A/N: Welcome back to Knight of Mine! We have now surpassed 170K words! I am just now aiming for the 200K, then we'll see...

Thank you Meg for the beta-reading!

The better part of the Yule feast was spent inside the sitting room together as a family. In the morning they started working on their little Yule goats made from straw. Couches, chairs and the floor were occupied with the royals and several small piles of straw.

While Ginny was generally dexterous, she hadn't made one since she was a child and struggled at the start. Harry worked on his slowly but surely, constructing the tiny goat. Fred and George were attempting to destroy each other's goat. While Bill had started on his, he spent most of his time looking over his family having fun, bickering and helping each other.

Ginny scooted closer to Harry. "You know we can just make one goat," she suggested, eyeing the straws as they started resembling a goat. "It can be a soulgoat."

"Make your own goat," he said, softly shoving her.

She grumbled and returned her focus to her own goat. She pouted intensively as she took up more straw. He kissed her cheek.

"Charlie," Ron said. "That is not a goat. It has wings."

Several siblings instantly laughed and Bill bent over to look closer at Charlie's creation.

Charlie held up his half-done creation. "Meet the Yule dragon."

Ginny gasped. "If he can make a dragon, I want to make another animal too!"

George plucked her goat out of her hands and looked at it. "I think the goat is complicated enough for you, unless you wanted to make a Yule worm."

She pushed over George's goat and waited for him to turn around to it, then she stole hers out of his hands. She twisted it around for a moment.

"Want me to show you?" Harry asked.

She nodded with a smile.

He set his own goat down for a moment, at least her brothers wouldn't dare touch it, and pulled up memories, trying to show them slowly through his mind to Ginny. He thought about his mother, showing him with infinite patience how to wrap the straw together and shape it, adding to it until it started to resemble a goat.

He opened his eyes to see that Ginny was paying attention and putting the straw together differently and he smiled encouragingly.

"Your mum helped you make it?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "She made the best ones. Prettier than anyone else's. She had the patience for it."

"You learned from the best," Ginny noted.

He smiled. "Yes. I will have to teach our kids too."

She shook her head. "Let me try at least! Continue."

He showed her more and she tried to follow as best as she could. She was a quick learner. As she caught up with him, he picked up his goat again and then they did it together quietly.

"You know, that's cheating," Fred noted.

Ginny looked up. "What?"

"We know you're collaborating with your husband to do this," Fred told her.

"He is simply explaining to me how to do it, without having to say it out loud. I don't see how that's cheating," she told him.

Bill shook his head. "You know it is not a competition, right?"

"What?" Ron immediately chucked his goat. "Then why bother?"

Bill stood up and picked up the goat, placing it back in front of Ron. "Because it is a nice tradition and it's supposed to be good luck for the harvest."

"Honestly I think we'd have more luck holding Harry hostage for Xydite and negotiating," Ron told Bill.

"Not really, you'd have to fight me," Ginny replied without looking up from her goat.

Harry grinned. "It's alright. They would release me as soon as they heard my lovely singing voice."

Charlie laughed. "Oh, now we'll just have to hear it tonight at the feast. It'll really liven up the occasion."

Harry's eyes widened. "Fuck." He looked at Ginny for help.

"It's okay, I'll join the singing," she added.

"No!" Fred said.

George shook his head. "Please don't."

Ginny grinned at them. "I can start warming up my voice now if you'd like?"

"Fine!" Charlie gave in. "Harry is off the hook… this time."

Ginny winked at him.

Ginny finished adding all her yule gifts to every person's pile and then made her way to the kitchen. While there was a big pile for all the staff, she had one special gift to deliver.

She walked inside and Walto greeted her.

"Do you know where Otis is?" she asked him.

He nodded and pointed to the back of the kitchen. "He's baking cookies with his mum."

She found Otis and Carla, rolling out the dough for the cookies. Carla bowed when she spotted Ginny. Otis hopped off the stool he had been standing on and ran to her.

She bent down and opened her arms for him.

"Don't get flour on the Queen!" his mother warned. It fell on deaf ears.

Ginny smiled. "That's quite alright." She put Otis back down. "My, have you grown!"

"I've grown up to my hair!" he announced proudly.

Ginny bit back a smile at the statement. "I can see that." She showed him the gift. "I have a little Yule gift for you. Maybe you can share it with the other kids?"

He nodded quickly, eyeing the wrapped gift. As soon as she held it out for him, he grabbed it. He ripped it open immediately. Inside was a big bag of candy and a few wooden horses.

"I heard you liked horses," Ginny said, watching the happiness spread over the toddler's face.

He nodded, taking out the toy horses.

She pointed at one. "This one looks a bit like King Bill's horse, doesn't it?"

He nodded. "It does! Thank you."

"Bow to the Queen, sweetheart," Carla suggested gently.

Otis's feet came together, his arms by his side and he bowed deeply.

As he stood up, she ruffled his hair. "Happy Yule."

"Happy Yule!" he said back.

"Did he like his gift?" Harry asked as she stepped out.

"Yes. He's such a cute kid," she said.

He looked at her fondly.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," she said, though she leaned into his touch.

He grinned. "Why not? I love you."

She slipped out of his hands and walked towards Regulus, who was chatting with his brother. More people streamed into the room to join the festivities. Hermione walked up to him.

He hugged her. "Happy Yule."

"You too," she said. "I am still adjusting to seeing you married and in love."

He chuckled. "But…?"

She smiled. "You look happy. You deserve that."

He frowned, looking at her warily. "Thanks?"

"Harry..." She shook her head and glanced at him. "Life has been hard on you."

"Not as much as it has been on her," he responded, glancing towards Ginny.

She patted his arm. "It's not a contest. You've both been lonely, and there were the assassins… You can't say your life hasn't had challenges?"

Sure," he told her with a nod. "And I was always the worst student in my class."

Hermione laughed. "Will you ever let that go?"

"No. I don't think I will." He crossed his arms and looked at her. He smiled at her.

Fred walked to the middle of the circle of gifts. "It's time to open the gifts!"

They all walked to their designated pile. Harry quickly opened all his gifts. While he had a collection of different items, Ginny had a significant amount of blades.

She gasped when she opened Regulus's gift, twirling the thin dagger to test it out. "A needle dagger!"

"I think you've earned that one," Regulus told her with a smile. "You have only been asking for ten years."

She looked at it more closely, her finger tracing the blade. She grabbed the handle. "Does anyone need stabbing?"

"You can stab me," Harry offered.

Regulus scoffed. "You are very brave, Harry."

"Of course not," Harry told him. "She would feel the pain."

"Alas," Ginny said. "I'll try these out tomorrow outside."

"Please," Bill told her.

As everyone returned their attention to their own gifts, Ginny looked over at him. "Did you open mine yet?"

He shook his head and looked for hers. He picked it up and opened the paper to find another dagger with a green embroidered handle. He met her eyes, amused.

"I figured you needed one of your own," she said, a smile dancing around her lips.

He nodded, letting the dagger roll in his hand. "It's nice."

"It matches your eyes," she told him softly.

He chuckled. "Well, one must match their blades with their eyes."

"It's called accessorising," she told him with a feigned dramatic tone.

The rest of the evening was spent eating and dancing with each other, the laughter filled the ballroom. Harry knew he was going to miss this amount of liveliness, despite having known Ginny's family for only a few months.

Bill walked up to him. "I want to thank you again for taking a chance on us."

"It has been my pleasure," Harry told him sincerely. "I'm glad you decided to trust me. It was risky for you too."

Bill nodded, looking at Ginny who was dancing with Regulus. "Ginny brought us together. We both knew we could trust her." He eyed Harry carefully. "I know you love her, but can you please make sure she's happy? She had to sacrifice more than most of us."

"Of course; it has become my mission."

Ginny finished her dance and walked over to them, smiling brightly and her cheeks flushed from all the dancing. She wrapped her arm around Harry's waist. "You need to dance a little more," she teased Harry.

"Are you drunk?" Bill asked.

"I've had three butterbeers," she informed him with a snigger.

Bill frowned. "So no?"

She shook her head. "I am more sober than Harry."

"I still have last night's headache…" Harry muttered.

Ginny let go of his waist and took his hand. "You owe me another dance, Sir."

Harry smiled at Bill. "If the wife demands it." He let Ginny pull him onto the dance floor.

With just a few days remaining, Ginny and Harry were preparing to travel home. Luna was arranging items with her dad, Ron was packing up too. Ginny also made sure the horses were ready to walk the whole way back in one day, they were determined to manage it the same day the way they had done when they arrived in Harpia.

Ginny was surprised when Regulus asked to speak to both of them. They all walked to a room together and Ginny closed the door. She walked to the two men and looked expectantly at Regulus.

"I was hoping that you, as Head Guard, would be willing to take on Colin and train him further. He can learn from your guards as well."

Ginny frowned, confused as to why he was parting with Colin. "I suppose that could be arranged. Why would you want to? I thought he was doing great."

"Oh yes, he is," Regulus offered.

"Okay." She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms. "Then why?"

Regulus nodded. "I am retiring."

There was a long moment of silence as she attempted to process what he had just said. It wasn't computing at all. Regulus smiled awkwardly at her. Harry didn't move and remained silent.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I am retiring," Regulus told her. "I have decided to take up my role as Prince again. After all, it seems more likely by the day that I'll sit on the throne."

She felt anger brewing inside of her. "This is ridiculous."

Regulus didn't reply, eyeing her carefully.

"You loathe it!" she told him. "You have been going on and on…"

He shrugged, looking at Harry and then back to her when Harry didn't offer his opinion. "I escaped when I was young and my mother was still on the throne. Sirius kept up with her all that time. Sure he hated her too, but he stayed… and I couldn't. I thought Sirius hated me for it."

"He is your brother," Ginny offered.

Regulus nodded, taking a deep breath. "Sirius has been on the throne for a few years now and while I thought he'd never follow through on his promises—he does have a big mouth—he did. He is making a change." He folded his hands together and locked eyes with her. "And the other reason is you."

She froze. "Me?"

"Both of you, actually," Regulus told her, looking between them. "You showed me there are different ways to be a royal. With your wedding, the battle and the coronation, I've had a chance to reconnect with my brother."

Ginny just shook her head in complete disbelief.

"And with my stray royal out of the house," —he gestured towards her— "And having taken Neville off my hands as well… it wasn't too difficult to arrange for the rest."

"Where are they going?" she asked.

"Graham and Timothy were about ready to fully become Knights themselves. They're ready to take off on their own—or together if they wish—and start finding work. I'll vouch for them and then they'll be on their own." He smiled. "They assured me they were ready."

"They're stubborn young guys, of course they no longer want to listen to you," she commented. "What about the twins? They can't possibly go off on their own?"

"They are going home," Regulus informed her. "Their parents are better off financially now and can sustain the boys. I've arranged for them to still take some classes to hone their skills but they'll be back with their parents."

"Which leaves Colin," she concluded. "Who can't go home but is too young to manage on his own."

"He seemed to get along with some of the guards here and he wants to become a personal guard like you… perhaps in a few years when you need an extra pair of eyes on a rambunctious little toddler while they run around outside…"

She bit her lip, considering taking on Colin. She knew he would be a good candidate.

"You're Head Guard, you can manage his training how you see fit. He'd be like an apprentice…"

Ginny looked over at Harry. " Do you have any objections on the matter? "

"No, I don't see any issues with that, " he responded in her mind.

She turned to Regulus. "I will agree to take on Colin, but… are you sure about this?"

"I have been thinking about this and I've discussed it with Sirius," Regulus said firmly, indicating he didn't want to argue about this.

"It's a bit of a surprise after all you've told me," Ginny told him.

"I genuinely did hate it growing up, and I never expected to take on the throne myself, but there are parts that were good and it is still a life of privilege, but I never talked about any good parts with you because I knew you'd just miss it more."

Ginny's eyebrows raised. "That's…" She shut her mouth again and shook her head. "Maybe I would've felt less lonely if you did."

"You know why I was difficult on you," Regulus said. "So we are good on Colin?" He started heading towards the door.

"Yes, Colin can come with us," Ginny told him.

Regulus smiled. "Thank you."

As Regulus stepped out, she turned back to Harry. The door closed.

"Did I just hallucinate?" she asked.

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "That must be it."

Ginny walked into the room behind Graham and Timothy. She shot a stern look at Regulus.

"Are you still upset with me?" Regulus asked her.

She nodded. "Of course I am. You think you know a man…" She shook her head at him.

Timothy hid his smile and she shoved him. He adjusted his posture and pretended not to smile.

"You're such a hypocrite," Timothy muttered, eyeing her. "At least he was honest about being a damn royal!"

"I am sorry, I was too busy not being killed ," she retorted.

"Guys," Regulus called their attention.

They stopped, and faced their old mentor.

"Now that you've all found a place to stay, I am confident in retiring my Knightly activities and going back to Orion to take up my role as Prince and Heir to the throne." He paused and looked at all of them in turn. "Lawson and Brenton, are you ready to go home?"

They both nodded quietly. They wanted to appear strong and mature, but they had barely hit puberty.

"Colin, you will be reporting to the Queen; she has agreed to take you on," Regulus told him.

Colin smiled brightly. "Great! I can't wait."

Regulus nodded approvingly. "You'll do well there. Graham…Timothy… I trust you to take your responsibility… if you make a bad reputation for yourself, that never goes away. Carry yourself the way I taught you. And don't take after Ginny in that regard."

"What did I do? I had an excellent reputation," she told him. "Well, I did stab Vondar but that was justified."

Regulus nodded dismissively. "I meant the whole starting a relationship with your employer."

"Ah." She bit back her smile. "Yes, that's generally not recommended."

"If any of you are ever in trouble, the Orion castle will be open to you, but I do hope you manage to make your own way in the world," Regulus told them.

"Also always welcome with Neville, Colin and I of course," Ginny offered.

"Great, then that's all settled," Regulus said. "I'll make sure Colin gets the remainder of his items. The rest of you will stay with me until we've dropped off the twins."

Ginny nodded. "Come on, Colin. I'll introduce you to the guards."

Ginny gathered all the guards that remained in Harpia and put Colin beside her.

"I think most of you have already met Colin but for those who haven't… Colin has been a page and squire with Regulus for nearly ten years now. This means he is quite skilled already, but of course he is still learning. He will be joining the guards as an apprentice of sorts." She looked at the guards but none of them made a noise, yet. "I will be training him and I think Neville will as well but I may ask any of you to do training with him as well, in those things you're experts at."

Colin shuffled nervously but excited.

"Don't give him too much of a hard time…" Ginny said, not looking at anyone in particular. "And help him to get settled in the castle and with the other guards." She looked at Colin. "Is there anything you want to add?"

"I am just really excited about the opportunity and can't wait to see the Ignotian castle!" he said.

She smiled. "Alright. That's all. I'll leave you to get to know each other."

As she walked out, Seamus walked up to Colin and poked him in the ribs. "Welcome to the King's Guard, Colin. It's a very honourable job."

Ernest rolled his eyes. "You're full of shit, Seamus."

"Oh yeah?" Seamus replied, pushing Colin aside and squaring his shoulders.

"You're just glad you spent most of the time cosily in a castle," Ernest teased.

Ginny paused at the door to look at the two guards.

Seamus shrugged. "Don't you?"

Ernest let out a laugh and Seamus joined him. They shook hands.

"You're a prick," Seamus told him.

"You're a bastard," Ernest retorted.

Ginny cleared her throat. "Can you pretend to set a good example for Colin at least until I'm out of the door?"

"Yes, Sir!" they replied in unison.