Page 98 of The Swan's Daughter

At the banquet hall, Araminta and Demelza’s sisters sat in an unbroken line of beauty. An empty plate was placed beside Araminta in honor of Prava, and Rathe Castle evenpermitted the stone wall behind the table to serve as a glass window between itself and Hush Manor so that Prava could watch the festivities. He was so happy to see his daughters and wife at the same table that he kept bursting into tears until he had run out of handkerchiefs. He almost resorted to using the sleeves of his suit until the library wyvern brought him a blanket. Unfortunately, it was his daughters’ baby blanket which led to Prava lying down on the floor of his study to contemplate “the cruel and joyous passage of time.”

Some time later, Prava—inspired, perhaps, by his own daughter’s bravery in love—would confess the truth of how to free a veritas swan to Araminta. And some time after that, Araminta would find a way to imprison him, which Prava would find “perfectly fair” and the two would work on their communication skills now that their nest was empty and their daughters set on their paths.

During the wedding feast, Demelza and Arris sat hand in hand. They were in love. They were also perfectly terrified of one another, which may not seem like a good way to start a marriage, but is, in truth, the only way to sustain such a commitment. There were many uncertainties that lay ahead, but there was much joy too, and in the pursuit of the latter, the former becomes easier to bear.

“A happy ending after all,” said Arris, lifting Demelza’s hand and kissing her knuckles lightly.

Demelza smiled. “Something like that.”

She glanced out the window, where Wrate’s moonlit eye regarded the festivities with cool ambivalence. Beside the window, Yvlle and Talvi sat with their heads bent close.They seemed to be examining a little book of poems. No doubt a tale about Enzo the Fool and his sea witch consort. Arris had been the one to point out how they sat together quite closely. A fact that made him smile. It made Demelza smile too, but she also could not help but think of what Talvi and Yvlle had mentioned… something about how there was far more to Enzo and the sea witch than the legends revealed.

But that was another story altogether.

THEEND