A.N.: It's been nearly a year since my last update! Gah! I apologize! And I also apologize for any grammar/spelling errors in this chapter. I haven't had the time to recheck it for minor erros. I just wanted to get it up ASAP. So, sorry if you see any weird errors.

The Last Chapter.

"The wedding went well. It wasn't as dull as I thought it would be, but I suppose a bride's not supposed to be bored at her own wedding," she said conversationally. She wasn't expecting a response back; after all, she was only speaking to a headstone.

During the past couple months, she had found a way to slip away from her duties to speak to Danel. None of the others said anything to her about her habit, but she knew that they were well aware of where she was going every day.

"It's a lot more difficult being royalty than I'd ever thought. And I hate politics more than ever," she said fervently. From dusk to dawn, it seemed as if there was always a noble underfoot at the castle, demanding to understand the current situation, wondering if their lands were at stake, what kind of tax increases they would have to worry about. And that was just concerning those incumbent nobles who had surrendered willingly to the new monarchs. There were those other nobles who had not surrendered, who had been jailed or fined. There were lands that were still left unclaimed; lands that, if not ennobled to someone trustworthy, would be the cause of feuds and bloodshed.

And Lauryn had had enough of fighting to last a lifetime. More than.

"If someone had ever told me that I would be a noble --Queen, no less-- of Tortall a decade ago, I would have laughed heartily at them. After punching them in the nose, of course."

There was the sound of laughter a few yards away from her. She glanced up and noticed Travis, leaning against the castle wall that bordered the cemetery and watching her.

He looked as if he wanted to speak but wasn't sure if he wanted to interrupt her moment with Danel.

She stood and smiled reassuringly at her younger brother. "I was just saying goodbye," she said softly.

He nodded. "I know. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't miss the reception that's being held in your honor."

She raised a bemused brow at him.

"And Delice said she'd kill me if I let you get grass stains on your wedding dress," he added with a smile.

She laughed aloud at that, and stood up, carefully brushing off her dress as she did so.

He exaggeratedly checked her dress for any blemishes, and then gave her a satisfied nod. "I'll wait for you," he said, stepping away and giving her some privacy.

She smiled as she watched Travis' back.

"You would have liked him, Danel. I know you would have." She grew serious again. "I was good as a member of Nobles' Bane. We all were. I just hope I could make half as good a Queen, too."

She started to step back, but then hesitated. "Thank you, Danel," she said quietly. "Thank you for being my friend. I wish you weren't …dead for me to finally be saying this. But I'm not sure if I've ever told you when you were alive. Thank you …for loving me."

Travis pretended not to notice her shiny eyes when she finally edged away from Danel's grave and joined him.

They slowly started back to where the reception following the wedding was being held. But then she abruptly pivoted on her heel to face him.

"Travis, I just wanted to tell you that--" but those words that had been so easy to say to the dead were not as easy to say to the living.

She frowned, focusing her gaze on the castle that hovered a short distance over her brother's shoulder.

What's wrong with you, she scolded herself. Just say the words; you don't want to leave them to be said only after death.

But Travis only nodded, those lovely cobalt blue eyes filled with remarkable understanding. "I know, Lauryn. I know."

She smiled blindly at him, relieved. She started to speak, but the words once again froze in her throat and this time her eyes narrowed as she stared searchingly up at the castle behind Travis.

He immediately turned to see what it was that suddenly caught Lauryn's eye. "What is it?"

She blinked and started to doubt whether or not she had seen any suspicious movement at all. "Nothing. I thought I saw something. But it was just the sun glinting off a window." Or the remainder of the tears that stubbornly refused to go away after saying goodbye to Danel.

Travis glanced at her carefully before handing her a handkerchief. "All right. Now, let's get back. Delice will smack us both if we miss the reception she planned so meticulously for you."

Nobles' Bane: The Epilogue

And so it came to be that King Jonathan of Conte and Queen Lauryn of Nobles' Bane were the first monarchs of the Conte line.

To say that we lived happily ever after would be a lie.

But to say that we lived unhappily ever after would be a lie as well.

Nathan --I still find it difficult to remember to call him Jonathan, even now-- and I have come to terms with one another. We work well together and maintain a good partnership. Even though there are still times when I went to throttle the very breath from his lips.

But then I remember that if Nathan is gone, then I would have to personally deal with the politics of the nobles of Tortall, a task I hardly relish. Although, our relations have improved since I first became queen. After all, I no longer threaten nobles at the dinner table with a butter knife. I have learned to tolerate most of them, and, amusingly enough, they have learned to tolerate me.

I guess that's just the way things become when you're older. You no longer have the energy and enthusiasm of youth and, as a result, become more cooperative.

I even like a few nobles (although of late, I seem to be vexating some more of them with my latest project:

abolishing slavery in Tortall).

I managed to ennoble Axe, a fact that still sets him off into grumbles to this day. He's a duke now, with his own lands. His Grace, the Duke Axe of Naxen. Although, he still threatens to wallop me if I ever call him by his full title. And Travis, too, has landed himself the lovely fief of Goldenlake, for when he finally decides to settle down and raise a family of his own.

Well, I've reached the end of my tale. It's not the same as the one that the scribes painted, but it's mine, and it'll do. I'm going to hand the manuscript over to Axe now. He says he's going to magic the book such that only those who are worthy and special enough will be able to read its pages.

So, if you're reading this, feel flattered. Axe says you're special.

He also says that only those who actually need and can learn from my story will be able to read it.

The fact that people could actually learn from my narrative makes me laugh--

And laughter is a good note on which to end any story.

Kalasin, in the Present

Kally sat back on her bed, her eyes still on the last word of the page.

Of course. Why didn't I recognize it before. Lauryn… that had been the name of the Queen married to King Jonathan the First, the very beginning of the Conte line.

She remembered vaguely learning of the pair in history classes. Of course, the stories she had heard were about their reign, and not about how they had come to be monarchs. If she had been learning about such events such as the one in Lauryn's book, then surely she would have been paying more attention to her instructors.

She slowly shook her head, still absorbing the whole of the story she had read. It almost seemed too farfetched to be genuine, but somehow Kally knew that it was.

But there was one part that bothered her.

…Only those who actually need and can learn from my story will be able to read it.

What could she, Kalasin, learn from a story from generations past? She didn't need to read it; she didn't need this story--

At least, she didn't want to admit that she did.

But inside, she knew exactly why she had been allowed to read Lauryn's story.

Sacrifice. Duty.

Kalasin could only imagine how devastating it had been for Lauryn to discover Kenric's state, especially so soon after Danel's death.

But she had been able to rise above her own pain to do what duty called her to do. She married Nathan and became Queen. She put herself into a position in which she had to directly interact with the very people she had hated most. Not only that, but she also became one of them when she took her title as Queen. She worked throughout her reign to change what it meant to be a noble…

Kalasin had to flush when she looked at her own recent behavior in comparison.

What a terrible, selfish brat I am, she cursed herself silently. She was appalled at the way she had treated Kaddar earlier. Her situation was not nearly as bad as Lauryn's, and here she was behaving so immaturely.

Journeying to the foreign land of Carthak and marrying Kaddar.

That was her duty.

Giving up her adolescent dreams of being a warrior of Tortall?

Her sacrifice.

It was tough to be a princess.

But it was going to be even harder to be a queen.

She suddenly stood up, resolving to search out Kaddar so that she could apologize to him right that instant. Lauryn's book accidentally fell from her lap in the process, and a few pages that she hadn't noticed before fluttered out of the book and landed by the foot of her bed.

"What's this?" she asked herself aloud. She read, "The Afterword: My Confession."

The Afterword: My Confession

As much as I hate to contradict Lauryn's last written words, I must inform you now that the story isn't quite over.

At least, not until my part is told.

Axe has finally come to me with Lauryn's finished product years after she finished writing it. Reading her words was like having her near me again, and it brought me both pleasure and pain. At first, I did not understand why Axe brought the book to me, but now I have to agree that he's right. There's another story still waiting to be told, an aspect that will complete Lauryn's narrative.

Initially, I had thought that my story would always be a secret. It would remain a burden that I carried for the rest of my life.

That plan proved useless, however, when thirty eight years ago, Travis barged into my room without announcing himself first.

I froze by the window that I was still at, caught redhanded.

Travis frowned at me, anger bright on his features and shock numbing his tongue.

Then, "You saw me from the cemetery?" I said quietly.

His mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out of it. His jaw closed, and he merely nodded.

I grimaced and nodded back, as if not realizing the extent of his shock. "I thought so. I was hoping that I had been able to move away from the window in time…"

"No," Travis finally said. "I saw you."

There was only one question left then. "Did she see me too?"

He heard the terrible yearning in my voice, and his anger dissipated, leaving him with a depressed type of confusion.

"No, she didn't see. She thought it was just the glare of the sun off a window," he said quietly. And then, "Why did you pretend that you were…"

I slowly turned away to look back out the window again. If I squinted enough, I imagined that I could see the joyous wedding reception.

"Kenric," Travis said quietly, "why are you breaking my sister's heart?"

"Her is not the only one that's breaking."

"You loved her."

I nodded. "And I still do."

"Then how can you do this to her? How can you proceed with this ruse… to make us all believe that you don't remember… that you're crippled…"

"I am crippled, Travis," I said a little more sharply than I intended. "That isn't a ruse."

Travis shook his head. "I meant that you were pretending to be crippled mentally. Pretending that you're stuck in a child's mind."

I didn't meet his gaze.

"Lauryn loves you, Kenric. Crippled or otherwise. You would not be doing this to my sister if you really loved her."

My head snapped up at that. "Do not tell me that I do not love Lauryn, Travis. Do you think that it is easy for me? Do you think that I actually enjoy pretending not to recognize her? Do you think I take pleasure in making her cry when she visits me? Do you know how hard it is to stay my hand, to keep myself from touching her and comforting her--"

I realized that I was nearly yelling and was thankful that the castle was empty. Everyone was attending the royal marriage ceremony; the castle was nearly isolated except for myself.

Travis shook his head. "She is going to be furious to find out the truth."

I gazed at him sharply. "She isn't going to."

I saw Travis' jaw clench. "Explain yourself. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell her."

I nodded. And sighed. "Look at me, Travis. I can no longer walk. Or ride. It takes me nearly a quarter of an hour to move from that bed to this window using my arms. I--" I took a deep breath and tried to stay steady. "Lauryn deserves more than to be with… this."

"Lauryn deserves to be with the one she loves," Travis rejoined gently.

I shook my head. "I heard them name her. I awoke that afternoon, the afternoon the citizens of Corus demanded that Lauryn be their queen. And I suddenly knew… that that was how it was supposed to be. Lauryn is meant to be Tortall's queen. She's capable of so much… but she won't do any of the great things that she has the potential to do if she's married to me."

"So you decided to leave her with no other option and pretend that you were not yourself mentally?"

I looked back out the window again; the sun was starting to set. "It's a burden I have chosen to take," I said quietly.

Travis was quiet for a long time after that, so long that I had thought that maybe he had left. But then he spoke into the silence.

"This situation would be so much easier to deal with… if only I didn't agree with you."

I jerked my gaze away from the last remaining pink rays of the sun and studied Lauryn's brother.

Travis looked pained. "Lauryn will do many great things for Tortall," he conceded. "I only wish that it didn't have to be this way."

I tried to shrug nonchalantly, but the pain in my heart threatened to steal my breath. "It's the only way it could be. The only way it could have been easier was if I died in the fall with my father," I said softly.

Travis grimaced. "Axe, he was only trying to help--"

"I know that," I said with a nod. "I do not accuse or blame him for anything."

Travis nodded. "I… will keep your secret. Lauryn will know naught."

Thanking him was something my heartache kept me from being capable of. One part of me knew that this was how it was supposed to be. To be so near Lauryn, and, yet, not be able to have her. The other part had quietly wished that Travis hadn't agreed. That part wished that Travis had told Lauryn the truth. Kenric would risk all the anger in the world just to be able to hold Lauryn again. To talk to her as he had in the past, instead of as a mad, guilt-ridden child.

Travis opened the door to leave, but paused in the doorway. "Kenric, if you ever want to talk to anyone… I'll listen."

I nodded.

He took one more step before stopping again. "Kenric… I'm sorry."

So am I, I thought to the closed door once he left. So am I.

And so it was that I continued to play my part in the ruse. Travis actually told Axe the truth about me a couple weeks after Lauryn's wedding, and so the burden was shared among three instead of just two.

These thirty eight years since have been long ones. Tortall is now a flourishing country. We finally have some peace, and noble and common-born alike are happy.

I sat back and watched.

I watched Lauryn and Jonathan grow to love and depend on one another. I watched them have children --children that in any other world would have been mine. I watched these children, children with Jonathan's black hair and blue eyes that were astonishingly like Lauryn's brother's, grow. I watched these children when they had their own children, children with the signature jet-black hair and cobalt blue eyes that were proving prominent in the Conte line.

I watched until I can watch no more, but by then it didn't matter. The children's happy cries would echo up and down the hallways of the castle and haunt me in my dreams.

At least once a week, Lauryn came in and spent time with me. I lay in my bed and listened to her speak. I had to bite my tongue on more than one occasion to keep the awful truth from coming out. I watched her as she grew older with Jonathan, and cursed myself for not standing in his place.

The second generation of Conte rules the throne now. Jonathan passed into the Realm of the Dead four years ago, and Lauryn joined him there just two months ago.

Only Axe, Travis, and I are left now. Ironic, how we three with the secret are the last ones left. There is no one left to tell the secret to, because we are part of a past that is no longer as relevant.

Perhaps that is why I am getting it down on paper.

This is my confession. And it belongs in this story.

I just hope that, one day, Lauryn will be able to forgive me.

"Princess? Kally? What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Kally jerked up to glance at Riyanna, who stood in her doorway looking concerned. She reached up to her cheek and indeed, found wetness there.

Kally laughed shakily and shook her head. "It's nothing."

Riyanna entered the room and knelt by her. "Are you sure?"

"It's just that…" Kally didn't know what to say. She found herself gazing down at the pink book within her hands. Was it her imagination, or did the book no longer look as pink as usual?

Riyanna glanced at the book in Kally's lap, but then quickly averted her gaze. She remembered how Kally had responded the last time she had looked at it curiously.

Kally narrowed her eyes and studied the book. Yes, it no longer looked as pink as when she first picked it up off the bookshelf in her home library.

Why…

Kally jerked her head up and glanced at Riyanna. The emperor's cousin was trying her best not to be distracted by the pink book, but Kally saw how the young woman's gaze was continuously drawn to it.

"Here, Riyanna, I'd like to give you a gift."

Riyanna's gaze jerked up to Kally's face. "What?"

Kally nodded. "This book. It's yours."

Riyanna frowned, but Kally cut off any objections by pushing the book into her the other woman's hands. "Here. I think you can use a good read."

Riyanna accepted the book uncertainly. "All right. Thank you. Is there anything you'd like in return?"

"There is actually," Kally said lightly. "Can you tell me where your cousin is right now? I'd like to speak with him."

The other woman blinked at this odd request. "He's enjoying a leisurely walk through his courtyard."

Ah, the gardens. Perfect.

She nodded her thanks as she turned away, and as she exited her room, leaving Riyanna behind, she heard the young woman say,

"There's something different about her."

Well, there was something different about herself, and she actually preferred it that way.

She only wondered how long it would be before Riyanna would be different as well.

The End.

A.N.: A long chapter, but I preferred to get it all out in one instead of chopping it in half. Thank you for being patient with me. A year is a very long time to wait. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone.

I have another fic that is smoldering in my head. It is about the Goddess of Chaos finding a way to escape the cage the other gods set up for her in The Realm of the Gods with Daine and the adventure that is sure to ensue. (I think I have a more detailed summary in my profile.) I'm not sure how long it will take for me to write this one. I might just take a break and reread some of the Pierce books so that my knowledge of the fandom is refreshed before I start putting anything on paper.

Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Even ones that berate me for being so slow with this chapter!