The coup ended overnight. The people returned to their homes, exhausted, having given up trying to take the castle with violence. After all, the king was dead. They chose to be satisfied with that.

Raven, Rosalind, and Alkemena stayed by those closed doors for hours. When the surviving guards arrived to help break down the doors, they found Jasper's body lying in the pool. The water still glowed faintly. 

The rains came the very next day. It rained and it rained and it rained until the wells overflowed and water spilled onto the cobblestones. People flooded the streets to stand with open mouths and dance in droplets that cleansed dusty skin. Jasper was given a proper funeral, and Rosalind made sure the people knew what he had done for them.

The funeral was in Jasper's name, but that didn't stop the people from adding their dead on to the procession. Aslan, only a servant, was given a burial equal to a noble's. Ecthelion was not buried but burned, and the ashes were given to his family, along with his sword, which would never be used in combat again.

Princess Rosalind became Queen Rosalind within a week. Her mother, Yleke, crowned her. Raven was made royal consort, but he only stayed in Ailica for a few days before setting off on a journey across the desert to bring his tigers back to their jungle home.

Lylie made the decision to stay in Ailica. She loved dancing, and she vowed to bring back the traditional version of sand dancing. Emlin decided to help her. Despite being brought together against their will, they chose to remain partners. 

Balthazar's magic never regained its full strength. However, he used what was left of it for purposes he deemed good. He started thinking about others instead of just himself, but he always claimed that it wasn't him that people should thank for his change of heart.

Alkemena was not seen in the kingdom again. Rumor said that she journeyed east to the kingdom of Janbu, or perhaps northwest to Mobi Zan. In any case, she left Ailica.

The thief Ariel was not found by the guards when they arrived to arrest him. No one knows whether he survived the siege on the castle. No one knows if he escaped.

And in the end, Kimera the Seer delivered one last prophecy.

Land of tall trees

Land of rain

Led by puppets

And false reign

For the honor

Of the slain

Ailica

Is safe no more

Face a threat

From long before

Find the sinner

In their core

And in the distance

Frightful drumming

The Heart of the Jungle

Gently thrumming

Can you feel it?

War is coming