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I slowed without meaning to.

“Ye alright, mo leannan?”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t spend much time in graveyards, it’s… ever since I lost my, um… parents.”

“Och, I dinna think of it when we approached from this direction.”

“It’s okay, it’s part of life, right? It happens to everyone, eventually.” I gulped. “Even your mom, right?”

“Aye, even my mother, but ye daena hae tae make excuses, mo leannan, or make light of it, ye hae lost more than most.”

“Two mothers, two fathers, my real ones I barely remember and the… the ones I remember well. I was so devastated when I lost them, I was all alone in the world. Or so I thought.”

I wiped my face with my wrist.

And looked down, there was a muddy mark there on the back of my hand.

My chin trembled.

Torin dropped the bags to the ground and dug around in one for a bit of cloth and the spirit water from the saint’s pool. He uncorked the bottle, dabbed water on the cloth, and gently lifted my chin. “Close yer eyes.”

I submitted to him carefully cleaning my face. He was thorough and gentle, it was intimate to have him close, caring for me after being so worried about him, and then trying to survive.

When he was finished he said, “All done.”

I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

After all these days of travel this felt like we had stopped the journey and had arrived. We were going to have a room and a bed, and enough food. And we would wait for Max.

With my chin still in his hand I said, “So we’re going in to pray? I know what I’m praying for… that Max will come.”

He looked down on me. “Nae, Princess, we arna here tae pray, not really.”

I asked, “What for then?”

“I am goin’ tae marry ye.”

I blinked. “Really... but why? Didn’t we already…? Is this about the fight the other day?”

“Aye…” He nodded solemnly. “I daena think our marriage in yer kitchen worked on ye.” He took his hand off my chin.

I said, “Give me the cloth, I need to wash you too.”

He passed me the cloth and got down on his knees.

I raised my brow. “You’re down on your knees in front of me.”

“Aye, because I love ye and I want tae marry ye.”

“So you were serious the other day? What do you mean our wedding didn’t work on me? I know we fought, but that doesn’t mean…” I wiped the cloth across his forehead and down his bruised cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you, and I thought you forgave me. Do I need to apologize again?”

“Dost ye think that I want tae marry ye as a punishment on ye?”

I paused mid-wipe near his black eye. “I guess not.”

I wiped along the edge of his mouth.

“Och nae, Princess, I dinna start this right, I mean…” He took both my hands in his, looking up at me. “I mean, Princess, I love ye, dost ye love me?”