The Failed Assassin

Epilogue

Twenty six years later

Wilhelm looked up from the documents seeing the page who brought thepapers out. "Here are the papers, King Wilhelm." He greeted andWilhelm nodded pointing toward a basket.

"Please put the scrolls in that basket Jesse. Thank you." Hethanked and continued on hearing the affermination and put thescrolls away heading out as Wilhelm kept up on his work. Even now,closer to three decades than two decades now, after Emma's death shestill effected him every day.

Holding her in his arms as she died still gave him nightmares, butsometimes he just dreamed of the happy times they had-far too few,and he knew it was completely his fault-or even dreams of what couldhave been; of a marriage, ruling this kingdom together, children.

Now she was gone, and he was running this kingdom by himself. Peoplehad tried the first decade to make him marry in order to have an heirbut he refused. There was plenty of extended family to take over.Instead he put his lifetime of work into making sure that the commonpeople would have a lot of power to change things and know that thenext king in line, right now being his younger cousin Joesph, wouldnot be able to undo anything he had done.

With a council now, one that has real power, while not having fullpower, more and more had come on. It was amazing to Wilhelm, even nowinto nine and forty years of age, that when everyone could at leasthave the opportunity to try, not worrying about starving or having aroof over their heads what could get done for the kingdom.

Despite his work there was still more. Equal education, equal medicalcare, equal say for everyone were not yet achieved and Wilhelm wouldtry but they were far from his lifetime when that would happen.

Wilhelm never knew what Opal had done, what had happened to hisdarling Emma. Never knew who it was though he searched and searchedbut nothing proved or even suggested anyone. So many worked with thefood it was impossible to figure out who had done it.

He was ashamed to admit that he wanted to hang them all. If theydidn't do it they should have seen it being done! She was soprecious, how could they not take care of it? But he knew that shewould hate it if palace staff-people who are just trying to make aliving and feed their families, like her mother before she died-andshe would hate him for it.

Opal did not have to face the consequences for her actions and endedup getting married to a minor house. From where she had been born itwas very good for her but considering what she would have had it wasan extreme drop in living situation. Still she got away with it,nothing but the whispers of her sins punishing her.

Wilhelm had the body of 'Natasha' buried in the palace garden wherethey had once played, her marker was a mulberry tree, she could haveno marker and instead he marked it with a E+W in a heart to be hermarker. He spent every moment under that tree as he could, he wouldwrap the tree in a blanket in the winter, he would whisper his loveto that tree that was now his Emma.

He still felt bad for Nathaniel never knowing but the money from thecastle for 'services rendered' probably clued him in. Nathaniel,older than either of them, would know. He kept a cursory eye onNathaniel, he had married and had a red headed son named Emanuel, andwould once a year-on Emma's birthday-and he hoped it was okay to himbut he never made a comment when even Wilhelm disguised as a commonerhe thought Nathaniel could tell it was him, especially when he spokequietly about how amazing Nathaniel's younger sister was, how shewould love her four year old-at the time-nephew.

Emma in the end had done exactly what she set out to do. She savedthe entire kingdom's people. She may be the failed assassin but shewas an accomplished corrector.

That is it. It is over. I hope you all liked it.