As I absorb bits and pieces of what the doctors and nurses say, a movie plays in my mind.
Our entire story unfolds: when he kidnapped me on Vicenzzo’s yacht, my crazy marriage proposal, the love and trust that was built between us, and also, of course, because life isn’t made only of happy days, the memory of how my husband suffered as a child.
He is a survivor. He had to fight monsters alone and defeated them—both the real ones, made of flesh and bone, and those that hid inside his mind.
My personal hero. My love.
I watch him gaze in fascination at our daughter, whom the nurse has just placed in his arms.
“Come here,” I call.
When he embraces me, cradling my body and our little girl, I give thanks for the blessing of having my family.
“I didn’t think I could love you more than I already did, duchess, but you always surprise me,” he says, gently strokingSkye’s cheek with his knuckle. “I’ll protect you, my daughter. Daddy will always be part of your life.”
“We’ll be by her side, Rodrick. Always together, and always by her side.”
Epilogue 2
Eight Years Later
I stare at the late-summer landscape, thinking that in a few days we won’t be able to stay outdoors anymore.
Our two dogs run around happily, occasionally fighting over a stick they both want, while my daughter laughs at their clumsiness.
She looks just like me, red-haired and blue-eyed, except for her temperament, which is entirely Jazmina’s. But in appearance, all three of my children take after me, which makes them stand out even more whenever they go to Rheadur.
Kaled managed not only to punish those responsible for the attack against Jazmina, but after a few years, he also crushed the remaining rebels with an iron hand, putting an end to the wave of insurgency.
Even so, I don’t feel comfortable when our children go there on vacation. Although most of the country accepts our union and sees them as legitimate royalty, I believe there are still people who judge my wife as a rebellious princess who defied their beliefs by marrying a foreigner.
She told me that here in Scotland she used to feel the same way, but that in recent times, people have begun treating her as an equal.
They didn’t stand a chance against her charisma. Jazmina is strong and gentle at the same time. She knows how to assert herself and never allows anyone to mistreat her.
“Grandpa Athol, these dogs are crazy.”
Skye is sitting on a garden bench with my middle child, Magnus, beside Athol, who can barely stand these days but loves the time he spends with my children.
My former guardian whispers something, and Skye’s laughter grows louder. The sound of my children’s laughter brings me peace, gives me the certainty that I made it. I have the woman I love and three happy, protected children by my side.
I remember the day my firstborn was born as if it were yesterday.
I was terrified. While my daughter was still in her mother’s womb, not so much, but bringing someone into this fucked-up world was frightening.
When Skye was born, I had already been in therapy for a few months. I was discharged years ago, but back then, I still had many issues to deal with.
The main one was understanding that, no matter how much I wish it, I don’t have the power to shield them from everything, but I can make sure they know how loved they are, how every single breath they take makes my own possible.
“Can I wear my kilt in Rheadur?” Skye asks, coming closer when she sees me.
“Hm, I think it’s better not to, sweetheart. Remember what Mommy explained to you? In Rheadur, customs are different. Women don’t walk around with their legs exposed.”
“I’m not a woman. I’m Daddy’s little girl,” Skye says, full of charm and in that way that wraps me around her finger in the blink of an eye.
“Yes, you are, but rules are rules, and even if you’re just a little girl, in Rheadur it’s not allowed for girls or women to walk around with their legs uncovered.”
“What if I wear a sheer skirt? My legs would be covered, but like the dancers, with veils,” she says, lifting her arms and imitating belly-dancing steps that Jazmina probably taught her. “Mommy said we’re both princesses of a thousand and one nights.”