Thomas takes Morag’s body and chops it into tiny pieces. Then he burns the pieces. Finally, he scatters the ashes in the river. With Morag gone, the mists around Brigadoon fade away, revealing clean air. He found the rotting corpses of wolves outside each of the city gates, which he proceeded to dispose of in the same manner.

He looks down at his own body, wondering why he isn’t lifeless as well. With Morag gone, and her magic disappearing, he should have been freed too. He searched his body for an answer, but could find none. Then he searched his mind, and saw that he himself still had unfinished business. He had made an oath to dance with Fenella, and that was keeping his soul from moving on.

How long had she waited for him and he never showed up? Years? Decades? For her whole life? He had betrayed her. He felt incomprehensible guilt. He deserved to remain in his lonely flesh prison for eternity for his failure with Morag.

“I made it back to Brigadoon, and I defeated Morag, but the passing of time has destroyed everything. I am too late.”

He went to the keep of the castle and knelt in front of the throne. He stayed there for hours, and the hours turned into days. He felt nothing, not hunger or thirst, only guilt. A fog had entered his mind, a fog that not even Kirdrey’s feather could blow away.

As he is kneeling in the castle ruins, footsteps approach him. He looks up and sees a woman who looks shockingly like Fenella. Thomas shakes his head. It isn’t her.

“Why are you here, princess of Stornway?” he asks.

“I promised you once, I will wait for you for as long as it takes. Even if I die, my love for you will keep on living.”

Thomas rises to his feet. “That necklace!”

Mona, the princess from Stornway, was wearing the royal necklace of Brigadoon, the same that he always saw on Fenella. With that, the girl in front of him overlapped with his beloved so much that he involuntarily stepped back.

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“Fenella! I don’t… aren’t you…”

The girl shook her head. “I made you a promise. I swore I would always wait for you no matter how long it took.” She stretched out her hand. “My beloved Right Knight. Take my hand and dance with me, the first dance we would have had as man and wife.”

“You forgive me?” He says hesitantly, but takes her hand.

Without further words, the two of them dance around the room. They dance like the room is filled with people, like they were putting on a show. All of the hard work Thomas put into practicing came to the front of his mind. The weight of the girl’s hand in his gradually took his attention away from the weight of his guilt, until the guilt was completely gone, lifted from his shoulders. He feels like Fenella is right next to him, forgiving him of everything. After the final bow, he steps back. His body felt warm, like the rotten parts were falling away.

“Thank you, princess. I know you are not my Fenella, but… without you I would have been doomed to wander in eternal despair.”

“I knew you were the Right Knight from the old stories. I just knew it.” Mona says. “There was a connection between us the moment you appeared.”

“It is not so unbelievable that you, who inherited the memories of my beloved, would have felt so…”

“So I am Fenella’s…”

Thomas nods. In the corner of his vision he sees a light. He turns to face the light and hears Fenella’s voice calling from beyond it.

Thomas goes into the light, and his corpse-like body disappears from inside the armor.

As princess Mona is standing there, Kirdrey approaches. He and a few others escorted her there after the mists had lifted.

“What happened?”

“I heard someone’s voice inside my mind. A woman’s voice. She was saying ‘thank you.’”

“That was probably Fenella, the aunt of your grandfather. She never married or had children, but she lived a long and eventful life. She regretted not being with Thomas, and her soul stayed behind to stay with him if he could not pass on himself.”

“I see. That is good. And thank you too, Minstrel Kirdrey. The whole kingdom has you to thank for your timely interventions.”

“Your gratitude is appreciated. What will you do with this place called Brigadoon?” Kirdrey asks.

Mona looks thoughtful.

“I will ask the scribes and the bards to share this tale, then Brigadoon will return some day.”