Page 69 of Quest

By the light and the essence of our journey’s collected herbs, the World Tree had been rekindled, once more standing as a beacon of hope and a testament of belief in the unseen. In healing the tree, we had not only concluded our quest but also ushered in a new era for the kingdom—one of renewal and enduring protection.

The dawn that greeted us was more than a new day for Lumeria—it held a promise of endless possibilities for my own life moving forward. Darcel turned to me, his eyes alight with something more profound than the victory we had just achieved. Sir Jiang and Kael drew back, allowing us some privacy.

Darcel enfolded me in his arms, his presence a familiar comfort midst the whirlwind of hopeful change. “Mei.” His low voice carried the weight of a moment he seemed to have been crafting even as we fought through shadows and curses. “Now that we've come through darkness and back into the light together, I have another quest in mind, one only you can fulfill.”

I pulled back just enough to look at him, and my heart lifted in hope, but even amid the reverence of the moment I couldn’t resist teasing him. “Another quest? You’re certainly a demanding prince. Good thing you’re so dashing. What are you needing from me this time?”

“A most urgent quest, one I sincerely hope you’ll accept: your prince no longer requires your services as an herbalist, but those regarding a more personal matter of the heart.” As he spoke, his arms tightened around me, drawing me closer. “Will you marry me?”

My heart soared, even as the playful seriousness of his words drew a laugh from me, one that echoed our newfound lightness. “You recruited an herbalist and now want me as a wife? That wasn’t in my initial contract.” But despite my mock protests, I nestled deeper into his tender embrace.

“It appears you failed to read the fine print for when a prince falls madly in love with a woman as captivating as you. Perhaps it’s time we discussed the terms of a new contract, one far more binding.”

Darcel’s gaze dropped to my lips with a rakish glint. His playful yet earnest proposition left me breathless, a mix of surprise and deep affection enveloping me. Amidst the renewal of the land, Darcel was offering another and more joyous renewal—our bright future together.

Naturally I met his challenge head on, stepping into the role he offered with an affectionate smile. “Persuasion? I believe that’s a negotiation I could enjoy.”

His laughter melded with mine as he responded with a kiss, one tender yet promising challenges of its own as we sealed our shared future. As we stood together with the world around us blossoming anew, I realized that the true magic of our journey had not just been the restoration of a kingdom, but the forging of a bond that no darkness could dim.

EPILOGUE

Beneath a canopy woven with blooming star flowers—the very same that had lit our path in the darkest depths—Darcel and I exchanged our vows, the air charged with magic and joy, as if the land itself shared in our happiness. I smiled at the blossoms’ whispery congratulations that only I could hear.

It was a smaller ceremony than normally befit a prince, but all our closest companions were in attendance. My beloved father—whose once sallow skin now glowed with health—beamed from his front-row seat where he sat in his finestkuromontsukithat he had worn at his own wedding. I blinked back tears to see him so strong, yet another gift from Lumis. Unbeknownst to me, when my lantern had directed me to collect herbs in the cavern and in the cherry grove, it was enabling me to fulfill not only my quest for our kingdom’s health, but my personal quest to heal my father.

Next to Darcel’s brother King Ciaran sat his queen Aurora holding their newborn daughter, their golden heads conspicuous among the predominantly dark-haired Lumerians. Though I was just coming to know them, I felt a kinship with the monarchs who had been the first to dispel the darkness that Darcel and I had fully defeated. Lastly, I smiled affectionately at Sir Jiang and Kael, our comrades throughout the quest.

Father was the first to congratulate us, his eyes brimming with pride as he embraced me. “You've honored our family well, my dear daughter,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “And more so, you’ve honored yourself. You’ve grown beyond the herbalist I taught to become a true healer of lands and hearts.”

“Meanwhile, I may need to hire your father as a diplomat,” King Ciaran spoke up, pausing to take his tiny daughter and urge Aurora to sit down. “He is absolutely fearless and relentless in his missions. You may recall that I received no fewer than nine missives while you were gone, demanding my safe return of his daughter and lecturing me on my unethical coercion for this quest that caused you to take his place.”

Darcel winced and glanced anxiously at Father, seeming relieved when Father chuckled. Their relationship had gotten off to nearly as difficult a start as my own with Darcel, but Father had been able to see the prince’s true contrition, and as a guardian of kingdom magic himself had understood the need that had propelled Darcel.

I hugged Father tightly, grateful for his endless support and faith in me. “I hope to continue my work, not just as a princess who works with her husband on behalf of the people, but as an herbalist. There’s still so much more to learn.”

“I have no doubt that you will,” Darcel said from beside me, his voice firm with the confidence of a prince who had found his own path. “Together, we'll help my brother build a kingdom that values knowledge and courage as much as heritage and honor.”

The sky was dimming by the time our greetings and the formalities of the celebration had concluded, and Darcel led me away from the bustling crowd to a secluded grove on the edge of the palace gardens. I stepped into a vision straight out of a dream. The grove had been transformed into a private sanctuary, illuminated by dozens of delicate paper lanterns that hung from the branches, one of which was Lumis. They swayed gently in the evening breeze, casting a soft, enchanting glow that mirrored the twinkling stars that glistened above.

Petals of star flowers and moon blossoms scattered the ground, creating a carpet of silver and pale blue that muffled our footsteps; with every step their sweet fragrance filled the air, enhancing the ethereal atmosphere.

A small circle of stone benches surrounded a clear pool in the center, its still surface reflecting the lantern-lit boughs and capturing the starlight, amplifying their glow and enveloping us in a cocoon of light and shadows. We sat together, our reflections mingling in the water before us. This time no dire voice spoke from the pool, but peace reigned.

“Do you remember this place?” Darcel’s eyes shimmered with a blend of love and playful mischief.

Puzzled, I looked around. Though this was the first time we’d ever entered this grove, the setting was familiar, echoing a beautiful memory. Above us, the branches formed a natural dome, framing a view of the night sky, reminiscent of the first night we’d spent beneath its starry canopy.

That moment had marked a turning point in our relationship when we had truly begun to trust each other, allowing us to open our hearts to share stories of our pasts and dreams for the future, a foundational moment in our growing bond.

“This is where we celebrated our first successful milestone on the quest.”

My husband squeezed my hand. “You win this round. That night was the first time I realized that there was no better friend to have by my side, not just in moments of success but through every challenge. As such I thought it appropriate to commemorate our wedding with our own piece of the night—a place to dream, to plan, as well as to celebrate all the paths we’ve walked and those we have yet to explore.”

I cuddled up to him and rested my head against his shoulder, relishing as his arm came up around me. “It feels like a lifetime ago. I thought I was merely embarking on an adventure.” One that had turned out to be much more than a simple quest, a journey that had not only traversed mountains and valleys, but contained a multitude of discoveries of the heart.

Darcel chuckled softly, drawing me closer. “And I thought I was simply gaining an herbalist. Instead, I found not just a partner, but a love that transcends any adventure I could have ever imagined.”

He kissed me beneath the glow of lantern light, the gentle scent of blossoms wafting in the air sweet with the promise of endless days and nights to come.

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