Epilogue

A few years had passed since the battle that eliminated the enemy forces, exposed the traitors and re-established Andrew’s stronghold over the Kingdom of Etheria.

Sybill now served as the kingdom’s High Mage, working directly under Crown Prince Edward Simon Savant. The girl who had once needed instructions just to survive a conversation at court now stood among the most influential figures in the kingdom.

Silvi worked closely with Grandmaster Erasmus as a professor of lost knowledge and history, regularly dictating forgotten magical knowledge while forcing him to turn it into books for future generations.

Rowland had taken command of several battalions and spent much of his time maintaining peace along the borders.

Andrew and Natalie, meanwhile, had finally taken some time for themselves. They travelled frequently together, with Leo, as always, faithfully accompanying them.

Elena had chosen an entirely different path.

◆ ◆ ◆

The Princess Boutique occupied one of the busiest streets in the capital.

Gowns and dresses designed by Elena filled the enormous showroom, with fabrics from across Etheria displayed beneath crystal chandeliers. An exclusive bakery occupied the adjoining section, its glass counters crowded with pies, cakes, pastries and bottles of chilled Bulbous-cow milk.

Helen moved between both sides of the boutique, checking orders and directing the attendants.

As Elena entered the workroom, Helen handed her a bouquet of flowers and a small jewellery box. Inside was a diamond bracelet, accompanied by a card.

From Nigel.

Elena blushed.

Sybill and Silvi stared at her face.

Then they looked at each other.

“Nigel,” they said together.

Elena immediately turned towards the large worktable where several new designs had been spread out. Silvi sat stiffly beside the sketches while Sybill leaned over one of them.

“The sleeves still need something,” Elena said.

Sybill looked more closely.

“The string of the pearls along here.”

Her finger followed the outer edge of the sleeve. Elena considered it for a moment, then picked up her pencil and added them while Silvi watched closely.

Sybill pointed towards the waist.

“And this should be a little narrower. Then the skirt will look, like, the more flowing.”

Elena made another adjustment.

The three continued working over the designs together, moving between sketches, fabric samples and tiny boxes of buttons, beads and pearls.

◆ ◆ ◆

Later that afternoon, Sybill returned to the castle with Elena and Silvi.

Sammy had grown considerably over the years and had started to resemble Andrew more and more. The resemblance had not gone unnoticed at court, where unopened letters from hopeful young ladies had developed an unfortunate habit of accumulating on his desk.

Rob and Lucien stood nearby in the uniforms of the Crown Prince’s personal squires. Neither had managed to lose the pleased expressions they wore whenever anyone addressed them by their new titles.

Sammy, however, appeared interested in only one thing.

A book.

Chef Mario had already covered the table with pies, croissants, tarts and tea, while Silvi rested comfortably on a cushion beside him.

“The new Silhvester book arrived just now!”

Sammy held it up excitedly.

Silhvester Holmes crouched beside a rotting corpse, examining it through a magnifying glass, while Warner Jotsen investigated the mysterious mould spreading across the walls.

Sybill leaned closer to the book.

Sammy glanced past her, then looked back at Sybill.

“Sybill Florence.”

Her lavender eyes shifted towards him suspiciously.

“Yes?”

“Will you turn around, please?”

Sybill narrowed her eyes slightly, but slowly turned.

Rowland stood behind her, still dressed in his armour as though he had returned from the borders and come directly to the castle. His reddish-brown hair was slightly disordered from the journey, and he was smiling from ear to ear.

Sybill stared at him.

Then her gaze dropped.

A small red box rested in his hand.

Inside it was a diamond ring.

◆ ◆ ◆

Some time later—

The borders were surrounded by barbarian armies.

Rowland stood at the head of his forces in full armour as thousands of soldiers prepared for the first impact. Mist drifted across the battlefield, curling around the ranks and obscuring the distant enemy line.

Through it came Sybill.

She wore her favourite armour—the same silver armour she had worn the first time she bested Rowland—with its flowing red cape trailing behind her. A diamond ring glittered on her finger.

Rowland smiled when he saw her and unsheathed his sword.

Sybill stopped beside him.

Without warning, she rose onto her toes and kissed him.

Rowland returned the kiss, one arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer. The diamond ring on Sybill’s finger gleamed between them.

Ahead, the enemy army began to charge.

When they finally parted, Sybill smiled. Then her feet left the ground.

She rose several feet into the air, her red cape flowing behind her as she raised her wand towards the approaching army.

Wand ready.

Below her, Rowland tightened his grip on his sword.

Sword ready.

◆ ◆ ◆

A ridiculously cheerful tune began to play.

Two hundred years of the isolation,
Now replaced with the years of the celebration.
I opened the door just to do the peeking outside—
Now I'm coming the home with all of you by my side!

Tiny chibi versions of Sybill, Elena, Sammy, Rowland and Silvi popped onto the screen one after another, their heads enormous and their eyes even bigger. Lulu blossoms bounced around them as the camera zoomed out, revealing all five already dancing together, their tiny feet moving perfectly with the music.

Ayo! The crown prince one, the crown prince two,
The one I rescued—and the one I fell for too!
The best friend Elena, the Silvi by my side,
The porcelain sister and the absolute pride!

The camera zoomed in on Sammy before whipping across to Rowland, sparkling crowns bouncing above both their heads. Sybill's cheeks turned bright red as Elena spun into frame beneath a shower of sweets, and the camera dropped to Silvi.

Hop. Hop. Tilt.

Her enormous black button eyes blinked.

The tea, the attire, the lovable flaw,
The rescue from the assassination, the future mother-in-law!
Da-da! The mystery knocking? We are following the clue,
The Silhvester is looking—the Jotsen looking too!

A tiny teacup flew across the screen, followed by one dress after another. Chibi Zeena slid into view on “future mother-in-law,” wineglass raised and looking far too pleased with herself.

The camera swept past her and found Silhvester and Warner Johnson crouched over a trail of tiny footprints. Silhvester carried a magnifying glass almost as large as himself while Jotsen scribbled furiously in a notebook, and both hurried after the footprints as they disappeared off-screen.

The Domain, the sphere, the electrocution,
I nailed the epic, the execution!
The spy was the witch and the witch was the spy,
She was not very good—but the points for the try!

The scenes changed with every beat. A tiny Domain opened. A sphere bounced across the screen. Lightning struck and chibi Sybill's black hair shot straight upwards before dropping neatly back into place. On “the execution,” she threw both tiny fists into the air while Lulu blossoms burst around her.

Hey! The fire goes WHOOSH and the barriers go SHINE,
The stones go CRASH—everybody get in line!
The defeated was the perfect and we won the coup,
The Zack, the Lola, the Boric, the Craven too!

Four chibi heads popped up along the bottom of the screen. Zack's hair burst into flames, Lola immediately posed for the camera, and Craven's golden bangles spun around her like hoops.

Boric stomped hard enough to send all four bouncing into the air. When they landed, golden rings were spinning around their waists.

The camera zoomed out.

Somehow, everyone had one.

The entire chibi cast hula-hooped in perfect time with the music. Andrew spun his ring while still holding his cane, Natalie kept dancing without spilling her wine, and Leo somehow managed to hula-hoop with the same serious expression he wore into battle. Silvi stood perfectly stiff in the middle of hers while the golden ring happily spun around her tiny porcelain body all by itself.

The music softened for a few beats.

Chibi Harold and Mariana sat side by side beneath a tree, both looking far too serious for the dancing going on behind them. Sybill suddenly popped up from behind and wrapped her tiny arms around both.

Mariana blinked. Harold looked at Sybill.

Sybill squeezed them tighter.

A moment later, all three smiled at the camera.

We did the espionage and followed the clue,
We worked the Randall angle and got the Andrew too!
We got the Natalie back and made the villain cry,
The story is the ending, I must say the bye-bye!

The beat picked up again as the camera swept across Andrew and Natalie, then Zeena, Leo and Erasmus, followed by Lucy, Helen and Nigel. One after another, they joined the dance until the screen was packed with bouncing heads and spinning golden rings.

The camera raced back to Silhvester and Warner Johnson. Their trail of footprints finally stopped at the edge of the dance.

Silhvester looked at Johnson.

Johnson looked at Silhvester.

They nodded very seriously and stepped straight in.

On “bye-bye,” the camera zoomed farther and farther out. Kings, queens, witches, spies, mages, knights, detectives, friends and enemies were all dancing together beneath a shower of Lulu blossoms, their golden rings spinning in perfect time.

Everyone turned towards the camera and waved.

The final note rang out.

Credits roll.

Credits roll.

Credits roll.

Okay. The epilogue is finished.

What are you waiting for?

You can stop reading now.

This is not a Warvel movie.

There is no end-credits scene.

...

Still here?

...

Fine.

One more.

◆ ◆ ◆

A few more years later—

A tiny portal opened in the middle of one of the Longbottom sitting rooms.

A baby with thick black hair and enormous lavender eyes rolled straight through it and disappeared. Another portal immediately opened on top of a large cushioned chair, and the baby tumbled out, giggling wildly.

Zeena stood nearby with both hands clasped beneath her chin, her dark eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Oh, look at her!”

Another portal appeared beneath the baby, and she vanished again.

Silvi sat stiffly on top of a nearby table, her button eyes darting from one portal to another. Silvi rattled with joy at the sight of the baby, who was flawlessly opening portals and rolling through them.

“Again!”

A portal opened several feet above the carpet. The baby appeared upside down for barely a second before falling through another portal that opened directly beneath her.

Zeena gasped.

“Excellent! Again!”

The baby squealed and slapped both hands against the carpet. Three tiny portals appeared at once, and she crawled into one before immediately emerging from another behind Zeena.

Zeena spun around.

“There you are!”

She scooped the baby into her arms, but a portal immediately opened against Zeena’s chest and the baby disappeared from her embrace.

Zeena stared down at her empty arms.

Silvi burst out laughing.

Across the room, another portal opened beside Harold’s chair, and the baby rolled out directly at his feet.

Harold looked down.

She looked up at him with enormous lavender eyes.

He had been released from prison some time earlier, though the remainder of his sentence was still being served under house arrest. The palace guard stationed near the doorway remained a quiet reminder of that fact.

The baby reached both hands towards him.

Harold hesitated before bending down and carefully lifting her into his arms. She immediately grabbed a fistful of his reddish-brown hair.

Zeena laughed.

“My son appears to have contributed absolutely nothing to that child’s appearance.”

Silvi tilted her stiff porcelain body slightly to one side.

“Black hair. Lavender eyes. The portals.”

She rattled with satisfaction.

“The Sybill has done the dominating.”

Zeena laughed even harder.

Harold looked down at the baby in his arms. For a moment, he simply watched her, and then a small smile appeared on his face.

The baby blinked up at him.

A tiny portal opened beneath his chair.

Harold looked down.

His smile disappeared.

“Oh, no.”

The baby squealed with delight.

Silvi rattled furiously on the table.

“Again! Again!”