Cardan barges in our room while I'm in bed reading a particularly boring report about the way goblins are overpaid. He looks ecstatic. I don't know which one of his dreams just came true : did he discover a way to make Kinder Bueno's trees - his new human obsession, or did he find a new contraceptive potion that come without the side effects ? The one he currently takes make his tail spasm uncontrollably at night. I observe him as he jumps on the bed, and come to the conclusion that it's something bigger.

And indeed, he declares with pride : "I found a way to make you immortal." It is a big worry for him. As long as I'm High Queen, I won't age and the land will heal me, but Cardan has been obsessed with playing a scary "what if" game. What if we retire and let the throne to an (our ? we didn't talk about this yet) heir ? What if I want to divorce him ? What if we're forced into exile in the human world ? What if after a few centuries, I want to go to the mall and dissolve into dust the second I leave Faerieland ? What if what if what if ?

Cardan told me he cannot bear the thought of me being stuck with him in exchange for immortality. He wants me to be able to leave if need be. It's not a priority now, as I'm not ready to dump his ass, and even though I told him repeatedly, he was stuck on this problem. And now he seems to have found the solution.

"I knew it should be a geas, but I didn't know how to phrase it. And of course, I could not ask help from anyone, since no one should know you're not going to be immortal forever." He passes a hand in his beautiful wild hair. It's getting long now, and he can tuck it behind his delicate arched ears.

"Darling Jude didn't you hear me ? Concentrate, please !"

I complain, closing the report : "How can I concentrate when you look like that ?"

He smirks, looking down at me since he's still standing up on the bed. "Fair enough, but please focus, honey. So, I wanted a geas that would tie you neither to Faerie nor me, nor you being human in case being High Queen interfered with your humanity, nor…"

The list went down for another minute, and I allowed my mind to drift a bit. It felt so nice to have someone worry about me. To have someone taking into consideration constraints that I didn't even think about. To have someone to trust wholeheartedly. "Jude, I swear to Mab that your nine years old brother can concentrate longer than you !"

"Come on, tell me already." I grumbled. He flicked my nose with his tail.

"If it agrees with you, I think linking the geas to your name would be our best bet. I was thinking something like "yada yada yada, as long as your name is Jude, I shall grant you the same immortality as a faerie." If we keep it to just Jude, it will allow you to change your surname as many times as you wish, whether it's Jude Greenbriar or Jude Duarte or…"

"Why would I want to change my surname back to Jude Duarte ?" I cut him. He reddens, suddenly shy. "You know, just in case we…"

I get up on the bed. "Come here, you foolish Faerie king." He frowns. "Calling me foolish when I just solved the riddle that will promise you eternal life is a bit mean, my love, even for you."

I laugh at his words as I put my arms around his arms, squeezing him as tight as I could. "You're the dumbest king I've ever known, if you think I'm going to divorce you now."

He sighs. "Darling, you don't know a lot of kings…" I roll my eyes and he smiles.

"So you would agree to such a geas ? Do you find it entirely agreeable ? You are fine with keeping your name forever ? If you don't, we can…"

"I will do it. It's perfect, thanks, love." Cardan now looks surprised, like a deer in a car's lights. I notice his shock. "Please, don't tell me you still have insecurities about doing a good job ? You're the best king ever. And you're the perfect partner, and I love you."

He looks away, biting his inhumanely beautiful lips. I know if he could lie about being okay right now, he would, so I take him in my arms and kiss him until we both cry a little. His soft tail caress my cheek.

It's weird how sometimes, he, who was abused and beaten and ignored and was trapped in a snake's body, and I, who went through hell with all my political schemes, can cry about things so small. When he gets me wild flowers for no reason, when I draw poorly some cute animals on the corner of his reports during Court meetings… Sometimes the smallest acts of tenderness can get us to our knees. It's our secret, though. How we are healing ourselves of our wounded childhoods is maybe the secret I keep closest to my heart.

When we're feeling calmer we get up, and he takes his High King voice, strong and sturdy, to ask me : "Jude, sweet Jude, will you promise to keep your name Jude until the Earth crumbles and the sun fades ?"

Suddenly, I feel very emotional, as I try my best to declare with a clear voice, "I promise."

He continues, "Then, I, Cardan Greenbriar, grant you and your kin, faerie immortality, as long as your name shall be Jude."

My skin tingles and I feel the geas clicking into place. But it's not what gets my attention. "You added my kin into the geas ? Taryn ?" He nods, looking guilty. "You know when I told you I found the answer to the mortality issue ? Well, it was more of a team effort, so Taryn asked me to put this formulation in the geas, in case her child isn't immortal either. But I wanted you to be proud of me, so…" He lets the end of his sentence floating in the air.

"You're definitely foolish. I'm super proud of you, whether you grant me immortality or not, you dumb king." He kisses me, but I'm suddenly very tired.

We both get naked and slid under the covers, ready to sleep for the rest of the morning. I feel this new strength shuddering under my skin as I fall asleep to Cardan humming softly against my head, caressing my hair, his tail wrapped around my legs protectively, twitching in an imperceptible rhythm.