“My elder half-brother will then be my younger one.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Of course not.”
Tilisandre drifted closer at this.“What is your decision, Riven?”
He considered his options.“So, with Luc out of the way, there will be no royal lineage unless I marry.”
“Yes.”
Riven smiled at the Great Ones.“So mote it be.”
Everything sucked in around him until none of the gray remained.Within a second, he found himself standing at the back of the group.He took a moment to absorb the sights, scents, feel of being back in his human form.Of those in attendance, half were in shock as they stared at the fresh trout schooling about in the new pond.Riven was not going to be able to punch Luc in the nose at this rate, but he was glad his wretched half-brother was finally sentenced to some justice.
The rest of those standing between the ponds were weeping and focused on the three women in the center, as he was.
He'd done it.He’d broken the curse.
And no one was celebrating his victorious moment with him.
That was because no one knew he was here, Riven realized.He smiled, tugged his royal white jacket into place, and marched his way through the crowd.A few gasps carried to him once they realized who he was, and people parted with awed expressions as he drew closer, but Riven only smiled once he stood behind Bella and his mother.
Choosing to resume his carefree nature, he said, “There seems to be a whole lot of crying going on here.”He grinned and added, “It’s almost like someone died.”
His mother whirled upon hearing his voice, crossed herself, then stood.“Is it you?”
“Hello, Mother.It appears we’ve broken the curse.”
“Riven!”His mother broke all royal protocol and wrapped him tightly in her arms.“I cannot believe you survived.Are you hale?”She began patting him down, touching his chest and arms as if seeking breaks and bruises.
“I am hale, Mother,” he said, his eyes locked on Bella.He took a step closer to her.“Bella, darling.”
Her mouth dangled open as she stared at him.“Are you really here?Is it really you?”
He grinned.“I know you have never seen my face before.Would it help if I said,wum?”
She caught her laugh behind her wrist as she nodded.“I thought you were gone forever.”
“So did I.Tilisandre said you solved the riddle of the curse.”
“I did,” she sniffled, “but I didn’t feel I could just tell you.The storybooks say the characters must come to the conclusions on their own.”
“What conclusions?”the queen asked.
Riven took a decisive step closer, his eyes locked on Bella.He raised one hand to her face, cupping her cheek in his palm.“That we love each other.”
Bella nodded and smiled.
Riven took that as a sign to move completely against her.“Bella, darling, I love you.I have loved you since the moment we met, and every moment since.And,” one eyebrow danced suggestively, “I believe I promised you something, something that you were going to hold me to.”
Her cheeks pinkened right on schedule.“Here?”she whispered.
He made no reply, just lowered his head to hers.This time, he waited for her to bridge the agonizing one-inch gap.
She did, and Riven drew her close in his human arms, guiding her hands behind his human neck to draw her against his very human body.
Bella melted, just the way he’d hoped, as he pulled her to her toes.
