“Long live the queen!”
The kneeling guard raised his head and struck his chest with a fist. “Long live the queen!”
Other guards dropped to the floor, hands at their chests. “Long live the queen!”
The crowd fell to its knees as the words echoed around the chapel.
But Risa’s attention was not on the new queen of Madros. She was aware only of Javi’s beatific smile, the crinkled corners of his eyes, the bruise that was starting to rise on his jaw as a souvenir of their misadventure.
She felt lighter than air. Everything around her melted away until it was just the two of them.
Javi traced her lips with the pad of his thumb. His warm breath fanned across her face as his thumb gripped her chin in a gentle hold. She let her fingers follow the constellation of freckles that spanned his cheeks.
“Thank you,” he whispered. It sounded like he was saying something else. It felt like coming home. “Obviously.”
He looked up at Amina, as if realizing something.
“We should sign a treaty detailing our two kingdoms’ mutual agreement to aid each other in times of turmoil and to celebrate in times of peace—”
“Now’s not the time!” said the new queen. “Kiss her!”
Javi swooped down and captured Risa’s lips. She was glad to find that her place in the universe was there, in his arms.
Epilogue
Risa Porto no longer believed in bad luck.
Waiting for an audience with the king of Kheadon, Javi at her side and Brunie napping on her shoulder, Risa wasn’t worried about telling the king that she was mostly in love with his son (excluding the times when that son was a fool or tried to flirt his way out of problems he’d brought upon himself).
Javi, on the other hand, was very worried.
“I got us a treaty,” he mumbled to himself. He paced the length of the greeting hall, hands clasped behind his back. “It’s a damn good one, too! And Amina’s managed to get Madros into rather decent shape after two months on the throne. I’ve even got this horrible scar. That must count for something.”
The scar he spoke of had healed so nicely, all that remained was a pale splotch on his chest, visible only in certain lights. Not that Risa looked. He had just really enjoyed stripping down in the Madrosian castle gardens to work on his tan, and she sometimes strolled by to get away when Amina and Perla started whispering to each other like she wasn’t there.
“Don’t be so melodramatic.”
His narrowed gaze was wary. “Professing my love did nothing to make you nicer?”
“I don’t recall youprofessing your love. I think all you said wasthank you.”
“Now you’re just being mean.”
“I thought you liked our banter.”
“I do, but sometimes I could do with a reassuring word.”
Risa tapped a finger on her chin, as if she were thinking very long and hard. “You’re very handsome.”
He scowled. A moment later, he mumbled, rather dejectedly, “Fine, that works.”
She smiled.
For the first time in a long time, Risa looked forward to the next year. All of it. Wherever it took her. Whether it was back to the Bosque, to Linda in her underground tunnels, or to Cairn—
Perhaps she should avoid Cairn.
Wherever she was meant to go, she knew that bad things might follow and that bad days would come. It was inevitable, just like breaking curses and falling in love. But whatever bad came, there would also be a lot of good.