Epilogue

Miranda sighed, wrapping up the final paperwork of the day. Another term as Senator Priestly, not bad at all, her lips quirked into a smile. Gathering briefs to finish before her early start tomorrow, she left the office, Emily waiting outside to hand her bag and coat. "Have a good night, Miranda."

She accepted them without breaking stride then stopped a moment later, retracing her steps. Lips quirking once more as she witnessed the flash flood of fear in Emily's eyes upon her swift return, she queried, "What are you doing this weekend, Emily?"

"Well, actually, tomorrow is my sister's wedding. I'm missing it of course because I'll be here. Happy to be here I mean - who wants to attend weddings anyway? Boring affairs, you know…" Realising she was babbling, Emily flushed and stopped. "I will be attending the reception afterwards however I'll see you tomorrow morning, 7:00 am sharp."

"Mmm, Emily…" Miranda allowed herself to feel a touch of affection for the girl that would never even think to request time off for such a special occasion. "I really don't think so. You see, I don't believe that I require your services."

The redhead blanched. "Y-you don't?"

"No."

"O-oh, but…." Emily looked seconds from bursting into tears.

Deciding that she'd fulfilled her quota of amusement for the day, Miranda finished, "Not until Monday morning." Whilst Emily stood gaping like a fish Miranda tossed out, "Make sure to have fun, that's all," before walking to the elevator with a smile.

Upon entering the house, she paused to savour the moment. Two years but still the sounds of her children's now frequent laughter never failed to warm her heart.

"You're so dead." "I believe the proper term is 'deadeth'." "It is not." "Is too."

"Girls," Miranda's stern yet light-hearted tone as she entered the living room served to elicit a pair of identical sheepish grins.

"Sorry Mum," Cassidy piped up, always the one to issue the first apology.

"You know, technically, we're the same age now. We turned fifty two last week." As always, Caroline couldn't resist to needle with her favourite joke. "Next time you tune into the Cass and Caro show, we'll actually be older than you. And then I think I'm going to call you 'girl'."

Miranda growled, "You can certainly try, but rest assured, you'll regret it."

The twins both laughed, aware that despite the distance, that sentiment was true and that their mother would find a way to make it happen.

The next few minutes were devoted to their usual catch-up. With time progressing much faster in their realm, even daily contact at Miranda's end meant that she missed out on weeks of their lives at any given time. At first that realisation had devastated her, especially as they'd been growing up. Eventually, they settled into a pattern – the girls being able to conjure up these windows within which time thankfully seemed to pass at the same speed as in Washington. Whilst their length remained short, the ease with which they could be established on a regular basis made Miranda accept that in the grand scheme of things, it could've been entirely far worse. Plus now she got to be the "cool" one, the parent not having to impose any rules. Not that it appeared rules needed much enforcement, the twins instilling only pride as they reported on their daily rule.

"How's Elnora?"

The twins looked at each other and simultaneously parroted, "Cranky!"

Miranda laughed. "And last month's irrigation problem that ran the border between Ashadriel and Kaledran?"

The girls launched into a spirited and somewhat heated explanation of how they had decided to resolve that matter, leaving Miranda to muse upon the division of realm rule. In spite of Elnora's general dislike of people, Cassidy's actions and her indomitable spirit managed to capture the Black Queen's affections, the former monarch announcing her as successor just shortly after that fateful night. Andrea had followed suit, unwilling to maintain her status as queen after everything that'd passed before, inevitably pronouncing Caroline as hers. And so both girls assumed their thrones at close to thirteen years of age, certainly by far the youngest, but most importantly – the closest queens that ever ruled. The blood tie tightly bound them; serving to unite where in the past aloofness reigned, even destroyed. Consequently, both kingdoms were blooming, restored to former beauty and beyond.

The girls tailed off and Miranda swallowed past the lump that always lodged itself within her throat whenever she got round to voicing this particular question. "So, how's your mother?"

Expecting the usual detailed report, she was startled to hear Cassidy say softly, "She can tell you that herself."

A tremor shuddered through her body at this statement, for whilst she had maintained regular contact with the girls, Andrea had never chosen to speak with her, no matter how much Miranda had pleaded, begged or asked.

"Speak to you sometime tomorrow, or should I say next month?" "Yeah, love you, Mum." Both girls blew her a kiss and left the room.

Miranda fussed with her hair, her hand nervously smoothing invisible wrinkles on the Valentino. Of course, she knew that she looked fine, that her entire lifetime had been spent on maintenance of looking good. But this was Andrea, it was the first meeting, she hadn't properly spent time with her for fourteen years and -

"You are still beautiful, Miranda. Somehow I think you always will be." The melodious tone she hadn't heard for an eternity rung in the quiet of the room.

"A-Andrea," Miranda cursed the tremble in her voice, annoyed she sounded like some teenager out on a first date.

"Hello, Miranda." The familiar eyes momentarily crinkled in amusement as though Andrea had read the thought within her head. It was disconcerting to think that perhaps after three centuries of life, Andrea truly could.

She drank her fill, greedily absorbing forty years of change. A few wrinkles here and there, a tiny hint of grey, the brown of the eyes holding a slight degree of coldness, but really – Andrea hadn't changed at all. When Miranda looked upon her face, she saw exactly the girl she'd fallen in love with years ago.

"Don't." The whisper, quiet but commanding, was definitely something new. "Don't look for her, she isn't there. You'll never know that girl again."

"I've warned you before about dictating my actions, Andrea. All that you are will always lie inside. I choose to see what I believe is there. I can assure you, you won't be able to convince me otherwise."

Andrea laughed. "I don't think I could ever forget such stubbornness even if three more centuries should pass."

Miranda lips lost their smile as she contemplated that she would not live long enough to see the majority of that. The thought brought pain and sorrow, prompting her to ask with rancour, "Two years, Andrea, forty for you. I lost track of how many times I asked, why is it you would never see me?"

Andrea sighed, "I wish I could properly explain but I cannot, not unless there was a way that you could reach inside of me and read my very mind. Forty years - it could have well been forty more. You remembered me as I was, but me? I truly didn't. It took me decades to regain some part of my old self, to turn back from what I'd made myself become. I didn't want to hurt you, Miranda. For you, I wanted to be a semblance of what I was."

"And now?" Miranda asked cautiously.

"I realise this is as close as I'll ever get. If you must love, it should be this Andrea, not the girl that you remember me to be."

Miranda smile bore sadness, "You still don't realise, but of course how could you when I never told you? It doesn't matter which version of you I see before me – I love, have loved and will continue to adore them all."

Andrea blushed and lowered her eyes, just as the light between them began to flicker, signalling the end of their connection. "It was good to see you." Andrea rose to stand, "I hope next month we can talk again and maybe…" She bit her lower lip as if unsure whether to finish her sentence.

Miranda encouraged her with a look.

"…together we'll find that part of me that fell in love with you all those centuries ago."

As the light completely disappeared, Miranda's lips stretched into a radiant smile, even though its cause had also entirely vanished. Rubbing her chest, she felt the warm tingles radiate outwardly from her heart. For the first time in fourteen years, she ran up the staircase, taking two steps in stride. Divesting her clothes for a leisurely soak, she stepped into the bathroom, this time no hesitation as she stooped to examine herself within the mirror. By doing so she swiftly caught the change. Her image blurred, the discovery eliciting unbridled tears of joy, for she had never hoped to see it this way again. Delicately cradling it within her hand, she gazed, almost unable to believe her eyes. Standing out in stark relief against her skin, what used to show the forbidding of a black, had once again transformed into a shimmery and hopeful white.

Realm – Ashadriel – Miranda's 21st Birthday

Andrea grinned as she walked towards her, the brightly coloured package grasped in outstretched hand. Miranda patted the chair beside her. Of course, Andrea ignored it and climbed into her lap.

"Aren't you getting a little old for this? I could've sworn that you turned eight last summer," Miranda grumbled.

"Mother says that I'm allowed to do what I want on special occasions."

"I am fairly certain that's your special occasions; this one is mine."

Unperturbed, Andrea continued to grin as she settled in more comfortably. "Yes, but I really want to see your face when you fiiiiiiiiinally open it."

Miranda rolled her eyes, "I wasn't aware you had such poor vision that a chair this close to mine would not afford a proper view."

"Come on. Open it, open it!" Andrea was close to bouncing up and down in excitement.

Unwrapping the package, Miranda was met with an oblong box. Assuming its use as a convenient substitute when faced with a lack of other packaging, she made a note to return it to its rightful owner. Preparing a suitable expression of excitement and surprise, she lifted its lid. Her carefully formulated response died as she gazed in true amazement at the gift. Within the box lay an ornate silver chain, one end holding a beautiful transparent pendant. As Miranda picked it up, leaving the chain dangling from her hand, the clear colour shimmered, coalescing into white.

Miranda gasped, Andrea grinned in satisfaction.

"Happy Birthday, Miranda. You know, I was kind of worried. The man at the market told me it was magic but I wasn't too sure. And he said it only works on one person, the one that picks it up first, so I couldn't even test it for myself."

"Magic?" Scepticism returned, Miranda adding another note in resignation; this one to check exactly how much coin this 'wonderful' enchantment had truly cost.

"Uhuh. It knows." Andrea's imitation of a deep voice and wiggling eyebrows sent her into a fit of giggles, Miranda's lips unable to resist a twitch in turn.

"Should I ask what?"

Andrea's carefree smile was followed by a hug and a quick peck on Miranda's cheek. "The only thing worth knowing, silly," she laughed, jumping off Miranda's lap, "Whether you are happy."