They clasped forearms.
“And what of our other Legion members?” Thor asked.
“All alive,” Reece answered proudly. “They have all returned with me, and are here.”
Thor shook his head in admiration.
“You’ve done a fine job indeed, to descend to the bowels of hell and return alive.”
Reece laughed, and clasped Thor on the shoulder.
“I have exciting news for you, and a question to ask you.”
Thor studied his friend, curious; Reece’s face was beaming and his smile was contagious. Thor had never seen him this happy, and he wondered what was going on.
“Anything for you,” Thor said.
“Will you be my best man?” Reece asked.
Thor stared back, his eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“That’s right,” Reece added. “I intend to marry Selese.”
“Has she said yes?” Thor asked.
“I’m going to ask her now. She does not know yet. But I wanted to tell you first,” Reece said.
“I would be honored,” Thor said, overjoyed for his friend. “I am so happy for you. You have made a wise choice. My answer is yes, on one condition: if you will be my best man, too?”
Reece looked back, confused.
Thor nodded.
“That’s right. I’m asking you to be my brother-in-law. My real brother.”
“Have you proposed to Gwendolyn?” Reece asked, excited.
“I am about to now.”
Reece cried out in joy and embraced Thor.
“It was what I’ve always wanted,” Reece said. “From the day I’ve met you. For you to be a true brother. Nothing makes me happier!”
Thor beamed.
“I am happy for you as well, my friend. Go to Selese. Don’t keep her waiting. I wish you luck.”
“And you, go to my sister. Perhaps we shall have a double wedding!”
Thor warmed at the thought.
“Perhaps we shall!” he said.
Reece turned and rushed off, and Thor turned and looked back up across the courtyard, inspired, searching for Gwen.
He spotted her amidst the crowd, finally emerging, a cheer greeting her.
The time had come to make her his wife.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Reece hurried across the courtyard, making his way past all the revelers, not stopping to celebrate with all of his friends. He was on a mission. He clutched his mother’s ring in his palm and walked with single-minded intent, searching all the faces for Selese. His palms were sweaty despite the cold, and his throat was dry. Reece had been single-minded his entire life, quick to decide on everything and quick to follow his passions. He never liked to hesitate, on anything. He decided his best friends instantly, and he decided the girl he loved instantly, too—and he never looked back. Reece already felt he had waited too long, and he was determined not to let anything get between him and asking the love of his life to marry him.
Suddenly, his heart pounded as he considered what might happen: what if she said no? What would he do then? Would he be making a fool of himself? What if, despite saving him, she did not feel as strongly for him as he did her? Was he misreading the situation?
Reece marched on, determined, one way or another, to find out for himself.
After asking several people, Reece finally learned that Selese was with Illepra, the two of them on the far side of King’s Court, still tending to the wounded, who had been filtering in throughout the day. The war had ravaged the Ring far and wide, and not everyone arrived back at King’s Court at the same pace.
Reece passed through the huge, stone archway that led to the northern side of King’s Court, a grass courtyard framed by crumbling stone walls, and as he did, he was shocked at the sight before him: in stark contrast to the revelers on the other side of the wall behind him, before him there were laid out hundreds of wounded. They were lined up in neat rows, moaning, being tended to by dozens of royal healers. It was a humbling sight; Reece was glad he was not among them.
Reece navigated his way in and out of the rows, scanning the faces of the healers, most on their knees, tending to the soldiers. He searched everywhere for Selese. This impromptu infirmary was vast, and Reece was beginning to give up hope—when finally, on the far corner of the courtyard, he spotted her, leaning over a soldier, placing a liquid on his tongue. Beside her was Illepra, tending to a soldier who had lost a leg.
Reece walked quickly to her, and as he did, he suddenly worried if this was the wrong time or place to propose. The atmosphere was so somber, grim, in stark contrast to the festivities in the adjacent courtyard. Selese, too, was hard at work, and he did not want to take her from her duties; she also appeared to be in a somber frame of mind.
Yet still, Reece could not stop himself. He had to be with her, and he was intent on finding out whether she wanted to be with him, too. He felt compelled to show her how much he loved her, to demonstrate to her as much loyalty as she had shown to him. After all, she had saved his life, and had risked her life to do it.
Reece’s heart thumped in his chest as he approached her. He knew he could not waste another moment. He had always been taught that the only way to face your fears was to march right up to them—and asking Selese was more terrifying for him than facing a thousand warriors.
Reece approached her as she began to stand from her wounded, wiping her hands on her smock. She looked up and saw Reece approaching, and her eyes lit up with surprise and joy.
Reece came to embrace her, but she held up dirty palms.
“My Lord, I would hug you, but I am hardly dressed for the occasion,” she said, smiling.
But Reece did not care; he stepped up and hugged her, and she hugged him back.
“You seem nervous,” she said, examining him with a smile.
Reece stood there, staring at her, his heart pounding, unable to say anything. He was unable to smile or do anything, and he suddenly felt awkward. Was he ruining it?
She looked back at him with concern.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
Reece could only nod, the words stuck in his throat.
Illepra now rose and turned, and she, too, stared at him with a puzzled look.
Reece looked all around, anywhere but back at Selese, and he saw all the wounded and sick, and he knew this was the wrong place to ask her. He impulsively reached down and took her hand.
“Would you come somewhere with me?” he asked.
“Now? Where?” she asked, baffled. “I must tend the wounded.”
“There will always be more wounded,” Reece replied, tugging her hand. “Come with me. Just for a few moments. Please.”
Selese turned and looked at Illepra, who nodded back her approval.
Selese untied her bloody smock, brushed back her hair, and walked with Reece, linking arms, smiling, a bounce to her step as they strode away from the courtyard. Clearly, she was relieved to take a break from her somber duties.
They walked through an arched stone gate, leaving the perimeter of King’s Court, and out into the countryside. They walked through a knee-high field of winter flowers, bright white, with large petals, a foot long, swaying in the wind and brushing up against their thighs. These winter flowers were dainty, light as a feather, and each time Selese reached down to touch one, they fell apart, their petals lifting up into the air, carried on the wind, and raining down all around them.
“Aren’t you supposed to make a wish on these?” she asked, smiling, as they walked through the field of white, petals twirling all around them.
“My wish has already come true,” Reece said, finally able to speak again.
“Has it?” she asked, smiling. “And what wish is that?”
Reece stopped and turned to her, deadly serious.
“That we would be together again.”
Selese stopped and stared back at him, and her smile fell.
“You mock me, my lord,” she said.
He squeezed h
er hands earnestly.
“I do not,” he insisted, earnest. “I wish for nothing more.”
Reece reached out, raised a hand to her cheek, and looked into her eyes with all the seriousness he could muster. He was more nervous than he had ever been.
“Selese, I love you,” he said. “I have from the moment I laid eyes upon you, back in your village. From the moment I first heard your voice, I have thought of nothing else. In all my travels throughout the Empire, in all the people I’ve met and lands I’ve seen, I have thought of nothing but you. I owe you my life. But more than that, I owe you my heart.”
Reece took a knee, held her hands, and looked up into her eyes as he smiled. His heart was pounding so strongly he felt he might have a heart attack.
She looked down, smiling, puzzled.
“Selese,” he asked, his throat dry. “Will you marry me?”
Reece reached into his pocket and took out his mother’s ring, shining even in the field of flowers.
Selese gasped.
She raised one hand to her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears. She rushed forward and embraced Reece, hugging him tight, her tears pouring down onto his neck.
“Yes,” she whispered in his ear. “A thousand times, yes!”
They leaned back and kissed, and they held that kiss for as long as they could, white flowers raining down all around them, Reece not feeling the winter wind, as he finally had everything he ever wanted in life.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Thorgrin made his way through the thick crowd of well-wishers surrounding Gwendolyn, hundreds of soldiers and subjects and nobles and lords and council members, all pressing on her, blocking her from all directions, all wanting to wish her well or to be heard about something. They all clearly looked to her as their queen now. As well they should, Thorgrin thought. Gwendolyn had led them through hard times, had demonstrated self-sacrifice and unwavering leadership, and had suffered travail in her own right, at her people’s expense. She had stared suffering in the face, and had not crumpled in the face of adversity. She had led her people to victory and had come out the other side.
Thor recalled what a great king her father had been, and it was clear to him that Gwendolyn was an even greater ruler. He was proud of her, so proud, as he pushed his way through, finding it difficult to even get close to her in this throng. She was clearly loved.
Thor did not want to take her away from all this, but he had to. He could not wait a moment longer. Now was the time to ask her.
“Gwendolyn,” he said, coming up beside her, Krohn at his heels.
She turned to him, and others parted ways as he stepped forward and stood beside her.
“Can I steal you away for a while?” he asked, smiling.
She smiled back. She leaned in and whispered in his ear: “I was hoping you would.”
Thor’s heart beat faster as he reached out, took her hand, and led the way through the thick crowd, their all parting ways for them, Krohn following. Gwen turned to her people, all watching, and said: “Go on, enjoy the festivities. I shall return in a while. Go on! Enjoy!”
There came a cheer from the crowd as the music started again, and the people turned back to themselves.
Thor took Gwen’s hand and led her away, the two of them walking faster, both of them giddy, like kids skipping school, Krohn nipping at their heels, finally breaking free from all of their duties and responsibilities for a time. It was the first time Thor had managed to get time alone with her since their landing in King’s Court. Thor felt as if they were dating again—and he felt just as elated to be with her now as he did then. He could sense from her grip that she felt the same way, too.
They passed through the high stone gate leading out of King’s Court, in disrepair yet still standing, and took the path heading west. This road, Thor noticed, once meticulously paved with stone and gravel, littered with holes and overgrown with weeds.
“Where are we going?” Gwen asked, excited.
They rounded a bend and Thor stopped and looked up to the cliffs before them, shining in the sun, and Gwen followed his gaze.
“The Kolvian Cliffs,” she said. “But why?”
Thor held his tongue, wondering how much to say. He did not want to give it away. What he wanted to say was: because it is the high ground, with the most beautiful view in the kingdom, overlooking King’s Court. Because it is a quiet and romantic place where we have been together before. Because it is a place that means a lot in our lives. Because it is where I want to ask you the most important question of my life.
But he could not see any of this. So instead, he said: “There is something up there I’d like to show you.”
“Show me?” she asked with a laugh. “All the way up there? Is it another pet leopard?” she asked, as Krohn ran before them.
Thor smiled.
“No, not quite,” he said.
Thor took her hand, and together they hiked up the cliffs; as they went, he noticed Gwen was more out of breath than usual, and that she stopped to rest more often than she had. He was growing concerned.
“Are you okay, my love?” he asked.
She nodded back to him.
“You keep grabbing your stomach,” he observed.
Gwen blushed and looked away.
“I’m sorry. I’m just tired. And I have not eaten. I am fine. Let’s continue.”
They hiked up the rest of the cliff with renewed energy, until finally they reached the top of the highest peak. As they reached it, they turned and looked out.
Thor was in awe at the vista, and he could see that Gwendolyn was, too. He had seen it many times, and yet it never grew old: there, below them, was King’s Court, glorious even in ruin, the afternoon mist embracing it like a shroud. Thousands and thousands of people celebrated, their distant cheers and music audible even from here. It was frustrating for Thor to see King’s Court destroyed, yet it infused him with hope: it was both a vision of what had once been, and a vision of what could rise again.
“It’s beautiful,” Gwendolyn said. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”
She turned and looked all about her, searching the plateau, as if wondering if Thor had some surprise waiting for her.
Thor suddenly became nervous. His throat turned dry, and his heart pounded in his mouth. He reached up and patted the ring inside his coat, to make sure it was still there. It was.
Thor opened and closed his mouth several times, and he felt his knees grew weak. He was wracked with fear. He’d never felt this way in battle, not while facing an enemy. But now, here, facing Gwendolyn, he felt more nervous than he had ever been.
“Well, actually, it’s not something I want to show you…but, well, um—”
Thor cut himself off, looking down and kicking the dirt, his heart pounding, having difficulty getting out the words, as his breathing shortened.
“It was—is—um…it was more a kind of, um, well…sort of something I um—”
Gwen laughed. It was a carefree laughter, a sound he hadn’t heard from her in what felt like years, and while he was happy to see her so elated, it also made him blush.
“I haven’t seen you this nervous since the first time we met,” she said.
Thor took a deep breath, finally mustered the courage, and he looked Gwen directly in the eye. What if she said no to him? His whole world would collapse.
“Gwendolyn, I love you,” he said, stepping forward and grabbing her hands.
She looked at him, baffled.
“I love you too,” she replied. “Have we come all this way for you to tell me this?” she asked, a twinkle in her eye.
Thor shook his head.
“I truly love you,” he said.
She stared at him, smiling.
“What has gotten into you?” she asked.
Thor shook his head again.
“Gwendolyn, that’s not what I’m trying to say.”
He cleared his throat, and took another deep breath, and she looked back at him in wonde
r.
“Are you sweating?” she asked.
Thor reached up and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and realized that he was sweating, despite the winter day. He cleared his throat again and faced her. It was now or never.
“Gwendolyn,” he said, “you mean the world to me. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. All of my days. I have felt this way ever since the first day we met. I’ve never seemed to have the right moment to ask you. But now that moment has come. There is only question that means anything to me anymore.”
Thor took a knee, reached into his shirt and pulled out his mother’s ring. It was spectacular, huge, its precious jewels glowing, sparkling in the sun.
Gwen’s eyes grew wide in wonder as they flooded with tears.
“Gwendolyn,” Thor continued. “Will you marry me?”
Gwendolyn rushed forward, into Thor’s arms, and she hugged him so tight, he could barely breathe. He stood and hugged her back, and she cried and cried, hot tears flooding his neck.
“Is that a no?” he said.
“Yes,” she said in his ear. “Yes yes yes yes yes!”
Gwen leaned back and kissed him all over his face, and he kissed her back, again and again.
Finally, he smiled, looking down.
“You forgot to take the ring,” he said.
Gwen laughed, and as she leaned back, he placed his mother’s ring on her finger.
She looked at in awe.
“It fits perfectly,” she said. “Where did you get this? I have seen royal jewels all my life, yet I have never seen anything like this.”
“It was my mother’s,” Thor said. “It is meant for you. For you, and none other.”
Gwen looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, and they kissed. They held the kiss for as long as they could, and finally, they embraced, holding each other tight.
“Thorgrin, my love,” she said softly, pulling back and looking at him. “There is something I wish to tell you, too.”
She pulled back and looked into his eyes, and Thor looked at her and wondered what it could be.
“There was a reason it was hard for me to climb these cliffs,” she said. “A reason that I have not been myself.”