252 EPILOGUE Part 2 (Elreth & Aaryn + Jayah & Skhal)

~ ELRETH (months later) ~

Elreth walked slowly through the WildWood, smiling when the trees opened and she caught sight of the Weeping Tree.

It had been weeks since they'd visited it.

She stroked her stomach, smiling down at it, groaning though when the baby shoved a fist against her side so hard she felt her spine stretch.

"Settle down, kiddo," she growled, pressing back on the little fist that wanted to punch through her.

When she pushed between the curtain of spring flowers now trailing beautifully down the weeping tree, she smiled to find Aaryn already there, seated in the hollow between two of the largest roots that rippled away from the trunk.

They'd been coming here since they were children and this place had been their fort, their imaginary kingdom… little had she known then how prophetic her childhood games would become.

He lifted his head and smiled, slipping a piece of paper into his back pocket as she walked to meet him.