The Untamed Princess

Epilogue: The Story Ends

"What do you think?" Weisheng asked.

Ming Yue smiled broadly.

"I think they'll love it," she replied.   "To be honest, I'm amazed that we didn't think of it earlier.  It's unsuitable for Luo Jian to continue living in the palace after he's married, and he would never ask Lin Yang to give up the clinic and move here in any event.  I think the house you suggest is just perfect for them.  We must be sure to visit often.  What does Lin Xing Fu think?"

"Xiao Yu is keeping him far too preoccupied to dwell on such matters, as usual."

Ming Yue suppressed a snort of laughter.

"With the amount of time those two spend together locked in their medical rooms, I swear they will eventually come up with some ingenious way of bringing the dead back to life."

Two years had passed since the final threat to their happiness had ended.  Of course, it had not all been smooth sailing.  There would always be small insurrections in the provinces, or overly ambitious officials who had to be taken in hand, but King Xuanming left all of that in the capable hands of his son and now, also, his son's formidable wife, who had insisted on accompanying the prince whenever he ventured out to keep the peace.

It had not taken long for Ming Yue to win over the Han king and queen with her warmth and sincerity, and her many appearances smiling and laughing at the crown prince's side whenever he left the palace walls meant that she had quickly become beloved by the people as well, who were more than happy to set aside any initial misgivings about her Jin origins.

Similarly, Weisheng had managed to quickly ingratiate himself with his wife's father and brothers when the couple had visited Jin not long after their marriage.  It certainly helped that two of her siblings were already acquainted with her new husband and were predisposed to think highly of him.  Now, the relationship between the two nations was still not fully repaired, but it was well on the way, and the royal duo had been kept busy doing everything they could to build trust and cooperation on both sides.

The last six months, however, had been considerably less active for the princess, ever since they found out that she was pregnant, and Weisheng had started insisting that she stay close to the palace.  Now, it was almost the day when she was due to give birth, and the palace physicians and Ming Yue herself were fairly certain that they would be welcoming not just one, but two new lives into the world.

As Ming Yue reminisced over the past, suddenly an intense cramping sensation took hold in her lower abdomen.

"Weisheng, I think it's time," she said hurriedly.

He rushed to her side as she winced, but the pain was forgotten when her attention was taken by a bright streak flashing across the night sky.

"What was that?" she asked.

The crown prince walked across to the open window.

"It's a meteor shower," he said, incredulously, and looked back at his wife.

Ming Yue gave a rueful smile as she recalled her father's stories about the circumstances of her own birth.

"I think these two might end up being a bit of a handful," she admitted.

Time would only prove her words to be correct but, for the royal couple, they would not have had it any other way.  Being parents was a whole new adventure.

And as for their children, and their children's children, they in turn grew up to have adventures of their own.  But those are stories for another time.

THE END

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AUTHOR'S END NOTE

A huge thank you to anyone who stuck with Ming Yue and Weisheng throughout their journey.  I know I got rather attached to them, hence why the novel ended up being so long!  If you enjoyed this genre, I have a few ideas in mind for the couple's descendants, so watch this space, and please do leave a comment if you have any suggestions or other thoughts.  Feedback is always welcome.  All the best, and wishing you health and happiness. Bel.