━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

The reds, oranges, and pinks of the sunrise broke through the clouds and shined on the marble headstones in front of Kendra. Flowers crowded every inch of the plot—bunchberries and bluebells and daisies and forget-me-nots and lilies and daffodils and a bunch of botanical blooms Kendra couldn't even name. The flowery shoots had slowly sprung up as Kendra poured her heart out.

She told her parents about Garreth, about her grandparents' waning health, about Terrabelle's declaration yet subsequent silence, and about the past months rebuilding the besieged city of Fablehaven. She told them about long days and nights, the opening night of the theater's new play, the new school for magic, Eve and Seth's departure to Wyrmroost, Garreth and Vanessa becoming a part of her council, the new policies they were building to fully flesh out magic use, their defense-strengthening, how they were integrating magic into the knights, and a bunch of other things she could go on and on about forever.

But, what Kendra had truly come to spill was the event happening this evening—her coronation as queen.

Fablehaven didn't believe in the crown passing after death. It was tradition to do it much earlier, before elderly illnesses claimed the crown. Seven years ago, her grandparents had abdicated and crowned her father and mother. Of course, their reign had been brief.

It was extraordinary how long her grandparents had reigned, and it was time to pass it on before the choice flew out of their hands with their declining health. Tanu, the court medic, had told Kendra in private that he didn't expect them to see the end of the season. It was an absolutely crushing realization. As much as they disagreed on certain tenets and policies, they were still her grandparents. They had cared for her and Seth as their own children for the past four and a half years. Kendra had only been thirteen and absolutely terrified when they had stepped in. She owed so much to them, and tried as best she could to make their last months enjoyable.

Kendra closed her eyes and breathed in the scents of oncoming spring. The flowers, the wind, the warmer weather. She stood, pressed a kiss to each headstone, and left.

There was another place she needed to visit.

Upon her return to Fablehaven, Kendra had created a fairy shrine. It was, frankly, long overdue. She had used the statue they had recovered from the Sphinx—a large version of the Fairy Queen—and the miniature statue that had previously been locked up in the castle's holdings. It was the same one she had knelt before and pleaded with four and a half years ago.

The shrine sat slightly inside the forest, and a short walk from the city gates.

The statues stood on an island in the middle of a small pond. A solid wooden bridge erected by the townspeople crossed the moat. Everything else—the moat itself, the hedges, the flowers, the arches—had all been built by the Fairy Queen using Kendra as a conduit.

Normally, it was a busy place with pilgrims paying homage or Fablehaven citizens simply enjoying the shrine's sacred magic space. There was even a big celebration when Ronodin had somehow disappeared through the shrine in a dazzle of light to visit his mysterious aunt who he claimed was the Fairy Queen. But it hurt Kendra's mind to think of the Fairy Queen as an entity with relatives, so she ignored Ronodin's claim for the most part. Nevertheless, this morning, Kendra had the entire shrine to herself as the entire city busied itself with preparations for the coronation.

Once Kendra reached the island, she took a deep breath and knelt before the statues.

"My Queen," Kendra said. The familiar scent of rich soil, blossoming flowers, and the salty sea air swirled around her. The world seemed to grow more vivid and brighter. The Fairy Queen's pure, unadulterated pride hit Kendra like a tidal wave. It brought tears to her eyes.

"I am to be crowned tonight as Queen of Fablehaven. I pledge to further magic's desires in the world and create a safe haven for all magical creatures. I do this in your name."

And in yours. I've left a gift for you, behind you. I thank you for this shrine. My connection to the material world has increased greatly. However, I find that access must be limited to only my devotees. Thank you, Kendra. And good luck.

The sweet aroma disappeared, the world slightly dulled, and Kendra smiled. It was rare for the Queen to talk directly. Normally, Kendra just felt the overwhelming, vivid emotions when communing.

She turned around to find out what the Fairy Queen had meant. The bridge was gone, and in the glittering moat, hands waved at her. The hands pushed a canoe toward the island's shore. It reminded Kendra of the canoe Muriel had been laid to rest in. In fact, Kendra believed it was one and the same.

When the canoe docked, Kendra leaned over the water and saw smiling faces and pretty, flowing hair connected to the hands that had just delivered her ride. Naiads! Kendra had read about them in a book before. They were thought to have become extinct. She thought back to a bet she had made with Lena one day that naiads still existed. Lena had said yes, and for some reason, Patton had said Lena shouldn't make unfair bets. Nevertheless, Kendra had to give her her money now.

Despite her lack of familiarity, Kendra remembered that the textbook had said to not get too close. One of the naiads popped her head out of the water, winked, and held out her hands. She had flowing black hair and beckoned Kendra to the water, inviting Kendra to come swim with them.

"Thank you, but I will just take the canoe," Kendra said.

The boat ride was smooth. Once her feet touched the ground on the other side of the moat, she surveyed the area. Even though the shrine island itself was now inaccessible by the lack of the bridge, not all was lost. The pure magic of the surrounding area had led to blooming flowers and a gorgeous natural place to sit and have a picnic.

She would have to tell Garreth that.

━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

Kendra didn't leave the shrine. Instead, she set up for her weekly magic class, and sat down cross-legged in the grassy corner of the shrine. Secluded from the main boardwalk, she could teach her students.

Beatrice, a serious, studious girl of seven summers squeezed her eyes shut and meticulously pronounced the spell Kendra had just recited. The tulip bulb she held in her stubby hand blossomed.

"Look, Beatrice," Kendra said.

Her eyes opened in wonder. "I did it!"

"Good." Kendra gave her a high-five. The delight on her students' faces when they executed a spell right made sacrificing her Sunday mornings worth it.

Beatrice's twin brother, Benjamin, tugged Kendra's sleeve. "I need help."

Kendra focused on him and clasped his hands. At first, she had been worried she wouldn't be a good enough teacher. But, by the end of her first class, she realized she knew a lot more than she gave herself credit for. "Breathe with me."

Together, they took two deep breaths. "Let your frustration roll over you instead of trying to push it back. Remember, being in tune with our inner self is the best connection we can have with our magic."

Benjamin nodded and held up his tulip bulb. He whispered to it, eyes focused on the petals. Slowly and reluctantly, they peeled back to reveal the flower. "Oh! So pretty!"

Kendra laughed with delight. She loved seeing her students make a break-through. Every Sunday, she held a magic class in the late morning inside the magic-rich atmosphere of the fairy shrine. Normally, she had more attendants. But, Kendra had canceled today's class in preparation for the coronation until Beatrice begged her to keep it on for her.

So, Kendra did.

Sometimes, the schoolteacher, Anna, filled in when Kendra's royal duties took precedence. Anna was absolutely amazing, and could still teach magic despite her lack of it. Instead of demonstrations, Anna would lead the kids through drills Kendra had already outlined. But, she wanted Anna to have her morning to prepare for the celebrations tonight. So, instead Kendra taught.

Kendra taught differently than Muriel had, but she hoped the witch would have been proud of her. Her classes had boomed in attendance—even from adults. Kendra believed everyone could learn just a little magic even if just to dry laundry. A little knowledge assuaged the fear surrounding magic.

Beatrice picked a few flowers from the ground and added them to her tulip. She presented the bouquet to Kendra with a shy grin. "Thank you, Princess."

Kendra accepted the bouquet with one hand and the other on her heart. Her students were just the sweetest.

When Seth got back from his adventure, maybe he could be a special guest and teach some dark magic. Everyone could learn both—but everyone usually had an affinity for one of the other. She didn't want to exclude those who would be better off learning dark magic, and mentally noted the students who had more trouble with basic light spells.

In fact, Ronodin had mentioned something about teaching a few spells to her kids. She would have to check up on that when he returned from his family visit.

━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

After the class, Kendra returned to the castle for breakfast. She passed the stables on her way. Her heart still hurt every time she saw the horses because she noticed the ones that were missing. Especially Glory.

But, Kendra assured herself that she hadn't seen the horse for the last time. Something would happen with Terrabelle. Hopefully not a war, but something. As Fablehaven aligned itself solidly with magic, Terrabelle's enemy declaration had been inevitable. And, she didn't imagine Terrabelle staying quiet much longer—especially after tonight when Kendra formally announced Garreth and Eve's inclusion into the Fablehaven court and the news proliferated across the countryside.

It was unheard of for the heirs of one kingdom to flee and become part of another. Kendra could only imagine the ripples the event would cause across the diplomatic field of the world.

As she ate her breakfast, she mulled over the possible ramifications until she caught a glimpse of Raxtus flying in the distance through her bedroom window. His iridescent scales were hard to miss in the glittering sun.

Kendra flew down the tower's steps two at a time to reach the floor. Rough sandy stones caught her dress on each landing. Her hair whipped around and her cheeks reddened as she dodged servants through the halls. A horn blew in the distance, a sign the scouts had seen them too. Giddiness erupted into anticipatory giggles.

But, a little part of Kendra was scared. Before their lives had been upended last fall, the two siblings had grown distant in the years after their parents' deaths. Kendra had spent all her time in the courtroom and Seth had spent all his time outside the citadel on adventures. A small part of her worried that this adventure of his meant they were settling back into that rhythm.

But, she didn't want to. She had loved reconnecting throughout the trials of Terrabelle and their journeys. Her brother had grown up into an amazing, kind person, and she didn't want to become formal again.

Kendra's shoes touched the courtyard just as Raxtus landed. His final wing flap sent the flags wrapping around their poles and the dirt between the flagstones flying. Courtiers crowded the balconies, clapping and waving. Townspeople ran into the square to see the dragon. Raxtus had become a fan favorite, especially with the children.

Seth slid off Raxtus and met her, running, in a solid hug. They spun around and he set her down on the floor. A smile split her face. She didn't have to worry about losing him again.

"How was it?" Kendra asked.

His grin stretched for miles on his flushed face. "Amazing, Kendra. Absolutely amazing!"

"You'll have to tell the court tonight about your Wyrmroost trip," Kendra said. He always forgot about his reports. Also, considering Ronodin had never been mentioned in his previous reports, she expected more details this time.

"Of course. They loved us. You'll never guess who Raxtus's dad is. But, I'll tell you all later," Seth said. "Did you miss me?"

"Not at all."

They both laughed and Kendra smiled. This was good. This was new and good.

Together, they were so much stronger. She never wanted to stop being his big sister, and despair would swallow her if he ever thought he had outgrown his little brother status.

The rest of the morning passed in lovely catching-up and games and fun. Garreth and Eve went on a ride in the woods, and the princess came back with blue trousers. Where she had found such a thing, let alone in blue, Kendra had no idea. Of course, the princess handed them off to Madeline to bedazzle it with pearls. Eve told Kendra all about how much easier it was to ride horses in pants.

With rich food and tasty drinks flowing, the lunch table shook from the force of Seth's loud story-telling and Eve's pointed corrections. Even Raxtus had flown in through the new bay windows they had installed in the castle hall and squeezed in.

Love and laughter abounded the courtroom.

It was new, but it was good.

━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

After lunch, Kendra walked down to the lower town to find Madeline's boutique, and soon found herself tucked into a back room.

The blindfold itched at her nose. Kendra had promised not to peek, but Madeline didn't trust just promises. Kendra wasn't allowed to see it until it was perfect, which meant she had already stood for about ten minutes as Madeline flew around the workshop, poking pins into the mystery fabric draped over Kendra.

The night they had reclaimed Fablehaven, Kendra had sent out fairy volunteers to reach the scattered diaspora of Fablehaven citizens and tell them it was safe to return home. Madeline was one of the first to receive her summons and arrive.

Some citizens were so thankful to be back home that they kissed the castle walls on first contact. Kendra related to their joy. It reminded her of the city's reclamation months ago.

However, the Blackwoods had yet to arrive. Kendra wondered how the birth went and if they were okay. She hoped soon she could ask them in person.

"Okay," Madeline said. "It's fitted."

Deft hands undid the blindfold and as it fell away, Kendra beheld the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Gold flowery detailing snaked up the deep purple skirts and intensified over the bodice. Kendra waved her arms around and watched the long, flowy sleeves move with her.

"It's gorgeous," Kendra said. "You are amazing."

It had been a long time since Kendra had gotten all dolled up, and she was not alone in that novel elation. The entire citadel was bursting with excitement for the coronation. With pretty clothes, lots of food, and harmonious music galore, it was shaping up to be an exciting night.

Nevertheless, as Kendra admired herself in the mirror, a certain melancholy settled over the affair. When she had been a little girl dreaming of her coronation, she had always imagined doing this with her mother at her side—her super fashionable mother who would have advised her on all the right fabrics and styles. She would have held Kendra's hand and stood beside Kendra as she spoke her vows. Kendra blinked the budding pressure in her eyes away. Today was a happy day.

Together, they took off the dress and Madeline redid Kendra's blindfold as she suited her up in a new one. The same frenzy followed of pins and poking and little hums from Madeline. The previous one had been her reception dress: the one she would wear at the party tonight.

This one would be her coronation dress.

Kendra's mouth fell open in shock when her blindfold abdicated her face. It was familiar. It was the same flowery corset from the Madeline had given her months ago before the ziggurat but with gold detailing around each flower and a longer, fuller white skirt. She spun and watched the skirts twirl in the mirror.

"I had originally prepared this for your coronation. I think it is still fit to be worn. Especially because now it will remind the people of your victory over the late Sphinx's forces." Madeline bug eyes trailed her frame as she fluffed out the skirt. "Do you like it?"

Kendra could feel her mother smiling down on her. She twisted to see the back, and spun around again for good measure. Joy split her face into a grin.

"I love it."

━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

As Kendra took her dresses back to her room, doubts about today bloomed into rocks that sat heavy at the bottom of her stomach. No matter what she tried to think about, her thoughts kept sliding back to the worst possible situations. Her hands buzzed with nervousness. She just needed to get through a few more hours.

As Kendra entered her room, Vanessa stopped fluffing her bedding and ran to take the dresses out of Kendra's hands. Vanessa had a beautiful red gown on, and set Kendra's gowns on a drying rack. "Wow, these are gorgeous."

"Madeline did a great job," Kendra agreed. She sat down on the stool in front of the fireplace and watched Vanessa busy around.

After a few moments, Vanessa paused her organization, pursed her lips, and turned to Kendra. "Do you want to talk about it?"

After so many years by Kendra's side, Vanessa never missed a single emotion out of the princess.

Kendra didn't look at her. Her worries sunk like a cannonball and she couldn't imagine pushing that up through her esophagus and out her mouth. "No."

But as Vanessa resumed her cleaning, Kendra found she did have something to say that didn't do with her anxiety. "Thank you, Vanessa."

"Thank me by keeping your room cleaner so this takes less time," Vanessa joked.

"No. I mean, yes, I'll be cleaner," Kendra laughed. "But, no. That's not what I meant. I want to thank you for always being there. I really appreciate it."

Vanessa crossed the room and hugged Kendra. She kissed the top of her head. "Oh, Kendra. It has been such a privilege watching you grow."

In another world, it would've been Kendra's mom saying that on this day. But, Kendra found Vanessa's words meant just as much. Vanessa had been that mom and friend and gossip buddy Kendra never had.

Kendra pulled away and laughed at their matching tears. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Vanessa said. She grabbed the coronation dress and let it unfurl to the floor. "Now, let's get you dressed."

━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

Kendra dismissed Vanessa early and found herself falling back into her concerns. Especially regarding how her subjects would welcome Garreth and Eve Dalgorel—progeny of a genocidal maniac.

See, sorcerers occupied a position few desired.

Humans didn't believe sorcerers were truly human and the magical community didn't believe sorcerers were really a part of the community either. This was a static discourse—relatively unchanging—and it only deepened during conflicts where humans and magic were at odds.

Reoccurring reasons propped up the animosity.

Humans were terrified of magic because it was power they didn't have so it was power that could be used against them. For the most part, humans lacked the natural talent to do more than laundry magic, far from the destruction some demons could wield by infancy.

On the other hand, magical creatures had watched humans grow from just another animal to harnessing nature to create steady supplies of food, create systems of blacksmiths to create swords that could rival dragons' talons, and harness fire—stolen from a dragon's breath. That fostered terror that humans would just keep growing and gaining power until they would usurp the raw power of magic.

For the most part, the magical community was as unchanging as nature. However, humans were innovators. They keep changing and growing and terrify everyone else. The Sphinx had harnessed this fear to its full potential.

Kendra remembered when Patton had slayed a dragon. She didn't know him at the time, of course, but she remembered the controversy. She was only five yet every dinner table discussion focused on it, every shouting match in the square turned its gaze on it, everyone whispered the name of the lowly human that conquered what many considered to be the pinnacle of magical power.

Wyrmroost started refusing human admittance, and some groups began advocating for separating magic from humans. Burgess had been a sorcerer (of little note). He had used our magic and defeated us. We're going to let them learn our magic just to hurt us over and over?

When Patton had become Seth's valet, he had been required to issue a public apology for the slain dragon in the square. Hiring Patton had been her grandparents' idea, but the apology had been hers. She remembered the controversy surrounding Patton and she knew the danger of sleighting the magical community.

Now, after her coronation, she was about to introduce Eve and Garreth Dalgorel to her kingdom. Afterwards, they would speak about Terrabelle's crimes against magic. She had coached them, pleaded, and begged. Smile, do not frown. Do not say anything you're not supposed to. Mirror my reactions to people. If I laugh, you laugh. If I frown, you frown, albeit less. More like a neutral expression. Kiss the babies. Dazzle the adults. Don't trip.

They had been somewhat hidden during the past couple months, although rumors had abounded. Kendra had just wanted to wait until Fablehaven was back on its feet to introduce their two new royals whose existence in Fablehaven was undoubtedly going to cause diplomatic tensions.

Tonight seemed as good a night as any. After her coronation, it would be her first announcement as Queen, and other royalty were already gathered for the occasion. Princess Mara from the Mesa country and Queen Laura of the Obsidian country had both arrived tonight. Kendra had greeted them politely and hit it off, yet anxiety crawled underneath her skin.

Could she pull this off?

She stared into her mirror. Her curls swirled together in a high bun. Servants had bathed her and scrubbed her nails. Vanessa had already outfitted her in the flowery corset and long, white dress and added rouge across her cheeks and lips.

But despite all the dressing up, Kendra felt naked with the exception of her diadem. It was a piece of her mother, forever lost in Terrabelle.

Instead, Vanessa had found something else of her queenmother's for Kendra to wear.

Jewels encrusted the tiara, reaching out like vines around a heart of diamond—the strongest gem. Even if it fell from Kendra's fingers, the diamond wouldn't shatter. Which was good, because her hands were shaking.

Her mother had worn this exact tiara on her wedding day, the day her mother had gone from a commoner to a royal. She only retained the tiara for thirteen years before she had fallen victim to Bahumat, and the tiara had been sealed away in the royal catacombs.

Today, Kendra was going to wear it on her coronation. She would have a piece of her mother and Seth would be wearing one of their father's old formal outfits.

Nervousness crept in at all sides and she set it down.

Could she really do this?

A door knock interrupted her spiraling.

"Come in," Kendra said.

Garreth walked in and took the seat next to her as she stared out the window. "Vanessa's worried about you."

"I just needed some alone time," Kendra said. "But, you can stay."

"It's okay to be scared."

"I know. I know." Kendra left the window and turned to Garreth. His dark brown eyes searched her face. "But, when I see all those people out there counting on me, how can I not feel anxious?"

"You've already been acting as their queen. Coordinating the rebuilding, taking back the city. They already treat you as such."

"But, this is the real deal. This is official. They're going to have to put my portrait up into the hall." Kendra took off her gloves and sat back down. Oh god. She was going to have to sit for a portrait alone for hours. The only other time she had ever done that was with her entire family. Shivers ran down her cold arms. "I just...when I look in that hall, up at all those faces, they all seem so perfect."

"I'm sure the artist took some liberties with wrinkles and blemishes. I would've."

Kendra laughed. She knew he knew that wasn't what she was talking about, but it caught her off guard. "Sure."

Garreth leaned back in his chair. "What part of it is making you nervous?"

"All of it." Kendra rubbed her face. She remembered Muriel's advice and took a breath to feel her own emotions. The indescribable cloud of anxiety solidified into sources. Garreth waited as the truth bubbled up. "There is this irrational part of me...that thinks my grandparents have only held on this long because they were waiting for my coronation. And, that they'll leave me once it's over."

Pressure built in Kendra's face and she blinked rapidly. "I mean, Grandpa barely knows what's going on anymore and I just...I've never lived a life without them in it."

Kendra had already lost enough people. She didn't want to lose any more, as inevitable and foolish as it was. She had even almost lost Garreth.

Never again.

Garreth dragged his seat forward until his knees touched hers. He took her hands and kissed them. "I'm sorry, Kendra."

"Sometimes, I just want to freeze time forever." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into the hug. He smelt like parchment and oil paints. His warm arms covered her like a heavy blanket. "I know change is good. But, I just hate things ending."

"It's about the journey," Garreth said. He opened his mouth to continue but Kendra raised her finger to his open mouth. The familiar mantra brought mirth to her lips.

"Not the ending." She cradled his face and leaned her forehead against his. "Maybe one day you'll get a new catchphrase."

"Oh, I hope not." His breath mingled with hers. His nose scraped the side of her cheekbone. She could feel his freshly shaved skin slide into a grin. Being this close intoxicated Kendra, and her worries seemed to vanish. "I don't think I have any better ones."

"No?" Kendra's lips brushed his as she spoke. "What about this one?"

She kissed him. His lips were so soft, and his hands tangled in her hair. Excitement rushed through her veins and flooded her brain. Her hands roved over his back, feeling his muscles rippling. In a moment of air, he whispered. "I think catchphrases are supposed to have words."

"Oh?"

He leaned in again, and this time his mouth hovered over her neck. "But I already like this better."

Kendra smiled out of the kiss, teeth scraping his lips. This was bliss. This wasn't love with a dark cloud of secrets hanging over; it was safety and warmth and comfort. It was everything she had ever wanted.

Garreth was the sunshine. He was the safe place she drew her magic from. They both had no parents to speak of, but had learned the building of families without blood. Together, they would carve out their own space of love and care and understanding.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, stood them up, and spun her around. Her skirts billowed through the air, and curls sprung free from her updo. She broke from the kiss, laughing with delight.

This was it. Pure bliss.

"Thank you," she said. Her had worries disappeared. Whatever happened, she could do it alongside Garreth and her family.

━━━━━━━ ♚ ━━━━━━━

Thousands of citizens gathered in the town square and spilled into the streets beyond with every head craned to the castle balcony. Kendra pried her white knuckled hands off the railing and grabbed the royal scepter and seal that Warren offered her. As chancellor, he officiated the coronation and as such, was required to wear an incredibly goofy, traditional outfit that brought mirth to her anxious demeanor.

Warren smiled at her. They had practiced a million times before, but somehow the words felt new upon her ears. She heard them differently now. "Do you pledge to forever protect the laws and institutions of the great kingdom of Fablehaven?"

"I do."

"Do you pledge to use your power for good and to protect all—including magical or not, and to ensure peace and tranquility?"

Kendra smiled at the new addition.

"I do."

"And, finally, do you pledge to forever glorify Fablehaven and her people?" As he said it, Warren removed her mother's tiara in preparation. The scepter and seal became light in her hands.

"I do."

As Warren settled the crown, polished by hundreds of rulers' use, onto Kendra's hair, she looked beyond the castle balcony. She saw the bird nests in the corners of the castle, the joy on her people's faces, and the love that filled her kingdom despite the death and destruction of recent memory.

"I hereby pronounce you Queen Kendra, House of Soren, of Fablehaven."

The celebration all around her from Seth, from Garreth and Eve, from Lena and Patton, from Warren and Vanessa, and from all her people deafened her ears. Woops and yahoos and whistles and sparkles of performative magic filled the air. Children on parents' shoulders waved their hands in excitement and streamers fluttered in the air.

Kendra smiled. A glow lit her silhouette and she inhaled the faint aroma of earth, honey, and saplings that curled around her dress. The Queen's blessing of her newfound queenship.

It was nice to have a deity on her side.

Her magic reacted to her happiness. Vines curled up the castle balcony and flowers blossomed from the roofs to in between the tiles of the courtyard between people's feet. The afternoon sun intensified and reflected off the castle windows in a spread of rainbow.

Kendra swam in the crashing waves of gratitude and love, and pulled her brother to stand behind her. She hugged him, grabbed his hand and raised it high above their heads to the cheers of the people below.

Seth needn't stay in the shadows behind her anymore. Instead, he would shine beside her. Already, bards formulated epic ballads of his recent adventure to Wyrmroost with Eve. With a few more years under his belt, Kendra expected his stature to match or even exceed Patton's long-cultivated height.

Seth laughed with her, and squeezed her hand. The royal bards strummed the first strings of the anthem and the people in the square took to dancing with each other arm in arm. The sun blazed brilliantly. Warm wind flapped the kingdom flags. In the distance, two birds flew circles in front of the sunshine, singing a bright, clear song. Joy, love, and delight abounded.

As perennial plants broke through defrosted ground, Fablehaven spread its wings and rose from the ashes like a phoenix. Warmth cozied Kendra's hands as they held the scepter and seal. Last autumn, as the air had chilled, she had said goodbye to Fablehaven, not knowing if she would ever return. Together with her loved ones, she had suffered through a long, cruel winter of loss and exile.

However, as Kendra breathed in the warm, humid air, a genuine smile graced her lips. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, and mighty sunshine melted any lingering sleet.

It was finally, finally spring.

┌────♚────────────┐

the end!

└────────────♚────┘