The Prince Of Light (Larry Stylinson)

Epilogue

"Can I give you a hand with anything?" Louis leans against the kitchen bench, watching as Abby takes another tray of sausage rolls from the oven, squeals and laughter from the children playing outside filter in through the open windows, mixing with the chatter of the grown-ups inside.

"Nah. All good, thanks Lou." Abby sets the tray down and takes off her oven mitts. "Can't believe Holly's six next week. Crazy. Where did that year even go?"

"It's certainly been a busy one. Before you know it she'll be graduating." Louis winks and Abby throws one of the oven mitts at his head.

"How very dare you! She's my baby. Let me enjoy this."

Louis chuckles and thinks back over the momentous changes he's been through in the last twelve months. It'd been tough to decide what to tell his family and friends. He and Harry had agonised over it but in the end they'd decided to keep the truth to themselves.

They'd bought a small property on a couple of acres just on the other side of the forest, a ten minute drive from Abby, Colin and the girls and not far from his parents. The two bedroom stone cottage is more than enough for them, with a stream at the bottom of the garden and a beautiful winding drive lined with gnarly willow trees. It's lovely, a great place to unwind, and has the added advantage of having direct access to the forest, with a pathway down to the moss grove so they can come and go as they please.

Explaining where they disappeared to regularly was slightly more challenging, but ultimately they had settled on a cover story where Harry, his family and now Louis were in gemstone trading. The lucrative business sees Harry's imagined family based in South Africa and requiring a great deal of travel by Harry and Louis as the companies representatives. It wasn't that far from the truth, not really. Ashvarda is rich in every gemstone imaginable, the mineral elements thankfully being a match with those on Earth, and Harry and Louis had been able to use that to their advantage, trading their Ashvardian stones for more than enough cash to fund their time on this world.

Admittedly, they're leading a double life, and that doesn't come without its complications, but Louis wouldn't change it for anything. Away from Ashvarda, they're able to devote time to philanthropic endeavours, seeking out charitable organisations and regularly making anonymous donations. Louis' parents are comfortable and want for nothing, making Louis so happy that he can provide a good life for them. They can sometimes be reluctant to accept his support, but it rarely takes more than a few words from Harry and he has them wrapped around his little finger.

His parents had actually accepted the changes in Louis' life surprisingly well, just thrilled that he had found someone to love, and who loved him back so passionately, someone that could provide a wonderful life for him and make him smile 'just like the sun' his mother had said. Bless her, if only she knew. For a while he was uncomfortable that they weren't being honest with them, but it passed with time. At the end of the day he knew it was for the best.

Harry had finally convinced Louis to hire an agency to search for the Elder that had brought him through the portal and then disappeared, leaving him at the hospital when he was a baby. After months or searching, the investigators had located him in an unmarked grave in a town not far from Valesbury. They'll never know what truly happened to him, and what circumstance or ailment took his life, but they are forever grateful that he was able to get Louis to safety before his passing. He did his job and The Prince Of Light was ultimately returned to Ashvarda, safe and well. Harry and Louis arranged for his body to be exhumed and cremated, and the ashes were returned to Ashvarda. His final resting place is now in the Temple Of Light, next to Louis' birth parents, and when the pilgrimages are made, Ashvardians can pay their respects to the Elder who ensured their Prince was kept from the clutches of the Silderith.