When Dairine awoke, she was startled to find Roshaun sitting calmly in the chair by her bed with a slight smile on his face. She sat bolt upright and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't having some sort of bizarre dream.

"What the…?" she wondered aloud, but no expletive she knew (and that was by no means a small list) was quite right for the unexpected presence of a ridiculously handsome humanoid who also happened to be your boyfriend in your bedroom before dawn. She settled for "How long have you been there?"

Roshaun laughed. "About 30 seconds. I just wanted to…what is the expression? Freak you out."

"Yeah well, mission accomplished," Dairine grumbled.

Roshaun raised a suspiciously well-groomed eyebrow. "Ah, so my presence here is unwelcome, then? I suppose I'll have to leave…" He started towards the door. Dairine was torn between desparately wanting him to stay and unwillingness to injure her pride, but she wasn't forced to choose between them. He stopped with his hand on the door.

"I seem to have forgotten something," he said, and turned around smartly, walking back to perch lightly on the edge of Dairine's bed. "But I'm not sure where it is…" He looked at her with a glint in his eye.

"I think I know," said Dairine, grinning, and kissed him.

"Found it," Roshaun whispered when they broke apart, then tweaked Dairine's nose. She couldn't stop a silly, girlish smile from spreading across her face, and wondered if it was time to end this before she became addicted to Seventeen. The very thought, however, made her want to scream. Roshaun noticed her expression and looked at her with questions in his eyes. Afraid of the answer to her real question, Dairine decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"What the hell is up with your sister? And what about the issue of leadership on Welkah? Who's going to take care of …"

Roshaun was smiling so broadly that Dairine simply trailed off in wonderment, which was quite a feat, for her. "All taken care of, love," he assured her. "My sister's a wizard now, or have you forgotten? Of course, she's a little young to take over the throne entirely, she'll have to be coached a great deal before that moment comes, but she is more than capable, and I for one think that she would make a far great ruler than I ever – What?" Roshaun was looking at Dairine in some confusion. She had no idea what expression currently occupied her face, but she had plenty to say.

"Wait just one minute! Are you saying what I think you're saying? You – you're not going to be king of Welkah anymore?"

He was grinning. "Bit of a disappointment, isn't it? Thought you were getting a king and now you have to settle for a member of the royal family," he teased her.

"But…but your sister hates wizardry!"

He shrugged. "She changed her mind. Or rather, my father did. He had a talk with her, showed her some of what we can do. I think it was more just worry for us than fear of wizardry that kept her from it, to be truthful. The citizens aren't too happy about it at the moment, but I think we can come to an agreement over time. A compromise, if you will." He smiled at his use of the American expression, and was probably going to go on demonstrating his mastery of cultural idioms had he not been cut off by a piercing shriek from Dairine, who had thrown her arms around his neck. Laughing, he hugged her back. They stayed like that for a while, saying nothing. At last, Dairine spoke.

"I want to show you something." She got up and moved over to the window. Curiously, Roshaun followed. They both climbed up onto the roof, Roshaun with insulting ease considering how long it had taken Dairine to perfect that move. Then they both sat in silence, hands clasped, as the morning sun turned Dairine's hair red-golden and the sound of a spell in-progress descended around them.

A/N: I messed around with the ending for a very long time, trying to get it exactly right, but I finally had to concede that I will probably never be completely happy with it. But I'm damn proud of myself for finishing this story, and hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. So that's it. Until next time, Dai'stiho, cousins.