Shadows Of Desire
Epilogue

Rowan fidgeted nervously as Aidan, his steward, helped him dress. His fingers twisted in the fabric of his royal attire, worry etched in the furrow of his brow, anxiety threading every movement.

“Aidan,” Rowan sighed. “I’m going to make a fool of myself in front of the entire Kingdom.”

Aidan offered a reassuring smile. His hands deftly arranging Rowan’s cloak, pinning it closed with the royal crest. “You’ll do wonderfully, your highness. I have complete faith in you.”

Rowan was ready, save for one last piece to complete the ensemble. Reaching behind him, to Rowan’s vanity, Aidan picked up Rowan’s gilded, ceremonial crown and placed it securely atop Rowan’s head. He took a step back and admired his work. “You look beautiful, your majesty.” Aidan complemented him softly.

To Aidan’s astonishment, Rowan pulled him into an unexpected embrace, gratitude evident in the gesture. They held each other briefly, a silent exchange of reassurance passed between them. In the weeks following Caroline’s fall, Rowan and Aidan had become fast friends. Though Aidan was a servant, Rowan thought of him more as a brother, and Aidan in return was completely devoted to Rowan. Rowan was thankful for Aidan’s help and companionship. Honestly, he didn’t think he could get through the day without him.

The heartfelt moment between them was interrupted when Tally, Rowan’s vivacious daughter, carefree and covered head to toe in mud, came running into the room. Her nurse followed after, flustered and attempting to corral the spirited child into a bath. Amusement danced in Rowan’s eyes as he laughed at the sight of her. “My word, does one suppose there might be a small child under all this mud, or am I looking at an Imp?”

“It’s me, Papa, It’s me!” Tally shouted while giggling as she spun in circles.

“The child is incorrigible!” The nurse panted. “I’ve chased her half way across the Kingdom and she eludes me at every turn!”

Rowan chuckled then put a finger to his chin as he looked at his daughter. “Hm. Tally, my love, if you go with nurse and get cleaned up, I’ll make sure you have a sweet before bed but you mustn’t tell your father. You know how he feels about that.”

Tally rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “Fruits and vegetables are a far better snack than candy.”

Rowan smirked. “Well, that can be his little secret. “Now, go on. You want to look your best for this afternoon don’t you.”

Tally nodded, giggling mischievously as she skipped off with the nurse, leaving Rowan and Aidan alone once more.

“I’ve never been so nervous in all my life.” Rowan confessed as he looked himself over in the mirror. “Most of my life I’ve been invisible. No one cared what I did. Most people overlooked me. Now, I’m going to be standing before the entire Kingdom, all eyes on Thaden and myself. Today is so important, I just don’t want to mess it up. I’m scared that I will say something or do something that will embarrass Thaden in front of everyone. Even his father will be there! All of our friends and family. What if I let him down?”

“Rowan please, calm down.” Aidan rubbed circles on Rowan’s back, attempting to ease his stress. Rowan had tears in his eyes and seemed on the verge of hyperventilating. “Getting all worked up isn’t going help matters and it’s not good for the baby.”

Rowan touched his stomach at the mention of his unborn child. The bump under his tunic only slightly larger now and still mostly unnoticed by others. Rowan took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves the best he could.

“Here, sit.” Aidan brought Rowan a cup of herbal tea. “This will help to calm your nerves, now drink.”

Rowan did as he was told, and took a couple slow sips from the cup. It was delicious, sweet, and with a pleasant aroma. He soon began to feel better, more at ease. His anxiety had almost gone and for the first time today he felt as if he might actually get through the ceremony without vomiting, or fainting, or both.

The time had finally come and Rowan followed Aidan out of his chambers and into the well lit corridor. “Deep breaths.” Aidan whispered, giving Rowan a reassuring smile. “You can do this.”

Rowan nodded, repeating to himself I can do this, as though it were his mantra. Aidan stayed at his side until they had reached the large, double doors of the great hall.

Outside the great hall, Thaden waited. Tomag stood beside him but when he saw Rowan, he smiled, gave Thaden a quick pat on the shoulder, then disappeared inside. Riona had already left, returning to Pickaway village. Dalyor of course stayed behind as he was now mated to Nasir and they planned to marry once they returned to Rosegate. Tomag had planned to return with Riona but then Thaden had asked him to stay on as his advisor and Tomag accepted. He and Thaden had become good friends during their time together and Rowan honestly thought Tomag was relieved when asked to stay.

Thaden had barely noticed Tomag leave his side though. His attention was on the radiant beauty walking toward him. Thaden’s eyes brightened at the sight of Rowan approaching. The two embraced warmly and Thaden stared lovingly into Rowan’s eyes. Rowan was a sight in his ceremonial garb and the crown upon his head was a fitting addition. Thaden’s eyes trailed down the length of Rowan’s body and rested upon the barely visible bump. Their secret little treasure. Only a handful of people knew of Rowan’s pregnancy. He and Thaden wanted to wait before going public with the news. For now, it was their secret to share when they were ready.

Thaden smiled at Rowan and kissed his hands. “Rowan, are you sure about this?” He asked, a sliver of doubt reflected in his amber eyes.

“I’ve never been more certain of anything.” Rowan told him, a serene determination settled within him. “I was never meant to be King. I am content just to stand at your side as your Queen.”

“You know none of this means anything to me without you. The crown, the throne, none of it matters to me without you. All I need, all I have ever wanted was your love.”

Rowan’s eyes lit up and he smiled, looking up at Thaden. “And you have it, as surely as you have my heart.” Rowan placed a soft kiss on Thaden’s lips then, taking his hand in his, led him into the great hall.

All around them sat a great number of people. People from all classes and ranks. Each of them present to witness the ceremony that was soon to take place. Nearly all of Basmorte had shown up for the event, along with a few nobles from the neighboring realms. Thaden’s family sat in the front, near that dais. Lierin and his fiance clasped hands and Lierin smiled proudly when he saw his brother walking toward them.

Thaden’s father wasn’t as enthusiastic. Although he accepted Rowan as Thaden’s choice, he still wasn’t thrilled over the idea of his son being mated to someone who had vampire blood coursing through their veins. Thaden had hope tough that his father’s heart would soften when he learned of Rowan’s pregnancy.

Rowan led Thaden to a gilded throne that sat at the very front of the room atop a raised dais. Thaden sat and Rowan stood at his side. As the Bishop stepped forward, speaking of duty and honor, Thaden looked out over the sea of faces staring back at him. He had never imagined himself as King but sitting there now, with Rowan at his side, he knew this had always been his destiny. It wasn’t about ruling or even holding an official title. His destiny had always been Rowan. He was made to stand at his side just as Rowan was made to stand by Thaden.

Their shared strengths, dreams, and compassion would rule Basmorte, ushering in a new era of peace and harmony. Thaden accepted this new role and the responsibilities that came with it as he accepted Rowan and his love. The Bishop finished his speech and addressed Thaden, asking if he agreed to uphold the declarations outlined in the Bishop’s speech. Thaden agreed. Rowan squeezed his hand, letting him know that he was there and that he approved. The Bishop then ceremoniously placed a crown of gold upon his head and named him King of Basmorte and all her lands and people.

Thaden stood, pulling Rowan to him, and the Bishop introduced Basmorte to their new King and Queen. A chorus of “long live the King and Queen” erupted from the crowd. Tally who sat next to Lierin, jumped up excitedly, clapping her hands. The tiny Princess was fashioned with her own regal gown of soft blue and white lace. A bejeweled tiara rested upon her head.

When the commotion had died down, Thaden took the opportunity to address the Kingdom. “Good people of Basmorte. As my first official act as King, I make a proclamation that, from this day forward, no man, woman, or child shall be held in bondage. Basmorte will never again benefit from the products of forced labor. Every man’s life is his own.”

A silence had fallen over the hall, broken moments later by the sounds of hushed whispers. Tears of joy were shed and once the initial shock wore off, the Kingdom rejoiced. Plans would need to be made in the future, lands and compensation would be given to those most effected by Desmond and Caroline’s treachery. Thaden had promised Rowan to help any former slave who wished to stay in Basmorte and to give a generous sum to those who wished to start a new life elsewhere.

As it turned out, Basmorte wasn’t as bad off financially as Rowan had been led to believe. Desmond and Caroline had amassed quite a large fortune but had kept it for themselves, using it to fund their lavish life style while the people of Basmorte suffered. Rowan had taken inventory of their holdings and already had plans to fix the streets which were crumbling away. He also wanted to build a new cathedral for the people with a new orphanage on the same land. More housing would also need to be built to reduce the number of homeless in Basmorte.

Food was to be distributed to those who had none, or very little, and Thaden planned to issue grants to local business owners and farmers. Once the city was taken care of, Rowan planned to turn his attention to the Palace itself. First he planned to expand the royal gardens and make them available for all to enjoy. After that, he planned to tackle the interior of the castle. It was time to be rid of all the dark tapestries with their gruesome depictions and bring in some art work that was more pleasing to look at. As he’d told Thaden, it was time to bring Basmorte out of the dark ages.

All of this planning would have to wait though as Thaden had one last thing he needed to do. Something, he felt, that was more important than anything he had ever done in his life. Turning to Rowan, Thaden took his hands in his own and stared into his beautiful emerald orbs.

“Rowan,” He said with a quivering voice, his eyes alight with such love for the man in front of him that he could barely breath. Just being in Rowan’s presence was like being held within a cocoon of warmth and safety, sheltered from the rest of the world where only the two of them existed together in blissful harmony.

“Deep in the shadows of the night, under the watchful eye of the Goddess, you and I spoke vows, promising to love and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. We created an unbreakable bond, strengthened only by our love and pledged our love to each other through good times and bad, in sickness and in health for as long as we live. Now, I want to repeat those vows before our friends and family. I want the entire Kingdom to bear witness to our love and bond. I want it known to all that you are my mate, my other half, my very reason for being.” Rowan watched, with tears in his eyes, as Thaden went down on one knee and then presented Rowan with a gold wedding band.

Holding the ring up he asked the most important Question of his life. “Will you, Rowan Elias Alexander Rochfort Dacaryn, Queen of Basmorte, accept me as your bonded mate, your guiding light in the darkness, and the warming comfort in the cold of night? In return, I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against all odds, to hold you in your time of need, and to cherish you every moment of every day until the end of time.”

Rowan, unable to speak nodded, tears of joy flowed freely from his eyes and once he’d managed to replace his voice again he whispered in a tiny voice filled with emotion, “I will.”

Thaden then placed the ring on Rowan’s finger and stood, holding both of Rowan’s hands in his, said,

“Rowan, you are everything that I have ever dreamed of and everything that I will ever need. Our love was written in the stars. Today, I vow to be here with you, for you. To honor and love you, now and forever.”

“And I you.” Rowan whispered through his tears, his smile lit the room brighter than any candle could as he looked deep into Thaden’s eyes. “I will love you, honor you, and cherish every moment with you, for all the rest of my days. I vow to be here with you, for you, now and forever.”

The room filled with loud cheers and applause as Thaden and Rowan shared a tender kiss, sealing their love and marking a new chapter of unity, freedom, and unending devotion.

The End