He’s the prince of Loegria, the liberator of Engel, the savior of Estyrion. And he’s on his knees in front of everyone. I don’t know what to do. Everyone else is still bowing. When he smiles at me, Dietan’s eyes are full of unshed tears.
My own tears fill my eyes. I’ve been so scared of losing him, and I almost did, again. But I saved him. And he’s saved everyone.
“Stop being silly. Honestly, get up before they start laughing.”
Dietan presses his lips to the back of my hand and slides a familiar gold band, that moments ago had been a part of him, onto my ring finger. He wears the silver one. Silver for the ores of Loegria and gold for the wheat fields of Alarice. The Rings of Fate. “Aren my love, will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?”
Epilogue
Dietan
lundenwic castle
two weeks later
“You have to tell us everything!” Sonja says, taking Aren’s hands. “Everything!”
“Did you actually go to the Great Waste?” asks Ophelia.
“Hold on! Let me take my cloak off first!” Aren laughs, slipping it off before being hugged vigorously by her sisters, one on each side.
I watch, amused, as Aren struggles to free herself from the twins. Marcus and Jared are waiting in the hallway, and they don’t bother breaking them up, either, even if neither of them has seen the girls for weeks. Not to mention that Jared and Ophelia have a wedding to plan. Still, no one so much as lifts a finger or dares break up the reunion.
No man is brave enough for that.
“We missed you so much!” Ophelia says, smothering Aren’s cheek in kisses.
“We were so worried!” Sonja adds.
Aren smiles. “Nothing to worry about. And by the way, look who I brought with me,” she says, gesturing for Marcus and Jared to join us. They enter the room, all grins. Sonja scrambles to her feet while Ophelia squeals and leaps for Jared, who catches her midair and spins her around.
Sonja and Marcus stand awkwardly in front of each other, and Marcus wrings his cap in his hands. “Did you get my letters?” he asks.
“I did,” she says, blushing. “They were lovely.”
Marcus catches Aren’s eye, offering a relieved smile. Aren winks at him and then comes to my side. She reaches for my hand, leaving the two couples to reunite in peace.
“This is your home?” she asks.
“Our home,” I correct, walking her into the castle yard. No one was home when I arrived, the twins explained, as my father is out on the border towns and my mother and sister had already left for the summer palace. The sisters were to join them today, until we arrived.
I’m glad I have this moment with Aren before my family is reunited. We stroll through the gardens, ambling down winding trails, stopping at my favorite ancient tree so I can brag about how rare it is before we move on.
I take her to the library, where we kiss among dark stacks of ancient tomes. We walk slowly through the hall of tapestries, then a bit more quickly through a corridor flanked by historic suits of armor before racing past the statues of the kings and queens of Loegria.
“I’m boring you,” I say. “Would you like to see the kitchens?”
“I think I’ve seen enough kitchens for one lifetime. Does the prince have a bedroom?”
“Several.”
“Several? Interesting. Care to take me to one?” she asks, and I’m a fool because it’s only then that I realize it’s really been quite a long journey to Lundenwic, during which we were never truly alone.
“Posthaste,” she orders.
“As my lady commands.” I don’t waste another minute, and the moment we enter my private quarters, I slam the door behind us.
…
