-epilogue-
luke
five years later
A little smile crosses my lips as I bounce my arms with the little baby in my arms. "Hey there, love. Oh you are so little! So little and small"
I hear a giggle coming from beside me. Looking up at the hospital bed to Carrie who's clearly falling asleep, "Thank you. Thank you so much" I run a hand under my eyes.
"Anything for you. Anything for... for Julie" She sighs. "How're you holding up? With her?"
I purse my lips and look down at the baby resting in my arms. "It's been a year since the war ended. She was a war hero... I should be proud but I just wish that I her to myself"
"Just remember, without Julie, Amaranth wouldn't be standing to this day... now give me my niece"
I laugh as I hand Carrie the baby, "You're more than her aunt Carrie. It means a lot you carried the baby"
Carrie rolls her eyes, "Remind me. Three years ago, Julie froze her eggs just incase. You fertilized that egg and I carried it. I'm not her mother"
The glass door to the room opens and two blonds walk in. One, age twenty two and the other, five years of age. "MOMMY!"
Carrie laughs as my baby is laid down into a bed, "Flo wanted to see her cousin" Riley laughs as he walks to Carrie's side with a kiss to the top of her head, "How's my queen?" I stand up and laugh as I see my niece, Princess Florence West of Evander, looking at her new cousin.
My Juniper. My Princess Juniper Faye Patterson of Amaranth.
"I'll be out you guys. Let me know if anything happens" I nod with a small smile, getting up and walking out.
My bedroom door swings open as I turn to see the bed. When I don't see the person I'm expecting, a small sense of panic flows through my body's system. "Private!" I shout, turning to the guard behind me.
"Luke- Luke stop"
I look towards the ensuite door and gasp at the sight. "Oh my god", my hands cup over my mouth.
With one leg of flesh and the other made of titanium, Julie stands without a cane or any kind of support. "I'm doing it"
I walk slowly towards her and with a couple wobbling steps, she meets me half way. Julie's arms grab hold of my forearms as I look down. "You look great, my love"
When my eyes gloss over her face, it's prominent she's been crying. I'm hoping they're of happy tears but with how rough this last years been, I'm not going to hold her too it. "You're walking"
"I'm walking"
I wipe some smudged mascara off from under her eye and sigh before it hits me, "Oh my god! Carrie had our baby!"
"MY BABY WAS BORN AND NOBODY TOLD ME?" Julie shouts, looking towards the door.
For four years, Julie served on the front lines as General Molina. She lead the fight against Hemlock and protected our country. We worked as a team, though it wasn't always easy.
We'd fight and disagree often, go to bed angry, not talk for a week. It broke both our hearts and gave up on that toxic behaviours. That's why she stayed on the front lines, so that our relationship could stay healthy.
A year into the fight, Julie got worried so she froze her eggs to ensure a future for us. She was worried that something could happen that would head to infertility, and thank god she did.
A month before the war was over, Julie had been sent on an assignment to rescue a few troupes that had gotten trapped in Caladium. While she was there, she stepped on an underground landmine and got an at the hip amputation of her left leg.
Julie then realized she never wanted to carry children. She didn't want to ruin her body for work and she knew with the leg, pregnancy would be difficult. Luckily, we had some friends down in Evander who were willing to help with that.
Carrie agreed to carry our baby girl. She had already birthed her daughter, Princess Florence and was more than happy to be our surrogate.
At this point, our lives couldn't be better.
Julie hitches up her dress as she wiggles her prosthetic leg around a little, "I want her out of the limelight as much as possible" She says softly as someone touches up some of her makeup.
I look over at the nanny who's putting Juniper, who's not even a full twenty four hours old, into a small dress similar to her mothers. "She's a princess. She doesn't get much of a say"
Julie looks over to me with a 'seriously' kind of look. "Nobody knows we had a baby based on the fact I was never pregnant. I'm sure we can hide her a little longer"
I smile as I feel someone adjusting the crown on my head from behind, "We can try" This answer makes Julie smile.
I look infront of us. The curtain out to the balcony, out to thousands of people waiting for the news. Thousands of people waiting for their queen. "You ready?" I whisper and Julie nods.
I take her hand when we walk out to the crowds. Both of us waving as thousands of camera shudders and flashes. Julie gets a little shy, pressing into my side. She's still getting used to this and I don't blame her.
We take the few steps towards the mics and stop there, "What's up Amaranth?" I say once the crowd falls silent. Julie giggles softly and that's all I wanted to get from her.
"Not to brag, but I've made history as king. I'm the youngest monarch Amaranth has seen. I'm the first to get sworn in without a queen. I'm the first king to have a girlfriend and not a wife" I look over to Julie and kiss her forehead. "I'm also the first king to realize what was wrong with our constitution. Which was co-written by myself and my fellow kings, Alexander of Caladium and Reginald of Larkspur"
Julie looks up at me with her 'get to the point' eyes which just makes me cave. She's still the leading lady in our relationship, "But that's against the point. I'm an adult, no matter what the tabloids say about me. I'm a grown man who is starting to grow. Which is why I'd like to introduce everyone to your new Princess, Princess Juniper Patterson of Amaranth"
The nanny walks out with Juniper in her arms, passing the baby over to Julie. A wide smile crosses her face as Julie's lips land down on Junipers hairless head. Julie shields the baby's face from the flashing lights of the cameras and places a gentle hand over her ears. I hear my baby girl let out a whine which shatters my heart and I know I need to do something.
"If I could catch your attention" I say loudly as I shift my stance. "Due to General Molinas injuries sustained in the war, we decided on using a surrogate who will remain anonymous. Now for one last announcement"
Julie looks at me with surprise, "What are you doing?" She laughs, bouncing on her knees to calm Juniper. You can tell people are curious as they heard Julie's words.
"What I should've done the second you left to go fight" I whisper as I take a step back, and kneel to the ground. Julie's eyes widen as she keeps a hold of the baby, tears building in her eyes already.
"Carlos Molina. The cocky, self conscious, funny, and selfless man I fell in love with all those years ago on my seventeenth birthday. But then there's Julie Molina. The cocky, self conscious, funny, and selfless woman I fell in love with all those years ago when you took a bullet for me. You have risked your life for me time and time again and everytime I see you come home safe, I fall deeper in love with you. You make me want to be a better man, a better friend, a better king and now, an amazing father. You make me want to be so much more"
Julie's sobbing as I take out the diamond ring I had fit for her after a long process of getting Flynn to figure out her ring size. "This ring belonged to my grandmother, passed down to my mother and now to you. I want to be so much more than just the king, I want to be the king with you by my side"
"I want to add one more thing to the history I'm making as Amaranths monarch. I'm the first king to marry for love rather than alliance or profit. So please?" I laugh softly, "I kinda trapped you, doing it infront of the whole world with our baby in your arms"
Julie sobs as someone takes Juniper from her arms, "Oh my god, yes Luke!" She screams as I slide the ring into her finger.
My lips meet hers and a smile crosses out lips, "My king" She whispers as the world melts around us.
"My queen"
Royalty.
That's all my life has been. Everything in my life is a stepping stone to becoming king. Learning how to waltz, proper etiquette, combat training, and a shit ton of reading.
Do I necessarily want to be king? I used to not have a proper answer for that question. But with her by my side, I'd do anything.