Page 170 of Treasured

Next to her was a tall, redheaded elf wearing a forest green tunic and matching leggings. Flowers were woven through her hair to form a crown, and tattoos covered her entire body. The green swirls and whorls started at her neck and made their way down to her bare feet.

“Balance,” someone whispered.

“The High Ladies,” another said in awe.

“Mommy!” Arabella yelled.

Darting away from her father, the young elf ran towards the dais. Before she could get there, however, another redhead stepped out of the crowd and grabbed her. The gangly boy was a teenager, his pointed ears and red hair matching his mother’s.

The High Lady of Life smiled at them before addressing the crowd. “Welcome all, to Ithenmyr. For many of you, this is likely the first time you’ve been to our country since… well, you know.”

Chuckles rose throughout the room. Everyone knew about the broken balance. The Battle of Balance had been a turning point for the Four Kingdoms. The fight against the darkness had been difficult, and many lives had been lost, but in the end, balance had been restored.

She resumed, “Tonight, we are here…”

The two elves on the stage continued to address the crowd as I turned to Luna. Pulling her against me, I nuzzled my nose against her hair.

I’m so proud of you, I whispered through the bond.

She looked up, her black eyes meeting mine. Do you think my father would approve?

I kissed her softly. Of course.

Luna smiled, unshed red tears swimming in her eyes. I miss them, Sebastian. Even now.

I know. I held her close. But we’re making our own family now.

We might not have had any biological children, but we had an entire country under our care. Not to mention Arabella and her family. Luna had forged a strong friendship with the child’s mother in the time before the last battle, and it had withstood the test of time.

I didn’t know what the next years would hold, but I was confident that whatever came our way, we would tackle it together.

When Luna was with me, the darkness didn’t exist. She shone a light into my life that was unparalleled, and I loved her for it.

She was mine, and I was hers.

Forever.

The End