Epilogue

ROSE

~100 years later~

The barren land was coated in a thick layer of fresh snow that glistened in the moonlight. It was very early in the evening.

The sun had barely set. I found myself gazing out the window, watching the snowfall, lacing my boots while I prepared to go hunting.

“Grandmother Rose!”

I turned just in time to see the young pureblood princess hurtling toward me. She slammed against my body, grabbing my hands and dragging me toward the door.

“I’m coming with you!” she announced.

I smiled, remembering my own children were always early risers as well. I spun her around, pushed the dark curls out of her blue-green eyes, and kissed her small nose.

She giggled. She really was the spitting image of her mother.

“Good evening, Valentina. Are your parents awake?” I asked her.

She squirmed in my arms, eager to get outside. “Yes, they’re dealing with Viggo.” She rolled her eyes. “He won’t stop crying.”

“Well, he is only ten years old,” I reminded her. The ninety-seven-year-old pureblood before me rolled her eyes again. Preteens.

“Can we hunt elk?” she asked me eagerly.

“It is the right season for elk,” I agreed. “Let’s see what we can find!”

I took her hand and led her out into the dusk. She raced forward, disappearing into the icy landscape. I launched myself behind her.

***

Valentina and I arrived back at the cathedral with two elk and two snow rabbits, one of which she had almost half drained. Her dress was coated in blood.

We entered the cathedral swiftly, and Valentina ran toward her parents, waving the rabbits at them.

“I caught them both!” she informed them.

Aric glanced up at me, a twinkle of pride in his eyes. Eleanor had little Viggo on her hip. She looked tired.

Viggo was still breastfeeding and draining her blood daily, but her eyes shone with joy when she saw her daughter bounding toward her.

“Delicious!” Aric announced. “Do you mind giving one to Mother?” he asked.

Valentina looked at him gravely and immediately handed the rabbits to Eleanor.

“I caught them especially for her, Father,” she told him seriously. “They’re her favorite for Christmas.”

“Thank you, darling,” Eleanor breathed, stroking her daughter’s dark hair.

“Have David and Phoenix arrived?” I asked, removing my wet boots.

“Yes, they just got in earlier. We’re also expecting Elizabeth and Damon this year, remember,” Aric said gently, taking his son from Eleanor’s arms and cradling him in his arms.

Viggo stared around with his big sapphire-blue eyes, his dark hair curled at the crown of his little head.

Aric drank some rabbit blood into his little mouth. He lapped it up greedily, his eyes turning dark crimson.

“Of course,” I murmured. “They’re on their way?”

“Yes, they called while you were out,” Eleanor answered, straightening her dress and downing a pitcher of AB negative.

She gave me a bloody grin when she finished. Aric watched her wide-eyed.

“Mother!”

I turned to see Phoenix running up the stairs toward me. Her bright red hair trailed down her back. She wore a long white 1920s gown cinched at her waist.

“Phoenix.” I wrapped her tightly in my arms.

“Hello, Rose.”

I glanced up as David spoke. He grinned at me. In his arms, he held my other grandchild, little Mia, already fifty years old, who had inherited her mother’s chaotic red curls and her father’s opal eyes.

I hugged them both warmly.

“Can Mia and I go play?” Valentina asked, staring up at her uncle with wide eyes.

“Yes, I want to play!” Mia informed us, baring her little fangs.

David pursed his lips but set his daughter down next to her cousin. Mia and Valentina ran off hand in hand downstairs to their playroom.

Phoenix was cooing over little Viggo in Aric’s arms as Eleanor and her brother started hauling wine casks full of blood up to the table.

“My love,” I heard a husky voice in my ear and Demetrius’s arms wrapped around my waist. I leaned back against his solid frame and felt him kissing my throat lightly.

“Good evening,” I breathed.

“I was waiting for breakfast in bed,” he reminded me with a small nip.

I tried not to yelp in front of my children and grandchildren. I spun in his arms. His moss-green eyes blazed.

“I’ll make it up to you,” I assured him. A breathtaking smile tugged at the edges of his lips, and he dipped his head to gently capture my lips.

I ran my fingers through his hair, gently tugging him closer. He let out a little growl, and I felt my body melt against his.

“Venus! Henry!” Phoenix called. I broke away from my husband to see Venus and Henry pushing the cathedral’s large doors open and swooping inside, followed by a heavy gush of snowy wind.

Venus and Phoenix ran to each other and hugged tightly. Venus and Henry were newlyweds. They had taken their time, and we hadn’t seen them since their wedding five years ago.

Venus now sported her strawberry-blonde curls in a short bob and wore modern clothes. Henry, beside her, wore even more black than he did before.

I watched, with Demetrius’s arms around me, as our children embraced. I cooed over the children and laughed when Mia and Valentina appeared crawling down from the ceiling to attack their aunt and uncle.

In the heat of the moment, I noticed Eleanor waving us over to the table. Demetrius’s fingers played gently against my skin, under my shirt, as he guided me to the table.

Eleanor sat beside Aric, holding Viggo on his lap. Phoenix and David sat side by side. Valentina and Mia sat together, whispering.

Venus and Henry sat beside me. Venus rested her head gently on my shoulder, and I smiled.

Eleanor stood, holding her glass up. We all raised our glasses. “This year marks one hundred years,” Eleanor began. “It’s been a wild ride.”

She grinned at David, who rolled his eyes at her.

“But mostly, it’s been love, family, and trust. And I thank you. To another hundred years. To peace. Long live the Ravn family, long live the Mcnoxnoctis family!”

We all let out a cheer and clashed our glasses together before downing our drinks. I knew that Eleanor had been nervous about today, though she hid it well.

I had overheard her discussing it with Aric. Tonight, both the Night family and Demetrius’s parents would be able to return to pureblood society.

We hadn’t heard a peep from either over the years. Aric was wary of Alexander. Eleanor was more concerned with Elizabeth and of the way she had treated David.

Only time would tell, but I knew that whatever either decided to throw at us, we’d take it as a family.

We were sampling the second cask of AB negative and B positive when the cathedral doors swung open again.

Eleanor was immediately at the entrance, standing in the snowfall, watching the two figures shuffling inside. They were elegantly dressed in last century’s clothes.

Elizabeth wore her long hair in a twist. Damon held her hand, his moss-green eyes appraising us.

“Elizabeth, Damon,” Eleanor greeted them. “Please, join us.” She waved them in.

“Father, Mother.” Demetrius stood, placed a hand on my shoulder, then moved away to greet them.

Elizabeth was concentrated on Eleanor. She grasped her hand then I watched her slowly kneel. Eleanor gazed down at her.

“My allegiance, my queen,” Elizabeth breathed. When she looked back up, her eyes were rimmed with tears. “And my apologies. I am truly, sincerely sorry.”

She glanced around suddenly, and her eyes came to rest on David. He stared back at her, his expression empty. “Truly sorry, David,” Elizabeth repeated.

“Thank you,” Eleanor whispered, reaching down and pulling Elizabeth to her feet.

“We accept your apology,” David said as he reached Eleanor’s side. The two royal Ravn siblings gazed down at Elizabeth.

“I am grateful,” Elizabeth answered. “I heard that I might have great-grandchildren?” Her voice was heavy with emotion. Eleanor cracked a small smile.

“Mia, Valentina, come and meet your great-grandparents.” She waved the two princesses over. The girls went running to meet them.

“Is she the one who kept trying to kill you, Mother?” Valentina asked.

“She is.” Eleanor grinned.

Elizabeth’s tears finally overflowed, and she reached her arms out to embrace the two girls. She stroked Mia’s chaotic red hair and awed at Valentina’s opal eyes.

Meanwhile, Aric approached with Viggo, and Elizabeth couldn’t control her emotions any longer. She burst into tears.

I noticed Damon holding himself stiffly to one side, watching his wife weep with joy and regret.

If I didn’t know him better, I would have thought he wasn’t feeling the same, but the red-rimmed eyes and clenched fists told me he felt the same as her.

When Mia approached him, he kneeled and hugged her to his chest until she squealed to be released.

When the introductions were over, they were seated at the table, and Eleanor served them a large glass each.

“Long live the queen!” Elizabeth raised her glass, and we all downed our drinks again.

***

When the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon, Aric took the children downstairs and tucked them into bed. We all listened, smiling as he sang them individual songs and kissed them gently.

When he returned, he wrapped himself around Eleanor and held her tightly. Her eyes were heavy with sleep. I remembered clearly the fatigue of breastfeeding.

Henry and David were deep in discussion with Damon about the latest business trends, though David kept veering the conversation toward the importance of education.

Venus and Phoenix were sitting side by side, their long legs folding under them, staring at the fire as Venus told her twin about her latest adventures.

Eleanor and Aric were mumbling sweet nothings to each other and kissing gently.

Elizabeth placed her hand on mine, and I glanced into her eyes. She pursed her lips, then smiled at me.

“I forgive you as well,” I told her. She sighed, and her smile widened.

“You always were an impressive pureblood, Rose,” she acknowledged. She glanced around at my family.

“They’re all so beautiful. The children… I wish I had had the same instinct as you. I wish perhaps Romulus could have been here with us.”

“Perhaps my mother could have been here as well,” I murmured. “Had we all not abandoned her to her folly. But that’s the past. Lucius is the past. We still have a long future ahead of us.”

Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

“My love.” I glanced up at Demetrius, who was holding his hand out for me. I took it, and he gently guided me up into his arms. “Shall we retire for the day?” he asked.

I smiled at him. “Don’t worry, my dear, they will all be here tomorrow evening,” he reminded me. And I felt my heart beat once.

“Forever.”

^The End^