Chapter 48: The Epilogue

Following the wedding, Rose had a lot of work to do. She had been Queen for quite some time now, but the proper royal duties had been neglected for hundreds of years. Her mother was able to help with locating laws and decrees. She was also able to attend to official matters since she carried royal blood. As for her Earthen dad, Rose sent him to work on Henry’s farm.

Gabriel was efficiently recruiting new soldiers and training them to fill all of the outposts across Scarlaria. The purpose of the outposts was to enforce the royal laws and keep the peace in different regions. Many of the forts needed repairs. Griff had a more difficult time finding suitable people to fill Rose’s Queen’s guard. She wanted five men and five women to represent her guard, with the eleventh being the commander.

To Rose’s surprise, Lexa, the former governor of Kraken, came to the capital. She had served her sentence in bearing eggs for the harpies. Before the throne, Lexa dropped to her knees and apologized to Rose. The Queen accepted her apology and offered her room and board until she could decide what use Lexa could be in her court. Lexa had been a governor for a long time, so there was no reason to let her skills go to waste.

With the ceremonies wrapping up and Bishop having put his affairs in order, he was ready for Rose to send him home. She made her way to Bishop’s room, escorted by Griff and Camellia as usual. Bishop had only a couple of belongings with him that he wished to take. Because it was only a one-way trip, Rose didn’t need to open a portal. Bishop looked around the room, going to the window to have a last view of Scarlaria before he left the land forever. Rose had offered to bring his family here, but he didn’t want to disrupt their lives to that extent.

“I think I’m ready,” he said.

“Is there any last request you would make of me before I send you back?” Rose asked. “You made me the perfect wedding dress, so I’d hate for you to leave without being thanked properly.”

“It was more than enough to see you wear it so beautifully,” he said, smiling.

“There is something you’d ask of me, though,” she said, sensing his mind.

“Well,” he said, hesitating. “I would like to kiss a queen at least one time.”

“That is an easy enough request,” she smiled. “You have permission to kiss me.”

Rose remained still as Bishop stepped toward her. His hands held her soft cheeks, taking his time to study her face. Rose waited, allowing him to lead the kiss. It was gentle, soft, and quick. His lips touched hers momentarily and then pulled away. Rose held onto him, her body pressed against his.

“May you forever live in good health and be protected against the diseases of Earth,” she said.

She pulled from the magic within, drawing it up to her lips and mouth as she leaned in for another kiss. This time, she drew his tongue into her mouth, making sure the magic passed into his body. The spell didn’t have to be conducted with a kiss, but she wanted him to remember it, remember her, and remember Scarlaria forever. Her magic would keep him in good health, protecting him from all illness except for age itself.

The thing Rose missed the most was being able to walk through town freely. She was too well known now, and her appearance gathered crowds. Those closest to Rose also feared that not everyone would accept her as Queen. As a workaround, Rose often switched bodies with Ivan, which was an easy task, thanks to their bond. She was able to venture off alone and mingle with her people. Simultaneously, Ivan was able to enjoy the feeling of being a woman.