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Nazps-Odo flashed back into existence a foot from the throne, her cheeks still stained with tears. She fell to her knees, seized Seamus’s right hand between her trembling palms, and bent low over it, kissing its back before pressing it to her forehead. Her wings folded low behind her, shiny and black. And she froze in that position, not moving, not saying a word.

Seamus heard roaring in his ears, like the rain approaching through the treetops on a hot summer evening, drowning out everything else. He blinked.

"Honey. Look at me. What's the matter? Seamus dear... you're scaring me. Now come back to me, okay?"

The fear in her voice finally made Seamus take notice. "Alice? What's the matter? Are you okay?" He put out his left hand and caressed her cheek.

Seamus saw her chest deflate rapidly, her breasts falling hypnotically. The chain glinted above the neckline of the dress in the light. His left forefinger drew her neckline down, following the chain down her dress.

"Honey?" Alice asked.

"Yes dear?" Seamus replied.

"I can disrobe in the throne room in front of your guests if it will make it easier for you if you prefer." Alice said dryly.

"Yes, please." Seamus replied.

"Your Majesty. Are you sure?" Iraeniae asked.

"What? Oh. Yes. I'm sure. Nazps-Odo is an Angel." Seamus said, looking at Iraeniae. "Which means I am now partially one as well."

Alice sucked in a sharp gasp.

Seamus looked back at Alice, the last stitch of her clothing hitting the floor. "That's better." He held his hand out to her, waited for her to put her hand in his and pulled her into his lap. He put his head on hers and murmured into her hair. "What a story we have to tell to Sean now, huh?"

"Yes, honeybear, we do. Tell me. What is going through your mind right now?" Alice said softly, her voice tight.

"My right hand is wet with Angel tears." Seamus said.

A brief pause from Alice, "Okay. Anything else?"

"Na is worried because I'm becoming more Fae." Seamus said.

Alice placed a hand on his chest gently. "Okay. Anything else?"

"I'm worried I'm becoming a monster." Seamus said.

Alice nodded. "Okay. Why?"

"I'm starting to enjoy being King." Seamus said.

Alice kissed his chest. "Okay. Does that scare you?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Alice moved her hand up to his cheek.

"Because now I can want more and get it." Seamus slowly rubbed the small of her back with his hand. He felt one of his wings be gently tugged outward and so he let his left wing be pulled to full extension.

"What do you want right now?" Alice asked.

Seamus looked over at Mandy and Samantha. "For them to remove their clothes and join my harem."

Mandy bristled and stepped forward but Samantha stopped her.

Samantha looked at Seamus and asked, her hands dropping from covering her bra to sliding into the waistband of her skirt, beginning to push it down slowly: "Are you asking that of us, our King?"

"No." Seamus felt his other wing get pulled gently and he let it get drawn out to full extension as well. He heard the quiet rustling of wings moving in the room like the birds before they broke into song outside his bedroom window in the morning.

"Will you ever ask that of us, our King?" Samantha moved her hands up over her stomach.

"I don't know." Seamus stated. "You're beautiful. And kind. And you took care of my wife when I thought she was my daughter."

A faint, choked sob, nearly a laugh, echoed from the hallway.

"Does it bother you that you have a harem?" Alice asked.

Seamus answered: "Yes. Because it doesn't bother me that I have a harem."

"Is that a problem?" Alice asked.

Seamus thought for a moment. "Maybe. I don't deserve it."

"Why don't you deserve it?" Alice asked, tracing his jaw.

"Because I don't know if I deserve to exist much less want something and get it." Seamus felt something wonderful pouring into his wings and he closed his eyes in painful ecstasy. He thought of the times he'd stood by the ocean and felt the roaring, thundering surf for hours and reveled in the peace he had felt in those moments, the closeness he had felt with God.

Alice clenched his chest hairs with her hand but relaxed quickly, the effort vibrating through her body. "Why don't you deserve to exist?"

Seamus was quiet for a long moment. "I don't know. I still can't figure out how to make my parents proud of me." Seamus felt his brow furrow. "Your fingernails are digging into my skin. Are you okay?"

Alice relaxed her grip. "Yes honeybear. I'm okay. I'm proud of you."

Seamus sniffled. And frowned. "Why am I crying?"

Na licked his cheek from her position curled along his right side. "Because you're healing, my liege. Healing from an old wound that needed to be broken again."

"That makes sense." Seamus thought for a moment. Then he leaned down and kissed Alice. "I love you. More than words can express. When my brain resets, maybe I'll have the words then."

Alice laughed through her own tears. "Stop making me cry. You'll make my makeup run."

"That's impossible now. Your makeup is always perfect now." Seamus said.

Alice smiled up at him. "I know." She cuddled against him again. "That's why I said it."

"Okay." Seamus looked down at the head still bowing over his hand. "Nazps-Odo, you are beautiful. I never thought I'd get to meet an Angel. And now I'm married to one."

Nazps-Odo raised her head, her face solemn, her cheeks still wet with the slow, steady tears making their way down. "Husband. King. The agent through which my Restoration was made possible. My life is yours. My death is yours. My soul was restored to me. It is done."

Seamus nodded solemnly and lifted his right hand to her face. He placed his hand on her cheek and allowed her tears to flow over his hand. "Wife. My Angel of Death..."

Gasps from several places in the room interrupted him.

"...I accept your oath in the spirit it is given. I Name you sundered of the curse Lucifer left upon you after the Fall. More than that belongs to the Most High." Seamus suddenly slumped. His hand fell to his thigh and his wings drooped, only still aloft by the hands holding them there. He felt his body seize up and a great racking pain ripped through his spine and then he screamed and passed out.