The Taming (FINALE!)
Author's Note: It's been a wonderful ride and I always aim to finish my stories within a few months to a year and I'm glad to say that I'll be wrapping it up in early July this year. For SinSed it was in November and Sunshine was in May. I'm going to be starting a new story as well which I plan to call "The Necklace." I've had that one in my mind for quite a while but I held off until I finished The Taming. I'll give a small summary of The Necklace at the end of the chapter to see if you guys would be interested. But enough of The Necklace right now...this time is for The Taming. I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter. I'm so grateful for all of my supporters and faithful reviews. You guys were and continue to be freakin' awesome. Lots of love! Onto the finale. (ps. This will be in third person as if someone is reciting their tale.)
To the Guest asking about the Untaming and Russet: No, chances are I won't be finishing them. I've lost inspiration for the stories and they wouldn't be good if I did decide to finish them.
FINALE SONG: New Beginning by Audiomachine
Chapter Twenty Seven: The Golden Age
Epilogue
They got married two days later. Emiline had a beautiful white wedding dress made for Bella with crystals encrusted on the bodice. The train was long and expensive, with cloth imported from Belgras, ironically. Jacob's strength still hadn't fully regained to it's normal state, but he was getting better each day. The way he looked at Bella when he saw her walk down the aisle made her heart soar with joy-he hadn't looked that alive in awhile.
She remembered feeling the way she had when the golden moonlight had first shone on her.
When they kissed under the altar, it made it official. He'd made her his wife and Queen of Canavar. She remembered looking out into the crowds and smiling at all of the cheering people. They chanted "erregina," which meant Queen in Canavarian.
"They love you," he'd told her. "Almost as much as I love you."
They had sipped their wine and toasted to their marriage, and then Jacob introduced his new bride to all sorts of noblemen and people of high rank. A small woman told Bella: "I never thought he'd marry, but he continues to prove us all wrong. He did well, too."
And Bella had also seen Alice at the wedding, sweet Alice, who she'd not spoken to since she'd started to intermix with Jacob. She came over to her and hugged her with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Bella," Alice told her. "I was so stubborn. I couldn't see how much you cared for him and now you're Queen. He really did love you, and I'm so happy for you."
And then Bella saw Angelina, with her newborn baby in her arms and Embry Call at her side with a smile on his face. He looked at her with love and not with disgust. He didn't seem ashamed that she stood by his side instead of some prissy noblewoman. She carried his child and was faithful to him, something he was very thankful for. When Angelina had looked up, she had smiled at Bella and Bella had smiled back. Angelina tilted her arms towards her and showed me the little girl she'd had. "Beautiful," Bella said.
The wedding brought everyone together. Most people kept murmuring that they didn't think it was possible. King Jacob, once the scandalous, dangerous prince, was now standing tall with a beautiful and respectable woman by his side. And Jacob was happy for once in his life.
And then they were outside, holding a memorial for all of those who had lost their lives during the Immortal War. The men made a huge bonfire with debris and piled up sticks from wrecked houses. Bella had stood next to Jacob (as she would for many years to come) and watched as the smoke rose and curled into the night air, the heat radiating from the pile.
Everyone stood around the huge bonfire, just silent and watching and remembering. Clearwater, Ateara, Rosalie...especially Rosalie. The look on Rosalie's face when that immortal killed her would forever haunt her. But knowing she was at peace and we were remembering her comforted Bella even more.
He grabbed a hold of her hand and kissed her fingers. "Don't worry," he told her. "Everything will be okay."
And was everything okay after that? No, not quite that easily.
Jacob had taken to a raging fever that was part of fully giving up his abilities. Bella stayed by his side for three days and three nights, trying to comfort him while he vomited and groaned because his bones ached like never before. He wasn't able to keep anything down, and even water made him feel sick.
By the fourth day, he was better. The color was returning to his face but there were noteable changes. He'd lost a few inches in height and his mountain of muscle mass went from being simply godlike to that of a very muscular human, and human was what he was now.
Human like Bella.
And human like his child.
Months later, she'd given birth to a baby girl that she'd decided to name Rose after the friend she had lost. And months after that she'd given him triplet boys that they'd named Marcus, Brom and Daniel. A celebration of the triplet birth was widespread, for birthing three boys at once was unheard of and special. After the birth, people worshipped the weak body of their Queen like she was some sort of Goddess.
They would later find that the blood of shapeshifters ran in the boys, despite their father's affliction.
Jacob ended up being a great king. He vowed that he would never put his land through war again after the second Immortal War, so he became known throughout the land as the 'Peaceful King' because he signed so many treaties with other lands.
Canavar became prosperous once more in the mix of it, more prosperous than it had ever been. The kingdom was rebuilt and the villages that were destroyed by immortals were now shining with wealth and rebirth. Nobody was poor and nobody went hungry.
And the people loved Isabella. She was a woman that loved to mingle amongst her citizens, for she remembered when she was just like the peasants waving to their royals on the streets. She gave people kisses and money and food and acknowledged each and every one of them.
When Rose grew up, she was known as the most beautiful princess. With her father's tan skin and her mother's long, wavy hair, princes from every land were vying for her hand in marriage. And eventually she fell in love with a prince from Belgras, which turned out to be the Lady Portia's son.
Years later, Jacob and Portia would learn to laugh over the situation in good-heart, saying that they weren't mean to be together, but their children were.
The triplets each had their strongsuit. Marcus, the oldest, would take the throne after Jacob died and studied from a young age the ways of a king. Brom became an expert in warfare (and women) and subtle, calm Daniel would be a renound thinker for his published works with religion and most importantly, immortals.
And when it was King Jacob's time to leave this earth and descend to the next, the Queen just layed down next to him and held his hand 'til he fell asleep. And then she fell asleep too, with her family surrounding her. They were buried in the same grave, their fingers forever interlocked.
They didn't take well to seperation. They never did and they never would.
The story of King Jacob and Queen Isabella would be told throughout the ages. Their reign would be called the Golden Age because of the good spirits and prosperity of the people. Marcus would eventually grow up to be a model king just like his father and rule another Golden Age and his two younger brothers would learn to respect him greatly for that. Brom became the best military commander in all of Canavar and Daniel's works were being shipped all around the world, even over seas.
"I want to be just like her someday," the little girl said. "I want to be just like Isabella and marry a prince."
Her mother took her sweet girl into her arms and kissed her forehead. "Anything is possible," she whispers. "Queen Isabella taught us that, didn't she?"
"Yes, mama." The child giggled and ran off into the backyard. The girl's family was too poor to go to the Grand Masquerade that King Marcus and his young Queen held that night, but in the backyard she danced around in her rags like a princess with her prince.
She was so caught up in her dreams and wishes that she didn't even realize when the golden moon rose into the sky and cast its light down upon her.
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So, that's it! Ooh, I got the feels. This was an awesome ride with you guys, being ever supportive to me. All my readers and reviewers-you seriously all rock. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without support from you all. I sincerely appreciate all that you guys do.
Now here's the preview of the next story, because I'm never done writing! I'll always have something. I present to you: The Necklace.
This one is going to be a period piece too and it's going to be set in the 1400's. Isabella Swan is the daughter of a wealthy lord and Jacob Black is a poor stableboy. (Switched roles here!) Isabella's been promised to marry Edward by her father, but there's a problem. She doesn't love Edward. She loves Jacob, even though she's not supposed to. Their romance would be one written in the stars. This story will have some ups and downs, but it will always, always, have a happy ending somehow. Because I only write those. So if you're interested in reading the Necklace, leave a comment below or PM me your answer. I need your support, because what's a writer without their readers? Love you all!
And most importantly, tell me how I did on the Taming's end.
Thank you all eternally!
Farewell,
Courtney Howlett