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Chapter 121: Who’s That Man?

Rowan

Mom ran her fingers across Selene’s head, admiring her fine white hair. She looked every ounce the doting grandmother instead of a ball of uncertainty, like Maeve. Maeve was pacing back and forth near the fall wall of my bedroom, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent as she tried to organize her shock.

Everyone else had cleared out to give us some privacy. Just Mom, Hanna, Maeve, the baby, and I remained, and Mom had just finished feeding the baby a bottle. Hanna awoke, but she was still groggy from sleeping so much.

“She’s beautiful, Hanna,” Mom said softly, smiling down at the baby in her arms. “What’s the meaning of her name?”

“I-I don’t know. She told me her name, in a dream.”

“We could think of a nickname for her,” I added, chewing on the side of my cheek as I narrowed my eyes on Maeve. Her pacing was heightening my anxiety.

Hanna had described the birth, which had been about as easy and peaceful as it could possibly be. But the midwife had been frantic, and fearful, as a lunar eclipse sent a shadow over the castle and then bathed all of Mirage in an eerie red glow just as Selene was born.

Hanna looked up, meeting Mom’s eyes, and whispered, “She was conceived on a full moon, Rosalie. And then… and then

born on a lunar eclipse. You know… you have to know what this means.”

Mom nodded, resting her hand on Hanna’s leg.

“Your daughter is the Moon Goddess?” Maeve’s words weren’t said like a question. We all already knew the answer.

“Whatever she is,” Mom said, smiling down at the baby with nothing but love behind her eyes, “she is a White Queen. The twenty-first White Queen. And my granddaughter. And that’s enough, for now.”

Hanna took a deep breath and then smiled softly to herself. I

could feel the tension leaving her body, and she closed her eyes. But then, she started to cry.

Maeve was at her side in an instant, taking Hanna’s hands in her own. “Oh, Hanna. It’s going to be okay. We don’t know what this means, for her, for youll for any of us.”

“I’m scared of her, Maeve.” Hanna’s words cut so deeply into my heart I found it hard to breathe. I knew she had been

struggling. I knew she was hurting.

But I hadn’t known that.

“She’s just a baby!” Maeve laughed, reaching out to take Selene from Mom. “Look, see? She looks like you, Hanna. Just lighter. She has your eye shape, and your chin. I think she has Rowan’s nose, though, and that crazy cowlick is definitely from our side of the family-”

her enthusiasm breaking up the heavy emotion that had been

for a living. That prophecy… it’s over. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that she’s here, and she’s safe. And she needs you, Hanna. She… she

handed Selene to Hanna and rested her hand over Selene’s head. “She’s the best, Hanna. The only girl in the family so far. Troy and I are done, as you know. Gemma and Ernest might have another. But for

making Rowan and Dad play

The words felt heavy in my mouth. It was an oath. Hanna met

be alright if he

to see everyone. I’ll-i’ll take a shower and change first. I’ve been in bed for… well, since she was born. I didn’t know what else to do. I

Hanna’s arms as Mom helped her out of the bed. Maeve turned, handing the baby to me as we began

shoulder, watching as Hanna

to be okay,

more Maeve. You know

door open for Maeve as we

Hanna… about her visions from

my

much was wrong, Rowan. Even Hanna said so. How could she possibly still believe

know. She hasn’t said anything to me about it for months. She’s not dream dancing anymore. She refuses to shift. She’s just… existing. I feel

feel like I should stay for a

fine. You’re the Luna

arm. “Just

and then the two of us headed downstairs to see what everyone else had been doing while my mother and sister tried to help Hanna gain

and was chatting amiably over a very impressive spread that had been laid out by the kitchen-two prime rib roasts, a honeyed ham, and three roast ducks were the centerpieces of the table, all of which were

in Ernest’s lap, his face dappled

them entertained. Hanna sat at the head of the table, flushed

from Breles with her now seventeen-year-old daughter Caroline, who would be moving to Mirage next

castle had been before everyone took their leave after the family defeated Tasia and put an end to

at the other end of the table feeding tidbits of cake to Oliver. He caught my gaze

I wondered, breaking from Dad’s gaze as I looked at my wife and daughter at the other end

***

Maeve––7 Years Later

from a very popular children’s novel,

he took

murmured, looking down at his toy with a look of sheer disgust on his ruddy face. I smirked, flipping the page of the book I was pretending to read as I watched the two of them play

uncle Aaron last year. Rowan and Hanna arrived only a day ago for a long visit, and Selene had already taken over the playroom and had

down the beach in the opposite direction, watching as Will and George dragged a long piece of seaweed out of the water. Troy and Charlie were asleep on two beach towels