Page 39 of Finding Closure

“Yes, you are, Daughter.” He kissed my temple. “And so I am. I fade more every day, and we both know it. As much as I want to stay with you longer, I miss your mother. I hate leaving her in that state.”

I did too. I nodded as tears burned in my eyes. That limbo she was stuck in gave me nightmares now that I’d felt Elora be freed. It was selfish to keep her there any longer than needed.

We trained hard, and then I watched the news reports—mostly the fairy network ones. They were giving more in-depth interviews and feedback. I wanted that more than the totals.

“Congratulations, Your Highness,” a man said as he walked by my table, several with him echoing the same.

I hid my shock given that few really spoke to me on campus especially since all my classes were separate now. I dipped my head and thanked them.

But they weren’t the only ones. Everyone who came across me all day congratulated me, some even waiting for me to say it.

“I’m going to need someone to explain this to me,” I admitted.

Ara snickered. “You passed the last hurdle. All of Faerie knew it was a formality, but some species still thought we would regain oursenseand toss you out. Now it’s done and your coronation set. People are acting like it.”

I rolled my eyes. How petty.

And annoying. I didn’t have time to suddenly become popular or have people want to be my friends. Gag me.

No really. I wanted to vomit by dinner. I had fucking fangirls practically stalking me.

Julian showed up and slid his arm around me, kissing me in the middle of the cafeteria like no one else was there. Imelted and forgot about them because the kiss was so good until someone cleared their throat.

Huh?

Oh, right, school. Huh?

“Hi?” I chuckled when he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead to mine.

“Sorry, just needed to clear the stupid and be a bit of a caveman,” he mumbled before giving me a soft peck.

“I need that put into Tamsin,” I admitted. “There’s been a lot today.” I frowned when he didn’t respond.

“It’s been suggested that there are better candidates than Dr. Vale to be your mate if you’re going to mate a warlock,” Stefanie explained to me. “That if your bond was broken with Mr. Von Thann, then this one could be too and a better attachment formed that would—”

“Benefit witches and warlocks better and lead me around by the nose?” I drawled.

“Yes, but of course, that wasn’t what was said,” she chuckled darkly.

“Put out a statement that the only people who have the right to object to the will of the gods is Julian or me, and since we don’t, shut the fuck up and I’m not for sale. And given he is already accepted in Faerie as their future prince and is moving into my castle, our world and people will be rather upset if this disrespectful topic continues.”

“Already done, along with footage of fairies coming out to congratulate you both in droves after your wedding, and you had your mini receptions in town squares to meet them,” Stefanie assured me. “Something else happened it seems.”

“I had dozens drop by my office and meetings to let me know that I was being selfish to not allow our people the real potential an alliance can be now that you will really be queen,” Julian admitted. “It was a really fucked fucking day.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth. “I’m about to overstep, so forgive me.”

“Always,” he chuckled, probably knowing what I was going to do.

“Add a release that if anyone ‘drops in’ on my fucking husband like they think they can treat him like a godsdamn oil change instead of going through the proper channels to make an appointment, they will get to meet my dogs. Are they having a laugh? They think they matter enough to just interrupt his day, and—handle it before I do and make a mess.”

“Of course. His security didn’t know they could interfere in that way,” she accepted. “I would suggest one of them is now in charge of—we should start the protocols as if he was mated to you and a prince. Guardians checking his meetings and all of it. Especially now that he will live at the castle.”

“Do it. For all of them. Have a meeting tonight and let’s outline the changes and what that means. It won’t just be Julian if people are being stupid.”

Nope, it wasn’t. Darby had the same bullshit at Yale, but luckily he didn’t care who he pissed off and basically told his detail to dropkick people if they wanted.

And they wanted to so people bailed on the idea of hassling him fast.

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