The Ember Queen

Chapter Sixteen (Ending Two)

The throne room, the palace:
Abraham dove in front of her, catching the spear just before it pierced Fiona's chest.

"If you think you can take down the Ember Queen with a measly spear," he snapped it in half on his knee, then tossed it aside, "Then you ought to rethink some things."

Gabriel roared, charging towards them. Abraham and Fiona exchanged a glance, one smirking slightly the other giving a sarcastic glare.

Abraham let Gabriel dive for Fiona, who ducked out of his way a second before impact. Meanwhile, Abraham jumped up on Gabriel's back, slamming him to the ground.

He whipped out a braid of ropes, and knotted them securely around Gabriel's armored wrists and ankles, making sure the ties were connected so that his movement was as limited as possible. Gabriel struggled to reach his spear on the floor beside him, but before he could get a firm hold, a small group of rebels rushed into the room, one of which was ordered to knock Gabriel out. Next thing he knew, he was seeing the stars.

The west coast of the Ametrine Kingdom, two years later:
Fiona and Abraham walked hand-in-hand to the celebration. Celeste and Rico had been engaged for a couple weeks, and had been married the night before. Now, within an inner-ring sector they were having a party of sorts, on a small beach. It was midday, the sun shining and few clouds blocking the blue sky.

Fiona was dressed in a sleeveless orange button-up to suit the weather, tucked in at the front. Abraham was wearing a navy blue and green striped shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His shirt was tucked all the way around in a pair of tan cargo shorts.

Small festive lights were strung from small poles around a set of a dozen circular tables. A few children ran along the beach, splashing in the water and digging up shells.

Celeste and Rico greeted Fiona and Abraham with hugs and pats on the back, everyone smiling and exchanging excited greetings.

After a light lunch everyone was served dessert while they watched a play and listened to some musical performances. Towards the evening, when most of the guests had gone, the decorations were taken down, and the two couples took a walk along the shore. Fiona and Celeste in the middle, Abraham and Rico on either side. They walked into the sunset, and Fiona couldn't help but feel the euphoria of it all.

The "happier" fate of The Ember Queen is now revealed, and I'm dedicating this final chapter to danielsmith42 , for their continual support and cheering me on throughout this story. Thanks for sticking with me through this journey y'all, it's been one fantastic ride.