Epilogue

After returning from his self-appointed mission of preventing the Baymani scientists from reaching the frontier where Duo couldn't imagine what mayhem they would have gotten up to, he had to wait for the transports to return from the first moon. They finally arrived only after Trey returned to the planet and ordered Larya to send them when they did not immediately follow. She had delayed so that she could send a shipment of goods to Imperia, at least that was her excuse. Duo wondered if she had done it just to annoy him.

The disgruntled pilots of the transports, Jeb and Tuck, didn't fail to show how displeased they were to have to follow his orders. Whatever goodwill he had garnered with the terrans after saving them had worn away with his rejection of Larya. Perhaps some day they would realize it was for the best. He was sure that Larya had already realized she had more freedom without a male in her life who might countermand her orders and eventually relegate her to breeding and caring for children. Not that he would have been that man. Larya would have run roughshod over him and he would have been relegated to breeding and caring for children. Some aspects of that future were not so dismal, but they would have grown to resent each other. Duo didn't want that, and he didn't want that for her either.

As Duo executed the orderly the evacuation of the nomadic tribes to the moon, Apolo took an army into the hills to clear out any malcontents with an offer of resettlement on the moon upon their defeat. All those he could find took him up on the offer when the alternative was a forced encampment near Edgeland Fortress. Apolo suspected that there were still pockets of small tribes adept at avoiding imperial patrols, and they would continued to live outside the dictates of the empire. Learning that Meridon and Joran had given their oaths had been enough incentive for the minor chieftains to do the same. There were moments when the sheer number of people who would be under his control threatened to overwhelm Duo, but Trey was there to advise him. Nobody knew more than Trey about taking responsibility of so many people. He had remarked to Duo wryly that at least he didn't have to kill half of them to earn their respect.

Meridon and Joran were overjoyed to leave the planet as long as it meant they could live free, but once they were on the moon, they were bickering about where they would settle their tribes. Trey was amused as he listened to Duo's stories after returning from settling a dispute to continue dismantling the camp. He was just as happy to see them go as they were to leave since they would not accept him as their ruler. He would always have to worry that they might try to get revenge for the raids he had led on them on the orders of his father. Meridon had tried once already, and no one would ever forget the outcome. Lord Caron had sacked Imperia, and Trey hadn't been able to be at Arora's side to bring his son into the world. Amyr still sought Duo before he did his own father. Duo hoped that once he was gone, Amyr would bond with Trey.

After several days, the last transport had taken off leaving Duo with Darlac who led an anxious Sadie on the ship. She balked until Duo went to her and calmed her with some soothing words until she allowed Darlac to take her to the small hold that had been generously padded with grasses that she could rest on and eat. Mixed among the grasses were herbs that would make her drowsy which was what the tribesmen had used with their to keep their own horses calm during the day and half flight to the second moon.

Once she was settled, Duo left the transport so that he could make his farewells. He had said good-bye to Apolo earlier in the day before he left on another foray in the hills. Duo doubted he was actually looking for tribesmen but just liked being closer to the ancestors in their sacred lands. He did look more at peace when he returned, but then how could he not when he had the chance to escape a fortress full of knee high females all clamoring for his attention.

Trey was waiting with Arora who had brought the children to see him off. Shamara was brave and did not cry because she was old enough to reason with and her mother assured her she would be able to visit him frequently. Amyr tried to understand, but he was still too young. He only knew that Duo was leaving and he soon began to sob which made Chaela cry and then Shamara was crying. Staefyn was startled by all the noise and began to bawl, so Arora made a hasty goodbye and took the children away. He would miss them all and he had to wipe tears from his eyes even though he suspected they would be visiting the moon frequently when he was not on Calabria.

Duo and Trey watched her head back to the fortress, holding Staefyn in the crook of her arm, all but dragging Amyr who tried to fight her to return to them until Shamara grabbed his other arm, and as she pushed Chaela forward, she helped her mother take them back to the fortress.

"I should send the lot of them with you," Trey muttered.

"You would miss them," Duo predicted as he blinked his tears away. "I will miss them."

"You will see them soon. When you are settled, I will send Shamara and Amyr for a visit." As Duo suspected, his babysitting duties had not ended.

He fell silent for a moment and then Trey remarked. "You almost made your oath to that woman."

Duo turned to look at him. Trey didn't have to say her name to know who they were talking about. "Do you have Guerani powers now? Even if you did, you couldn't read my mind anyway. Dax made sure of that."

Trey chuckled. "I know you, Duo. When Ganjut demanded that I hand her over, I saw the intent in your eyes. I was sure you would have done anything to save her."

Duo blew out his breath. "So why didn't you let me do it?" If he had, Larya would be his wife now and he didn't know how to feel about it.

"You are my friend and I have come to like Larya. As I was waiting for you to speak, I suddenly realized that you would make each other miserable and it would be because I manipulated you. Since you left her behind on the first moon and I have seen her become more confident ..."

"Some say arrogant," pointed out Duo.

"Yes, well, I know that we both made the right decision."

"I didn't want to hurt her, but she wouldn't be swayed otherwise." Duo wouldn't admit to Trey that he could have just as easily taken her oath and made her his mate. If he did, he suspected the other man would find any excuse to throw them together.

Trey gave him a stern look. "I don't want her complaining about you visiting her pillows."

Duo grimaced, wondering if Trey thought the forbidden fruit would be that much more tempting. He didn't need anything more than his memories to be tempted to pay her a visit, but out of respect for her and his feelings for Trynity, he had no intention of seeking Larya's pillows.

"It won't happen." After what he said to her, if he tried to visit her pillows she might use the dagger he sent to her as a peace offering on parts of him he would rather keep in tact. She hadn't thanked him for it, and Apolo told him that she had promptly cut herself on it. According to Arora, she had presented the dagger to Jaelesa and used the wrapping to make herself a garment. He had chosen the wrapping with care so that Larya would appreciate something from his gift. He had commissioned the finest blacksmith in Imperia to make her a weapon beautiful enough to mount as an ornament if she weren't going to use it, so he was glad that she had given it to Jaelesa. At least Jaelesa would know what to do with the weapon and she would use it to protect Larya and Taeron.

Trey didn't speak again for a moment before he said, "You are sure about Taeron, but I want to believe Larya."

"We aren't going to argue now, are we?" Trey hadn't confronted him about Larya's son, and he couldn't believe he was going to do it now when he was getting ready to leave. "Can't you just say good-bye?"

Trey put his hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to meet his gaze. "Time has a way of making us see things more clearly. I will fill the void in Taeron's life so that you don't have to regret more than you already will. He will be a fine imperial warrior that can make his sire proud."

"I really doubt Newt would give a gods damn since he was planning to sell him to baby eating freaks on the frontier, but I'm sure Larya and Taeron will appreciate your efforts. At least you will be sure of Larya's loyalty by keeping her son in your house."

Smiling, Trey grasped Duo's braid to tug his head down so that he could touch his forehead with his own. "I will miss you, my friend."

"I'm not going to be that far away." At least he wasn't on the other side of a wormhole. "Just look up at the second moon. I will be there. I have nowhere else to go."

Trey released hi and stepped back. "When you get the communications up and running there, I can see you when I want. I will expect daily reports."

Duo mounted the steps to the transport he would take to the moon. "Arora's safety is in your hands now, Trey. Let me know if the Baymani cause you trouble." He didn't mind Baymani hunting expeditions.

"King Seighen has accepted our occupation of the moons, and he sent his thanks for putting a definitive end to the rebellion." That definitive end being the destruction of the fleeing ship which must have been monitored by the Baymani surveillance satellites. Duo really didn't like the Baymani and wished that Trey had not pledged his daughter for Seighen's son. And it was too bad they had to rely on trade with Bayman to get any sort of technology.

He had stepped into the ship and was ready to close the door when Trey said, "I am sorry, Duo, that you are not leaving Calabria to go back through that wormhole, but only because I want to see you happy. I'm not going to lie. I'm glad you're not leaving the empire, because I would never be able to replace you."

Duo grinned. "Damn right, Trey. I'm your imperial guard."

The End

Note: I never imagined I would write this story. When I wrote The Lost Prince and The First Princess, I saw Larya as "the evil other woman" because my heroine was Trynity Stryfe. I started to like her in The First Princess, and then she really grew on me in The Crown Prince. I'm really glad that "pat" (my Crown Prince reviewer) suggested I write this story. "Pat" suggested a short story. I don't do short.

Now I have to do some editing of The First Princess to fix some inconsistencies before I start another project.

I hope you enjoyed the story and I appreciate the readers who have stuck with it. Thank you!