Page 74 of To Steal the Sun

“Let’s hope not—for Lanover’s sake,” Charlotte said back with feeling, and then both of them dissolved into helpless laughter.

Their laughs had finally subsided to the occasional chuckle, and they were wiping at their eyes when Henry appeared, eager to steal his bride.

Gwen sent them off with a wave, and Charlotte went joyfully. As lovely as the day had been, she couldn’t wait until it was just the two of them again as it had been all those weeks in their castle.

Henry pulled her into a shadowed corner and wrapped his arms around her, gazing down into her face. “I talked to Easton. He and Gwen are lending us their lodge for two weeks. He said it’s their wedding present.”

Charlotte’s face lit up. “The one right on the edge of the valley?”

Henry nodded. “I told them we don’t need any servants. I think we can survive two weeks on our own, even without the bell.”

Charlotte nodded fervently, overwhelmed at the thoughtful offer from their friends. As happy as she had been already, the knowledge they would leave so soon for Arcadia had been a slight shadow. Knowing she would have some time alone with Henry before she had to face his family and the Arcadian court made the whole prospect easier to bear.

She sighed and leaned against him.

“It will be nice to have some time to ourselves before we head home,” Henry said, echoing her thoughts. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I suspect we’ll have to have a third wedding when we do eventually reach Arcadie. I am their crown prince, after all, and you’ll be their queen one day. We might be well and truly legally married now, but my people will want their own celebration.”

Charlotte swallowed. She didn’t mind another ceremony. It was what it signified that scared her.

“How can I be a queen one day? I’m just an ordinary girl.”

Henry threw back his head and laughed. “An ordinary girl? You are far from ordinary, my beautiful wife. Who else could find their way to the palace east of the sun and west of the moon? Who else has ridden the wind, stolen back the sun, and helped defeat the mountain queen? I’ve never met anyone less ordinary.” He paused. “Unless it’s my mother. You know she was born a woodcutter’s daughter, right?”

Charlotte nodded, the vague memory of Alyssa’s history coming back to her. But everyone said the Arcadians loved Princess Alyssa—or Queen Alyssa as she must now be. Was it possible they could accept Charlotte in the same way?

Henry smiled down at her, reading her thoughts on her face. “They’re going to love you just like they love her. You’re not only beautiful, you’re intelligent, kind, and considerate of others. And my mother will love you most of all. You don’t have to worry. Queen Alyssa is going to approve of the newest princess of Arcadia.”

EPILOGUE

GWEN

Gwen’s stiff smile remained in place until the door closed behind the latest supplicants. Some days it felt like their time consisted of nothing but meetings from sunup to sundown. Hands appeared on her shoulders, firmly kneading at the knots. She closed her eyes and sighed, welcoming the momentary release of pressure.

“It won’t be so bad once everything is more settled,” Easton murmured. “At least that’s what my parents have assured me, and the count agrees.”

Gwen opened her eyes and smiled up at him. Reinstating Lydia and Jett to the court had been an easy decision, and they had already turned out to be better advisors than most of the people who held the title. She was thinking of giving them the official appointment soon.

She stretched, bending her head from side to side in an attempt to erase the crick in her neck. Charlotte and Henry’s current days at the royal lodge were looking more and more idyllic with every passing hour. But Gwen and Easton had promised each other they would have their own visit there once matters settled down in the mountain kingdom. She just hoped it didn’t take much longer.

At least both the court and city had accepted Count Oswin’s reinstatement as Chief Advisor thanks to the combination of his longstanding position at court and his role in the rebellion. Unfortunately, the new positions given to Patti and Dane weren’t so uncontested.

Gwen sighed again. It was only a minority who insisted the whole family should take the blame for Baden’s treachery, but their last meeting had contained several of their number. Of course it had also included a few who represented the majority—people who argued in favor of the valuable role in the rebellion undertaken by Patti, Dane, and even Natalie. Thus why the conversation had been heated.

Thankfully, those who were wavering in the middle had been mostly convinced by Natalie’s participation in Charlotte’s wedding. Seeing she still held royal favor had swayed all but the most entrenched. But those who were most entrenched in their opinions were also usually the most vocal.

And she and Easton would have to make a decision about Baden himself soon. She had been putting it off for Patti and Dane’s sakes—and to a lesser extent Lydia and Jett’s. As betrayed as they all felt, they had argued passionately that he had only done it out of fear for his family, believing the old queen too powerful to be overthrown. They had pleaded for clemency, and Gwen and Easton had put off any decision at all, not wanting their reign to begin with something so contentious.

Celandine’s guards had been easier to manage, at least, since no one had spoken in their defense. Those known to have committed casual cruelties in the city were handed over to be tried as civilians, and the others had already been marched through the new mountain pass. According to Easton, there were sea captains who would be both willing to take them and capable of keeping them in line. Some of them might even become productive citizens.

“Do you think they accepted Patti and Dane’s new roles as spokespeople for the city?” Easton asked, gazing at the closed door. “Even if they didn’t like it?”

“They certainly didn’t like it,” Gwen agreed. “But there’s no one we could appoint who would be loved by everyone. I’m sure they’ll come around when they see what a good job they do.” She groaned. “But what are we going to do about Baden?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that,” Easton said. “And for once, maybe we can follow in Celandine’s footsteps.”

Gwen’s head snapped around to face him. “What?”

“She misused her power, but she did manage to maintain it in the face of opposition for twenty years. She knew something about balancing opposing interests. And when faced with a rebellious youth whose parents had influence, she chose banishment over a more confronting punishment.”

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