Aliya's Shoes-Chapter 580: Epilogue

Shelby slipped beneath the surface, and the water welcomed her, wrapping her in its cool embrace as though it had always belonged to her. She did not rise for air, not once, yet she moved with such serene assurance that none thought to question it.

Her body cut through the depths in long, fluid strokes, her limbs gliding as though every ripple had been rehearsed. She was not swimming so much as she was sliding, as if the water carried her of its own accord. It was a beautiful sight, and Ian never tired of it.

Light from above fractured across her form, painting her in bands of silver and shadow, her waist-length hair streaming behind her. She was elegance made motion, a quiet vision one might glimpse in a dream ... the sort of beauty that seemed untouchable, almost unreal. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

And still, Shelby did not surface. Breathless minutes or maybe even hours went by, yet she glided on, ageless and unhurried, her poise more fitting of myth than of mortal flesh. In the years since the coronation, her otherworldly traits have grown exponentially.

Shelby rose out of the pool, using the make-shift steps that rose from underneath it, making it seem like the waters parted for her. She was supple, slender, with water sliding down over pale, naked, supple curves. These were their private chambers and their new indoor pool establishments. It was more of a large indoor bath and hot spring of a sort. Her eyes zeroed in on Ian as soon as she came up.

"Oh my heavens! I must postpone my meeting again!"

Ian whined while smiling at his wife, with a look she understood all too well.

Ten whole years had passed since their coronation, and the woman still had ways of bewitching him at every turn!

There was an abrupt pulling sensation, something as simple and yet difficult to resist as gravity. Ian felt a sudden urge to get up and go down to her, to remove the silk cloth and to carry her back into the water and make slow, painful love with her. He wanted to see her hair fan out beneath the surface, feel her naked limbs sliding around him. He wanted to feel that slender waist beneath his hands, twist and writhe with her in the warm, weightless pool, and he did just that. It took about an hour before the couple emerged from their room and entered the receiving room, where their visitor, already reported,was still waiting.

As they neared the room, they could hear the children talking,

"You should have seen mum there... oh my... with mum like this, I think I will never marry! I mean, who will ever come close to her... sigh...." They could hear Gabriel, now about fifteen years old, sighing dramatically.

"Well, Angel Gabriel, you d-"

"Do not call me that!" Gabriel shouted, exasperated.

"How many times must I tell you this!"

"Well, I am told that you seemed to adore it when you were younger, so why now..."

"YOUNGER! That was childish! Why do you always seem to be talking on the surface and teasing underneath, Aurel!"

Ten-year-old Aurel, who just existed to tease his siblings, pulled out his tongue and rushed off, just as Gabriel’s hands touched him. He was the first child who was born on their coronation day ... a boy, so much like his mother in looks, but his father in stature.

Elian, a gentler version of Aurel, looked up from his book and shook his head, ’When will these two ever stop these childish acts?’ It was as if he were an adult, not just seven years old.

Like his brother, Elian was eerily alike to Shelby, but slightly smaller in stature. Then came the mummy magnet, who sensed Shelby before she even got there. This was their third, another boy, Cael. Cael was every bit like his father, at four, but with his mother’s blue eyes.

"Mum! They are at it again!"

At this time, even Isolde, who looked about twenty years old now, turned from her idling and smiled at the couple as they came in. She was of a similar age to Ingrid, and surprisingly, the two had grown close over the years, becoming inseparable in many ways. It was a good thing that Ingrid stuck to Isolde, because Ingrid’s natural charm could almost mimic Shelby’s at a point. She had been nicknamed the heartbreaker, for she never gave any man the time of day, but no one minded. She was still too young by siren-age.

Suzie got up from the rocking chair in the corner, where little Serel was starting to get fussy. This was the only girl, by far, between Shelby and Ian. Like Ian wanted, she was the spitting image of her mother and a deadly one, too. Though barely able to talk, Isolde always had to be on guard with this one, because a mere cry could shatter things around her.

Between them, they had added four more children in the decade, but Shelby looked every bit the same, except for her now very long blond hair.

Shelby opened her arms and swept Cael up, straightening up, as the rest came in for hugs, including Isolde’s, surprisingly.

Suzie hung on the peripheries till they had left and then brought over Serel. The girl latched onto her mother, but Cael didn’t want to let go, before Ian took him from his wife, lightening her load.

Selel cooed and rested her head on her mother’s bosom, still instantly. Shelby kissed Serel’s head.

With the way Ian couldn’t keep his hands away from Shelby, they all would not be surprised if the couple dropped another baby.

Gabriel looked on in envy. He was way past the age that he could do what his younger siblings were doing, but Shelby walked up to him and kissed his hair, making him blush.

Little Faes buzzed around from time to time.

Under Suzie’s meticulous management, the estate had been demarcated into two. The inner estate only had Fae servants to help the children. The portal that had been created remained open, so that going to the Fae-land where they ruled was just like going through a doorway to another room.

Even Queen Mother Geneva and her Prince Consort, Alex, had decided to use the Fae-land as their retirement place under the guise that they were travelling the world. After seeing that time moved ever so slowly there, the couple had come to love the place. With time, the wrinkles and signs of ageing had also dwindled.

The outer part of the estate, handled mainly by Alicia and Alberta, controlled the human aspect.

Ian had let Brad break the news of what they were to his wife in his own time, and like everyone around them, she had come to accept it, but did not freely mingle with the supernatural entities as such.

The two children she had with Brad were a different story, though. Since their playmates were with the rest, the two also moved freely between the two worlds. With adequate protection all around, the children were having the time of their lives.

"Dad, you have a visitor on the other side."

Gabriel reminded him as he picked up his guitar, strumming the cords.

Ian nodded, turning on his heels with Shelby following.

A few moments later....

Ian’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at the young man kneeling before him.

"Come again?"

The man swallowed hard. "I’d like permission to date Samantha."

The air in the room seemed to still, the weight of silence pressing in. Then, unexpectedly, Shelby laughed. She leaned back, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes, and said, "So, you finally came around."

Nicholas’s eyes widened. His secret crush, carefully guarded for years, hadn’t been much of a secret after all.

"Does Samantha know?" Ian asked, voice sharp with quiet authority. He itched to counter, but he had no excuse. True to Samanth’s words, she had never sought any relationship in all these years. Now a doctor-in-training, she was like Ingrid, breaking hearts and never indulging in anything. When Nicholas approached her, she had thought of a mischievous way to make him back down. For he was Rocky’s best friend, and she did not have the heart to hurt him physically, like the other guys; besides, he had asked politely as well.

Nicholas nodded once. "She said she’ll only agree to go out with me if her parents approve."

Ian leaned back slowly, studying him. Everyone knew he was a dangerous man to cross, a figure whose very presence commanded respect. Samantha had clearly banked on that ... on her father’s intimidation scaring off anyone who might dare to ask.

And yet here he was, kneeling, showing his determination,

"Get up, Nicholas,"

Shelby said.

"I mean, better a known face than an unknown, but it all rests on my daughter. We’ll go with what she wants...."

"But if you hurt her...." Ian added, and Nicholas, now a full practising doctor in the same hospital as Rocky and Matt, shook his head,

"I would never!"

Getting the consent he needed, he sent a text to Samantha, who had just got back home,

"They agreed.... So, what do you say?"

Samantha’s reply had him fist-punching in the air, with a wide grin.

"Mum! Aunt Ava is on TV!"

Aurel rushed in and turned on the TV in the room.

Rocky had spared no effort for his wife. He knew that Ava had always wanted to be an event planner but had only taken the Gastronomy program because it came with funding. He helped Ava make their dream come true after little Shelly was born, so named after her aunt. Shelly, the same age as Aurel, was inseparable when they were together, which was often. The mischief between the two ten-year-olds was longer than any rap sheet of the criminals that Leon and his team dealt with.

Ava’s event company was so highly sought after that one needed to book at least six months in advance to secure that slot.

They watched the program, and Shelby smiled at how far her friend had come.

Between the brothers, Ian handled the Fae duties and sometimes the Thornston industries, but that had been left mainly for Brad.

As if on cue, he walked in with Ingrid in tow. It will never be like Brad, not to take advantage of Ingrid’s charm in his deals.

Though he was not as ruthless as he had been to his friends, if the deal was almost in place, he ’used’ Ingrid, under the guise that he was training her to take over the company, as Ingrid had opted to take the Business major and minor in music.

As all these went on around him, Ian’s mind drifted to something he had said in the past, ’If I had known that, that was the last day I would ever see you. I would have done better. I failed you, Aliya. I wish to be given a second chance to correct my mistakes. I will never make that mistake ever again...pl-ease...’

"What a naïve fool I was!"

He took the lively chatter of his family, the bickering, sound of teasing voices, the soft hum of love echoed louder than ever, then looked at his Elfin,

"I love you ..."

Then using their mind link ....

’...in a way that breathes with my soul itself.’

Shelby angled Serel as she slept, then her startling blue eyes met his molten grey ones,

’.... And I too...’

THE END

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[A/N]:

I read somewhere that ’Some legacies are written in whispers, some in storms, but all leave a trace in the hearts brave enough to notice.... And in the quietest moments, the smallest hearts leave the largest echoes.’

The journey has been long, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me until the very end. Your presence, your attention, and your support have carried this story further than I could have ever hoped. I couldn’t have done it without you.... kudos for reading thus far!

Most importantly, thank you so much for your votes, comments, and engagement. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review .... it would mean the world to me.

Till later, it’s been a fun ride. Lots of love from Loctovia, Shelby, Ian and the whole team ;)

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