Page 56 of Ash and Burn

"The ceremony is beginning," Calix murmured against her ear.

Essin's parents moved to flank their daughter, placing their hands on her shoulders in the ancient gesture of support and release. The girl's chin lifted with fierce determination, and Arvid recognized something of herself in that stubborn courage—the refusal to let circumstances define what was possible.

She's going to be magnificent.

The transformation began with a shimmer of golden light that seemed to emanate from Essin's skin. Her small human form blurred and expanded, bones lengthening and reshaping with fluid grace, and scales emerged like liquid gold across her transforming body. Then her wings unfurled from her shoulders—delicate at first, then growing stronger and broader as they filled with the power of her dragon heritage.

When the shift completed, a golden dragon the size of a large horse stood where the girl had been moments before. Essin's dragon form was breathtaking in its perfection—sleek and powerful despite her youth, with scales that seemed to hold captured sunlight and eyes that burned with amber fire.

The crowd released a collective cheer as Essin launched herself skyward with powerful wingbeats. She rose with natural grace, catching the thermal currents that spiraled up from the Caldran's heated depths. Higher and higher she climbed, until she was a golden speck against the sky.

Then she dove.

Arvid's heart leapt into her throat as the young dragon plummeted toward the volcanic basin with reckless joy, pulling up at the last possible moment to skim the surface of ancient lava flows. Then Essin performed barrel rolls and spiraling climbs, testing the limits of her new form with the fearless enthusiasm of youth.

Tears blurred Arvid's vision as she watched this child—this brave, stubborn girl who had refused to let Ash Fever steal her future—claim the sky that was her birthright. The weight of everything they'd accomplished hit her all at once. Not just her research or the medical breakthrough, but this moment. This pure, uncomplicated joy that proved life could triumph over the darkest circumstances.

"Look at what we accomplished together," Calix said softly, his thumb brushing away the moisture on her cheek. His green eyes reflected the same wonder she felt and the same profound satisfaction of seeing their efforts bloom into something beautiful.

We.

The word settled into her chest like a warm ember. Not just her scientific expertise or his leadership, but the combined strength of an entire community that had refused to surrender to despair.

Essin finally descended, her landing as graceful as her flight had been exuberant. The golden dragon shimmered and contracted, returning to human form just as her parents rushed forward with a flowing dress to preserve her modesty. The girl's face glowed with triumph as she accepted their embrace.

"Arvid!" Essin soon broke away from her parents and ran toward her with arms outstretched. "Did you see? Did you see how high I went?"

"I saw everything," Arvid assured her, catching the girl in a fierce hug. "You were absolutely magnificent."

Essin pulled back with a mischievous grin that made Arvid's pulse skip with sudden wariness. "I have a surprise for you."

"Essin, you didn't need to⁠—"

"I didn't get you anything," the girl interrupted with barely contained excitement. "But I arranged something." Her gaze shifted to something behind Arvid, and her grin widened impossibly. "Turn around."

Arvid turned to find Calix walking toward her with purposeful strides that somehow managed to convey both absolute confidence and barely leashed nervousness. The entire crowd had gone silent again, but this time the quality of attention felt different—expectant in a way that made her stomach flutter with anticipation.

Through their mate bond, she felt his emotions like a rushing tide: love so profound it stole her breath, determination that burned like dragon fire, and underneath it all, a vulnerability that he rarely allowed anyone to see.

What is he doing?

Calix came to a stop directly in front of her, his green eyes holding hers with a burning intensity that made the rest of the world fade away. Then, with movements that were both fluid and deliberate, he dropped to one knee.

The crowd's collective gasp was nothing compared to the way Arvid's heart started pounding.

"Arvid Jasper," Calix began, his voice carrying across the volcanic amphitheater. "Two weeks ago, you walked into my world and turned everything I thought I knew upside down."

He reached into his suit jacket and withdrew a ring that caught the twin suns' light like captured starfire. The band was crafted from what looked like pyrestone, and the stone was unlike anything she'd ever seen with a deep red core that pulsed with its own inner light.

"You saved my people," he continued, his voice rough with emotion. "You saved my kingdom. But more than that, you saved me from a life I didn't even realize was hollow until you filled it with light."

Tears spilled down Arvid's cheeks as she stared at this impossible man who had somehow become the center of her universe. Around them, the crowd held its collective breath, but all she could focus on was the way Calix's hands trembled slightly as he held the ring.

"You are my mate, my equal, my partner in everything. But I want more than the bond fate gave us." His eyes blazed with golden light as his dragon pressed close to the surface. "I want the choice. I want the promise. I want to stand before our people and vow that I choose you every day for the rest of our lives."

He lifted the ring higher, and Arvid could barely breathe.

"Arvid, will you marry me? Will you be my queen, not because destiny demands it, but because we both choose this life together?"