Page 163 of Crown of Slumber

The entire room fell silent from the promise of my words. Gigi watched me, her eyes shining with admiration. Mother had her hands pressed to her chest, tears spilling down her face as she glanced from me to Father and back again.

Even the witches remained silent and somber. Ruby, Jade, and Sapphire stood side-by-side, while Samiria remained on the opposite side of the room. It was clear from her stiff posture that she wasn’t happy to be in the same room as the other witches. I couldn’t blame her.

At long last, Father cleared his throat and said in a strained voice, “Yes, Aurelia. Of course. I—I will grant you that opportunity.”

“Thank you.” My words were strained, my throat tight with emotion. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have wedding preparations to take care of.”

Father blinked. “Wedding? You—You and the Midnight Prince?—”

“Yes,” I said, a soft smile lighting my face. For the first time since I entered the room, the tightness in my chest eased at the thought of my marriage to Fenn. “It is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both kingdoms. I would… love to have your blessing, Father, but even if I don’t, nothing will keep me from marrying him. I love Fennick with my entire soul. I want to bind myself to him for eternity. If you have ever felt love for me in your life, you would grant me that much.”

Father’s eyes flared wide, his mouth opening slightly. My words clearly caught him off guard. I wasn’t sure if it was my intense declaration of love, or the fact that it was the prince of a former enemy kingdom that shocked him. But for a long moment, he only stared at me, his eyes flickering as he processed this.

At long last, he nodded stiffly, and that was all I needed.

One by one, we filed out of the room, starting with Mother and Gigi.

“Give him time,” Mother whispered to me, swiping a tear from her face. “He just needs time.”

I nodded, unsure if this was true. Mother clearly believed it, but I didn’t know if Father could ever love a monster like me.

But this was a start. I was not afraid.

After all, I had the soul of a dragon living inside me.

Mother left the room, followed by Gigi, who swept me into a tight embrace, murmuring assurances that nothing had changed for her and we would always be sisters. I thanked her, tears rolling down my face from the promise of her words.

When she left, it was only me and the witches remaining.

Sapphire spoke first. “So, you intend to remain here.”

“I do,” I said. “I may have my memories back, but my life is here. But, with the union of our courts and the freedoms Fenn is granting to your clans, I will be visiting often.”

The three witches only looked at me somberly. Ruby said, “You cannot have both, Dragon Queen. You cannot be a part of our clan if you serve the seelie courts.”

I found myself smiling. “I don’t want to be a part of your clan.”

For the first time since I’d known them, Sapphire, Ruby, and Jade looked confused, exchanging bewildered looks with one another. Across the room, Samiria was smiling.

“I was meant to unite the realm,” I went on, my voice full of conviction. “And that is what I plan to do. Not by spinning prophecies and practicing runic magic, but by serving the people of this land and protecting them to the best of my ability.Thatis the true meaning behind the prophecy that started it all.”

Samiria pressed a fist to her chest and bowed low. “Well said, my queen.”

I turned to face her, my eyes softening. “Samiria, if you accept, I would be honored to have you as the Keeper of the Dragons in my absence.”

Samiria bowed again. “The honor is mine, Your Highness.”

I smiled at the formality, then turned to the three witches of the Midnight Court. Their expressions had been wiped clean once more as they gazed at me, their wide lavender eyes blinking slowly. I inclined my head in reverence to all three of them, then paused when I met Sapphire’s gaze.

“Thank you for everything,” I whispered to her, pressing my hand to my chest as a sign of respect.

Sapphire reached out, taking my hand in hers. Her skin was cool against mine, and she squeezed once. “Take care, Dragon Queen.”

After parting from the witches, my body was spent. I found Fenn waiting for me in my chambers, wearing nothing but his shirtsleeves and trousers, the loose fabric hanging from his lean body. He lounged on my bed with a book in his hand, though his gaze was fixed on the window. An unusually solemn expression was on his face, his eyes somber.

I knew he was thinking of his mother. Every day, her death haunted him. I wasn’t sure if he would ever forgive himself.

After a moment, he looked up to see me standing in the doorway, a crooked smile playing on his lips. That smile told me he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. And I would respect that. I would give him as much space as he needed.

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