City of Magische Geschöpfe [Complete]

Epilogue Three

Alleacia:

We were back. We were finally all back home. Not that earth wasn't home, but this definitely topped it. For me at least. And for Taylor definitely. He simply loved those glowing trees like nothing else. In his defense they were amazing.

Leaving that world behind was hard though. Hard because I spent so many days of my life there. Hard because I grew to love the little things that simply did not exist here. The hardest being, of course, the children I left behind. Wanting to live out those extra years, hold out just a little bit longer, just for them.

All good things must come to an end.

Then the second cycle, an ever better one, began.

One thing I learned from all that was the different between being old and being young enough to stand up without fear of something popping into the wrong place. I didn't particularly look forward to the "growing old together" idea.

Glad I sped up the relativity of this time to earth, so as to have more years of my youth back. Oh just imagine coming back from years of being old only to immediately be old again? Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

But now? Now everything was as perfect as I could ever want it to be. I could watch my children and my grandchildren. Watch over them and make sure they were safe. Happy. Taken care of. Show clear favoritism all the way. I laughed a little, imagining the faces of the next generation here in the city when they learned that their King was watching her children down on earth exclusively.

Yes, everything would be absolutely fine.

Roman:

I worked all night, and had to do so quietly. Very quietly. Taylor was an abnormally light sleeper at the most inopportune of times. This man chose the worst times to wake up and wander the place.

Still, I managed.

So I woke him up absurdly early in the morning. "Hey, hey. I know leaving earth might have been difficult."

Taylor rolls over into my lap. "It really wasn't. It was totally fine."

"That's a lie."

"Yep. I love my nieces."

"I know, I know." I stroke my hands idly through the soft strands of his hair.

"Nice to know I had a place to go afterwards though. Another chance at life."

"Nothing after this though." I tried but I could not resist another poke at the human religious ideal.

Taylor opens his eyes and looks up at me. "You know what? You're not even atheist, you're anti-theist. You're so against religion and God's and stuff that you thrive off of ruining other people's faith system. You just love to piss everyone off, eh?"

"Not every religion, just the human concept. The idea of an actual deity who will do your bidding if you beg. No, the old religions had it more spot on. We have a deity too. The Goddess. And I don't like to piss everyone ofc, just you.

Taylor sat up, nearly clipping me on the chin. "Wait, you're telling me I've lived my whole life with you and then some, and only now do I figure this out?" He grips the front of my shirt, hard. "Tell me everything about you. This time I'm not dying without knowing you inside out."

"Weirdo." I ruffle his hair affectionately.

"I don't think you understand. This isn't a teenaged romance anymore, even though I have the energy and mindset of one again."

"I could tell," I cut in, amused.

Taylor just carries on. "We've been married all our lives. Oh my God." He stares me in the eyes, wide-eyed. "It was till death do us part. Are we even married anymore?"

"Nope," I say, just to watch his reaction.

"You . . . You're horrible and mean to me you know. Why would you say something like that?"

"Taylor, will you marry me?" I ask, just to once again watch him.

"I swear to God." He narrows his eyes and purses his lips, but it's a losing battle.

"Fine, you know what? Sure. Let's get married again."

"Knew you'd see the light." I pull him by one arm off the bed. "Lets go and check out the thing I woke you up for."

"No, let's do something that doesn't involve me leaving this bed."

"You forgot I'm young again, haven't you? Young enough to sling you over my shoulder and carry you to the balcony."

And sling him over my shoulder to the balcony I did. He complained all the way, but I ignored that, waiting eagerly instead to show him what I did.

The expression on his face was priceless. A happy wonder so beautiful I wanted to plan many more things just to see it again.

"You planted a whole ass tree in the hard? A full-grown glowing tree? Just . . . How? If I hadn't agreed to marry you again earlier, I certainly would agree again. Or maybe even propose again."

"You like it?"

"Yes, thank you."