Marriage Alliance With The Lycan Monarch-Chapter 242: The Beginning Of The End

Three Years Later

• ELOISE •

A lot has happened in three years.

Talia and Garrick tied the knot, welcoming their second child together. Her sister was finally brought to Valkanor, and thanks to Celia’s prospect, she was able to heal her illness.

Beloria’s new Duke was chosen, and Valkanor became its capital. Drevon wanted to give humans a chance to find their path. So far, it has been beneficial. The realm has recovered, prosperity and harvest have flourished throughout the lands.

The alliance between snowbloods and moonbloods was sealed forever. It took some work, but in the end, we were able to accomplish the impossible.

Orianna Winter became the new Countess of Velithra, and Grandmother decided to stay with me.

Corvin the Black became the new leader of the Order, and thanks to his guidance, he changed their twisted ideas. Of course, he didn’t do it alone; Diana was beside him all through. They travelled the world just as she had always dreamed of.

I was happy for her. She got the chance to spread her wings freely, and no one could stop her from doing it. I always knew there was more to her. Ever since I laid eyes on her, she had a hidden potential that was just waiting to shine.

Everything in my life felt like a daydream, and the times of despair became like a fading memory. However, I still do think of it sometimes. The tragic past, the pain of hanging in a thin thread, and the losses.

They were all still a part of me, but I had chosen to embrace the future and not be stuck in a past that was left behind. But I do retain the things I felt were needed, things that were close to my heart.

I pulled some curls behind my ear when the strong wind came through. The air was chilly, but I didn’t feel it; instead, it was a soothing sensation of comfort.

"Sometimes I wonder what my life could have been if you were here... Mother." I dropped my gaze to her headstone, and I took a sharp intake of breath.

"I have Grandmother, she’s beyond lovely. I think the feeling is familiar, that mother figure I desperately need, but I do wonder."

I smiled sadly, as an impossible dream flashed in my head. The sight of growing up with my mother, how she’d cater for me and raise me. We would both be despised in Beloria but at least we’d have each other.

I’m sure she would have been perfect, and maybe my future would have changed, but I had a gnawing feeling the destination would have been the same.

"I always wonder," I mumbled softly. "It’s beautiful, having that picture of you in my life. How wonderful it could have been to meet Lucard and see how special he is."

I stroked the stone. "You could have seen what I built, too. I’m sure you’d have loved it. Your legacy never died; it lives through me, and my son. I know you’d have regrets, of course, you would. I just want to tell you that you shouldn’t. Thank you for bringing me into this world."

I heard quick footsteps crunching against the snow. When I turned my head, a figure launched at me, and I laughed when he wrapped his arms around my neck tightly.

"There you are..." I said to Lucard, brushing his inky dark hair off his forehead.

Seems like he was overdue for a little trim. I dusted the snow off his hair when Snow came running, panting. I knew they were playing again.

"Look at you, always so rowdy. You give Osha a tough time. She looked for you everywhere."

"I didn’t mean to," he said sweetly.

How could I resist that face?

I glanced back at the headstone. "Want to stay with me a bit?"

He nodded profusely. I smiled brightly, pulling him to sit on my lap.

"I just told her about the passing years. I talked a lot, I’m sure she already has an earful."

He giggled.

"But I know she loves it, how else am I going to give her a daily view of my life?"

"You should tell her I’m turning four next month."

I gasped. "Oh my! She must hear this!"

"Yes!" He clapped his hands. "She needs flowers."

"Oh yes, she does, I was hoping to—" I paused when Lucard looked to the garden of tulips, and a bunch of them were uprooted and levitated toward us, as if carried by the wind.

Lucard looked to the headstone, and they dropped neatly beside it. "There, now she has flowers."

"I’m sure she loves them." I kissed his cheek.

"She hears you, mother, from the other side," he said, plucking the petals from the tulips.

"Do you think so?"

He nodded.

Strangely, I felt that way too.

"Come on now. We don’t want to be late," I said, helping him up and standing to my feet. "What’s this? Where is your jacket?"

"Snow ate it." He pointed.

Snow looked away before giving me a side eye.

"Why?"

Lucard shrugged.

"Lucard?" I questioned in a warning tone.

"We were only playing."

"That doesn’t mean a piece of clothing follows. What if you catch a cold?"

"But I never feel cold."

"Yes, you don’t, but as your mother, it fills me with great worry."

He pouted before looking behind me. "Father!" He ran before I could say any more words.

Drevon caught him and carried him. Lucard whispered something to his ear, and I rolled my eyes.

"Every time he goes to you when he does something wrong."

"Does he?" Drevon teased and kissed my forehead. "Maybe because he knows you can be scary when you scold him."

I gasped. "I’m not scary!"

I shot a look at Lucard, and he hid his face in Drevon’s neck, smiling.

"Fine then, stay there with your father."

"Don’t be too hard on him; he must have played too roughly with Snow, again. They are always wandering around."

"Especially tug of war with his jacket," I clarified. I caught them once.

Snow licked my hand as a form of apology.

"Alright, alright, I won’t be mad. But this is the last time. Use a rope or something."

"Trust me, the more you tell them not to, the more they will." Drevon placed a hand at the small of my back, as we walked.

For a moment, I cast a look behind my shoulders, and I stilled when I saw my mother standing by the headstone. I blinked, and she was gone like a fading light. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Eloise?"

I smiled, taking Drevon’s hand in mine.

"Hmm... why the sudden change of mood?"

"Nothing..." I said, amused. "We should probably not let the Dowager get carried away."

"Ah, I’m afraid I don’t have any bone in my body to oppose her. That’s her territory."

I sighed. "I guess we have no other choice but to bear another extravagant celebration."

"More extravagant, Valestra is assisting with the arrangements."

"What? Since when are those two working together?"

"Whenever it comes to their Grandson. Which is why I said I cannot oppose, my love. Let them have at it, for they will eat me whole if I interfere."

"I’ll sit this one out too..."

"Hmm... I was hoping you’d put up a fight. Where is my sassy Eloise, and what have you done with her?"

I shrugged. "I’m sure they are quite overjoyed. Why spoil the fun?"

"So you are merely observing?"

"We are merely observing. The right decision to make." I patted his chest.

He laughed and dropped Lucard. He ran to the open space with Snow following behind him.

Drevon hugged me from behind as we watched our son run carefree, giggling and cheerful.

"I feel it, dearest. Our son’s destiny is great. He’d have so much ahead of him."

"That’s why he has us," he mumbled to my ear. "We’ll be with him every step of the way."

Perhaps this is the ending I saw in books, that climax when the loving family finally has their deserved ending.

It didn’t seem like the end, but the beginning, and I had a feeling we would make the best of it.

I looked into Drevon’s eyes, and I drowned in those molten crimson orbs.

"I love you..." he uttered softly.

I didn’t say those words back, I said something better that meant a lifetime to us, for it was the foundation of our love story.

"I’ll always choose you."

The End.

A/N: Thank you for reading and sticking with me until the end of their story.