The Toy Prince

Epilogue

"Two brothers in life and now two brothers in death find the peace they so searched for in life. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Amen."

The priest genuflected as the small crowd mumbled amen.

Ursula squeezed Niklaus' hand as the two urns holding the ashes of Axel and Conrad were sealed inside the Meiger family mausoleum.

To be shut away in a draughty mausoleum seemed such an undignified end for two people who'd been larger than life. Tears burned in her eyes for them. She missed Axel more than she'd thought possible. Learning how to rule Konigreich would have been so much easier with his guidance.

"Come on," Niklaus said softly, tugging her in the direction of the retreating crowd.

"Go on ahead. There's something I need to do first," she replied, letting go of his hand.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Go and spend some bonding time with my Oma," she teased.

"Now you're just torturing me." Niklaus shook his head. He gave her one last look before going after the crowd. To Ursula's amusement she noticed her Oma watching them with a frown. She really was going to have to smooth those waters at some point. Especially now that hers and Niklaus' relationship was getting more serious.

She turned her back on the other mourners and walked into the Meiger mausoleum again. She stood in front of the alcove that held the urns of Axel and Conrad.

Niklaus had been the one to suggest they be laid to rest together. They were brothers after all and should be together. The other spaces in the mausoleum were empty except for the space occupied by Maria Meiger's urn.

Ursula stopped in front of her ancestor's tomb to pay her respects to a woman who she'd never met but had come to think about often. Axel had written about Maria a lot in his journal. He'd fallen fast and hard for the girl who he'd initially seen as a means to an end. She'd been embarrassed to read some of the things he'd written but it had helped her too in a way. It had been important to her to know that love and normality could exist in this fantastical land.

After saying a brief thank you to Maria she returned to Axel and Conrad. She reached into her black handbag and pulled out the journal.

"So I've read this now. Quite a few times actually and I don't need it anymore so here it is," she said. She slid the journal in-between his and Conrad's urn. "I thought you should have it back."

She turned to leave but was confronted by Niklaus. He had doubled back and now stood in the doorway watching her.

In the dappled sunlight she saw a different side of him. He wasn't strong, fearless or tortured by his own demons. None of that showed now because it couldn't compete with the grief. Of all the times to finally grieve for his Father he'd chosen now.

Without a second thought she embraced him, pulling him as close as possible. He wrapped his arms around her and began to cry. Soon enough she was crying too.

"You're not alone Nik," she whispered, instantly telling that was what he was thinking. "You're never going to be alone again. I promise."

Ursula knew that most promises ended up broken somehow or other but she resolved that she would do everything in her power to keep this one.