Julian walked to the end of the bridge, following Gerda’s footsteps exactly with his [Tracking] skill.

  He stopped where she’d disappeared.

  There was a faint smell of pine trees and honey and lemon. Or maybe it was his imagination clinging to the last time he’d held her.

  Knowing it would be the last time made it hard to breathe, so he turned his mind elsewhere.

  He sat down on the bridge and waited.

  He waited as the sun crossed the western horizon.

  He waited while the cold sea wind cut at his face and pulled at his hair.

  He waited until the first star appeared overhead. The north star.

  He waited… and still she was gone.

  When she’d walked away, he hadn’t had the heart to say goodbye. He didn’t want to hear it and he didn’t want to say it. He couldn’t even write it in a letter.

  The greatest gift she could have left behind was her last, “I’m ready.”

  Because he wasn’t ready to live without her… not yet.

  But knowing that she was ready, made it almost bearable.

  He waited and he closed his eyes and he lied to himself.

  He wasn’t waiting for her.

  He was just waiting for this feeling to pass.

  “Julian?” Arms wrapped around him from behind, and he broke.

  “You came back.” He reached up and pulled her around and into his lap, burying his face into her hair so she couldn’t see his eyes.

  “I did.”

  Her hands were warm. They found his.

  “Julian?”

  “Hm?”

  “I love you too.”

  “I know.” He smiled.

  “Your armor is poking me, and you’re freezing cold.” She stated, matter of fact.

  “Sorry.” He pulled back and kissed her cheek. “Shall we?”

  She smiled and portalled them away.

  …

  “I don’t know how I feel about this…” Julian held Gerda’s hand as Their Royal Highness positively vibrated in excitement at the gift of a certain Master of the Blackfog Spies.

  The second word had travelled that Guild Mistress Alice was defeated and the Blackfog Spies were no more, a very strong but polite request had come from Peldeep regarding the celestials capture.

  And since Calisto was beside herself and busy planning an even bigger Fall Ball to celebrate the return of her prodigal son, she’d been all too willing to move the celestial elsewhere.

  Which Gerda had kindly volunteered to arrange.

  It had taken the better part of ten minutes between landing in Peldeep, meeting Knight Commander Bastian, and being escorted to the Emerald Palace. Their other party members were being met with a lavish welcome in a palace room, with the best food, drink and a pile of gold each.

  The reward for taking down Alice was generous, and the only reason John was here instead of already enjoying his early retirement.

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  Julian and Gerda were the only ones permitted to go into Rowen’s inner palace and hand over the celestial herself.

  “She already escaped your underground security.” The troll pointed out. “And you have to admit; Rowen has probably suffered the most by her hands. They should have the right to her sentence.”

  He would’ve argued, but she was right.

  They were still repairing sections of the burnt down palace from the celestial’s attack before the Summer Solstice - though it looked like it was almost done.

  “Thank you, both of you.” Rowen swept over to take up Gerda’s hands. “I can finally sleep in peace again, knowing this is finally over.”

  “You're welcome.” Gerda said.

  “As long as it is over.” Julian grumbled.

  “Oh, it is.” The fox smiled, showing all of their teeth.

  They released Gerda’s hands and snapped a finger. Knight Commander Bastian stepped forward with a medium sized wooden box in hand. It was short, but wide enough to fit in the drakin’s arms.

  “And now, my friends, since you’ve brought me what I most desired, I’ve prepared a few thank you gifts!”

  “Oh?” Gerda’s excitement was palpable, though Julian hesitated, uncertain what the fox had up their sleeves.

  Bastian offered the box to Gerda.

  “Open it!” Rowen urged.

  She unhooked the latch and peeked inside. And then she gasped.

  “Is that GoldLeaf Grand? And Nettle from Moondew Meadow? Wait! Powdered Markle Berry!” His troll was beside herself, beaming up at the fox with shining eyes over a case of the most rare teas on the continent. “Your Highness, this is… I don’t know what to say?”

  “Say you like it.” Rowen instructed.

  Gerda closed the box with care, and then took it into her arms lovingly. “I love it.”

  “Good,” The fox nodded and then raised an eyebrow at Julian. “Now, am I to assume that you will finally be stepping up as the Grand Duke of North Sumbria and letting your mother retire?”

  “That is the plan.” Julian admitted. His mother was even talking about doing it at the Fall Ball, which was only three weeks away.

  “Then I think it is time I gave you this.”

  Bastian brought forward a silver tray with a white silk cloth draped over the gift.

  Julian’s hands were shaking when he lifted his father’s ducal coronet, one he’d only seen in portrait.

  It was fashioned into bimbleberry leaves shaped from burnished orichalcum and in the center of each leaf was a mithril snowflake that shone from the small moonstones imbedded on each point.

  “How…”

  “I visited your father before the last stand… before he passed.” Rowen explained softly. The fox reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “And I want you to know– He would be proud of you, Julian.”

  The slip of formal title only made the words hit harder.

  “Does my mother know you had this?” Julian asked, ignoring the ache in his chest that threatened to bring back all of his long forgotten grief.

  “She knows I’ve kept safe many things for you father.” Rowen smiled. “Things he gave me before his final confrontation with Sumbria.”

  “Like what–”

  Rowen listed on their fingers.

  “Treasure enough to cover North Sumbria’s budget for a year in the case of financial troubles, anniversary presents for your mother - he had a hundred years of presents prepared, can you imagine?” Rowen shook their head, amused. Then continued, “He gave me the amulet you are wearing now, for your coming of age. I also have wedding presents— Julia already got hers — and presents for your children, should you have them.”

  “But… why?” He didn’t understand why his father hadn’t just left everything to him from the get go; why he’d needed to leave it with someone from another kingdom altogether.

  “It was a terrible battle, but he was fighting for you and your future…” Their smile slipped. “A future he didn’t know if he was going to get to see. So he wanted someone to remind his family that he loved them– that he loved you. That he wanted to be there for you, all throughout your life… even if he never came home.”

  The words brought Julian to tears more than the gifts.

  Gerda put a hand on his arm, reassuring. It steadied him.

  Rowen eyed the pair of them, “There is one more thing.”

  Julian shot the fox a look, he didn’t think he could handle any more surprises today. “Oh?”

  Another tray appeared in Rowen’s hand, as if by magic.

  “Forgive me, I know I shouldn’t have. But–” They pulled off the cover and revealed a smaller matching circlet to Julians, but with nettle frame leaves to mount the snowflakes and moonstones. “I’ve had a matching coronet prepared specially for you, Miss Gerda.”