It's tough to know how to finish a single story, let alone a trilogy. The Song of the Ascendant went through several endings - some quite bleak, others quite hopeful. What you've just finished reading is a blend of each of them that, I hope, does justice to the journey that Belkai began in Daughter of the Wind.

When we first meet Belkai she is alone, broken, and in chains. She is a killer who wrestles with her demons. When we land the story at the end of Song of the Ascendant, she has found peace - and purpose. The things most worth having in life must be fought for, defended, and sacrificed for. Two things were absolutely necessary for the end of the story:

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1. Belkai must give Narandir freedom rather than being their lord

2. Belkai's story must end with her bringing forth life, rather than taking another

Those two facts are the final victory over Ashelath's influence, and the moments where she finally makes her own choices about her own life. In a very real sense, those are the moments when she is finally made free.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I loved creating this world.

See you in another story.