a hammering heart full with enough pride and gratitude to burst as the applause stormed louder.
Afterwards, Robin swept me to the theater door, where we remained until the last group exited, thanking everyone for attending and shaking their hands. I ignored any wary or disapproving looks shot Robin’s way. He wiggled his pointy ears at those who stared too long.
Leander ambushed us from behind, in the throes of a fit of laughter. “I can’t believe you got all the people Robin Hood targeted cheering for him.”
“You’re next.” Bonnie appeared by his side. “I’ve just finished my book on the Beast of Rosemead, and Fairuza will adapt it for the stage.”
Leander stopped laughing. “I thought you were joking about that.”
“Don’t look so betrayed,” I teased. “It’ll be fun.”
“And full of embellishments,” Bonnie assured him. “I won’t have anyone connecting the dots.”
Leander worked his jaw. “You better not. This Crown Prince job is hard enough without immortalizing the rumors about my beastly period. And don’t make my character sing any embarrassing songs.”
Robin patted him on the chest. “Don’t worry, wolf-man, your numbers will only be howls at a bulbous chandelier that looks like the moon.”
Leander shoved Robin’s head, making him cackle. “That’s it. No songs at all. Make it a regular play.”
I shrugged, knowing I’d get around him later. “Less work for me.”
As the two men continued teasing each other, I saw Agnë and Jon swinging their clasped hands like children. Fondness at their sweet displays rose along with regret, since I wouldn’t be seeing them much after this. Agnë was returning to Winter and taking Jon with her.
Meira was sticking around, claiming that I “needed a friend.” Which I did, and was grateful for, but I knew a good part of the reason she was staying was to explore her relationship with Will.
“What about your story?” Bonnie asked me.
“Since it has all of you, I think it deserves a full-scale opera, or a ballet,” I said. “But I have so many ideas besides that, and it’s hard to pick what to produce next.”
Robin pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “Good thing you have the rest of a long life to see them all through.”
I rested against him, at ease in his arms. “I do. I really do.”
We all grinned at each other with that still disbelieving delight that our curses were broken, and we were together, safe, and happy.
Our conversation was interrupted when my family, King Guillaume, and his entourage arrived, and we began to pile out of the theater.
Robin, Will, Leander, and Jon held the lead, debating who could jump down the longest flight of stairs, while Clancy chided them for being childish. They seemed to revert to their boyhood when they were together.
I found myself again longing to have met Robin when Leander had. It could have saved us so much trouble.
But it probably wouldn’t have. No. I’d met him when I’d most needed him. I couldn’t think of a more perfect time or way we could have met.
Bonnie, Jessamine, and my godmothers walked with me, which pleased me as much as the responses my work had received tonight. I’d always wanted true companions, not sycophants or servants paid to tolerate me.
Now I had these ladies, who understood me and desired my company for no other reason but that they enjoyed it. Not to mention they enjoyed discussing our overlapping experiences no matter how repetitive it got.
As we descended the final flight of stairs to our carriages, the ladies discovered a previously untouched topic—Keenan, who would make an appearance in a future work of mine.
“I can’t believe that lunatic is your cousin,” Meira grumbled to Bonnie.
“The mildly sadistic Autumn fairy who rides a reindeer is indeed my paternal cousin.” Bonnie laughed. “Why? What prank did he pull on you?”
“Prank?” Meira squeaked. “He almost got us eaten by ghouls!”
“And almost got Jon killed by that headless horseman,” Agnë added.
I found myself in the strange position of having to defend Keenan. “That really wasn’t his fault. He did try to warn Jon.”
As Agnë gave me an uncharacteristic sullen look, Bonnie rushed to ask her, “You’re from Winter, right? I lost a friend there and Keenan went after her, but I haven’t heard anything from him since.”
“If you mean Ornella, she’s fine.” Agnë said.
“More than fine,” Meira grumbled. “She got the Winter King before we could get to him. Centuries he spends cursed and alone, and the second we have use for him, some dryad snaps him up.”