The King with Six Friends

Epilogue

(Six Years Later)

Zar watched Kiera pick dandelions in the field with their daughter, Yvette. She had reddish-brown hair like her father and bronze eyes like her mother. She held the stems of the yellow weeds with care to not bruise them. Yvette showed the buds to Kiera, who beamed and let the girl tuck a flower behind her ear. She let her hair grow these last few years, letting it billow around her in wild tangles.

Zar wanted to be able to walk with Yvette- to be able to stoop down and carry her on his shoulders without difficulty. The only way he could walk now was with a brace. It made him feel like an old man even though he was only in his thirties.

Furze said his knee would never heal properly, but sitting here did give him time to hold his son, Raelm. He had his mother's ebony hair, which curled around his big head in waves. His eyes were still a new-born blue, but Kiera was sure he would have Zar's hazel irises.

Raelm sucked on Zar's pinkie finger, drooling over his lacy baby clothes. Zar scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out to make him laugh. He tickled Raelm's pudgy belly with his nose, making him kick and giggle with delight.

Levis had agreed to take the throne- as it was rightfully his. It let Zar and Kiera take their time with each other and their new daughter.

Yvette was named after Kiera's mother so she could remember her. Raelm was named after Zar's father so he wouldn't forget him.

Zar watched Raelm kick on the blanket, trying to grab his feet and eat them. Dappled sunlight streaming through the tree boughs made him rub his eyes.

He felt. . . joy. He felt wonder watching his son thrive and experience life. Zar wanted to protect him from any danger, no matter what the cost.

He glanced up at Kiera and Yvette walking through the sunny field. They were safe. They had no worries at all about a dangerous future.

People would kill to have this, even for a moment, Zar realized. Not many would be able to have something like this- to feel happiness and peace. That was why people tried so hard to achieve what they believed to be happiness.

Zar snapped back to reality when Raelm started crying. His lower lips wobbled and he reached up. Zar picked him up and bounced him on his good knee, but Raelm continued to bawl. Kiera noticed and made her way through the tallgrass to them. Zar passed Raelm to her and she paced around the tree with him in her arms. Raelm kept fussing.

"Is he hungry?" Zar asked, trying to stand.

"No, I fed him a bit ago. Did you try smelling him?" Kiera switched the infant to her other arm.

Zar shrugged. "I couldn't smell anything when I was holding him."

Kiera narrowed her eyes. She held Raelm at eye-level and sniffed his backside. She made a face and handed Raelm back to Zar. "Your turn."

Zar laid Raelm face-up on the blanket. "It's always my turn," he grumbled.

Kiera walked back to Yvette, who was floating leaves down a stream. Yvette hummed an incoherent tune to herself. In one of the leaves, she put a bluebell stalk and a ladybug.

"What are you playing now?" Kiera asked, peering over her shoulder.

"A wedding on boats," she said, "But they keep floating away too fast." She emphasized, putting a small rock in a leaf and letting it run down the stream. "See?"

"Well then-" Kiera knelt down next to her- "What if they make their vows on land-" She picked a large maple leaf from the ground and placed it on the bank of the stream- "And then have their honeymoon down the river?"

Yvette's face lit up and she started gathering her 'wedding guests' from the flower field. Kiera noticed that Yvette's dress had been splattered with mud from the stream.

She sighed and glanced over at Zar by the tree. Zar was pulling back a half-naked Raelm by the leg who was trying to crawl away. Kiera snickered. Parenthood hadn't come easy to either of them, but it was certainly a steep learning curve.

Yvette ran back to the stream and arranged the ceremony. She made an altar and pews out of pebbles and the people out of flowers.

"Do you like it, Momma?" Yvette said, proudly displaying her work.

"Oh, it's gorgeous!" Kiera gushed, delicately touching the wedded flower couple. "I wish I could have a wedding like this." Yvette beamed and started playing. Kiera watched with awe.

Oh, sweet Yvette. I hope you never find out what cruel world you were born into.

Kiera didn't want Yvette brought up like she was; disregarded and gifted around like a toy. She wanted to hide her away from the world to preserve all the kindness and innocence her daughter had. Kiera wasn't sure if she still resented her father for allowing everything to happen, but he was still her father.

She didn't remember her mother very much, but she did remember Invictus acting differently after she died. He was much less standoffish when the queen was still alive. After Levis went missing, Invictus retreated further into his own head. Kiera couldn't blame him, but she wouldn't forget how ignorant parents affected their children.

Yvette would have to mature eventually, as all people do. After she was old enough, Yvette would have to find her place in the world on her own- all its wretchedness and unfairness included.

But for now, Yvette would only focus on growing up. And Kiera was more than content with that.