DISCLAIMER: I am not Tamora Pierce, therefore I do not know what she intended to happen post-Lady Knight/Trickster's Queen. I have used a canon reference site to look at what she has said, but I have also infused some of my own thoughts into the years afterward. This story starts about eleven years after the end of TQ.

Winter 475

"You called, father?" King Jonathan IV of Conté looked up from the documents on his desk and into his son's kind, honest blue eyes.

"Yes." He beckoned the young man in. "Come, sit." Roald did so, shutting the door behind him. "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here."

Roald spun the marriage band on his finger around. "Yes, somewhat," he admitted. In reality, he had a suspicion he knew exactly what this was about, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked the notion.

"Your mother and I are getting older-" Jonathan raised a wrinkling hand to stop his son from speaking. "It's true, Roald." He smiled, the lines at the corners of his mouth deepening. "We aren't dead, but we are no longer young. I, unfortunately, had to learn much of this king business on my own, after my father died." A shadow crossed his blue eyes. "I decided when you were born that I would not put that upon your shoulders. So." He settled back in his chair. "Your mother and I have decided to abdicate and pass the throne on to you and Shinkokami."

"What?" Roald blurted out, forgetting himself. He quickly collected in the way Shinko had shown him and said, "Excuse me?"

"We're all getting older, Roald. Don't pretend you haven't noticed. It's time for a new generation to take over. And it means your job will be somewhat easier – your mother and I can help you adjust to your new role. You'll have me to advise you for as long as you need me."

"Are you sure?" Roald asked. "I don't want to force you-"

"Nonsense. Do you have any idea how long Alanna has been bugging me to retire?" His blue eyes danced. "I've ruled for almost thirty-seven years, Roald. It's time I went back to having a normal life."

"Your life was never normal," the prince teased.

Jonathan laughed. "That's true."

The father and son settled into a peaceful silence until Roald asked quietly, "How much time do I have?"

"Pardon?" The king leaned forward. At nearly sixty, he was beginning to lose his hearing.

"How long? Until the coronation, I mean. I want to pick my advisers."

"Oh." Jonathan waved his hand. "Not until summer. I thought I'd make it a full thirty-seven years." He held his son's eyes. "Are you sure about this? If you aren't ready, we'll hold off."

"No, I'm ready." Roald smiled shakily. "Can I talk to Shinko first? I want to make sure she is."

"Go ahead. You tell me when. I'm in no rush." The king patted his heart. "I have a few years left in me still."

While Jonathan told Roald he intended to abdicate, Keladry entered the chambers of her former knight-master, Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak. They embraced warmly. Raoul had been somewhere between a father and older brother figure to her in the years since she received her shield. "How have you been?" Raoul asked. "We haven't seen you around the palace much lately."

"I've been fine," the woman answered, taking a seat across from him. "What about you? Miss the road yet?"

He sighed. "Every day. How's Dom?" Eleven years before, Dom approached Raoul to hand in his letter of resignation. "I'm getting married," the young man offered by way of an explanation. Raoul looked surprised at first, but was overjoyed to learn he was marrying Kel. Since then, the couple had two children: a ten-year-old girl named Ilana and a seven-year-old boy named Gilab. Ilana had begun her page training that year, and had already begun causing trouble with her cousin, Alinna of Queenscove (named in honor of Neal's knight-master, whom he secretly credited with the work he'd been able to do at Haven, New Hope, and the time in between).

"He's well," Kel replied. "He's taken Ilana leaving a bit hard, since they were so close, so I don't think Gil will go for his knighthood."

Raoul grinned. "He's gone soft." His former squire grinned back.

"Maybe a bit." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "It's good to be back. I feel as if I'm never around." Keladry, even a decade after the Scanran War, still made frequent trips to New Hope. She had given up command there twelve years ago, when New Hope went from refugee camp to village. It fell out of the jurisdiction of any fief nearby, but all the nearby nobles tended to look in on the camp now and then, and there were still forts nearby.

"How long are you staying for?"

Kel shrugged. "Long enough to look over the fourth year pages, probably. I'll stick around until I'm sent elsewhere, I suppose. Dom is hoping that won't be until after the New Year."

Raoul nodded, feeling a pang in his chest. How he wished he weren't too old to travel like he used to! "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here."

"It crossed my mind," she admitted with a shrug. "But I never turn down the opportunity to meet with you, you know that."

"I do, I do." Raoul nodded. "Well. As you know, Buri and I have no children…" Raoul had not married Buriram Tourakom until they were in their forties, and too old to have children of their own. She occasionally expressed regret, but neither had wanted to give up their careers when they were of age. "So we were discussing inheritance."

Kel eyed him warily. "You aren't that old," she told him. "I don't know why you're thinking about dying."

"I am old, but thank you. Anyway. We were discussing inheritance. I suppose it could go to one of my relatives, but I don't know any of them that well."

"And whose fault is that?"

"I take full responsibility. Now will you stop interrupting? The Kel I knew was far more polite." Kel colored slightly and murmured and apology. She often forgot herself around Lord Raoul these days. "Anyway. We were discussing inheritance and your name came up. It's not without precedent, to leave one's lands to someone else, or even adopt them. Now, I'm not sure you want me to adopt you, but I would like to leave my lands to you."

Kel blinked at him. "Pardon?" she asked. "I thought you just said you wanted me to be your heir."

"You heard right." Raoul smiled and leaned back in his chair. "What do you think?"

"I think you're mad," she told him honestly. "What do I know about running a fief?"

"What did you know about running a refugee camp?" he retorted. "You care about people more than most nobles do. I'll admit, there isn't really much to run. I haven't been as involved as some. Goldenlake practically runs itself. It would ennoble you in your own right, give you lands…"

"I don't know…" Kel said, looking hesitant. "Can you do that without formally adopting me?"

Raoul shrugged. "We could take it up with Jon. I doubt he'd object."

Kel considered. "Do I have time?"

"Of course! As you said, I'm not dead yet."

"What's that?" Alanna asked, resting her head on her husband's shoulder.

"Letter from Aly," he replied, holding it up. "You can read, if you'd like." She plucked the letter from his hands and skimmed over news of the triplets. "Nothing new, really."

"So I noticed." The Lioness sat down on the bed and fell backward with a sigh. "I'm getting old, George."

"You? Never," he protested, turning his chair to look at her. "You're the Lioness."

"Hardly," she scoffed. "I'm nearly sixty. I'm getting too old for this knight business."

"You're only human," he reminded her gently.

"I know." She propped herself up. "It's just… I can feel the boredom coming, you know? If Jon abdicates, I won't be Champion anymore, and we'll all be bored – you, me, Gary, Jon, Raoul, Thayet, Buri… Our lives will be empty. Uneventful. Think of all the time…" She shuddered. The Lioness never liked sitting idle.

"I'm sure you'll find some way to occupy your time," George said, moving to sit beside her. "What's wrong with some quiet time?" he asked quietly, brushing her hair away from her face. "We never really got our quiet time, with you being a hero and all."

Alanna smiled and took his hand. "I know. But think about it, George."

"I am," he told her with a smile. "And I think we're going to be just fine. All of us." He kissed her forehead. "You worry too much, lass."

Hope you enjoy!