Epilogue
Sometime in the future…
She stood beside the love of her life as they looked down over the balcony of the palace.
“I’m tired, Ira, bone weary tired.”
“You have every right to be, Mitz, my love, living as two for so long.”
Smiling up at him, she nodded. “I kept my bond with my sister as long as I could. It feels void without her now.”
“Queen Viola would have been so proud of you.” He hugged her closer to him. “I’m proud of you.” He looked back down at the children he’d watched rule and their children that someday would.
“She better be pleased. I would never suggest binding two souls the way we did—but knowing she got to see her children achieve all they have and knowing their lives were complete and happy made it all worth it.” She smiled as she watched Rafael chase some of the children, to their utter delight.
“Are you ever going to tell them that you’ve been both their mother and aunt for centuries?” He gave her that look he always used when he was trying to influence her decisions.
Turning she looked back down at the future rulers of Alterealm. “I don’t think I ever will.” She sighed, “I don’t want to change the way they see me.” She rested her head on his shoulder again, “it wasn’t all her, you know, I know all those children and their wants and needs.”
He was silent, in the way he knew to be at times like this. Turning he looked at the new building just beside the palace. It wasn’t as big as the palace but had taken almost a decade to build properly. The family had outgrown the palace and the underground chambers, but no one wanted to be too far from the others. “Have you decided yet? Are we to live in the new keep, or the new building above the underground chambers?”
She looked over at the building. “I think I’m going to take Quinton up on his offer and take some time off.”
“The estate in the north?” He hugged her and tilted her chin up to look at him. “Whatever will they do without you, Mitz?” He gave her a playful smile.
She chuckled softly, “oh I’ll be back.” She inhaled slowly, then breathed it out. “There’s something on the horizon, Ira, and we’ll be needed here again soon enough.”