ale in front of her.
Tierney squinted up at the newcomer, her vision only slightly blurry at the edges. “Keir!” Her insides warmed at the sight of him. “I found you!”
“I think I’m the one who found you.” He settled down beside her. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”
“No, I’ve been looking for you.” She scowled at him.
“I know. Everyone in the five kingdoms has seen you today but me.” He took a long draught of ale. “I’ve been ten steps behind you all day,” he explained at her look of confusion. “A metaphor for life with Tierney O’Shea if I’ve ever heard one.”
“I know why I’m looking for you, but why have you been looking for me?” She sipped slowly on the ale, her mind still a little fuzzy from the heady wine.
“Um, you go first.” He set his mug down, avoiding her gaze.
“Nu-uh, you go.”
“You’re impossible. You know that, don’t you?”
“I’ve been told.” Her mouth thinned into a tight smile.
“But,” they both said at the same time, laughing as the tension eased between them.
“But,” Tierney continued, “for a little while there, I thought you might have left for Lenya without saying goodbye.”
“I’d never do that, Tia.” Keir leaned in closer. “Saying goodbye to you would kill me.”
“Good.” She nodded, propping her elbows onto the bar and leaning in close. “Because I want you to stay.”
“Stay?” He tilted his head in question.
“Yes. I think you should be my co-ruler. I’m a princess and heir to Iskalt, so it’s kind of up to me to make these decisions since most men wouldn’t think of proposing to a woman like me. But I don’t want a king consort for a spouse. I don’t want my husband to be bored waiting in the wings for me to finish my job every day because my job is never finished—even as a princess, my work keeps me busy all the time. Now that … well, let’s not give the village too much to gossip about, but let’s just say … I’m going to be a lot busier soon,” she whispered softly. “And whoever I marry, I want them to be part of my life in every way. And that means I need someone to rule with me. Maybe not in name. Not at first, anyway. The council would have an epic meltdown if I even mentioned it, but in the years to come, I want my husband to be as much a ruler of Iskalt as me. That’s sort of how my parents did it, and it worked for them.” Tierney paused to suck in a breath, and Keir leaned in to kiss her, his lips warm and soft against hers only for a brief moment.
“There, that shut you up.” His warm breath brushed against her cheek. “Now, in all that absolute babble, I heard something about husbands and consorts in there. Was that Tierney for ‘will you marry me’?”
“Yes, Keir! Yes, I will marry you!” Tierney flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“Wait. Wait a second.” He pulled back. “In the years to come, I foresee the retelling of this moment going in the direction of pure fiction. For the record, I did not ask you; you asked me.”
“I did not.” Tierney’s eyes widened innocently as a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“Did too.” Keir rolled his eyes.
“Did not.” Tierney stuck her tongue out at him.
“Ah-hem.” The bartender cleared his throat. “As a man married to the same woman for forty years, son, it’ll be in your best interest to let her have this one.” He gave them a toothy grin and refilled their mugs. “And may I be the first to offer my congratulations, your Highnesses.” He swept into a courtly bow and left them to their celebrations.
“Forty years.” Keir’s eyes widened as he caught her gaze. “You think we’ll make it that long?”
“Absolutely. Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?”
“Oh, it was nothing.” He reached for his tankard of ale.
“You ran all over the palace and the village looking for me all day to tell me nothing?”
“Fine.” He sighed. “I was looking for you so I could propose.” He fished around in his pocket for something. “In Vondur, we have a tradition.” He took her hand and slipped something around her wrist. “It’s tradition for the future husband to give his future wife a gift that once belonged to his mother.”
Tierney pulled her hand back to study the beautiful bracelet made of tiny silver vines tipped with lovely blue stones that seemed to glow with magic.
“It’s beautiful, Keir. But how did you have this with you?”
“I brought it with me from home. I knew I’d work up the nerve eventually.”
“You managed to hold on to it from Vondur all the way here? Through fires and storms and a shipwreck?”
“And don't forget the trek across a frozen wasteland.”
Tierney gazed into his eyes, lifting her hand to touch his cheek. “I love you, Keir Dagnan.”
“I love you too.” His eyes burned into hers, and her cheeks warmed.
Clearing her throat, Tierney lifted her drink to tap against his. “And that is how we will remember the proposal.”