Kabal - 15. Epilogue

The four men stood at the edge of the cliffs behind the summerhouse. The strong wind drove curtains of rain over the land. A small object hovered several meters above the white-capped waves, held in place by Nico’s telekinetic powers. Landyn had his arm protectively around Simon’s waist, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Diarmad had taken up position beside his mate, his hand resting on Henry’s head. The dog leaned against his leg. In the background, Carl guarded them, his hand never leaving the pommel of his sword.

They had decided the open sea was a much better place to scatter Lionel’s ashes than the gardens where his mate had died a horrible death. Here, his soul would immediately be free to venture on to its search for Keith’s.

Ronan watched through the big picture window of his living room as Diarmad lifted his hand and a lightning bolt emerged from his fingertips, shattering the urn. Lionel’s ashes were immediately taken by the wind and lifted into the sky in a grey spiral. All five men bowed, with their hands placed over their hearts.

Inside the house, Ronan did the same, whispering, “I’m sorry.” Then he turned around and left the home, where Ruy had grown up, that his soon-to-be-born daughter would never get to know. She wouldn’t play with Henry on the beach, like her brother, never run with Nico along the shore, learn to swim from her uncles Landyn and Simon, nor build sandcastles with the king. He didn’t close the door behind him. He wasn’t able to do this last step and conclude this chapter of his life. Instead, he headed to the car, where his mate was waiting for him. He counted himself lucky that Becca was staying with him even after his unforgivable mistake. Because of his negligence, his king’s mate almost died. He hadn’t expected the Elder hiding a gun under his robe, he thought him too weak to do any harm. Instead of watching him he’d looked at Lionel coming into the room. The man had instantly thrown himself in between Nico and the bullet. He’d given his life to save the King’s mate, did Ronan’s job without hesitation. He knew Nico had spoken to the king on his behalf. Nico had forgiven him, had begged him to stay, but he didn’t want forgiveness, he didn’t deserve forgiveness.

Without looking back, he and Becca ended their service. A part of their souls would forever be missing.

Diarmad sat behind his desk, perusing Simon’s report:

Apparently, the Order had recruited their fighters from various xenophobic, paramilitary groups all over the world. Already of the right mindset, they easily believed the Order’s tales of an alien invasion force that was about to overtake Earth. The Order could not risk that news or even rumors of the attack and abduction getting out, so the fighters had to be eliminated. Under the pretense they had to treat them against an alien virus they might have contracted, they had readily accepted the deadly infusion.

After making sure nothing pointed to the Seraei, Carl had changed the mass murder scenario into one where members of a doomsday cult had committed suicide. Only then had they involved the human police. It was on the news for weeks.

Their own investigation confirmed what they had already known or suspected. The Order accused the Seraei as intruders and invaders, which had to be eliminated at all costs to save humankind. But the real reason behind their betrayal had been lust for power and greed. They had wanted to rule Earth. Some even planned on using Seraei portals to travel between planets to steal, pilfer technology, treasures, whatever there might be.

Diarmad snorted, “In other words, the usual motivations: greed, megalomania, and stupidity.”

It left the question of what to do with the remaining Order members and the Order itself.

Diarmad looked at Landyn, Simon, Carl, and Nico. “I want your suggestions on how we handle the Order.”

To ensure the greatest possible support and acceptance of their people, they decided to call for a general assembly. Each clan had to send a representative.

The first item of their agenda had to be to form a new Council and elect its leader.

A month later, Diarmad and Nico were watching the heated discussions. They had decided to stay out of the election process and only observe as a neutral party. After three days, the assembly voted for Sean Monaghan as their new leader.

The second item on the list was the question of how to proceed further with the Order. After studying Simon’s reports that had shown only a third of the Order member had been involved in or known of Aki’s and the Secretary’s conspiracy, they agreed not to dissolve the Order. They decided, its remaining members had to agree to be scanned by Seraei telepaths at regular intervals from now on. Those who didn’t want to be scanned would have had their memory erased to be able to live like normal people without the knowledge of the Seraei. The coconspirators would have their memory forcibly erased, and any monetary assets gained from the Seraei were to withdraw.

Much more difficult for the assembly had been to come to a decision what to do with the Smythes and the O’Gradys, as it had been confirmed both clans had conspired with the Secretary of Elders against the king.

Here too, Diarmad Nico left the decision to the assembly. They even offered to leave the premises so the members could talk freely but after a short meeting, the assembly members had asked them to stay.

It took them two days to come to the decision to relieve the clan leaders of their posts and replace them with loyal men and women of the respective clans, and threaten them with severe punishment should they fail again.

After finishing the talks for the day Diarmad, Nico, Landyn, and Simon had returned to the summerhouse for the evening. In search of a snack, Nico went into the kitchen, where he found Watson bent over pots and pans. “What are you doing here?”

Watson grinned sheepishly. “Cooking.” He hadn’t known what to do after the incidents at the Order’s compound. He didn’t trust his former bosses, who had sent him there. Additionally, he couldn’t imagine working at a lab anymore. The king must have seen his dilemma. Finally, he’d suggested he work for him, probably to make sure he didn’t reveal the Seraei. “The king said if I wanted to stay with you, I’d have to do something useful.”

“And you decided to become our cook?”

“I’m good at cooking! It was my second choice of profession and Ivan—”

“Ivan did a lot more than cooking.” Nico stormed out the kitchen.

Watson almost dropped the pot with stew he was about to carry to the dining room when a man dressed as if he’d raided a trunk with clothes from every one of the last few centuries appeared, seemingly out of thin air. ”You! Show me to your king!”

Wide-eyed, Watson stammered, ”D-do you have an appointment?”

“I don’t need an appointment,” the odd man snapped at Watson.

At that moment, Landyn came looking for what the commotion was. As soon as he saw the strange man, he dropped to his knees. “My king!”

Confused, Watson looked into the dining room, where he could see Diarmad talking to Nico.

”King?”

“Where is Diarmad? Is he well?” the man inquired.

“He is well. I will bring you to him immediately.” Landyn led the man to Diarmad, who got up from his chair immediately when he saw them.”King Luthais! Did something happen on Tracct?”

The strange king lifted his hands placatingly. “Everything is fine, my boy.” He walked straight over to Diarmad, looked him in the eye and knelt and kissed his hand. Diarmad stared wordlessly at him.

“I had to come to you to apologize personally for the atrocious actions of my sister Misa and make amends. I understand she tried to overthrow you to become the queen of Earth. As if this weren’t harrowing enough, she interfered with a sacred mating bond. Weakening a king’s bond, any bond is unpardonable. This is my entirely my fault and I take full responsibility. I shouldn’t have trusted the Verdonian authorities to be able to handle her, especially considering she already killed our father. I underestimated her malice and greed for power. King Luthais got up slowly and put his hand on Diarmad’s shoulder. My sources tell me your standing as king still suffers from the events. I hear many of your people doubt the strength of the bond between you and your mate. They fear it’s still weakened, am I right?”

Diarmad clenched his fists, his eyes flashing silver. “You are correct.” Nico stepped beside his mate and took his hand.

“We will prove to the doubters how strong our bond is!”

King Luthais nodded. “I am sure, but maybe I could give it a little help.”

“How?” Nico narrowed his eyes at the king of Tracct.

Luthais grinned, “He is a feisty one, your mate.” Serious again, he suggested, “How about a second mating ceremony, performed by me in front of your general assembly and council? If it goes through, as I am sure it will, it will disperse any doubts and confirm you as their king.” Diarmad looked questioningly at Nico, who gave a sharp nod.

“Good, now that’s clear...” The king of Tracct sniffed around and tried to peek into the pot with stew. Nico grinned. “May we invite you for dinner?”

The king blushed and said, “What is this? It smells amazing.”

Nico nodded encouragingly at Watson, who explained, “It’s a curry dish with sweet potatoes, Hokkaido pumpkin, carrots, onions, and apples.”

Moments later, Luthais sat down at the table and enthusiastically shoveled the to him unknown food into his mouth.

Two days later, Diarmad and Nico stood bare-chested in front of the general assembly.

Luthais waved his hand at them. “Show your mating marks.”

They hesitated briefly before they followed his order. A murmur went through the audience when everyone could see that their marks had indeed changed. The colors of Nico’s had turned into their complementary colors, Diarmad’s panther had become red.

“Some of you are questioning the strength of your king’s mating bond after the ordeals he and Nico went through.” Luthais put his hand first on Diarmad’s, then Nico’s mark. “This is not a sign of weakness but the result of a victory. To prove this to the doubters among you, I will test their mating with the fire ribbon ritual.” He took their clasped hands into his and wrapped a glowing strap he’d pulled out the air around their hands. Then he touched the leaping panther on Diarmad’s chest with their bound hands and a bursting star appeared over its head, looking like a crown. Next, he tapped the vines on Nico’s hip with their bound hands and a thin line formed a shield-like outline around them.

To conclude the ritual, he pushed their hands into a large bowl filled with water. Instantly steam billowed out the surface and the ribbon was gone, their skin unscathed.

“The ritual went through their bond is confirmed! Applaud your king and his mate and any doubt may fall silent forever!”

“I should have known...” Nico put a finger on Diarmad’s lips. “Any doubt may fall silent, remember? Maybe if you had been looking for betrayal, but you hadn’t. You trusted them.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have....”

“That’s the beauty of trust. You do not question it. Risk equals trust. Ultimate trust, ultimate risk. It can’t be questioned.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

A week later Sho was in Diarmad’s study, his bags by his feet, swords on top. Nico held his hands. “I will move to Ivan’s clan lands; his brother invited me.”

“The day will come when Ivan will ask you to leave and go home to Japan.”

Sho glared at Diarmad’s back. “I won’t leave him. He is my mate.”

Diarmad turned around from watching the sea through the window. “He will order you to go.”

“I won’t leave him.”

Nico hugged him. “He will be offensive. Cruel. He will tell you he doesn’t need you or want you.“

“I won’t leave him.”

Diarmad smiled. “That was what we wanted to know.” He squeezed Nico’s hand. “We will always support you. And when it gets too rough, I will send Nico.“

“That’s what I hoped. Thank you, your highness.” Sho bowed, grabbed his bags and left.

This concludes Kabal and at the same time The King's Mate series.
I'd like to thank you, my readers, for reacting,  commenting and reviewing. Some of you are following the series from the first chapter of The Holly and the Ivy. You all are the reason, the motivation, I was able to finish this.
Next I have to thank @Lisa and @Zombie, my editors for the first two books. .  For the last book @Valkyrie took over, thank you. To be blunt: without you guys the books would be crap.   A special mentioning to @Timothy M., who helped to tie the loose ends.  Should I have forgotten something, it's  entirely my fault.