Page 106 of Rise of the Phoenix King (Crown and Crest 4)

I was going to write a poem, but it didn’t feel right. The words wouldn’t flow, and it made my heart heavy.

You see, a poem wasn’t enough. If you’re reading this, then you already know I made a decision. You might be grieving because of that decision, and I want to comfort you one last time.

First of all, please know that I knew what my fate would be, and I embraced it because peaceispriceless.

Life is priceless.

And you, my dear friends, are priceless.

It’s been an honor living with you these last few seasons. I’ve laughed more, gone on more adventures, and loved more deeply than I ever thought possible.

To Ayan: You are a better man than you realize or want people to believe. Though you are a High Vale, you have a Woodmore heart and are a much-needed bridge between our people. For too long, the elves of our kingdom have been at odds. It is my wish that through you, they will be united.

To Audra: You’ll be a beautiful queen. I’m sorry I won’t see you take the throne, but I can imagine it, and you are filled with grace and dignity. Caldenbauer is fortunate to have you.

To Lawrence: Youareenough. You are not your father, nor your sister, and I have no doubt you will rise like a phoenix above the ashes of your family and rule this kingdom justly.

To Bartholomew: In the brief time we were given, you have grown so much, and I couldn’t be prouder of the man you’re becoming. Never begrudge your kind heart. It’s your crown.

And finally, to Henrik and Clover: Ah, my dearest friends. Forgive me for being too cowardly to tell you my plans outright, for shying away from pain. I didn’t want to shadow the last of our treasured time together with sorrow, and I didn’t know if I could stand firm when you would inevitably try to dissuade me from my decision.

Please know, this was not payment for a life debt. It was a sacrifice made with love. Thank you for saving me in Doria, not from the aynauth, but from my sorrow. You adopted me into your family when I was lost and made me feel as if my life had a purpose once more. I love you both.

I have but one request for you all: promise me you’ll be happy. It’s all I ask and all I want.

And here we must say goodbye. Although it’s a sad parting, my heart is content. Thank you for brightening my life.

Yours always,

Pranmore

Bartholomew scrubs a hand over his face, crying freely. With a heartfelt sigh, he closes the journal and wraps the tie around it one last time. With utmost respect and care, he places it next to the trunk of the tree, in the newly planted flowerbed that circles it. Lawrence says he will transform the throne room into an indoor garden, a place of quiet peace where we can visit Pranmore anytime we’d like.

But it will never be the same.

I walk up to the tree before we leave, studying our recently departed friend. So many times in the last few days, I’ve wondered if he’s still here—still with us.

I run my hand over the thick bark.

“Can you hear us?” I whisper. “Do you know how grateful we are? Do you know how much we miss you?”

The tree doesn’t answer, nor do I expect it to. But as I turn to leave, a leaf falls, drifting lazily from the overhead canopy, right in front of my nose. I hold out my hand to catch it, studying it for several seconds before letting out a soft laugh.

Tucking the leaf into the pocket of my skirt, I smile as I meet Henrik near the stairs.

“Are you all right?” he asks quietly.

“Not yet.” I glance back at the tree, promising Pranmore I will be happy. And then I take Henrik’s outstretched hand. “But I will be.”

27

HENRIK

Laughter fillsthe great hall as Bartholomew mumbles through his toast. Clover turns to me, her pixie eyes bright with humor and joy. She’s beautiful, with her honey-brown hair curled and tumbling down her shoulders, half of it pulled up and dotted with pearls. She wears an ivory gown and an inked ring of magic on her finger.

In front of our family, friends, and what seems like all Caldenbauer’s nobility, we repeated the vows we made the day before I went to war, giving Clover the wedding I wanted for her. And now the ceremony is complete, and we’re in the great hall, celebrating not just our marriage, but life.

It’s a gift I will no longer take for granted. I look again at my bride, my heart full.

---