.
Time passed afterwards...
Vitav indeed died in his frozen state, right before his mother's grave.
The Saint mage spell wore off, and the price of the spell was worse than he imagined, as it broke every single bone in his body, finally consuming him from the inside out.
An interesting sight to see was Novia, who now had her memories of Vitav betraying her as a final sacrifice.
Delusion free, and now hopeless, she revealed all Vitav's remaining allies, who had intended to invade Luxia once Vitav got the 'Staff of Alaus'.
Imagine their surprise when they learned there was no such thing!
Since Larya had cut ties with Vitav, he had relied solely on the fairies from Darnia, who had been giving him all the resources he needed to grow both his Dark powers, and his army of Dark Mages.
The bad blood between Luxia and Darnia flowed stronger, and King Vien was already planning to invade Darnia in retaliation!
But the first step was to state their case and ally with the surrounding Kingdoms, so they wouldn't think Luxia was going on a rampage!
In addition to Darnia, there were quite a few elves from several different regions, who had allied with Vitav in hopes of rising in the ranks, but thanks to Novia, they were all identified and properly dealt with.
In the end, Novia herself was stripped of all magic, and her memory was wiped at her request, after which she was sent back to her biological grandmother, who surprisingly still pleaded for her life.
As for Grand Mages Patiel and Pariel, they had gone back to being Pariel and Patiel, except for the fact that Grand Mage Pariel was now Head of the Council, and Grand Mage Patiel was now vice, thanks to his injuries.
Grand Mage Sidian had acquired a rare false eye from the Eastern Seas, which looked and worked rather well!
Dr. Sylvadeen Florence, was now 'High Mage Florence', as his theories were finally accepted by the council, who were now writing him endless letters to join them!
Lord Winters finally allowed Carla and Rone to be together...
Well... He didn't exactly have a choice! The instant King Vien discovered what Carla's powers could do, he personally invited her to be a Palace Mage, and his own private monitoring system!
Overwhelmed with joy and pride, Lord Winters might have allowed the marriage, even if King Vien hadn't sent him a direct order to allow it!
Inspired by the Late Queen, who had been a fairy, Rone chose to remain in Luxia for Carla's sake, and he joined the capital's Combat Force, serving directly under Lord Scarlett, who promised to bring him along for Palace visits, so he could see Carla whenever she had to spend an extended time in the Palace.
Larya returned to the Eastern Seas, and it wasn't too long before news blew by in waves... She had suppressed her brothers and was now Crown Princess, set to be the first Sea Empress.
And as for Celia and Taze, their duties had no end!
Celia continued her charity efforts with the people, but as her wedding with Taze approached, she was forced to attend daily lectures, dealing with matters of state, and how she would handle certain matters as Queen.
'Not again!' She thought with dismay, when she first received the letter.
This would be the twenty-seventh lifetime of taking those tediously boring lectures!
Meanwhile, as Crown Prince, Taze joined his father in tying up the aftermath of Vitav's attack, and there were countless meetings with the Heads of every city and region, the Magic Council, and the Leaders of the Combat mages.
This was to ensure any spies or allies they might have missed were flushed out, and to fortify Luxia's defenses against any similar conspiracy.
Days went into weeks, and weeks went into months, and before long, they were in the heart of winter!
.
Celia and Taze's wedding day dawned with all the hope and joy it signified in Luxia.
The wedding itself took place in a grand hall adorned with sparkling frost-like crystals that caught the light, refracting it in delicate rainbow patterns across the walls.
Outside, light snow blanketed the gardens, and frost glistened from the branches, shimmering like jewels in the sunlight.
Celia stood by the grand hall doors, dressed in a beautiful gown of silvery white lace, which cascaded down her shoulders and swept out behind her like fresh snow. A crown of delicate snowdrops and ivy rested upon her hair, glistening with small droplets of frost, and she took a deep breath, heart racing with joy and anticipation.
The doors swung open and she stepped forward.
Gasps filled the room at the sheer sight of her, and white rose petals were showered on the aisle as she walked slowly, in time with the beautiful music of a Grand Orchestra.
Everyone's eyes were on her, but Celia's eyes were on Taze, who waited for her at the front of the hall, his eyes glowing with love. He was dressed in dark velvet, embroidered with silver and lined with fur, and Celia's cheeks warmed in admiration.
They exchanged their vows beneath an arch draped with frosted vines and Taze's crystal lilies, making Celia smile, and there were ooohs and awwws, as Taze took her hand, helping her onto the platform.
The hall quieted as Taze bent to kiss her knuckles, then gazed into her eyes, as he promised himself to her, "From this moment on, I am yours. Only yours, for the rest of my life..."
Cheers erupted all round, so no one heard when he leaned in to add. "...and in any other lifetime!"
As he spoke, a silver twisted circlet wound itself around his ring finger in a never-ending loop, and Celia beamed at him, as she spoke her own promise,
"I pledge myself to you, from this moment onwards. I belong to you... only you! And you're my home, from now on."
The cheers were deafening, and King Vien couldn't resist a bit of pettiness, as he turned to Lord Scarlett.
~"Ha! They say one shouldn't have daughters! The scarlett household is no longer her home?!"~
Lord Scarlett scowled, but didn't hesitate to retort, ~"Hmph! If sons are so important, why is yours shamelessly hanging on to my precious 'daughter'?!"
Taze and Celia were locked in their own world as a matching silver circlet lined with rubies, wrapped around her own finger!
A gust of wind swept through the hall at that moment, bringing in delicate flakes of snow which swirled around the couple in a gentle spiral.
Taze pulled Celia into a tender kiss, his hands gently cupping her face. The hall erupted in cheers, and as they gazed into each other's eyes in that perfect moment, everything else faded away...
...
..
.
It was a brilliant day, and sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves in the garden.
Celia picked her skirts, running through the garden. "Alden! Alden! Where are you?"
A light cherubic giggle made her swirl and appear some distance to her right. She crouched and cleared away some shrubs, and her heart skipped a beat as she was met with the most astounding green eyes.
"Alden!" She reached in and pulled out a beautiful toddler with startling green eyes, and straight silvery white hair that glistened in the sunshine. "What have I said about hiding only within the palace walls?! Sara and I have been looking for you!"
"Found Momma!" The little boy said with a brilliant smile, which nearly stopped her heart!
"You have had far too much fun, young man!" She playfully scolded, as she dusted dry leaves off his hair and clothes.
"Momma, Chu!" The boy leaned forward to plant an adorable kiss on her cheek.
"Oh my!" Celia flushed, ruffling his hair. "I can't even stay angry at you! You're a little too cute, aren't you?!"
"He is." A voice agreed, and Celia gasped softly, as a pair of strong arms encircled her, pulling her back against the familiar warmth of Taze's chest. "But he's fond of stealing my wife away!"
Celia slapped his hand. "Whose fault is it?! He's so charming, even at this age! From whom did he get it?!"
"Hmmm..." Taze was nodding, pretending to peer intently at Alden, who was now happily stomping on dry leaves. "This captivating look-! It's certainly from you!"
Celia turned to meet his gaze, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. "Oh? Then who's fault is it that he's impervious to elf magic? I can't even use a tracing spell on him!"
"Ehehe, also from you?"
"And why does he have fairy charm?!"
"Now, I can't exactly deny that one, can I?" He held her waist and tugged her closer, then smirked when she flushed. He brushed a light kiss on her lips, enjoying the deepening colour on her face, as he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I came to steal my wife back!"
"S- stop it!" She whispered furiously, attempting to push him away. "Alden is here!"
But Taze tugged her closer. "I refuse! I found you first!" He turned. "Sara! He's here! Come and take him!"
Sara ran into the garden, then blushed, covering her face with her hands. "Pardon me, your highness!" She said, trying to keep the laughter from her voice. "I'm not here at all!"
Taze leaned down, and swept Celia into his arms. "I'll leave the little wife thief to you!" He told Sara, before carrying away a blushing Celia, who had buried her face in his shoulder!
That night, the two stood side by side, beneath the Star Crystal, simply content to be in each other's presence.
"This feels like a dream, doesn't it?" Taze's voice was low. "There's no threat looming over us. Just… peace."
Celia turned and wrapped her arms around him. "If it's a dream, then it's beautiful! I don't want to wake up!"
Taze kissed the top of her head, then lifted her chin. "I won't let you wake up from this dream! Hopefully, it lasts an entire lifetime!"
"Just one lifetime?" She asked, and he gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.
"As many lifetimes as possible..." He replied softly, and he leaned down, his lips meeting hers in an enchanting kiss.
The kiss was slow, sending currents through her body, and she melted into him, her hands finding his shoulders as he pulled her closer...
And as they kissed under the bright glow of the Star Crystal, the stars themselves glittered down, blessing them, and blessing Luxia with timeless joy and happiness...
The End!
.