Four convoys left the fort at Blackstone at dawn. Donovan and Maren's went north, Jonathan's went southwest, a third was returning Alec to the Capitol and a fourth decoy convoy went east.

The goodbyes were terrible. Maren, outfitted in an ill-fitting but at least decent military uniform, was still sniffling beside Donovan nearly an hour later.

They had taken time to get cleaned up and fed. Maren would need to eat and drink what Alec described as "more than whatever you think is too much" to recover, but she'd be alright.

She thought saying goodbye to Jonathan would be the easiest, and perhaps it was, but it was still difficult. She burst into tears immediately, and he embraced her.

"Thank you for everything," she squeaked.

"Well, I'm very glad you agreed to marry me," he said, and they both laughed.

"I still want to see a Wielder on the throne," he said. His own eyes were red.

She nodded. "I'll do my best."

"Take care of each other."

He squeezed her shoulder, and they nodded to one another, which Maren knew meant goodbye for now.

She then turned to her parents, and seeing their tears made her weep even harder. The three of them huddled together, heads touching.

"We're so proud of you, darling," her mother said.

"Be safe, dear," his father said. "We love you."

"Take care of yourself and tell your baby we love them," her mother said.

Donovan had told everyone that they thought the baby was okay because of "magical reasons" which had come as a tremendous relief to them all. Maren was grateful they all cared so much. She still felt too agitated from everything she'd been through to check for herself, but she believed Donovan completely when he said the buzz was still there.

"You be safe, too. Stay with Jonathan and keep your heads down. Disavow me publicly. Please say whatever you have to to stay out of trouble," she begged.

They nodded and she told them she loved them. And then walked away while she still could.

Donovan and Alec were standing with their heads touching, and Maren heard Donovan tell Alec he was his brother. It hurt her heart to see them parted.

Then they saw her and pulled them into their huddle.

Maren could not get any words out. But neither could Alec nor Donovan, so that was all right. After a few moments, Donovan patted both Maren and Alec and then went to say his other goodbyes.

Maren still couldn't speak, so she just clung to her very first friend. There really wasn't anything they needed to say to one another.

Eventually, they managed to calm down a bit and Alec said, "Find a very good midwife as soon as you can."

Maren smiled and nodded. "You know, of course, if it's a boy, he'll be named Alec."

She and Donovan had not discussed it, but she knew that was true.

Alec just hugged her again and then let her go.

Donovan was there beside her, and they nodded to each other. Maren could not manage anything more than a wave to everyone before they turned away and got into the waiting speeder.

Maren and Donovan sat very close together in silence for a while. She felt far too many strong emotions to be able to carry on a conversation. She knew she needed to sleep-she had barely slept in days-but she thought they would have time for that later. It was a relief just to have a bit of peace with her husband.

"Ah, Your Majesties, could I have a word?" Captain Beven said from the front of the speeder.

"Of course, Captain," Donovan said.

"Tonight, when we make camp, the men were hoping they could swear their oaths and maybe if you wouldn't mind listening, Queen Maren, could they tell you the stories of their Wielders?"

Maren was surprised but knew what she needed to say.

"I would be honored, Captain."

—

It was very lucky they had become so closely involved with the military because otherwise, they would have been spending six days on horseback to get to the mountains. But the military could fill a speeder just with batteries and another speeder with a power generator, so they could recharge them overnight. It would only take two days to reach the mountains.

There was yet another speeder with spare parts for the vehicles in case anything broke, and then another two speeders with tents and various gear. Plus, in addition to the one Maren and Donovan rode in, they had three more just with soldiers.

Donovan had told the Duke he did not think it was necessary and, much to his surprise, he agreed.

"It's absolutely excessive! Twelve men just to ride along? Rather absurd. But it isn't about what's needed. All The Wielder Queen's men want to go. They consider it an honor. My advice is to let them."

Donovan nodded and felt that it was the least he could do for the men who were willing to die to save Maren.

The drive was both boring and tiring. The roads were in deplorable condition, so they seemed to hit some horrible pothole or bump or something every few minutes. He and Maren both needed to rest, but it was difficult to sleep with all the jostling around.

It also did Maren no favors regarding her ever-increasing morning sickness, and they had to stop more than once for her to be sick. Everyone was very sympathetic and reported that it happens to more than one man when making that particular trip.

"I just want everyone to know that had I made it to the throne, we would've fixed this road," Donovan announced at one stop. Two of the speeders had flat tires that needed to be repaired. He was also told that was normal.

"Gods above, I have never been looking forward to getting on a horse as much as I am after this," Maren said when she got back in the speeder after that stop.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. We'll be at the overnight point in a few hours."

"Not to worry, Captain, I know you aren't to blame," she said.

Both Donovan and Maren were uncomfortable with being addressed as "Your Majesty" but they had discussed, very quietly, of course, that it wasn't about them. It was about the men. They needed to call them their king and queen, so they would let them.

When they arrived at the campsite, Maren laid down on the ground immediately.

"I recognize this is very inappropriate for a queen, but I am so happy to not be moving," she said.

"On the positive side, you don't have to worry about behaving like a queen after tomorrow," he told her.

The next day, they would make it to Clifton and camp there overnight. But after that, they would set off on their own. Donovan had considered leaving straight away, but he thought that was unwise considering how little sleep he and Maren had had recently. He wanted them both to be clear-headed before taking the horses into the mountains.

Donovan sat beside Maren on the grass. He had offered to help the men set up camp but was told that they appreciated the offer, but his majesty should take his ease. Likely they suspected that Donovan didn't know the first thing about setting up a camp, which was true.

"Are they all swearing oaths, do you think?" Maren asked him quietly.

"I do," Donovan said. "They used that as the criteria for being included in the little band. I told them it wasn't necessary, but they insisted. They decided that anyone who wasn't ready to kneel before me was not allowed to come get you. It certainly wasn't my notion."

"Gods above, they would call me The Queen of Oaths if I wasn't already The Wielder Queen," she said.

"You can be both," he reasoned. "After all, I'm sure there will be more names eventually."

"The Witch Queen, most certainly," she said. "I know you don't like it, but I do. It makes me sound fearsome."

He chuckled. "You are fearsome. You didn't see you in the atrium. You were spectacular."

She really had been. He knew he would never forget the sight of her, hair unkempt, bleeding from the neck, in a stained nightdress and no shoes, but glowing with rage and power. She was magnificent.

She did not respond.

"It's all right," he said. "We don't have to talk about it."

"I'm not ready," she said, confirming what he thought.

"I'll be here when you are," he said.

Captain Beven came over to them.

"Camp is set up, Your Majesties," he said. "Your tent is the largest one, of course.

"Thank you, Captain," Donovan said.

"Ah... Your Majesty, Queen Maren, I mean, if you're well enough, would you start our fire for us? We can, of course, but..."

Maren smiled. "Captain, it would be my pleasure."

Donovan helped Maren to her feet, and they went over to where the men had assembled a large pile of wood for a fire.

Maren drew an orb of Light to her hand and then let it fall into the wood, which promptly burst into flame.

Much to Maren's embarrassment, everyone clapped and cheered.

They ate dinner-some sort of very comforting stew cooked over the fire-and then the men began to tell Maren their stories.

Captain Beven went first.

"Melody lived in the townhouse next to mine. We were friends from the age of six. When she turned thirteen, she was too afraid to tell her parents, but she told me. She was so scared, but I held her hand and told her everything would be alright. She was my best friend, and eventually, I realized I loved her, and I was lucky enough that she loved me too."

Donovan exchanged a smile with Maren at that.

"Melody was gifted at needlework. I used to say that I couldn't sit beside her for too long, or she'd start stitching flowers on my shirt."

Everyone laughed at that.

"Melody tried to never use her powers, but they always came out a little if she was in pain. She was nineteen when they got her. She was sitting in the park, embroidering something, when someone's dog got loose. The dog bit Melody and her hand glowed. Just a bit and it didn't do anything, but plenty of people saw. They had her in chains so fast...I got to see her at the trial...she was so scared, and I couldn't do anything for her. They hanged her, of course.

"That day, I vowed in Melody's memory that I would always help a Wielder if I could. And I'm deeply grateful that I've had the chance to help you, Your Majesty."

Maren nodded graciously beside him. "And I remain eternally grateful for your help. Thank you for telling me about Melody," she said.

Then the Captain came and knelt before Maren. She offered her hand and he took it.

"Queen Maren, by the gods and my sacred honor, I, Alastair Beven, being of sound mind, give you this oath of my own free will: That I pledge to you my fealty and my loyalty. That I will guard your life and the lives of your family with my own. That I will keep your secrets and follow your orders from today until my last breath. This is my oath, and I ask that the gods strike me down where I stand should I break it."

"I accept your oath, Alastair Beven," Maren said, very solemnly.

The men all clapped respectfully, and then another soldier stood to tell the story of his Wielder. Her name was Catherine, and she had a beautiful singing voice, and they hanged her when she was twenty-one. And when he was done, the soldier came forward to give his oath.

They continued that way for a long time. They heard about aunts and cousins and sisters and lovers and even friends and acquaintances and family members of generations long since passed. They heard all their names. Some men told long stories. Some just gave her name and said they loved her. Maren thanked each one, no matter how much or how little they said. Then they all swore the same oath to Maren.

More than one man, including Donovan, shed tears as the men talked. Every story ended the same. The ones that told no story had the same ending too.

All except one.

The last man rose. He was a bit older than most of the others, maybe ten years older than Donovan.

"My name is Carter Pence, and my daughter, Heather, turned thirteen a year ago. It happened in front of me and my wife, so she didn't have to tell us, but she was so scared. She tried to run away from home. Found her a few days later, hiding in the woods. But it's been a difficult year. I'm still scared. I'm terrified she'll end up hanged. Before you, Your Majesty, I was sure she'd be hanged. But now I have hope, I have hope that she might live to see a kingdom where she can be free. I can't wait to go home and tell her about The Wielder Queen."

Donovan did not think there was a single dry eye around the fire. He knew they were all picturing that terrified young woman and hoping she would be alright, and knowing that there was a good chance her story would end in the same way as the others.

When he had finished his oath, Maren told him, "I want you to ride with us tomorrow. I'll tell you everything I can to help Heather."

He looked surprised but thanked her and said he'd speak to Captain Beven.

Maren then spoke. "I am so honored to hear the stories of your Wielders and receive your oaths. You have already done me and the King such a tremendous service that we could never repay you. And yet, tonight, you gave us more. I cannot say if we will ever be able to return and retake our thrones, but knowing the twenty-four of you will come to our call, will make it that much more likely. Regardless of what history makes of me, know that what you have done will forever change the kingdom."

The men cheered. Donovan had to smile, he had not told Maren what he had said to them in the courtyard of the fort before going to save her, and yet she said something very similar.

"There is very little I can do to repay you. But since you have all told your stories as much as you are able, I feel it is only fair that I tell you mine. If you're interested, that is, but I assume most of you are wondering how it was that I became The Wielder Queen."

More cheers and Maren blushed. Donovan knew she was not used to this kind of attention, but she was handling it beautifully.

"Before I begin, I will say that 'boos' are encouraged when Prince Kieran is mentioned in the story."

Everyone laughed.

"And, I want to assure you that the other prince isn't very nice in the beginning, but he becomes the hero in the end."

She looked at him and smiled. She was so beautiful in the firelight.

She told the story perfectly; it was almost like a fairy tale. Donovan wondered if the men would tell it to their children at bedtime.

She talked about her life after she turned thirteen and meeting Karlyn all the way up to the Selection. Donovan had to explain a bit about that and then talked about Maren saving his life.

"I, of course, had no idea what was going on, but when he stopped breathing, I figured I only had one option. I knew it was a risk to use my powers, but I figured it was probably equally risky to be found with a dead prince. So I healed him. Or rather -" she turned to Donovan "- I don't think I ever told you this, I shouted at him that if I got executed for saving him I'd haunt him for all eternity, and then I saved him.

Everyone laughed at that. She hadn't ever told him that, and he found it very amusing.

Then Donovan picked up the story again, "So, I woke up on the floor of the dining room with no memory of what happened and Maren was beside me about to fall asleep from exhaustion. She stumbled off to bed and I had no idea whatsoever what happened. The next morning, I invited her-"

"Forced her," Maren corrected him to much laughter.

"Alright, I did hold her breakfast hostage, but as you'll recall we were barely speaking then. But when Maren arrived at breakfast, I tried to get her to tell me what had happened. Eventually, she told me without telling me that she'd done it with her powers. I cannot tell you how shocked I was. Probably, each of you also had a similar moment of realizing that what you thought you knew about Wielders was wrong. That was mine."

He smiled at her. He was so grateful for that night, and not just because she saved him.

Maren continued, "After that we formed a sort of alliance and then became friends and eventually became...more than friends. I suppose the rest is history."

"But you skipped when you got married!" one of them called.

"You know," Maren said, "it's been less than a week, so it slipped my mind. But there's not much to tell. We had a small ceremony away from Court. Had Kieran not intervened, I expect it would've been the biggest gossip of the decade."

Maren looked at Donovan. He knew she was tired. He was too. He nodded and they both rose.

"Gentlemen, I thank you for an exceptional evening, but I absolutely have to go to sleep now," she said.

There were some groans of disappointment, but also some nods of understanding from some of the older men.

Donovan thanked the men, and then he and Maren retired to their tent.