The weeks turned into months as Estelle slowly readjusted to normal life. Her mother was staying at the Palace with them, helping Estelle prepare a room for the baby and simply looking after her when Mikael was busy. When her mother wasn't around, Estelle was accompanied by Sienna and Celeste, who could hardly be persuaded to leave her side.

    Only a few times had she dreamed that she was back in Melantha's dungeons. Mikael always woke her before the dreams worsened, and held her as he reminded her of where she was and who she was with. Estelle hadn't dreamed about Ze'ev once since being captured by Melantha. She hoped that meant the nightmares were gone for good.

    Wholesome food, plenty of rest, and an abundance of care was proving beneficial for both Estelle and the baby, which was now making itself known. Already, her scent had changed and her stomach was noticeably rounded. Not as noticeably as Venelia's though. Estelle had no idea how her friend could even walk without the weight of wings to balance herself with. Estelle was finding that very handy when it came to going up and down stairs.

    Estelle couldn't help but feel a little smothered at times. Between Mikael, Celeste, Sienna, occasionally Corbin, Thesan, Ameer, and her mother, she was overrun with offerings of food, foot rubs, back massages, and more. At least she didn't have to worry about that so much when Azriel and Lysander came to visit.

    Azriel wasn't quite as overbearing as Estelle had expected him to be. She wondered that was because he sympathized with her and was doing his best not to add to the ranks of her doting caretakers. As for Lysander, the whole idea of pregnancy seemed unsettling to him. Estelle had tried to convince him to feel the baby move. He did once, then tripped over his own feet with a surprised yelp. Lysander hadn't tried again since. She made sure to tell Venelia to try to convince him to whenever he visited her.

    Quite often, Estelle found her thoughts drifting towards her fellow prisoners. She wrote to each of them regularly, just to check up on how they were doing. Elain seemed to be recovering the best. Cresseida now had a terrible fear of water, although she assured Estelle that she was working to overcome it.

    Evren was all right, but according to Eris, she'd reverted to a few habits she had when he first met her. She couldn't stand sleeping under blankets, wearing cloaks, or even long gowns. They both said that with time, Evren would work past that again.

    As for Venelia, she occasionally suffered a few nightmares, like Estelle. She still felt guilty when it came to Wynter and the things that had happened to him. Estelle wondered if Venelia would ever rid herself of those feelings.

    She wondered the same about Wynter. He'd only replied to one of her letters, and that response had been just a few sentences long. Kallias and Viviane said he was now living in a townhouse by himself, much to their dismay. They tried to visit him daily, but he turned them away.

    That knowledge worried Estelle, and Mikael as well. Whatever Wynter was facing, he shouldn't face alone, and yet, he seemed determined to do just that. Mikael had managed to visit him a few times. He wasn't turned away, but Wynter was quiet and never said much. When Mikael asked about Ellie, Wynter ceased talking completely.

    He sought out the female and she reassured Mikael that she was making an effort to help Wynter, but she hadn't made much progress. Mikael and Estelle both hoped that time would change that. There was only so much they could do from the Dawn Court, and Mikael didn't like to leave Estelle for very long.

    All across Prythian, changes were visible. Melantha's forces were gone, crumbled into ash. Nesta and Cassian had gone to the remnants of Inmortui to make sure there were no hidden surprises waiting to be revealed. They found nothing, and Nesta had destroyed the last of Melantha's bones completely. It seemed that for now, their troubles had abated.

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    Estelle adjusted the folds of her white and gold gown, eyeing herself in the mirror. Shadows curled around her arms and a few of them brushed across her stomach. She combed her fingers through her curly hair, which had recently been trimmed. It had grown longer than she liked during her time in captivity, and it was a relief to have it cut short again.

    The bedroom door opened and Mikael entered. "Everyone is arriving," he said.

    "I'm almost ready." Estelle selected a pair of silver earrings and pinned them to her ears.

    Mikael drew her necklaces off the vanity nearby. He clasped her family pendant around her neck first, then the necklace from him. He pressed a light kiss to her shoulder, resting his hands atop her stomach. "I have a gift for you," he murmured.

    "Winter Solstice isn't for another three days, Feathers," Estelle laughed.

    "So?" Mikael offered her a small box.

    She smiled and opened it. Inside sat two thin bands of silver. One was plain, and the other was inlaid with several glittering diamonds. Estelle blinked in surprise. Mikael took the smaller, diamond encrusted ring and slid it onto the fourth finger of her left hand.

    "Silver to match our pendants," he explained, tugging his own out from beneath his leathers. "I'd thought about having rings made for us when we were first mated, but you never really seemed to care for them. I guess now, I just thought that..." Mikael trailed off and shrugged. "I just wanted to."

    Estelle smiled and took the second ring, situating it on his finger. "You're right. I'm not really a ring person. I do like this one though." She held up her hand, letting light reflect off the diamonds. She turned, pressing her lips to Mikael's.

    "Let's go downstairs," he said with a smile. "We shouldn't keep everyone waiting."

    Estelle nodded and they headed out the door. Mikael tucked an arm around her waist as they made their way downstairs. Music wafted from the open doors of the ballroom. Estelle leaned into Mikael, a contented smile spreading across her lips. They entered the ballroom, and her smile only continued to grow.

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    Mikael led Estelle down the grand staircase, his gaze sweeping the ballroom. Everyone they'd invited had come and were now whirling across the dance floor. There were Nyx and Venelia, dancing close to Lysander and Celeste. Corbin and Calden hovered near a window, talking to one another.

    Mikael spied Sienna and Morai dancing as well. As he watched, Sienna led Morai into a dip. When she drew the Illyrian up, their lips met in a brief kiss. He smiled and caught Estelle's eye. She mimicked his grin. Azriel and Seren waltzed past, accompanied by Cassian and Nesta. Emerie and Mor were talking to Eris and Evren. Evren was seemingly distracted by two young boys who were chasing each other around.

    Castiel and Orion laughed as they wove in between the legs of dancing guests. Jorah started towards them, but Devlon caught her arm, shaking his head and saying something. Jorah rolled her eyes, then smiled and let him lead her into a dance. They passed Juliette and Keitha. Mikael's gaze didn't linger on the two females for long. Amren and Varian spun past them at a dizzying speed.

    Helion and Larilis had accepted their challenge, it seemed, and were dancing just as fast, while throwing in several unique moves. Lucien and Elain laughed and danced out of their way. Tamlin was talking to Mikael's fathers, but by the looks on their faces, Thesan and Ameer were growing bored of the conversation. Seconds later, they excused themselves and joined the other dancing couples, throwing mischievous looks at one another.

    Mikael stifled a laugh as he and Estelle reached a cluster of chairs. Wynter sat in one, watching the couples dance. There was an almost longing look in his eye. Estelle sat close to him, but not too close. Wynter acknowledged them with a whisper of a smile, then went back to watching. Mikael scanned the crowd, but didn't see Ellie anywhere. He had invited her, but he wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't come. He doubted she would have left Wynter alone if she was here.

    Kallias and Viviane twirled past, their eyes drifting to Wynter briefly. Feyre and Rhysand passed them. Mikael saw Tarquin and Cresseida farther away. There was Vassa and Jurian, and the rest of the Mortal Queens had joined Tamlin.

    Mikael took the empty chair beside Wynter's and gripped Estelle's hand. She smiled, watching the couples, so he turned his attention to his friend. "I invited Ellie," he said. "Did she tell you?"

    "She mentioned it in a letter," Wynter replied. "But she also said her aunt and uncle wouldn't let her come."

    "Do they let her do anything?" Mikael scoffed. "They weren't even going to let her come with us when we were trying to save her life."

    Wynter rubbed his hands up and down his arms, still not looking at Mikael. "I don't know. I don't think so. I think they're rather controlling."

    Mikael sighed. "So it seems." They were silent for a few moments, then he said, "I'm glad you came."

    Wynter swallowed. "I wasn't going to, but Estelle wrote to me." Mikael glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was looking a little too innocent, her gaze fixed on Castiel and Orion. "I was afraid she really would drag me here if I didn't come," Wynter chuckled.

    "What did she say, exactly?" Mikael asked.

    "What I just told you. She said she'd drag me here if I didn't come."

    Mikael smiled. "She wants you here because she wanted to tell you something." He elbowed Estelle.

    "Ouch," she grumbled. "What?" He jerked his head towards Wynter. "Oh." Her eyes lit up. "We've decided to tell our close friends and family this before anyone else. So far, we've told my parents, Mikael's fathers, Lysander, Corbin, Nyx, and Venelia. I wanted to tell you next."

    "All right?" Wynter knit his brows.

    "We're having a boy."

    "That's great. Have you chosen a name?"

    Estelle nodded. "It's one I've always liked. I actually told Venelia what it was before all of this." She gestured to the ballroom and her stomach. "Aramis."

    Wynter smiled. "I like it."

    Mikael kissed her forehead, then stood and offered her a hand. Estelle took it and they began to dance. She looked back over her shoulder, concern filling her eyes briefly. "Do you think Wynter will be all right?" She asked.

    Mikael bit his lip, then nodded. "I do. It will take time, but I think he'll work through everything. He's strong. He'll be all right."

    Estelle smiled and rested her head against his chest. Shadows swirled around the two of them. Mikael watched Estelle, joy and relief filling every inch of his being. She was home. Prythian was safe. They would be able to welcome their son into a world free of necromancers. A world free of Ze'ev, Ronan, Melantha, and anyone else who might wish to harm them.

    Mikael pressed his cheek to the top of Estelle's head as they continued to dance. Briefly he closed his eyes. "You're glowing," Estelle laughed softly. "Angel of Dawn. Prince of Sunrises."

    "I'm happy," Mikael replied simply. "Happier than I ever thought I would be." He opened his eyes, tilting her head up. "Because of you. Because of our friends and family. Because of our son." He pressed his hand against Estelle's stomach and kissed her. "I hope to be this happy forever."

    "I hope so too." Estelle hugged him tightly. And for the first time in months, Mikael's world felt right.

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For a bonus scene from this chapter, please see the short story titled "The Dragon and the Bat" in my additional book "Beyond the Books".