Leo smiled as Hugh and Polly walked off. He couldn’t bring himself to be happy about Polly, per se, but he could be happy for Hugh at least.

Neha snuggled into Leo’s side. “That was nice. I’m glad Uncle Hugh showed everyone he was a great guy. He deserves that.”

Leo squeezed his daughter around her shoulders. “Yeah. I’m pretty excited for his happiness as well. But what brings you here, sprout?”

Leo felt a tear land on him as Neha spoke, but her voice was clear. “Well, now that everything is done… I want to have a funeral for Nori.”

“Right now?” Leo asked.

She shook her head against his side as they watched all the people sorting themselves across the sand to different boats. “When we get home. I want to bury her in the Forest of Averia, to give her back to the forest, like Iluvin Eturia prescribes for elves who are good. Maybe we can plant one of the Lifepine Seeds above her. I’d like to think that her soul will be in the tree. Also, the Forest of Averia is where all her friends from that horrible familiar prison went when we freed them. I hope some are still nearby so they can say goodbye too.”

“That sounds beautiful,” Leo said. “We’ll send her off in the style she deserves.”

Neha nodded against his side.

Leo hesitated, knowing what he was going to say was probably too soon, but he wasn’t sure where else to go with it.

Before he could speak, though, Neha said, “I think I’m going to look for two more familiars as well, as soon as I can. There are a lot of familiars in the Forest of Averia. Perhaps If I’d had three familiars, Nori wouldn’t have died. I don’t want to lose Remy as well.”

Leo was almost one-hundred percent sure that one more familiar would have accomplished nothing against Chester, but he agreed with her in general. He was also glad she was ready to move on.

Another thought occurred to Leo. “You don’t want to wait and try some dungeon runs in Ty’s new dungeon? It’s Soul and Wyld, so you could probably get some familiars there.”

Neha shook her head again. “No. I want to get my familiars the natural way, from the forest. Iluvin Eturia will provide.”

Leo briefly wondered if there was a familiar-specific god or goddess. He was willing to bet there was.

“The Forest of Averia has a lot of familiars,” Leo said. “I would almost want to call it ‘the Familiar Forest.’ What are you going to be looking for?”

“Another fox,” Neha said. “I like being the fox princess. If I can find another leaftail den mother, or even two, that would be wonderful. I’m not trying to disrespect Nori’s memory, but since each one makes Remy and me both stronger, it’s a good pick. They’ll make each other stronger if I have two as well.”

“So, you’ll be looking for a familiar in the Familiar Forest?” Leo asked with a slight laugh.

Neha giggled. “Sure, Dad, that’s what I’ll be doing.”

They were both quiet for a moment, and Neha sighed. “I know that death is part of the forest, part of nature… but I miss Nori. It wasn’t her time.”

Leo squeezed her to him. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Neha, truly. I wish I’d been stronger for her—for you.”

There was another brief silence, the two of them looking on as elves and dragons continued to get themselves sorted out in the small river beach cove. Quite a few people would glance over at him. Even though he was small compared to a dragon and less outlandish than many of the people here, he was king, and so the eyes followed.

It mostly made him self-conscious about the fact that he wasn’t helping. Leo had both a near-religious appreciation for hard work and lingering self-image problems, and it made him uncomfortable to just be chilling while everyone else appeared busy. But he usually worked eighteen hours a day thanks to his sleepless ring, and he had just been through the ringer, risking his life for everyone. He decided to just take the time to sit with his daughter.

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“Do you think familiars have souls?” Neha asked.

“I… I have no idea,” Leo said, wincing as he knew his accurate engineers answer was probably the wrong one. He continued in a different vein. “I hope they do. I’d like to think that Nori got to Iluvin Eturia’s side and had a hunt with her at least once.”

Neha gripped him just a tiny bit harder. “Yeah, I want to think that as well.”

“Did I tell you that I met Iluvin Eturia once, before you were born?” Leo asked.

Neha shook her head against his side.

Leo kept watching his people as he talked. “The goddess was very impressive. She transformed between a beautiful woman, a giant tree monster, and a centauress in the span of a short conversation with me. But there was also a brief hunt, where she made rabbits from nothing and let wolves chase them. It makes me think that if Nori did reach her, wherever she is, she’s having an amazing time there as well.”

“It really makes me happier to think that,” Neha said. “I would love to see that. Thanks, Dad.”

Val walked up to them, running her hand across the back of her close-cut red hair, a mirror of the gesture Leo sometimes used. “We’ll be ready in a few minutes, King, if you want to get yourself loaded.”

Leo gently disengaged from Neha and stood, brushing the sand off his clothing. “Of course.”

The two of them walked toward the flagship of their flotilla—a galley barely different than the others but with Water crystals and a fast movement power built into it. As they did so, Leo happened upon Hugh again. He was talking to his mother, half-holding the giant dragon awkwardly. None of the other dragons were nearby.

Leo had no idea of the actual content of their conversation, but as he walked by, he heard Ann whispering to her son. Her voice sounded deeply sincere to Leo.

She was saying, “You’re a good boy, Hugh. A very, very good boy, and I’m so glad you’re my hatchling.”

“Ahhh,” Neha said, squeezing Leo’s hand and looking up at him with shining eyes.

Leo gave her a brilliant smile in turn.

***

Only a few of the elves and dragons wanted to stay in Hywyl Pools when they stopped there on the way back. Since nothing was secret, and he had a sort of rapprochement with Chester and the Havi Imperium, Leo didn’t push the issue—there wasn’t a deep need for anyone to pretend not to be part of his kingdom anymore.

But some of them were excited to live here, away from the hustle and bustle. Some were elves who, fifty years ago before Averia had fallen, had lived in one of the orchard towns and were happy to get out of the big city. Some just wanted away from ‘action,’ to places they imagined wouldn’t suffer wars. Whatever the reason, a good hundred people decided to join Hywyl Pools, even though it wasn’t an actual requirement anymore, since the Havi Imperium knew who had attacked them rescued the elves.

So, they had stopped at the small docks, unloaded people, and everyone—after being assured by Molly that the town could handle a feast—had gone in for an evening of celebrating freedom and getting everyone settled.

Which was how Leo had found himself facing a wood elf by the name of Iolum Sweetgrass, the new appointed Duke of Hywyl Pools.

The elf was kneeling on both knees, facing Leo on a wooden platform.

“I, Iolum Sweetgrass, declare myself to King Leo Evans il Stardew, the first of his name. I will serve as your duke for the remainder of my life, as the duly appointed duke by the council of Hywyl Pools, and I will return the title to them once I pass back to the soil. Until then, my hand, head, and heart are yours should you find me worthy and accept my pledge.”

To account for the weird circumstances, they had changed the wording of the duke’s portion of the pledge. Leo was using the same phrasing for his own portion, but for one word. “I, King Leo Evans il Stardew, accept your pledge and raise you up. May my guidance forever be your star, and may your people prosper in the light of our combined glory.’”

Leo took Iolum’s hand and raised it up, and the brown-skinned wood elf came to his feet next to Leo. The cheers continued, but they were somewhat muted. People had very much wanted Molly to be the duke, but she had been ordered by her goddess to stay in Leo’s council, so they had appointed someone else.

Iolum’s eyes flickered to her. Even he knows it.

“Well, go greet your newest subjects,” Leo said, pointing him down to the people. As Iolum went down, Lily slipped her hand into his.

She turned to him with a beautiful smile that made her eyes light up across her face. “So, you’ve somehow managed to pull it out again. Everyone is saved, even if you’re entirely too willing to take risks. You lived. Chester isn’t coming for vengeance. A third dukedom, even if, like the others, it’s barely more than a town, has joined you. Shall we celebrate?”

Leo licked his lips. “What did you have in mind, my love?”

Lily smiled even broader to hear him say ‘love’ and put her hand in front of her mouth. “Well, this being Hywyl Pools, the inn has a room with a private hot spring attached. As you know, I’m not really one for public nudity… but since this is private, well…”

She trailed off, and Leo felt his heart racing. “Well, Minister of Magic Lily…”

Lily laughed—that was quickly becoming a code phrase for them. “I would love to discuss crystal-gathering operations with you, my liege.”

Excellent.

Leo took Lily’s hand and walked off the stage, pushing past his new subjects, most of whom had already begun to celebrate themselves—singing, dancing, and in a few cases, making out. It was an exuberant location indeed.

Perfect, Leo supposed, for what they had in mind.