Chapter 106: Epilogue

As the semester came to an early close, I couldn't believe the events that had transpired. The fight against Headmaster Down and Michael seemed like a distant memory now, as the royal court underwent massive reform in the wake of the illegal compulsion spell.

James, Colton's father, had become close friends with my own parents, who had finally revealed to me the truth about their disappearance. They had gone into hiding in order to protect me from the evil machinations of Michael, who had been determined to take control of the court and use it for his own twisted purposes.

I was grateful to have my family back together, and even more grateful for the love and support of my friends, who had stood by me through it all. And of course, there was Damien and Colton, the two men who had captured my heart in different ways.

The Academy completely shut down for the rest of the year, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of optimism for the future. The royal court was changing for the better, and I had faith that with the right people in charge, things would continue to improve.

Colton and Damien went back to their parents for a while. They had almost tried to kill each other over me, and needed to work things out.

And I had to go home too, this time with my own parents.

he semester ended early after the big fight at the academy, and the court was under massive reform. James, Colton's father, became close friends with my parents, Scarlett and Ethan. They revealed to me that they had gone into hiding because Michael was an evil man who had tried to destroy their family and their reputation.

I spent the spring getting to know Scarlett and Ethan, learning about their history and spending time with them in our castle. They took over operations in Italy, and I joined them, helping to manage the Vatican and orphanages.

We spent a lot of time together, and my parents apologized for leaving me behind. They told me that they had no other choice, that evil forces including the entire royal court had conspired against them, and Michael had blamed his family's evils on theirs.

It was a lot to take in, but I was grateful to have my parents back in my life.

----

I was grinning from ear to ear as I looked around at the scene before me. It was the end of the summer, and Colton's family and my own were all gathered together in the courtyard of James' castle. The sun was shining brightly, and the air was warm and heavy with the smell of grilled food and laughter.

My friends from school were there too, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the festivities. It was a truly joyous occasion, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for all that had happened in the past year.

As I looked around at the crowd, I saw James and my father Ethan standing together, both of them beaming with pride. They had worked tirelessly to take over the court and bring about much-needed reform, and it was clear that their efforts had paid off. Both of their wives were by their sides, equally respected and celebrated as they took their seats at the head of the court.

But the best part of the day was yet to come. As I turned to speak with one of my friends, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Colton standing there, a grin on his face and a small velvet box in his hand.

"Isabella, I love you more than anything in this world," he said, getting down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

I was speechless as tears of joy welled up in my eyes. But my eyes only wandered to Damien, who I couldn't find in the crowd.

But Colton wasn't the only one with a surprise in store for me. Colton pointed behind me , and I saw Damien standing behind me, a similar look of love and adoration in his eyes.

"Isabella, I love you too," he said, getting down on one knee as well. "Will you marry me as well?"

I couldn't believe what was happening. Here I was, surrounded by the people I loved most, being asked to marry not one, but two amazing men.

I looked to my parents in disbelief. They nodded in approvel. "W-what about the royal court?" I asked my father.

"I-uh, think the people in charge there can make some rule changes." James laughed, his arm around Coltons mother with a smile.

"Yes," I said, tears streaming down my face. "I will marry both of you." I said, completely overjoyed.

------

As I sat on the stone fountain with my roommates, giggling about our memories from the academy, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with happiness. It had been such a wild ride, filled with love, heartbreak, and magic.

I took a sip of my drink, feeling the warm buzz of alcohol course through my veins. I was so grateful to have these amazing friends by my side, and to have found my place in the world.

"Remember when we snuck out to that underground party?" Stella laughed, elbowing me in the side.

"Oh my god, and when you got so drunk you started singing on stage?" Nora added, cackling with laughter.

I couldn't help but laugh along with them, the memories bringing a warmth to my heart. "Yeah, and then Colton had to carry me back to the castle," I said, shaking my head at the memory.

"And what about the time we all stood up to Headmaster Down and took the punishment for you?" Theo chimed in, a proud look on his face.

I smiled at him, my heart overflowing with love for these amazing friends. "I'll never forget that," I said, feeling grateful for their loyalty and support.

As the night went on and we laughed and reminisced, I couldn't help but feel thankful for every moment, even the difficult ones. They had shaped me into the person I was today, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held.

It was also a moment that I chose to sit with for longer.

I walked through the frozen gardens, marveling at the stillness of the world around me. It was a strange feeling, being the only one able to move while everything else was frozen in place.

As I walked, I couldn't help but reflect on all the memories I had from the academy. The good times, the bad times, the moments of joy and heartache. It had been a rollercoaster of a year, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

As I approached the fountain, I stopped and turned to a noise. I raised my fists and took a fighting stance, but to my surprise, It was my dad.

"I didn't mean to scare you," He said. Walking over to me in the white rose gardens.

"It's okay." I told him, we were both awkward. We had a million things to say to one another. "How can you freeze time?" We both asked one another at the exact same time. Then we both laughed.

"You first," I said to him.

"Well actually one day I was playing ball with my bitten, I mean my brother, sorry, and I wanted to win so bad that I did it by accident." He said, a warm smile forming over his lips at the memory. "And then I moved the ball with my hand and placed it in the goal. My brother never understood why that happened."

I laughed and explained to my dad my fight last year with Michael. We had all the time in the world so I told him every detail, and he was hungry to hear it.

"I am so sorry." My dad said. "When we changed your blood, we only did it to keep you safe. I had no idea you'd travel to another realm, make friends, be help captive."

"Well, I just assumed I could freeze time because of my faery blood." I said, a wave of bitterness coming up. "If you had been around you could have told me."

My father went silent, not sure what to say. He and my mother had apologized so much, but I wasn't ready to fully forgive them.

"You know, I used to be completely alone at the orphanage," I said, my voice filled with emotion. "I loved being alone, because whenever I made a new friend, they were taken from me. Adopted, brought to a new family. I had to grow up watching everyone around me get chosen by parents." My voice began to break.

"Isabella we will spend a lifetime making this up to you." My father said, but I held my hand up to silence him.

"But, I never would have thought I'd have such amazing friends. They chose me, over and over and over again. When I had no one. Damien and Colton both loved me so much they even chose one another to have me." I said.

"We have all the time in the world. I heard you are a cheerleader, mom and I can come to your games, cheer you on. Come to parent teacher weekend, just like you deserve." My dad said. I wiped my tears.

"I don't think I am going back." I said to him, his face dropped in dissapointment.

"I think it would be good for you. The school structure, us being able to be supportive parents." He said.

"No," I said with anger. "It would be good for YOU. You and YOUR GUILT about abandoning me." I said to him. He took a step back, processing my words.

"You're right." He said. "I'm sorry."

As my heart race decreased I began to feel remorse for my harsh words. But no, he needed to hear them. I needed to say them to heal.

"I'll think about school." I said, walking away. "For now, you don't parent me. I've been doing it myself my whole life."

"I will never, ever take that from you." My dad said to me, jumping in front of me. He was crying. "You are my daughter, and I love you. I will never leave you again."

My heart strings were successfully pulled, I threw my arms around him, and smiled, grateful that he was trying. "Thank you, Dad," I said, tears of sadness and joy streaming down my face.

"I love you." My dad said, brushing my tears and holding me.

We stood there for a few more moments, enjoying the peaceful silence of the frozen world. I looked to my friends, my mom, all of the people around me who weren't there just two short years ago. Then, with a smile and a kiss on the forehead, my dad released our time spell. And life resumed its normal flow.

The end.

AHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH. I am taking suggestions for any new anystories fantasy books, if you have any genres or suggestions please let me know! I love you all so much, thank you for everything!! Thank you for joining me on this lovely journey.