Chapter 17 – Epilogue

Kaide opened her eyes and stared at the ornate ceiling of Leck's – now Bitterblue's castle. While Katsa and the remainder of Po's family went on their own separate path to find Po, Kaide had been forced to travel directly to Monsea, as weeks on a rocking boat at sea had severely slowed down her recovery, even with her Grace. Being carried across the country like an invalid was not Kaide's idea of returning to Monsea after defeating Leck, but it was that or face the wrath of Ror's Graced healers… something that didn't appeal too greatly to Kaide.

Dragging herself out of bed, Kaide felt the slight twinge in her chest that she knew would never fade away, where Blaire's dagger had embedded itself in her chest. The healers had said it was a miracle that she had survived, and Kaide heartily agreed. Even now, several months later, Kaide couldn't say that she felt completely well. But it was the day of Bitterblue's coronation, and Blaire had told Kaide she no longer had any valid excuse to mope around.

"Kaide?" Blaire asked quietly, pulling open Kaide's door with caution. "I hope I didn't wake you."

Kaide could still see the nervousness in Blaire's eyes as she spoke, and could feel the guilt radiating from every pore in her body. "You didn't, Blaire. I'm fine."

Blaire walked into the room, a small wrapped package in her arms. Joining Kaide on the soft mattress where she lay, Blaire unwrapped the package, revealing a backless ornate golden dress, complete with matching shoes.

"Ror told me to send this up for the coronation tonight. Formal attire, no weapons. As an added bonus, Katsa and Po are all lovely dovey with the arrival of several certain guests from the Middluns," Blaire grinned as she admired Kaide's new dress.

"Thanks," Kaide said, looking down at the dress. Blaire's statement about weapons made her think of her own sword, and how she hadn't drawn it since the battle with Leck. It was time to see if everything was truly back to normal, well as close as it could be to normal anyway.

"Kaide?" Kaide slid off the bed, massaging her chest slightly, as she approached the very same wardrobe that she had left behind when fleeing Leck. Rummaging through the wardrobe, Kaide found a clean pair of her usual clothing, before throwing it into the arms of Blaire and grinning.

"Blaire, I want to spar," Kaide said, pulling off her pajamas and getting changed, ignoring the twinge in her chest as the small scar stretched with every movement of skin.

"With me?" Blaire said, her voice blank sounding, as Kaide realised that Blaire was staring at the scar on her chest.

"Yes, with you," Kaide snapped, pulling on her tunic and giving Blaire a glare. "If you still have issues with my chest, go talk to Katsa. You can both moan about your loss of control to Leck's Grace. Personally, I'm over it!"

"Sorry," Blaire said apologetically. "You beat me in the spar, and I'll promise I'll shut up."

"No holding back," Kaide announced, sliding her sword in and out of its sheath as the wind began to pick up. Kaide also felt a certain freedom with letting her eyes slip into their normal colours, and not disguising it like she normally would have. "First to cut their opponent wins."

"Fine with me," Blaire smirked, remaining still as she mentally accessed the locations of the various daggers on her body and forcing herself not to hold back on Kaide.

The sound of laughter temporarily distracted the duo from their spar as they sighted Katsa laughing with a man of similar age by her side.

"Blaire! Kaide! Good to see you out and about!" Katsa yelled, her eyes alight with joy. She walked forward to meet them, the man at her side looking curiously at Kaide and the sword she wore on her hip.

"Are you like what Katsa was?" he asked, grinning, and Kaide couldn't help grinning in response, even with his implied statement.

"You could say that," Kaide smiled. "You don't happen to be Prince Raffin, do you?"

Raffin grinned in response. "You two don't happen to be the infamous Kaide and Blaire I've heard so much about, do you?"

Katsa gave Kaide an embarrassed look as Kaide gave her a short glare.

"Yes, we are," Blaire frowned, joining into the conversation, arms crossed. "So?"

"Hey, don't be like that," Raffin grinned, arms wide open in truce. "Kaide, I've got a message for you from a young man I saw around the city earlier today, saying he was a friend of yours from Sunder or something."

"Damon?" Kaide asked, surprised.

"Don't know. Just "I'll be here, tonight." Make what you want of it. Now, Katsa, have I finished telling you of the medicine that I made that cures bellyache and causes itchy feet?"

It was with that greeting that Raffin gave the duo a wave and walked further into the castle grounds with Katsa. Kaide could feel tears at the corners of her eyes as Raffin's statement made itself clear in her heart.

"Damon…" Kaide said. It was one word, but a word that Kaide knew she would never again abandon.

"Hey, what of our spar?" Blaire asked, hands reaching for her daggers. "I'm still not letting you off until you beat me."

"Fine," Kaide replied, feeling the fire in her veins. "Get ready to lose."

As the light glinted off Kaide's mismatched eyes, and as Kaide and Blaire leapt for each other with their weapons drawn, another figure stood watching the pair from the forest with a keen eye. He watched as the two dodged and leapt at each other, but only let out a smile as a victorious roar came out from the throat of the taller girl, her sword thrust into the air with victory.

"Where is he?" Kaide near-growled as she prowled in the darkness of the castle grounds. The long, tedious coronation of Bitterblue to queen was admittedly boring, no matter how much effort Kaide put into paying attention. It was only with the constant interruptions from Prince Raffin and Bann, and their scolding by King Ror that kept her awake. That wasn't counting those evil golden shoes that had come with that dress of hers that would keep anyone awake.

"Where is he?" Kaide repeated again, withholding a wince as those shoes dug into her feet with every step. In her impatience, Kaide finally removed those damn shoes and threw them somewhere onto the grounds, making only a small mental note to pick up those shoes later should she be able to manage to find Damon.

"Are you trying to decapitate me?" Damon groaned, appearing out of the shadows carrying said pair of golden shoes.

"Took you long enough," Kaide said, adding a slight pout just to rub her impatience into Damon's face.

"Sorry sorry," Damon apologised, setting the golden shoes onto the soft grass that Kaide's feet were now enjoying. "Although I've saved you the trouble of finding these shoes in the darkness."

Without warning, Kaide leapt forward and gave Damon a hug, rejoicing in his safe, warming scent. Damon was a living reminder of what Kaide had fought for in life – for the starving children in Sunder, and for the fight to return to that small family after Blaire's parents had taken her away. And now with Leck's death and Monsea being finally free from his rule, Kaide felt she had everything she wanted.

"What should we do now?" Kaide asked. "It's all over."

"What about the throne? Technically you are the heir," Damon said. Kaide gave Damon a pained expression.

"I told Bitterblue the throne is hers. If she wants any blood relations to the previous King and Queen of Monsea, she could always have her children marry mine," Kaide joked. "Although I think I will be moving to Sunder with Blaire."

"Not with me?" Damon said, feigning an expression of shock.

"Blaire's gone to fetch what remains of her parents estate and see if she can build an orphanage for children on the streets. Katsa's going to go around the seven kingdoms and train girls to fight. But what am I to do? All I excel at is sword fighting, and the money I have is so tainted by the memory of Leck that I donated it to Blaire."

"What are you to do?" Damon grinned in the darkness. "My little warrior, what do you want to do?"

"There will never be rulers as bad as Leck in the world," Kaide began, untangling herself from Damon's hug. "But some of the other kingdoms are corrupt. I'll see what this little sword can do…"

"The said little sword that's in your bedroom as you aren't allowed weapons into the coronation…"

Kaide threw Damon an annoyed expression as they walked back towards the light of the castle. "Yes, that sword. And I want to help Blaire with the orphanage. She may hold guilt for this scar on my chest and the pain I occasionally feel in my ribs, but I hold guilt for holding her guilty in the first place."

As they entered the warmth of the castle, Kaide paused to look at the portrait of her parents, the former King and Queen of Monsea killed by Leck and bewitched never to know that they had finally had the child they had wanted.

"I wield the sword, so I am a killer. This I cannot change. But the orphanage will go a long way in repenting for the lives I ruined on behalf of a king such as Leck. That loss of my dignity will never fade. I'll do my best though."

"You will," Damon said, burying his head in Kaide's hair. "And we will all be by your side. Blaire. Katsa. Po. Bitterblue. It's time to lead the life you have always wanted to lead."

With a gentle smile, Damon looked squarely into Kaide's eyes as he kissed her gently on the cheek, only to be faced with one of Kaide's death glares.

"You've got some guts, Damon, just because I'm not with my sword on my hip."

Both of them burst into laughter as they walked back into the main hall to rejoin the coronation feast.

THE END

And, it is done (Yay!). (Blaire, Kaide, Damon and anyone not in the novel are my characters. The rest belong to Kristen Cashore and I have no right to them, just as a last minute disclaimer). I can't believe that this has taken like a year to finish but that's what happens when you face school and 'motivational issues'. Hopefully you've enjoyed this little story, and feel free to drop in a few reviews with any comments :D and THANKS to those that have reviewed previously. Your reviews have kept this story alive.