EPILOGUE

Someone had informed Suza Bralykburn that a real life princess was coming to visit Blackhold on the occasion of Hannah and Brent's vow renewal. Up until that point she hadn't really seen what all the fuss was about the event. She knew that it warranted a rare visit from Auntie Dalla but the inclusion of a whole pack of her friends (or were they associates?) from Iziz, including Saw Gerrera and his new wife and adopted children, came as an intriguing surprise.

Suza as the eldest female grandchild of the north's most prominent family, and as such practically a princess in her own right, was bound and determined to give the other girl a royal welcome and learned as much as she could about her as she was able. Even if the girl was a couple of years younger than Suza herself, she was still certain she could prepare activities that they could enjoy together.

What Suza hadn't counted on was Melaana Gerrera's flat out refusal to do any of those things and possess the single desire to see the painting which Aunt Dalla had sent up to the Hold a few months previously.

"I thought it sort of looked like you," Sandor grinned at her as if they shared a private joke.

The red-headed princess rolled her eyes. "That's because it's supposedly modeled after my momma or my grandmother or something," she mused.

"You were named after your Onderonian grandmother, isn't that right?" Suza attempted to insert herself into the conversation and display some of her knowledge at the same time.

"El-" Mel began with the Mando'a affirmative but switched to Basic, "Yeah."

"How interesting that the name means 'far from home' in the old language and she flew away from Onderon," Suza continued. "And now you have left your home on Mandalore to come back here."

"At least I look like I belong here." Mel glanced around at the other Blackwell cousins who had joined them curiously. "Though I look nothing like my Papa."

"That's okay. I don't look anything like my mom and papa either." The young green skinned twi'lek stepped out from among the others and greeted her warmly. "I'm Ryon Blackwell."

"Ry was adopted by mom's cousin Kason," Sandor stepped up beside her to explain. Was he jealous of the attention she was getting?

"We'll be moving back to Iziz in the fall, so maybe I'll see you around." Ryon didn't seem to have noticed the look that Sandor was giving him to step off but Miranda surely did.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Miranda quietly asked her cousin.

Sandor and Melaana instantly stepped apart but it was Suza who answered for them, "Don't be silly, 'Randa. Her majesty is still a child and surely her marriage will be arranged when she's old enough."

Melaana's cheeks flushed to match her hair. "I passed all the exams to skip two grades so I can go to the upper school in the fall."

"Aye, she er… just needs somebody to show her around," Sandor flustered.

"Then she'll have the both of us," Ryon grinned.

"Thanks." Melaana shot a glare at the other girl and then set to completely ignoring her.

…

"No need to worry about the kids today," Bernard returned to the sitting room off the great hall where the adults had settled for the evening. "They're chatting away and from what I caught of it, weren't making plans for criminal activity of any kind."

"I'll drink to that." Lux raised his glass.

"What about other kinds of trouble?" Soniee worried.

Hero snorted. "After what they've put us through, we'd welcome regular trouble."

Sierra elbowed her husband. "Aren't you glad ours don't do that?"

"Speak for yourself; I've paid my dues." Kallus sarcastically rolled his eyes at Swain. "Every redheaded child should come with a warning label."

"Speaking of redheads," Del Meeko turned to Saw and Soniee. "I couldn't help but notice how much yours looks like Hannah. How are you related?"

Soniee didn't skip a beat. "She's our niece."

"I can't believe this is happening." Hannah beamed, her smile eclipsing the rim of her ale glass. "If you'd told me three years ago we'd be hosting a vow renewal with all of our families, I'd have laughed at you."

"And to think, none of this would have happened if Dalla hadn't gone all scorched earth when Lux broke up with her," Ahsoka said. "The force works in mysterious ways for sure."

Dalla raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, scorched earth?"

At that every Blackwell in the room burst out laughing.

Swain looked from one end of the room to the other. "Why have I never heard about this?"

"Because it didn't happen like that." Dalla glared at Ahsoka.

"The Dxun it didn't," Sloan guffawed, wiping tears from his eyes.

"It didn't!"

Ahsoka leaned in Swain's general direction. "After Lux broke up with her she was trying to get back at him any way she could."

"It was a disaster," Sierra said.

Dalla didn't budge. "I was not a disaster. I handled it very maturely."

This only brought on more laughter from the fence's loved ones, including her husband.

"Bernard, you weren't even there!"

"And yet I still know how bad that stage was."

"How are Brent and I the only ones who don't know this?" Swain demanded.

"I guess I have to tell the story now that everyone's decided to spout their version." Dalla sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Get comfortable, folks. This is a long one."