Epilogue
****
“Now, watch your left side. Sometimes, you get a little overconfident and leave yourself vulnerable. Though these aren’t real fights, people still get hurt, and I want you to be careful.”
The fifteen-year-old Prince Gawain sighed. “I know, Dad. You’ve told me that a thousand times.”
Clarkent grinned. His eldest son may have been pretending indifference, but Clarkent could tell Gawain was nervous just by the way the boy’s eyes kept flickering to the list field.
Gawain had always looked up to both of his parents, but he was especially close to his father, whose stories of his days as the Black Knight were always enough to make Gawain listen intently and with admiration. And now, Gawain was about to participate in his first sword-fighting tournament.
“I have something for you,” Clarkent said, reaching down to his side and removing the sword and sheath from there. “This sword used to belong to belong to King Joreth, your grandfather. It’s the blade I carried as the Black Knight. I want you to have it now. There’s no need for you to carry that rusty old thing around any longer.”
With fumbling hands, Gawain removed his old sword and exchanged it with the one his father was giving him. “Th-thanks, Dad,” he managed, obviously touched by the gift.
“I’m glad to do it,” Clarkent returned. Then, smiling to himself, he reached up a hand and lowered his son’s visor. “All right. Do me proud, son.”
“I promise not to run away, Dad,” Gawain teased, referring to his father’s first jousting tournament.
Clarkent thumped his son’s armor-covered chest. “You’d better not. Good luck.”
And then he moved away back to the spectator area where the rest of his family was waiting. The tournament was about to start, and as king, he was supposed to be the one that cued its beginning.
****
Loisette watched her son nervously as he carefully sidestepped a swipe from his opponent. He was using the sword his father had just given him, and they looked so well-suited--the old sword and the young knight.
She stared at her son in admiration. Her son’s form was a bit obscured by his jousting armor, but--with his broadening shoulders and his love of horses--he reminded her very much of the stableboy who had stolen her heart. A part of her suspected that one day a new and mysterious knight would be spotted traipsing the countryside . . . and on that day, she would be certain to check the Riding Stable and see if Gawain’s favorite horse, Spirit Chaser, was missing. The black destrier was one of Phantom’s descendants, and Loisette had a feeling he would make just as good a horse as Phantom had for Clarkent.
The crowd cheered as Gawain felled his opponent, and he pulled his visor up and grinned at his parents.
Loisette smiled back. “He won!” she cheered.
“I knew he would,” Clarkent said proudly, pulling the Solarian queen into a kiss.
****
At the end of the tournament, as people were dispersing, Clarkent couldn’t resist giving Loisette another victory kiss.
“That’s gross,” came a male voice. “Don’t you two ever stop?”
Clarkent broke away and looked at Gawain, who had come up to talk to them. “I can’t help it if I love my wife,” the king stated. But there was a slight flush of embarrassment to his cheeks.
“Well, you can at least spare the rest of the world,” muttered the boy, though there was no real malice in his voice.
“Oh, why don’t you go play with Spirit Chaser?” Clarkent said, reaching out to drop his son’s visor.
“Would you stop doing that?” Gawain said in annoyance, pushing away his father’s hand and lifting the visor up. “I’m not a little kid, Dad.”
“I know, I know--you’re a knight in training,” Clarkent teased. He liked to give his son a little grief on occasion, but the prince had too much of his mother in him not to give as good as he got.
“Be nice to your son, Clarkent,” Loisette admonished.
“Yeah, you’d better listen to Mom,” the ten-year-old Jerome spoke up. “She tames dragons, and she can tame you, too!”
Clarkent put up two hands like claws and swooped down on his son with them. “I don’t think so!” he mock-growled, chasing after the boy.
“Daddy!” squeaked Lois, their youngest, as she went after him. “Don’t hurt him!”
Loisette rolled her eyes and turned to her children. Someone was missing. She frowned.
“Where did Laural go?” she asked as Clarkent came back with Lois on his shoulders and Jerome trailing him.
Ellena, the second eldest of Loisette and Clarkent’s children, answered with a note of exasperation in her tone. “I bet she dressed up like a boy again and snuck off to the stable.” Ellena really resembled the painting of the grandmother she had been named after, and sometimes Loisette wondered if this was what her mother had been like as a girl.
Smiling at her daughter, Loisette told her, “She probably just wants to play with Billy’s son.” Princess Laural was twelve, and she was beginning to become a bit rebellious. Dwayne was still Stable Master of the Riding Stable, but Billy had taken control of the other stable, and his son helped him with it. Because the other stable mostly housed working horses rather than riding horses, it was sometimes difficult for Laural to come up with a good excuse to go . . . hence the need for a disguise.
Peri had approached to the queen and king a few weeks ago and mentioned the possibility of training Laural as a sorceress. They had both been flabbergasted, not having realized their child had any potential of that sort, but he had pointed out several strange instances where Laural had done things that she shouldn’t have been able to. Loisette and Clarkent were still discussing the issue--a princess being a magic-user was something to give a person pause, after all--but Loisette had the feeling they would be agreeing to it soon.
“You should have never told them those stories about you sneaking out,” Clarkent suddenly murmured into his wife’s ear.
She rewarded his comment with a gentle elbow to the gut. Then she turned around and put her hands on her hips, giving her husband a venomless glare. “If she wants to play with her friend without being the source of gossip, who am I to stop her?”
The king just grinned at his wife. “I guess you can’t blame her for wanting to be like her mother. Her mother *is* a brilliant woman, after all.”
“And don’t you forget it,” she told him, hiding her own smile under a façade of sternness.
Clarkent pulled her to him and kissed her.
“I thought I told you two to stop that,” grumbled Gawain.
The king and queen slowly broke apart.
“Maybe one day you’ll understand when you’re in love,” Clarkent told him.
“Whatever,” Gawain muttered.
Loisette touched the pegasus necklace at her neck. She had the feeling that day would be coming soon for Gawain. His touchiness about his parents’ open displays of affection only seemed to indicate to his mother that he was already interested in a young lady. She had the feeling he was fighting against his own feelings . . . and failing.
She smiled to herself. Her son really *was* becoming a man.
****
Back at the castle, the royal children scattered. Loisette and Clarkent met with some of their advisors and then sat down to have a rare moment of blessed peace.
The serenity was soon broken by a child’s cry: “Look at this!”
Loisette and Clarkent stood and turned to see Ellena and Lois running toward them.
“Herbie made me a time-teller!” Ellena exclaimed, holding the device up in the air. The castle librarian had succeeded in making his personal time-teller years before, but he had sworn never to make another one. Obviously, he had been willing to break that vow for the second eldest of Loisette and Clarkent’s children. Ellena was, after all, his favorite, and she loved listening to his stories and marveling at his inventions. Little Lois often tagged along with her, much to Ellena’s annoyance.
“That’s impressive,” Clarkent told her, looking down at the device.
“I’m going to show it to James when he comes back from his visit with his parents,” Ellena proclaimed. Aliss had given both Ellena and Laural the ability to talk to animals, and James was a favorite companion of Ellena. Periodically, the Peregrine Falcon would go--with Aliss and Peri as translators--and visit his parents, and he seemed truly happy with his life.
About half a year before, Loisette had told Clarkent that she wondered if James and Ellena would fall in love and break the falcon’s spell, but he had laughed it off. Now, however, he wasn’t so sure. True love had been able to break the spell on Loisette’s clothing--could it also break a transformation spell? And if it did, would James appear as an old man? Clarkent had expressed his concerns to Peri, but the magician had just smiled and told him that if the spell was broken in such a fashion, love would take true love’s form. Clarkent had guessed that meant James would not only become human but also assume Ellena’s age--provided love *did* spring up between the two. When Loisette translated James’s conversation for Clarkent, the falcon had certainly seemed to act young despite his years, so his assuming a youthful form (again, if it *did* happen) wouldn’t be as strange as the fact that he was no longer a falcon. And as for the suitability of the match, well, James’s parents were Nobles, so there wasn’t anything to protest on that front. But Clarkent did think it weird that he could possibly have a falcon for a son-in-law.
“I want a time-teller,” pouted little Lois, her eyes filling with tears. “Make her give it to me!” Her face was turning red, and it was obvious she was on the verge of a temper tantrum.
Clarkent walked over and knelt on the ground, looking up at her. “Lois, Herbie gave that time-teller to Ellena, not you.”
“But I want one,” she sniffled.
“I know, Princess, and I’m sorry. But when someone gives a gift, it belongs to that person alone. You know that, don’t you, honey?”
Lois stared at her shoes. There was a small gray mouse nibbling at her right shoe, and she picked it up and looked at her father. The mouse was one of Robert Bigmouth’s many descendants, and he often managed to find Lois when she was sad.
“And besides,” her father continued gently, smiling at the mouse in her hands, “your grandparents give you gifts all the time. You wouldn’t like it if Grandmother gave you a special gift, and then I made you give it to Ellena.”
The little girl shook her head.
He hugged her, being careful not to disturb the mouse. It was sometimes difficult for Lois, as she was quite a bit younger than the rest of her siblings, but her grandparents made sure to spoil her to make up for it. Sometimes, however, she did need a little special attention. And since she was Daddy’s little girl, he always made sure to give it. He only worried that one day she would get the idea to go on adventures like her mother had--heaven help him if that day came. She was just as strong-willed as her mother, and he didn’t think he would be able to stop it.
****
Loisette watched with a smile as her husband interacted with their youngest child. She wished her own father had exhibited just some of the understanding that Clarkent seemed to have naturally. If her father had paid just a bit more attention to her and a bit less attention to the ghost of her mother, it would have made her feel so much better. Clarkent was such a good father. Her children were so fortunate to have him.
“Would you stop following me?” complained Gawain as he came up to his parents with Jerome tagging along behind him. “Mom, Dad, can you make him leave me alone?”
Before either Loisette or Clarkent could reply, a soft voice said, “Your Majesties,” and everyone turned to see the approach of one of the castle’s servants, Kline. He was wearing the same strange bow he always had pinned at the top of his tunic—Loisette had always meant to ask him why he wore it, but she had never gotten around to it. “There is someone requesting to see you,” Kline informed them. “She says she once knew a friend of yours.”
Clarkent nodded at the servant. “Please send her in.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Kline acknowledged before turning around and going back the way he had come. He was absentminded sometimes, and he had forgotten to bow. But he was a good man, and neither Loisette nor Clarkent minded when he forgot about formalities or left his post to look over some of Herbie’s inventions.
“Gawain, will you please go ride horses with me?” Jerome pleaded. He really admired his older brother . . . much to Gawain’s annoyance.
“Go ride horses by yourself,” the eldest prince said with narrowed eyes.
“Gawain,” Loisette said warningly.
“Oh, all right,” Gawain conceded, glowering at his mother.
“Can I come, too?” Ellena asked, turning her own doe eyes on Gawain.
“Me, too!” insisted little Lois. Though it made her parents a little nervous, she really liked riding High Flyer and Esroh Repus because they had once been ridden by her parents. They weren’t as young as they used to be--neither was Ellena’s favorite, Agides, for that matter--but they were still going strong.
“Why not?” said Gawain with a dramatic sigh. Mumbling something about babysitting not being part of a prince’s job description, he ushered his three siblings out of the room.
“We really need to work on his attitude,” Clarkent muttered as he watched them go.
“He’s just cranky because he hasn’t seen that Nobleman’s daughter in a while,” Loisette told him. “We should host a party soon. That will make him cheer up.”
****
When Kline entered, a young woman was with him. She had auburn hair and blue eyes, and she reminded Loisette of someone, though she wasn’t able to ascertain who.
The young woman curtseyed, and Kline introduced her: “This is Kitty, Your Majesties.”
“Hello, Kitty,” Loisette greeted. “Kline says you knew a friend of ours.”
The young lady smiled at her and gave a short bob of her head. “My mother used to be your lady-in-waiting, Your Majesty.”
Loisette gasped. For a few seconds, her composure was utterly gone. Finally, she managed, “Are you . . . Catherine’s daughter?”
“I am,” confirmed Kitty. “My mother spoke very highly of you, Your Majesty.”
Loisette glanced around hopefully. “She isn’t here, is she?”
Kitty looked down, her expression sorrowful. “No, Your Majesty. She passed a few weeks ago.”
Loisette was strickened, and Clarkent put a comforting arm around her.
“I’m so sorry,” Loisette whispered.
“Mother wanted to come see you, Your Majesty,” Kitty told her. “But a few months after my youngest brother was born, she became very sick. She survived the illness, but it left her weakened, and she was never strong enough to make the journey here. After she died, I told Father I wanted to come see you, and he agreed to come with me. He has family in the region.”
“Father?” Loisette asked, barely able to speak.
Kitty gave her a gentle smile. “I am under no delusions about the circumstances of my birth, Your Majesty. But when I was two, my mother married a widower named ‘Daniel’ who had a daughter, and he has been every bit the father to me. He loved my mother very much.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Loisette told her sincerely. “I had wondered all this time where Catherine was, how she was doing . . . . I would have gone to her if only I had known where she was.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Kitty said. “She did not wish to distract you from your commitments here. You have done a wonderful job of uniting the kingdoms . . . and in fighting for equality. Father has told me stories of how terrible the Assigning was, and I am so glad I was able to stay with him and Mother--I’m not sure Mother would have lived as long as she did if I hadn’t been able to stay at home and help her.”
“I’m glad she had you by her side,” Loisette told her, tears glimmering in her eyes. The Assigning had been so cruel to families--at least she and Clarkent had been able to stop it from hurting more families. The transition from the Assigning to paid voluntary servitude hadn’t been an easy one, but they had managed, and things were going a lot smoother now than they had initially.
“Our entire family is grateful to you,” Kitty said softly. “Father tells me the guards patrolling the united kingdom were once not so many in number as they are now--that it was once not as safe to venture outside. The people of Solaria owe you a great debt.”
“We have only been trying to help,” Clarkent told her, squeezing Loisette gently with his arm.
“Your mother was a great friend to me,” Loisette said. “I’ll never forget that.”
“I’m glad, Your Majesty,” Kitty replied with a smile.
“What are you going to do now?” Loisette asked her.
“In taking care of my mother, I learned a lot about medicine, Your Majesty,” Kitty noted, looking suddenly shy and almost unsure. “I would like to become an apothecary, but . . .”
“An apothecary?” Clarkent said, sounding surprised. “You’ve really learned that much?”
Kitty nodded. “I looked at a lot of books and talked to a lot of people. Now that things are better than they used to be, everyone has the chance to follow the path they want rather than the path that has been decided for them.”
Loisette smiled. “Well, I think we’re going to need a new apothecary at court soon,” she told Kitty. “Perhaps, if you are interested, you could fill the position?” Loisette was no fool--she knew that apothecaries were traditionally men. But she and Clarkent had been fighting bit by bit against some of the restrictions placed on women, and this would be another good step in the right direction. And if the court hired a female apothecary, perhaps others would see the example and follow it.
“I would like that, Your Majesty,” Kitty said, her eyes on the ground and her cheeks a little red.
Loisette broke away from her husband and enveloped the young woman in a hug. “Thank you for coming to see me. Whenever you’re ready for that position, please return. I’ll be holding it open for you.”
“Th-thank you, Your Majesty,” Kitty stuttered. “Goodbye, Your Majesties.” She curtseyed and then left the room.
Clarkent leaned down to gently kiss his wife. “You are the kindest woman I know.”
“I’m so glad to hear Catherine found happiness,” Loisette whispered, leaning forward into her husband’s chest.
He wrapped his arms around her. “I am, too.”
She looked up at him with a smile. “I love you, you know.”
“I know,” he murmured, lightly brushing his lips against her own.
She smiled against his mouth. “This is the part where you say you love me, too.”
He kissed her. “I adore you.” Another kiss. “I worship you.” Another one. “I idolize you.”
She laughed as he nuzzled her neck, and she tried to squirm away. “Those aren’t the words I’m looking for.”
He pinned her against him and lifted his mouth to her ear. “I love you so much, dear queen,” he whispered. “And I always will. I love you more every day--every time I see one of our children or hear your voice, I fall in love with you over again.”
“And I love you, my dear king,” she told him. And then she brought his head down and kissed him.
