Prisoner of Chaos (Redemption Book #4)

Epilogue

Kyla
- a year later -

Underland palace is aglow with festive lights as I land concealed by the dim twilight in a tiny jungle near the road leading to the palace.

I cover my wings with a cloak and fasten a hood over my raven locks. As I approach the gate of the palace, I marvel at the most recent addition: A beautiful, immense statue of my father in his beast form, curling around to protect the city gates was created by the people of Underland in dedication to their heroic king.

The monument shimmers in the tropical twilight. I'm told by my mother in her letters that flowers are lain here everyday as well as notes to my father, and the capitol of Underland is no longer known as Underland City, but as Alvar.

I hope wherever you are, Father, you know you are loved and will never be forgotten. By anyone.

I take my own note and pin it to the wood on the gates:

"I'll love you forever. I'll miss you forever. You make me proud to fly on dragon's wings."

I wipe my eyes and tuck my hair under my hood, rising from my place to walk up the steps to the palace.

"Do you have an invitation?" The guard at the gate asks.

I lay down a folded piece of paper at his desk. "Tell Queen Lucy I'm here on behalf of the Guardians of Axus."

The guard cocks a brow quizzically and hands me back my invitation. "Step through here. Remove all weapons."

I don't have any weapons so I step through the scanner and receive my go ahead from the guard.

This party at the palace give me a moment of Deja vu. It's as if I'm a young girl attending one of the many events our palace held again and I half expect to see my father standing with his arm around my mother at the center of it all.

Tears threaten to fall at the thought.

Lots of people are here, some I recognize, others new faces in the crowd. None of them notice the hooded, heavily covered woman, they are too busy enjoying a celebration commemorating the year of peace we've had.

"King Wes, eh?" I overhear a man say. "Let's hope he's less of a war mongering prick than his father. Thank goodness our beloved Queen Lucy took care of that mess."

I try not to snort at that remark, I'm just glad I don't have to deal with Wes ever again.

The perks of everyone thinking you're dead.

I walk to the appetizer table and pick up a kabob of fresh, richly spiced meat.

"You get your predictably black-cloaked self over here and give me a hug!" The voice comes from Helle and is directed at me.

"Shhh!" I say, covering my mouth to keep from giggling, "I'm not supposed to exist anymore, remember? Everyone thinks I died with the Dark Lord." But I throw my arms around her in embrace. "How are you and Kal doing? How's Luc?"

"He's crawling around wreaking havoc, the little devil," Helle says with a grin. "But I'm sure nowhere near the amount of havoc yours could cause."

"Ha ha, very funny," I say dryly, and returning her a smile and shaking my head at the all too close to home pun. "So anything new I should know about?"

"Kalvar has resigned all his claims to the throne, as you know, and he and I are in a much better relationship because of it," Helle says with a smirk. "Him and 'other wife' over there too." She nods in the direction of Kal standing with his arm around a pregnant Anette.