Ellie declared that she was going to sleep for the next twenty-four hours, and that no one should bother to disturb her unless they had food. She and Rosemary went up to one of the many, many spare rooms in the palace, and presumably curled up for a long rest. Alice hadn't seen her since, but she'd told Kaz where to go looking when he arrived at the Shadow Court.

The court members who showed up to attend the full moon ball were, understandably, not in the best of moods about their temporary detainment in the ballroom, but the majority of them were more than willing to look past that in the wake of having their memories restored. Florian decided that, considering there were more than enough rooms for everyone, they all needed a good rest before the council convened the next morning.

Harper and Willow were doing their best to answer questions, organize rooms for everyone, and generally trying to keep the crowd calm. Ellie had only taken the vines down around one single exit, so they wrote down names as the courtiers left the space, taking inventory of everyone involved in the incident. Most of them were quite cooperative with the process, and those that weren't... Well, the threat of Harper's fangs was quite convincing, even if she wouldn't dare bite someone without consent.

Missy very happily jumped into Alice's arms as soon as the back doors were open... and Alice's legs almost immediately gave out from under her. She had reserves of magic like she'd never known, yes, but the toll of working with that magic on a massive scale when she'd never done it before was massive. It took a good twenty minutes— and sniffing some horrible antler dust— for her nose to stop bleeding, and even then she still had trouble standing.

Florian, who insisted he was perfectly fine, if a little tired, picked her up and walked them both back to the same bedroom Alice had been sharing her whole stay at the Shadow Court. She didn't know what time they finally made it back— probably somewhere in the wee hours of the morning— but she didn't care. It was time to take a well-deserved rest.

When Florian put her down on the mattress, he threw open the curtains to let in the bright moonlight. As though that wasn't enough to chase away any darkness that Xavier left behind, he also turned on the magical fae lights in the room, making it as bright as possible.

"Is it really over?" Alice asked, blinking in the warm light.

"For now," Florian said. He removed the silver watch from his pocket, placing it on the nightstand.

Alice didn't want to even think about that thing, but she could understand why he wanted to keep it close for now. It would probably be best to ensure that no one opened the thing, and to make sure none of that awful clattering happened again. No one wanted Xavier to get out.

"At least he's gone," she muttered, almost to herself. Gone, and hopefully never to return.

"That isn't the only thing we have to deal with, unfortunately," Florian said quietly. He flexed his hands in front of his face for a moment, as though he wanted to make sure they were still physical.

Alice raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

"My decision to bargain with Xavier had consequences, some of which are yet to be seen," he said with a sigh, yanking at the white cravat around his neck like it was choking him. "I paid my personal price, but I still have to own up to the Court. They deserve to know what really went on."

"Yeah... I guess that's fair," she said with a sigh.

It wasn't like the Court saw any of what happened behind closed doors, and they certainly didn't know about Florian's bargain. To them, an imposter swooped in, stole their memories, and stole the authority of the Court for fifty years. Not to mention, they still probably didn't understand exactly what Xavier had tried to do to them at the full moon ball.

All that considered, Alice could admit that they really did deserve a debriefing. In their situation, she would be highly confused, too. It just felt unfair that Florian would have to jump back into all that so soon, and she couldn't deny that public speaking was a personal fear of hers.

Dangerous spirits? Doable. Big speeches to a crowd? No.

"They need to know about you, too. You saved me." Florian took her hand, but though she let him interlace their fingers, Alice wasn't about to let herself be named the sole heroine of the hour.

"I didn't. I don't get all the credit for that," Alice said, shaking her head. "We did it together. And with some friends."

As determined as she'd been to do things on her own since the very day she was born, Alice had to admit that she couldn't have made it through the last month without her friends— her chosen family.

She liked it that way, too. She was glad to have the support. Instead of making her feel tied down, it made her feel safe.

"Friends... I like the sound of that. I used to have quite a few of them, but it's a bit difficult to find real friendship when you grow up royal," Florian sighed. "Now it's mostly Willow."

"Well, I hope you're okay with being adopted by a few of them, 'cause I don't think you're gonna get rid of us all that easy," Alice said with a laugh.

"Have I mentioned how much I love your accent?" He practically sighed it out, and the genuine affection in his voice made her clam up a little. She'd never heard someone say that to her before.

It was beautiful. He was beautiful. He was everything she'd wanted in a man, and she desperately hoped this worked out, desperately wanted to try to make this last. It seemed like it had potential to work in a way that nothing else she'd wanted before did.

That did bring up a crucial question, though. Something had been on Alice's mind for a while, but she wasn't quite sure how to voice it, and she wasn't quite sure if she should say anything until it was all worked out with Xavier.

Things were settled now, though, so it was time to ask.

"A— are we..." Alice began, wringing her hands together. "Are we married?"

"I..." Florian stiffened, eyes wide. "I hadn't thought about... Ah... If you want to formally annul the marriage—"

"No!" Alice said suddenly, but then flushed pink and backtracked. "I— I mean, I don't really mind, it's just that it seems... it's a little weird," she admitted, her voice growing softer every moment.

"We could go slow?" Florian suggested. "I certainly don't mind being legally married to the woman who saved my life."

"... Legally," Alice muttered.

"Come here, little rabbit," he said with a soft laugh, wrapping his arms around her waist. Alice was comforted by how his chest moved when he breathed, by the softness of him against her skin, and by the sound of his heart beating in his chest. She found herself hugging him back, and she never, never wanted to let go.

She'd found something precious in Florian.

"I love you. I won't be shy about that," he said quietly. "I don't want to scare you away, though, and I don't want this to be all we have together."

"What... does that mean?" she asked, frowning.

"It means that I would like our love to grow." Florian smiled down at her and lowered his head, planting a kiss on her brow. "We haven't known each other all that long. I want to know you more every day, and I don't want this to be our ending. It's a beginning."

"I like that plan," Alice said, nodding. "Go... slow, yeah?"

"Slow is good," he agreed.

Alice took a deep breath, fisting her hands in her skirt as she finally voiced something that had been on her mind the last several days.

"I... don't think I can be a queen for you, though," she said quietly. "I don't really want to be a queen."

It surprised her to hear those words out of her own mouth, but they were true. If anything, she'd learned in the last month that she never, ever wanted to be a ruler. The idea of luxury and respect was wonderful, and the fantasies of balls and parties were beautiful in her mind, but the reality was all stressful legal jargon and making decisions that could affect many, many people.

Alice... didn't want that. She'd rather live a simple life on Howard's Knob, finish up her schooling, and help make the lives of various animals in the area a little bit easier. Where she'd previously wanted to be a pampered princess with a husband to take care of her, now she found there was a kind of indescribable comfort in the anonymity of quiet living that she'd never seen before.

She was afraid to admit that she no longer wanted the throne. On some level, Alice wondered if this might lock her out of Florian's life forever, but... she couldn't do it. She wouldn't be happy, and the last thing she wanted was for the pressure of any role to turn her against someone that she wanted to learn to really, truly love.

Florian just smiled down at her, though.

"I've decided to do what I should have done from the start: I'm turning my position at court over to Willow," he said, and she could almost hear the relief in his voice.

"You're sure? After all that stress to be a better leader?" Alice's eyebrows were sky high, mouth hanging slightly open. It almost seemed like he was giving up something he'd finally managed to put in the work for.

Florian looked at peace with his decision, though, and that was all that mattered.

"Sometimes the best way to be a wise leader is to simply step aside for someone better, All that time, I was so concerned about becoming the leader my people needed... and the leader they truly needed was right in front of me," he said with a shrug. "She will be a much, much better ruler than I ever could be. I, on the other hand, will be taking over as an advisor and trainer for the Shadow Knights," he explained, looking almost more relaxed than she'd ever seen him.

"You really want this, huh?" Alice smiled. It was more of a statement than a question.

Willow would be an excellent queen. Alice hadn't known her long, but it was clear that her friend had a disposition suited to the job, and that the Court trusted her. She understood the ins and out of Shadow Court politics, and she was genuinely interested in the wellbeing of her people.

It was a good decision.

"I think I'll be much, much happier as a general for Willow's knights than a king." He paused, suddenly looking sheepish. "But... if you think I should reconsider—"

"No!" Alice cried, but then slapped her hands over her mouth. Her cheeks went fiery red as she glanced at the floor, the ceiling, the window drapes— anything but Florian's face.

"Well, that was enthusiastic," Florian muttered, but he was laughing. "Someone really doesn't want to be queen."

Alice elbowed him in the ribs, rolling her eyes, and he just laughed harder. She might have been annoyed under other circumstances, but she was so happy to be able to hear his laugh that she didn't even mind.

"It's your life. You should make your choices, not me," she scolded, wagging her finger at him. "Ain't that what got you into this in the first place? Lettin' other people tell you to be king when you didn't want to?"

Florian stopped laughing, face scrunching into a boyish pout.

"... Fine," he admitted.

Well, at least she'd managed to call his bluff there. It gave her at least a little satisfaction to know that this massive, fearsome-looking, and highly magical prince would pout for her without feeling strange about it. She was happy to see this side of him, happy to know he was just as much a normal man as anyone.

"Besides, I didn't really like bein' a queen, if I'm tellin' the truth," Alice said with a shrug. "Too much stress."

"That part is incredibly true," Florian said, sighing as he sat down on the mattress.

Slowly, Alice moved to join him, taking a seat on top of the comforter and learning against his side. Some part of her wondered if she should feel strange being around him like this, if she should fear being close to him, but... she didn't. The warmth, the manner of speech, the gestures— it all made it clear exactly who inhabited the body in front of her.

"This means I get to spend more time with you, too, right?" she asked carefully, reaching out to place her hand over his.

"It does." Florian laced their fingers together as he spoke.

"Then I'm happy."

And she was. She was happier than she'd ever been.

"Change into something more comfortable, and then we can sleep off the day," Florian said, leaning over to briefly press his forehead against hers. "... Assuming you're comfortable if I stay?"

He pulled away slightly, waiting for her answer.

Alice swallowed hard, but she nodded. Where Xavier had pushed and pushed for a physical relationship, she trusted Florian not to do that until she felt ready. That, and... she just wanted to be close to him.

Shoulders slumping with relief, Florian stood from the bed and unbuttoned the stiff, embroidered, silver-and-black jacket that Xavier had picked for the ball, tossing it into the side in a heap. His nose scrunched in distaste as he looked at it, one hand coming up to his broken antler. Perhaps it was something that Xavier had picked. She couldn't imagine what it felt like for him to finally have his body back.

Alice undid the front laces of her outer gown, glad that fae clothing was easier to take on and off alone. She tried very hard not to look over at Florian, who didn't seem uncomfortable at all with changing in front of her. Perhaps fae weren't typically shy about their bodies? But she felt shy around him in a way she hadn't in front of Xavier.

Rather than putting on a real nightgown, Alice just curled up on the bed in her soft underdress, pushing her bare feet under the blankets. On the other side of the room, Florian had pulled on a real nightshirt, and looked ready to sleep away the chaos of the evening.

"If... if we ever... um..." Alice trailed off, gaze suddenly very fixated on the far wall. "It's just... what about the blood vows?"

Florian rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to show her his forearm— his bare forearm.

Alice blinked, immediately yanking her sleeve out of the way to look down at her own left arm. She hadn't even taken the time to peek at it, what with all the chaos, but to her surprise, it was also blank. It looked like the mark was never even there at all, only freckles and smooth skin.

"The combination of body and soul that you started the bond with no longer exists," he explained. "I would wager this means that Xavier is well on his way to oblivion already, but regardless— you're free of it."

It was like a weight she didn't even know she was carrying dissolved into nothing. Alice flopped back against the pillows, letting the last bits of fear slough off as exhaustion truly set in.

"Oh, thank Jesus," she sighed, rolling onto her side to face him. "N— not that I've got a problem with you, but it's..."

"I wouldn't want blood vows for either of us. Don't worry," Florian said gently. "That's part of why I refused to take part when you asked."

She was grateful for that, in hindsight, even if it had been frustrating in the moment. It didn't change the trust she felt, though. In fact, it only made her want to trust him more.

"Sorry about that," she mumbled. "I couldn't think of another way."

"It's alright," Florian said softly.

He moved to pull aside the comforter, and Alice wanted to cry with relief as he moved to lie down next to her. She reached out to him on instinct, settling herself against his chest without even asking, and for a moment she wondered if it was the wrong thing to do.

However, only a breath later, his arm came around to hold her close, tracing down her hip, urging her to drape her leg over his body. His shoulders relaxed, his breathing slowed, and he rested his head on hers so his nose was almost in her fiery hair.

"I've wanted this," he murmured.

"Me, too," Alice admitted.

All that time, she'd wondered if how Xavier treated her was how marriage was supposed to feel, if that was how relationships were meant to go. It was all performance and show, nothing beneath the surface, nothing she could really grab on to in times of trouble. This, though... this was different.

This felt like what she'd really been looking for.

"You know, in most fae cultures, there's a complex gift-giving system for engagements," Florian said. "Is there anything like that for humans?"

"I mean, I won't say no to a gift, but there's nothin' specific," Alice said, laughing quietly. "It's sweet, but I really don't need anything."

She had everything she could ever want. Her family and friends were safe. She had a wonderful man who she wanted to stay with. She had food and shelter and so, so much joy. There was nothing more she needed in the world.

"Anything you want," Florian said, the sound reverberating through his chest.

Alice tilted her head to look up at him, surprised to find that he wasn't laughing. He seemed... almost expectant?

Oh. He was... he was serious.

Alice paused. Really and truly, there was only one thing she would like, if she had to name something.

"Well... How would you feel about askin' Ellie if we could maybe set up a house on Howard's Knob?" Alice asked. "I know you couldn't be there all the time, but maybe as somewhere to go when we need to get away from all this?"

Florian paused, eyes fixed somewhere on the middle space, and for a moment she was afraid he might say no. However, after a moment, he started to nod.

"Truthfully, I could travel back and forth between here and there if you want to stay with your family. I'm not opposed to getting away a little myself, or finding new family members," he said.

Alice loved that he knew exactly what she was getting at.

"I like it," he continued. "As long as you think they'll let me move in after everything that's happened."

"Eh, I don't think they'll hold it against ya too much," Alice said, waving her hand vaguely. "Kaz might tease ya about bein' a shitty bargainer, though."

"I think I can live with that," Florian said, chuckling as he pressed a kiss to Alice's forehead.

The last thought Alice had before she fellasleep on his chest was that she thought it would be a wonderful way to live.