Long Live The Princess

Epilogue

The hours following fly by, but Cassandra doesn't notice any of it. The exhaustion of the past days is catching up with her, and between the signing of ascending forms - ascending forms - and feeding her daughter - her daughter - the newly crowned Queen has no idea if it's day or night. She's vaguely aware that Horace doesn't leave her side during any of it. Vaguely remembers the others - Will, Alyss, Halt, Pauline, and Crowley - taking turns as they forge her signature or hold her baby or help her to eat and drink or clean her face. She doesn't know if it's been hours or days when the sound of a large group of people wakes her up from an uneasy sleep.

"What's with the noise?"

Horace - of course, Horace - is standing by the window, curtains pushed to one side. Cassandra cannot make out his reaction, but she can hear the delight in his voice when he replies.

"I think you need to see this for yourself."

When Cassandra steps out onto the balcony, her newborn daughter pressed tightly against her, Horace's supporting hands behind her back and under her elbow, she is greeted by screams. For a few seconds her heart stops beating, the sounds of screaming soldiers of only a few days ago imprinted on her brain. Then she realises that these are no screams of anguish, fear, and pain.

These are screams of happiness.

Her people are happy.

Tens, if not hundreds, of people have assembled on the grounds facing her rooms. Peasants from neighbouring villages, off-duty soldiers from Redmont, servants and guards from the Castle - they all begin to cheer and laugh when they make out her appearance on the balcony.

It's impossible to pinpoint where the chant began, but something tells her it's from the small group to the side, where two tall women wear elegant white dresses, and the three men wear mottled green cloaks. Within seconds, the crowds repeat the chant enthusiastically. The sound is ear-deafening, waking up the babe in her arms. A crying Maddie clutched against her, leaning against Horace's solid physique as she stands trembling on her legs, Cassandra cannot help the tears from streaming down her face as she hears the words that her people sing to her.

"Long live the princess! Long live the Queen!"