His smile is blindingly beautiful as he strokes his thumbs over my cheeks. “Me too, my precious little rose. Me too.”
Epilogue
A few months later
Julian
Ilook over at my smiling queen with her dark crown atop her red curls. She's never been more beautiful.
She's glowing as she sits on the throne next to me. Our hands are entwined, and my heart is overflowing.
Our subjects here in the Nether World already love her, which is no surprise. It's hard for anyone not to love her.
My eyes flick down to her belly. She’s not showing yet, but she's pregnant already with my child. I can't wait to start our very own family together.
I glance over at my seer, who has tears shimmering in her wizened old eyes. She smiles her signature snaggletooth smile at me, and I grin back at her.
It turns out Glenda’s vision was correct, but what she failed to mention was that all she saw was Amelia sitting upon the Nether World throne. She didn't see me too, so she interpreted that as me ascending and Amelia being left behind.
That's not what happened, though. I chose to stay with Amelia.
But, of course, the Celestial Realm couldn't be without a ruler. Well, it turns out there was an easy solution to that.
My brother Michael.
He always wanted to return to the Celestial Realm, so I named him ruler in my stead. We came to a tenable peace. I can’t exactly say I forgive him for threatening the most important thing in my universe, but we're not at war with one another either. He did apologize for his behavior.
I nod to everyone as they form a line and come up to bow to their new queen. Many kiss the ring on her finger reverently.
It's been a long time since there's been a queen in this Nether World, and that, I feel, will make all the difference.
I've come to realize since Amelia has been here that the creatures down here get a bad rep. They're really not so different from those of us from the Celestial Realm. They're just misunderstood, and Amelia sees that. She doesn't judge them or treat them unkindly.
No, she extends a forgiving grace to all of them and inspires them to be better. I think that's part of why they love her so much.
That and for her sassy little tongue. The men on my council love nothing more than when my wife gets right with me and puts me in my place. Perhaps because she's the only one who can do that and get away with it. I'm sure some kings would say it's bad taste for a king to let his wife speak as openly as I do Amelia, but fuck what they say.
I encourage her to speak her mind and to be involved with everything that goes on in our kingdom. I daresay she has captured the hearts of our subjects so thoroughly that were she to plan a coup to completely overthrow me she'd be immensely successful. They’d definitely choose her over me any day, and I don't resent her for that. It only makes me love her more. Hell, I’d choose her over me any day.
I suffer through as much as the coronation festivities as I can. I don't want to begrudge my subjects their time with their new queen. It’s their day too, but finally I can take it no more and must have my wife to myself.
I bid everyone good night before I wrap Amelia in my wings and transport her to our bedroom.
“I can walk, you know,” she teases me gently as I pick her up and carry her to the bed.
“Not while you're carrying my child.” I tell her with a smile of my own. Yes, I know Amelia is perfectly capable of walking, but now that she's pregnant, I transport her everywhere and carry her as often as I can. Not only do I not want to chance anything happening to our child, but I love the excuse to wrap her up in my wings and take her with me everywhere. Some people might say it's a bit much, but I never let her out of my sight. I'm even more obsessive than I was before when I used to watch over her in her human world. But, fuck, how can I help it when she's the air that I breathe?
“Let me worship you, my queen,” I tell her as I trail kisses down her neck.
She arches her neck up to me in offering. “But what if I want to worship you?” she retorts saucily as her fingers move to the laces of my breeches.
I groan. I love nothing more than the way my wife worships me, but this night isn't about me. It's about her.
I grab her hands and pin them above her head as I drink from her lips greedily, kissing her into submission until I feel her body melt underneath mine.
“There'll be plenty of time for that later,” I growl at her. “For now, I want to drink my sweet queen's nectar.”
Amelia’s eyes flutter closed as I reach my destination and lap up the sweet honey between her thighs. She's falling apart on my tongue in no time.