legionqueen | The Port at Wolf Spring, Fennbirn, Saturday Morning Fandom-time

In the days and weeks that followed the end of the Queens' War, as it would come to be called, many changes took place in the capital and across the island. Jules recovered, with help from Arsinoe and Emilia, and learned to walk with a crutch. The legion curse had indeed disappeared, and she was herself again, while both of her gifts were allowed to flourish. She as yet wore no crown, but everyone called her the Legion Queen.

Neither she nor her council took up immediate residence at the Volroy. The grand towers seemed too representative of the queens gone by, and Jules and the rebellion had no interest in repeating the mistakes and corruption of the past. The line of the triplet queens had strayed too far off course, and now the time of triplet queens had ended. And besides, she had schooling to complete on another strange little island.

The ship rocked slightly in the water as the last of the supplies were brought onboard. Arsinoe shifted her weight from foot to foot, keeping balance as she stared out at the horizon.

"Maybe I shouldn't go," she said as Jules joined her by the railing. "Maybe it's too soon."

"Too soon for what? The new Black Council is nearly set. Mathilde's letters from the road are good and tranquil, in true Mathilde fashion. Even Braddock is settled with Grandma Cait and Ellis. You've run out of excuses. You ran out of them weeks ago."

Camden stood to put her paws on the rail, and Arsinoe buried her face in the cougar's fur. "What if he doesn't want me there?"

"I can't hear you when you talk into my cat."

Arsinoe raised her head. "What if I hate it? I do, I hate it there."

Jules made an impatient face. Her eyes narrowed at movement from inside Arsinoe's pocket.

"What is that?" She looked inside, and a tiny, speckled chick poked its head out and chirps.

"Grandchick," Arsinoe replied. She stroked the fluffy feathers. "Harriet hatched a brood not long ago. I thought Billy should know he's a grandfather."

Jules laughd.

"For a poisoner, you do make quite the naturalist." She reached down, and the chick rubbed its head against her finger. "This chick's home is on Fennbirn, you know. So Billy had better accept our offer to be our ambassador. We're going to need him if we want to reintroduce the island to the world without a war."

Arsinoe arched her brow. "He might refuse if he suspects the only reasons we're offering are so his family is taken care of and he and I can be together."

"We're asking him because he is the best. Our most trusted mainland ally."

"Our only mainland ally."

Jules shrugged like it did not make any difference. If Billy agreed, they could have everything they hoped. And if Jules knew Arsinoe at all, her foster-sister likely felt like she didn't deserve it.

"How can I be alive when they're dead, Jules?" Arsinoe asked, all but confirming Jules' suspicions.

"How can you ask that?" Jules leaned against the rail and poked Arsinoe in the chest with the top of her crutch. "If Mirabella were here, your vest would be on fire right now."

"And Katharine?"

"She saved you. That wasn't an accident. So yes. If she were here, she wouldn't set you on fire but nor would she put you out."

Arsinoe laughed softly.

"The island is home, you know, Jules? I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you."

"You can never lose me. But you're free. You're not a queen anymore; you can come and go as you please. The island will always be here." She clapped Arsinoe on the shoulder, and she and her cougar faced out toward the open sea. Towards the mainland, where they'd drop Arsinoe off to go and see her boy, and towards Fandom, where she was sure to have even more strange adventures that would make grand tales to tell Emilia and Mathilde and all the rest.

[ooc: once again lifted from Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake.]