Epilogue

When the first spring buds began erupting from the cold, dormant earth, the people of Poseidonium all converged around the palace and the city. Far away lords and ladies came from all around in order to be part of the wedding of the second princess. Interest in attending the massive celebration was high due to the presence of their guests and new allies, the fairies.

The fairies brought their princess ambassador gifts of flowers from faraway places. Bushes and vines and patches that were placed into large crystal pots that were used to line the area that had been prepared for the ceremony around Oceane's pond. Her fountain remained at the front, cleaned and polished until it sparkled as brightly as the water it brought forth from below. Chairs had been set around for the lords and ladies to rest upon. There were four thrones that had been placed near the front of the proceedings. One set was for the king and queen of Poseidonium, the other was for the king and queen of the fairies.

Flower petals, gathered and collected from all around, had been spread out as a carpet that became living again with every step the fairy guests took over them. They filled the area with the scent of new life and their pollen attracted many a bee and butterfly to come dance around.

All of it stood under the shadow of the royal palace which had been cleaned to a shine now that final construction and renovation had been completed. The limestone gleamed in the sunlight. Not nearly so brightly, however, as the beautiful copper and crystal masterpiece that stood atop the highest tower and offered an unparalleled view of the stars for those lucky enough to visit.

From the window of the far east sitting room, Nero had a perfect view of the tower as it rose high on the other end of the castle. He couldn't help but take more than a few long, lingering glances out of that window because he knew that the tower was exactly where Andromeda was at this very moment.

He wasn't allowed to make longing glance outside very often. His soon-to-be father and brother would consistently pull him away and back to his groom's party where he was supposed to be dressing and preparing for his vows. Which would take place in a few short hours. Whenever Andromeda was finished dressing and chose to come down.

Linus, who was already deep into a brandy glass, was alternating between delighted laughter and hysterical sobbing. He was at once ecstatic over his daughter's marriage and miserable over the exact same cause.

Aurelius, who was serving as the second groomsman, assured Nero that this was perfectly normal and that Linus was just sad and happy that another one of his daughters was getting married. He didn't care about his promise not to drink on this day that he had made to Melania. He was getting drunk because he was losing another daughter.

More literally this time.

While Nero and Andromeda would be making their permanent home here, neither of them planned on spending all that much time remaining in the kingdom. Their dreams and hearts were calling on them to travel to the far ends of the world. They were going to leave immediately after the ceremony and all they knew was that they were going south.

There was a temple to the war goddess in the south, one of the few permanent buildings that the tribes had to their names. It was a place of peace, ironically, where all tribes were welcome to come and pay tribute to the goddess regardless of personal conflict. Nero wanted to introduce his bride formally to his goddess and her people as her personal avatar. And Andromeda just wanted to see his home and learn of the southern culture.

Linus was a complete mess because he was scared and excited for her. His second daughter had never been so strong in her life but he still felt worried about her leaving him. None of his daughters had ever been away in such a manner before.

Just as she had for Aurelius' wedding, Larissa had been in charge of designing and creating all of the clothing worn by the wedding party. For Nero, she had crafted a stunning piece that was a mixture of southern and northern style clothing.

The cut of his emerald green tunic was in the sharper style of the south, but the fabric and fine embroidery that decorated the shoulders were northern in style. The silvery thread created a field of flowers in the embroidery. The leather of his belt had been similarly pressed, but the silver buckle that tied the tunic around his waist was smooth with a mirror finish.

He wore bracers, pieces of armor, in a concession to southern style wedding ceremonies wherein the bride and groom wore full battle regalia in symbolism of their dedication to spend the rest of their lives fighting for and with one another. Similarly, his Tacenda at his hip had been given a new sheath that had been lovingly inscribed with an etching of his goddess.

Along the side of his brown trousers that had been tucked into his fine leather boots, more silver embroidery created a stylized version of a hound exploding from a field of stars and running through a silver fire along his thighs. There were pearl buttons along the sides of his boots and more silver thread along the closed edges.

The entire outfit probably cost more than every article of clothing that Nero had ever worn in the entirety of his life. Larissa had taken painstaking care to create it and he had heard that she had done much of the more complex embroidery with her own hands.

Most impressive to him was the comfort of the clothing. It was tailor fit for him, that was a given, but it went further than that. The cut of the cloth meant that he had enough room to move within it, as though she had created a masterpiece that he could actually wear in a fight if need be.

Larissa considered herself a master of functional beauty, Aurelius had explained. She probably had intended just that.

As a result of joining this family, Larissa was taking charge of the entirety of his wardrobe. She hadn't even asked if he would mind. She had simply had him fetched so she could obtain his measurements, then one day he woke up to find new clothing laid out for him that he didn't recognize.

Though Nero wasn't accustomed to this decadent kind of lifestyle, he did appreciate the time that Larissa took to make sure that his clothing was suited to his preferences in both aesthetics and function while still being made of the finest cloth and leather possible. She had already packed bags for both Andromeda and Nero so that when they left they had clothing that was comfortable, functional, but wouldn't draw a great deal of attention to them as royalty.

Aurelius had been helping him dress. The man that would be his brother was patient with his lack of knowledge of royalty. Though Aurelius had been born a lord and had been raised with all of the etiquette and expectation that position required, he was patient with Nero's lack of knowledge. Besides, Nero only needed to act this way while he was in Poseidonium. Once he left the kingdom, he could behave as he was accustomed.

Soon, he and Andromeda would both be free.

The men toasted with the brandy. Nero preferred few things in the north over the south, but alcohol was definitely one of them. The northerners with their permanent homesteads, farms, and breweries were just better at crafting and perfecting things like brandy.

"It's about time to make our way down to the pond," Aurelius said, not looking at the gently ticking clock on the wall but at the mostly empty brandy class by Linus' elbow.

"Nero," the king slurred slightly, motioning him over.

Nero came closer and let the older man take his hand. He clasped it desperately.

"You'll take care of her. Right? You won't let her be hurt. Right?"

"On my honor, your majesty," Nero swore. "Look forward to the gifts we're going to be bringing you from the places we see around the world, because no matter how far we go, we're always going to return here."

Linus nodded sadly, patting the back of his hand. "She's my little girl. My littlest girl. She was such a tiny thing when she was born. She came too early and we were all scared for her, but she survived. She always survived, no matter how close she came."

"She's a tough little warrior," Nero said, his chest filling with pride.

"Yeah..." Linus nodded as though the word were unfamiliar to him. In regards to Andromeda, it probably was.

"Let's go, father," Aurelius said, clapping Linus on the back. "Mother is going to want to have time to scold you before Andy and the others come down."

Linus laughed at the thought, the melancholy banished from his face. "Ah, my dove. She always looks so pretty when she's irritated. I like her when she's mad."

"What a fortunate man you are then," Nero chuckled.

"Aye, lucky. Not lucky enough to keep my daughters." In a snap, the happiness converted right back to misery. He had been bouncing back and forth like that all day.

Aurelius and Nero paid his overactive emotions no mind as they pushed him towards the door. He started clapping in eagerness as he realized what time it was. Then he started crying in sorrow for the exact same reason.

"I thought Giles was supposed to be here with us," Nero said, just now realizing that the man who was supposed to serve as his third groomsman wasn't here.

While he had initially protested having the man who had formerly been betrothed to Andromeda as being one of his groomsmen, both Giles and Linus eventually talked him into it. Giles had no hard feelings whatsoever and having him as part of the wedding party was a good way to broadcast that to the lords and ladies who would no doubt whisper at the sudden change in grooms after Giles had already been given Andromeda's hand.

"He had to get dressed early so he could oversee everything with Nat," Aurelius said. "He'll be there, don't worry. You can always count on Giles."

"I have to admit, he does seem to be a pretty nice guy. He wasn't upset at all about canceling the betrothal. Actually, now that I think on it, why isn't he married?"

Aurelius shrugged. "I've always assumed that he was married to his work. He spends all of his time with Nat running the castle."

"With Nat?"

"Yes. Those two keep everything functioning around here. I don't know where we'd be without them."

Nero looked thoughtful for a moment. Maybe the reason Giles didn't mind that Nero had taken Andromeda from him was that he already had a different princess in his eye.

Nero opted not to bring it up. He would trust that the third man would be there. If not, it didn't really matter to Nero anyway. The only reason he had three groomsmen at all was because Andromeda's three sisters were her bridesmaids.

Thinking of his soon-to-be wife banished all thoughts of Giles and his intentions from Nero's mind. Why should he worry about another man when he was about to marry his goddess?


Another princess married, and now Giles' task had become that much harder.

He walked down the halls of the palace, none of his irritation showing in the gentle smile that he displayed for anyone who might happen to see him. His step was even but hurried. There were a great many things to see to today. More so than usual as he only had Nat to take some of the burden while she was busy assisting her sisters.

He should have hired Vasili Xenos sooner. Waiting until Linus and Melania had announced they were going to begin the marriage preparations for Reanna had been a mistake. Not one that he had consciously made, but a mistake nonetheless.

Now he had three princesses and two princes that stood between himself and his future bride and their rightful places on the throne.

Of all the cursed princesses, only Nat was suitable to sit upon the throne. She worked harder than any of the others. She remained humble and unassuming despite her title. That would be due to her plainness and the common treatment that resulted from it. While other men would consider her lack of beauty to be a detraction, Giles had grown to prefer it.

She would be a superior queen, far better than Reanna. It was no question that she would be better than Andromeda. And Larissa? Giles nearly laughed to think of the bubble headed female as a leader of anything. She only thought of fashion.

No, Nat was better than all of them. Being fourth in line, however, meant that she would never be queen. Tragedy did not fall upon the royal family of Poseidonium. At least, not accidentally. Oceane cared diligently for the bloodline she had spent centuries creating. If catastrophe were t fall upon them, it had to be forced.

Even then, that wasn't enough to guarantee any attempts would be successful. As Vasili Xenos' failure would attest.

If Giles wanted the rightful queen in her rightful place, he would have to make it happen himself. Even if it meant he had to betray his king and queen.

Giles turned into his private study and moved around to his desk. He wouldn't have a great deal of time to work. The entire royal family was far too focused on the wedding right now to care about anything else that was going on.

He opened the top desk drawer. He pushed his personal stationary upwards to reveal a small notch in the bottom of the drawer. He stuck his finger inside and lifted it upwards. Inside of the hidden compartment was a sealed letter he had written a few days before.

Giles pulled it out and hid it inside of his coat. He shut the drawer and left the room with that same peaceful smile on his face. He summoned one of his servants. His personal servants, not one of the palace staff.

He gave them the letter, very strict instructions, and sent the young man off. No one cared about a single youth that left the palace. Not on this day.

Giles returned to organizing the wedding, making his way down towards the garden. He was serving as a groomsman for the barbarian that the second princess had chosen as a husband. Further proof that she was not suited for leadership.

Initially, when Giles had been told he would be marrying Andromeda instead, he had been excited. Such a situation meant he would only need rid the kingdom of Reanna and Aurelius. He had forgotten, in thinking of how much less work it would be to marry Andromeda, that it wasn't only himself he was trying to put on the throne.

There were no doubts in his mind that he would be a superb king. However, a king needed a queen of equal caliber. She could make her king better, stronger. Like a game of chess, the king was the most important piece, but his queen was nearly as invaluable.

Andromeda would be a poor queen. Her curious mind and adventurous spirit were not qualities suited for ruling and raising a new generation of rulers. She had been too weak to give birth to that new generation anyway. Her parents had been deluded to think otherwise. She was at least realistic in recognizing that quality about herself.

Only Nat was suitable. Only Nat would be the perfect queen. When his excitement faded and he remembered that fact, he was all too happy to assure Andromeda that she need not marry him. Luckily, she had no desire to do so and she had found her barbarian instead.

Giles lived for Poseidonium. He would do anything for this kingdom. Including whatever was necessary to ensure that only the best candidates possible became king and queen.


The new observatory, in its finished state, seemed more like a work of art than the spartan, academic center that it had been before. Andromeda didn't regret at all asking Larissa to decorate and assist in the rebuilding of her tower.

The telescope still took pride of place. The new pulley system and new lenses offered Andromeda an even greater view of the sky. Directly overhead, Larissa had replaced the traditional roof with one made of glass that had been warped in such a way that, whenever there was sunlight beaming through, there would almost always be a rainbow with it.

Along the far wall, opposite the telescope, a crystal mural had been colored dark blue, purple, and a lighter blue in such a way that it resembled the night sky. When the rainbows from the glass ceiling hit the crystal, it sparkled as though dusted with stars.

Andromeda still had her work tables, but now they came with comfortable chairs that sat forward into grooves cut out into the table that allowed the sitter to get in as close as possible so as to maximize their work space. On the floor, having just been finished and placed this morning, was a massive rug that depicted a large black hound with iridescent fur and burning eyes surrounded by sparks of light and fire.

The room's seal was better than it had been before, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The lenses of the telescope could also be retracted inside and a cover placed over the opening to the stars so that storms couldn't deposit rain and snow inside.

The observatory was a dream. Andromeda had first seen it and questioned why she had waited so long to ask Larissa to help her in this. She should have trusted her sister more and known that she wouldn't sacrifice function for form.

At the moment, the work tables in the center of the room had all been pushed aside to make space for the bridal party. Some of the tables had been used to hold dresses, jewels, and face paints that the four princesses had been slowly applying to their bodies while dressing the bride.

"I just got word that Nero and the others are heading down to the pond," Nat said as she came back in after talking to the servants outside of the tower.

Just as she had when Reanna had been married, she had been the first sister up and dressed simply because her duties that day consisted of far more than dressing Andromeda.

The tulle skirt of her gown, reminiscent of the slim, lightweight dresses that the second princess used to be forced to wear, fluttered around her legs with each purposeful step she took.

The shimmering silver frock was simple in both cut and style. The gown was composed of a single cut of cloth with slits made for the head and arms that created plunging necklines and straps. It was held in place by a thin length of black leather that had been wrapped around her waist multiple times and was held together with a shimmering, white gold pendant that had been encrusted with diamonds.

Her short brown hair had been coiffed and curled in the front with a white gold hair net encrusted with yet more diamond stones draped over the back. Diamond drops hung at her ears, wrists, and neck. There were yet more of the stones interwoven with the inky black leather of her sandals that could just barely be glimpsed when she took one of her purposeful steps.

Nat seemed to glow. Though she was the plain sister, since Andromeda had realized the trick to Oceane's magic, she was becoming more beautiful with each passing day. Nat was only as plain as the onlooker expected her to be.

She bloomed like the bright moon on a dark, cloudy night, peeking through the swirling mist with a halo of light as her shawl.

Nat looked up from her note board and frowned at Larissa who had a mouth stuffed with hair pins as she worked on styling Andromeda's hair.

"Are you planning to be done anytime soon?" She asked, peeking at the locks that remained to be locked into place.

Larissa glared over at her. "I will be done when I'm done and not a moment sooner!"

"Calm down," Reanna grinned, pouring some tea. "Andy, would you like some?"

"No, not for me, thanks. My stomach is all in knots."

Reanna laughed, lifting the cup to her lips, highlighted in gold pain. "I remember that feeling."

Whereas Nat glowed, Reanna shined. She was a brilliant ray of sunshine that sparkled with its own inner light and power.

Reanna's gown was the exact same cut and style as Nat's. However, it was bright gold and the hem of it had been decorated in flakes of gold leaf. The leather thong around her waist was brown instead of black and the pendant that held it on was made of gold with citrine stones. Nets of citrine and gold wrapped around her wrists and choked her neck with color. Her bright blonde hair was curled and fluffed, pulled away from her face by a band of gold. It was pressed with the silhouette of a lion with its paws lifted and citrines for eyes.

Nat came and stood next to her, and the two of them were night and day. While Reanna's greater shine almost seemed to diminish Nat's, they occupied the same space with equal elegance and power.

"Rae, can you hand me that pin there?" Larissa pointed with her chin, both of her hands holding Andromeda's hair in place.

Reanna picked up the flower pin and passed it to her with a smile. "Those are really quite beautiful. I'll have to ask Janus for some for myself."

"Careful if you do. They have to be stored in soil." Larissa grinned as she used the pin to lock Andromeda's strawberry blonde hair in place. "There. Now, for the final touches. Nat, my paints."

"Yes, yes." Setting aside her note board, Nat picked up Larissa's box of face paint and brought it over to her. She had already painted most of Andromeda's make up, but there were just a few touches left before it was complete.

Larissa bent over, holding out the brush like an artist before a canvas.

Doing so made her tulle skirt fall forward and highlighted the shape of her body. As the ruffles in the skirt moved, the colors dyed into the fabric shimmered. Dark blue, light blue, and violet. Mixing and moving together in a stunning display. The band of leather that she wore was as black as Nat's, but it was studded with black opal beads as it wrapped around her.

Instead of metal jewelry, she wore lace, finger less gloves that wrapped around her palms and thumb and was held on by black opal buttons on the back of her hands. More lace wrapped around her neck, ending in a black opal pendant. Her long hair had been left to hang free, but small braids with more black opal beads had been strategically placed throughout so that even the brown locks shimmered when she moved.

She was like the night's sky, spreading beauty and wrapping lovingly around the sun and moon that shimmered brightly against the backgrounds she created for them.

She bit at the inside of her lip a she worked, trying not to disturb the purple paint that she had lightly blushed along them earlier before she had begun work on Andromeda.

The gowns she had created for herself, Reanna, and Nat had all come from her hands. The gown she had designed for Andromeda, however, had required some aid. Just as Nero wore a fusion of southern and northern styles, Andromeda wore a fusion of northern and fairy styles. Larissa had required Janus's help, and a few of his magical flowers, to create it.

When she finally leaned back, taking one last look at her latest masterpiece, Andromeda's nerves had grown out of control. She didn't think she could bare much more of this torture.

"Well?" She asked.

"I'm an artist," Larissa praised herself as Reanna and Nat came around to take a look.

"I like it," Reanna smiled.

"Your best yet," Nat agreed, wrapping her arm around Larissa.

The sun, the moon, and the stars smiled down at the flower that grew before them.


"They're coming," Giles announced, rushing to his place. "Everyone, in position. They've left the tower. They should be here in a few minutes."

Aurelius leaned over to Nero where they stood in front of the fountain. "How do you feel?"

"Impatient," he grumbled. "This would have been over with already in the south."

Aurelius chuckled. "You'll come to get used to it. You may even like it."

Nero gave him a dull look that made him laugh harder.

The temple keeper for the Great Temple, dedicated to Oceane and, to a lesser extent, her father, came walking up to the fountain with a crystal chalice in hand. Accompanying him, looking like he felt very out of place, was the keeper of the tiny temple to the war goddess that Nero had found in the city when he had first arrived. In his hands sat the bronze offering bowl from the temple. It had been shined to a gleaming finish in preparation for today.

Andromeda would make her vows to Oceane, he would make his to his goddess. They needed both temple keepers to officiate. The two men stood, side by side at the front of the fountain and waited for the princess and her entourage to come down from the palace. The lords and ladies found their seats. The fairy guests floated above them so they could see without obstruction. The kings and queens were taken to their thrones.

Nero began fidgeting. He wasn't uncomfortable standing for long periods of time, he just didn't understand why he was being forced to wait this long. He could have married the girl already and they could have started their life together if it weren't for northern tradition.

He let out a long breath, trying to hide his annoyance. At least it would finally be over after today and he would no longer have to deal with inane questions about food choices, banners, table runners, or whatever nonsense Nat could think to bring up that served no real purpose.

A mumbling amongst the crowd alerted Nero that something was finally happening. His shoulders sagged in relief as he watched the bridal procession come from the palace.

Andromeda had chosen to actually walk for her bridal walk. Not because she enjoyed abiding tradition, it wasn't that at all. She just wanted to bring herself here on her own two feet. She wanted to walk the distance and know that each step was taken by her. She didn't want to ride, she especially didn't want to be carried. She could walk and it didn't hurt. She could walk and she wouldn't get tired. So, she was going to walk to her groom and savor every step along the way.

He couldn't make out her features immediately. She was covered completely by a veil. The opaque, sparkling, white fabric was trimmed in white flowers that bloomed brightly, living within the fabric itself. A gift from Janus. It trailed far behind her but was held off of the ground by the other three princesses who carried it together in stunning gowns that were admired with plenty of tittering and smiles as they approached.

Knowing what was expected of him, Nero walked away from the fountain and towards Andromeda. It was his job to remove the veil from her. Another northern tradition.

As he neared, she came to a halt. He bent down low and grabbed the hem of the veil. With one wide toss, he lifted it up and threw it away from her. It fell behind her, pooling onto the ground as she was revealed to the people. Nero suddenly understood why it had taken so long for her to get here. Such beauty wasn't achieved in mere moments.

The base of the dress was a pale yellow-green. Its sleeveless bodice tightly gripped her torso before flaring out into a wide skirt reminiscent of fairy styled clothing in that it was shorter in the front and longer in the back. Her legs weren't visible because more opaque fabric created a second layer that concealed the limbs.

Covering the entirety of the gown, however, was a field of living flowers. Bush mallow flowers that were blushed pink at the end of the petals but gradually became darker towards the center were especially thick around her waist. Yellow primrose flowers bloomed along the inner skirt. The rest of the gown was spread with light blue plumbago that were surrounded with bright blue crystal beads that glimmered in the sunlight.

There were more flowers in her hair. The strawberry blonde locks had been twisted into blooming flower shapes around the pins.

Her pale skin had tanned delightfully since she had lost her magic. It made the scars formally hidden in the pallor more obvious, but she had never looked healthier. The color made her eyes gleam and was accentuated by the roses that bloomed in her cheeks whenever he managed to steal a kiss when their chaperons weren't watching.

She blinked, and her eyelashes sparkled. She smiled at him and the light pink lip paint tempted him to steal a kiss right there in front of everyone.

His body went through the motions even as his mind was trapped staring at her. He offered her his arm and she wrapped hers through it, unable to turn her eyes away from him anymore than he could look away from her.

The two of them walked together towards the fountain. The Great Temple keeper had plunged his hands into the water bubbling up from below. As they came to stand before him, he turned and flicked the drops from his hands over them.

"This is the holy sight belonging to Oceane. Far more than her temple, this place is her home. We, her people, are always welcome here. In return for the love and protection she gives us, we come to this place and give to her in return. Who comes here to be joined on this day? Name yourselves for all to hear."

"I am Andromeda Antigone Alexios Agathe Amaryllis, second in line for the throne of Poseidonium."

"I am Nero, of the tribe Lafradio of the far south."

The Great Temple keeper turned and dipped the crystal chalice into the fountain. He filled it to the brim and turned. He held it out for them to take. "Daughter of Poseidonium, son of the south, you are welcome in this sacred place. Drink of Oceane's love, and kneel before me now."

Andromeda took the first drink. She downed half of it by herself. She passed it to Nero and he finished it off.

When he lowered the chalice, the war goddess' temple keeper scrambled forward with his bronze bowl. He inclined his head to them.

"Daughter of Poseidonium, son of the south, you may now make your gift to the goddess."

Nero and Andromeda placed the crystal chalice into the bronze dish together. The temple keeper inclined his head again, multiple times, as he backed up with the war goddess' offering.

The Great Temple keeper began his speech. He spoke of love and duty, protection and support. He detailed how they needed to be there for one another. To care for one another when they were sick or injured. To provide for the other when they were hungry and needy.

When he finished, the war goddess' temple keeper began his speech. He spoke of loyalty and unwavering fidelity. He similarly spoke of companionship. To fight for one another, whether that meant fighting to stay together, or fighting those who might try to tear them apart. To accept the other's enemies and allies as their own. To know that they either lived or died together.

While the war goddess had little to do with love and romance, when the people of the south married under her name, they did so almost as though they were brothers on the battlefield. Life was a battle, and marriage was finding someone willing to fight it with you.

The Great Temple keeper took over again. "Oceane's blessings be upon you!"

"The war goddess' favor be upon you!"

"Forevermore are you two joined into one body, one heart, and one soul. Nero, will you remain faithful to your bride? Honor and respect her? Take all of her worldly goods and family as your own?"

"I will."

"Will you live for her? Will you die for her?"

"I will."

"Andromeda Antigone Alexios Agathe Amaryllis, will you remain faithful to your groom? Honor and respect him? Take all of his worldly goods and family as your own?"

"I will."

"Will you live for him? Will you die for him?"

"I will."

The Great Temple keeper dipped his hands into the fountain again. He flicked the water over them once more.

"Allow your vows to have the strength of Oceane's when she promised us her love and protection."

The other keeper added his words. "Allow your bonds to be strong as the goddess' shield."

They finished together. "Be with each other for the rest of your days and beyond, into the goddess of death's kingdom. Let these two be joined, and let none but the gods split them asunder!"

Andromeda and Nero kissed, sealing their vows and the joining of their different cultures.

The trickling of water suddenly exploded outward. The newlyweds jumped apart and everyone cried out in surprise as a veiled figure erupted from the fountain. The veil was tossed back with the speed at which she landed-

-and the speed at which the massive black hound ran with her on his back.

Oceane let out a loud cry of delight as Ey came to a skidding halt. The lords and ladies, the Great Temple keeper, all dropped immediately into low bows. The royal family stared in wonder as she dismounted and spun around like she was dizzy.

"That was quite a ride, Ey," she laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Oceane," Andromeda beamed, taking a step towards her.

"Ah! There's my girl!" Continuing to laugh, she came forward with both arms extended. Before Andromeda could react, the demi-goddess was wrapping her up in a large hug.

Nero chuckled as Ey came to stand beside him. He smiled in wonder. "You're here."

"I wouldn't miss your wedding, Nero," Ey assured him, sitting down. "And I wouldn't have been late, but Oceane has no sense of time."

"Oh, hush, you." The godmother pushed the hound with a laugh before turning back to Andromeda. "I am so proud of you, my darling. You did perfectly."

"Thank you, Oceane. It was my honor to serve."

Oceane smiled. "So, are we having the party here?"

"We were going to," Nero grinned at the way the fairy king and queen had leapt to their feet and were staring, wide eyed, at Oceane.

The demi-goddess grinned at them knowingly. As though they could sense their apprehension at seeing Poseidonium's deity in the flesh. She deliberately turned away so she could face Andromeda.

"Well, then, I suppose it's time for your gift. My magic has begun recovering, so I can give you anything you like. Ask it of me."

"Why? When you already know what you're going to give us?" Andromeda laughed.

"True." Oceane tossed back her snow-white hair. The ends of which were bright blue again today. The vibrant color sparkled against the scales of her formal gown. She reached into the folds of the skirts and pulled something out. "Instead of granting you a spell - I figure that you're probably enjoying being free of them - I'm going to give you this."

She held out her hand, showing them the gleaming silver tinderbox.

"Ey's tinderbox?" Nero gasped, looking to the hound. "You're giving it to us?"

"I've made some adjustments," Oceane smiled. "I had to remove a great many restrictions from it, and I added a few new ones for myself. I certainly don't need it. Ey is my hound now. He will stay with me and be my servant to assist me. However, with this tinderbox, you two can summon him to assist you in times of need. Only you two, though. No one else will be able to use this box but you, and no one can force him to act against his will."

"Oh, Ey," Andromeda gasped, beaming at the hound.

"Thank you, Oceane," Nero smiled, taking the tinderbox back. She had shined the tin of it and it gleamed brightly in his palm.

"Just a little trinket," the demi-goddess beamed. She turned around quickly. "Now, then. Where has Auri gone off to? I wish to dance now."

The crown prince made a face. "Wha-? Again?"

"There you are!" Oceane jumped forward and grabbed his arm. She jerked against him and began walking him towards the musicians that had been waiting for the conclusion of the ceremony. In seeing their goddess coming towards them, they hasted to lift their instruments.

"She's like a hurricane," Nero laughed, turning to Ey. "You're happy with her?"

"I have never been so free," the hound assured him. "Thank you, Nero. Andy."

"We're happy to see you again," she told him sincerely, scratching along his head.

Oceane was forcibly turning Aurelius around the floor as though he were a rag doll. Reanna was watching it with no small amount of concern as the others hastened to begin the festivities as it was clear that Oceane was ready to enjoy herself. Even Ey walked off to greet people. He had never gotten the chance to simply make friends when he had been trapped in his tinderbox.

Nero and Andromeda stayed behind, smiling as they held one another's hands. He turned to her with a smile.

"Can we leave yet?"

She laughed. "No. We haven't even had a chance to say goodbye. We have to eat and dance, and I certainly can't go running off in this gown."

Nero kissed her hand with a smile. "I thought you wanted to see the horizon."

"I do. And the horizon is always going to be there to see. Dance with me."

As she pulled on his arm, walking ahead to lead him to the musicians. He could see that there was one other flower in her hair. One that he hadn't noticed before. It had been placed behind her ear, almost hidden under the others. The dark red and purple seemed to throb and pulse with its own internal heartbeat and he found his mouth growing dry just looking at it.

Unable to resist, he reached up to caress the petals. Andromeda felt his touch and she turned with a knowing smile.

"Rissa almost didn't want to add it. She couldn't figure out why Janus had even given it to her. It doesn't at all match the others."

Nero grinned. "You want to taste that flower again?"

She smiled at him but didn't respond as she pulled him in to dance. Since Larissa had already taught him the steps, he fell into it a little more easily than his first attempt. He still thought that northern dances were far too structured, but at the moment all he could think about was that flower.

Hours later, long after Oceane had disappeared leaving Ey to mingle with his new colleagues, long after Ey followed after her back into the pond, and after Andromeda and Nero had changed into traveling clothes that didn't broadcast their wealth, they were riding side by side on a pair of horses with everything they would need loaded into their saddle bags.

They left Poseidonium, and Andromeda didn't look back. She looked towards the horizon which was starting to brighten with stars. She didn't know how far they would go, but she knew it was already farther than she had ever been.

Nero watched her for a long while, just enjoying the sight of her in riding leathers with a single, dark red and violet flower tucked into her ear. She looked more like his goddess now than she ever had and was all the more beautiful to him for it.

She caught him staring and smiled. "Yes, Nero?"

"I love you," he said simply.

Andromeda giggled. "I love you, too."

"No regrets?"

"About what?"

He shrugged. "Anything, I guess."

Andromeda smiled at him. "None at all."

She didn't regret a thing. She couldn't wish for anything more than this. Riding side by side into the unknown with him at her side.

Her barbarian. Her lover. Her fantasy.

His goddess, the Hound Princess.