We arrived in Gwyniar three days later. So much had changed in Gwyniar since I left. The atmosphere felt different. Clouded. A darkness loomed over the dukedom as we hurried into the hospital to see my father. The guards stopped everyone at the door—except for me.

Whispers of “she’s back!” floated through the halls as a nurse led me to a secluded area that she said was a special wing for royalty.

“Father?” my voice came out small and weak as I approached. Raydir stood at my side with an arm around my waist.

My mother sat beside my father’s bed and held his hand while whispering something to herself. She looked up only when I spoke.

“Arwyn!” she cried.

Tears brimmed my eyes as I ran over to her. She wrapped me into her arms, and I felt all the worry and fear that had built up begin to wash away. I was safe. I was home.

“Mother, I am so sorry,” I cried. “I should never have left. If I only stayed—”

“Then you would have only resented us.” She stroked my hair.

“What?”

The monitor by my father’s bedside beeped in a quiet rhythm.

“Sweetheart, I have known from the moment you declared that Raydir was going to be your best friend that the two of you were destined to be together. When your sister died, I couldn’t help but think about the position you were about to be in. We never wanted this for you. Trying to keep you away from Raydir was just delaying the inevitable.”

“But I left. I left you and Father. I left the dukedom. My responsibilities. I let you down. I let Arabella down. She wouldn’t have wanted this—”

“Baby, she always encouraged you to be your own person. You reminded me of that. Yes, leaving the valley and rejecting your Chosen has had quite an impact on the family and our society, but you are doing what you want.”

“I don’t understand.” I wiped at my tears, confused and even more frustrated. “You wanted me to be with Ray? After you begged so hard for me not to?”

“I was trying to protect your future, but nothing could’ve changed your mind about leaving.”

“There’s something else, isn’t there,” I said. “There’s a reason for this. All of this.”

She sighed, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ears. “This type of attack. It’s not the first time it’s happened.”

“When was the first?” I asked the question even though deep down inside I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

“Your sister. The accident with the carriage was because of a wolf who went rogue like this one.”

“And that’s why you wanted to protect me. Because you were afraid I would be targeted like Bella.” My heart sank as I realized just how much pain I must’ve put my family through. Not hearing from me, not knowing if I was safe. Bella died on her way to the edge of the woods to make her escape with Bennett to Darqua, that’s where they found the carriage. I wondered if they thought we’d been killed.

My mother nodded. “Yes. When we couldn’t find you after the ceremony, I knew. I even sent someone to make sure you made it to the border alive, but that’s as far as they could go without arousing suspicion.”

I opened my mouth to reply when the bed creaked under my father’s weight. Slowly, his eyes opened. He blinked three times, as if making sure I was real.

“Arwyn.” His voice was raspy. “Welcome home, my darling.”

“Father!” I shrieked, throwing my arms around his neck.

He groaned. “Careful, Arwyn.”

I pulled back. “Sorry. I just”—I looked up at Raydir who nodded—“This is my fault. If I hadn’t left—”

“If you hadn’t left, you could’ve been the one they attacked,” my father said. He tried to sit up but winced. Then his gaze locked on Raydir. “Are you taking care of her out there?”

Raydir nodded. “Yes sir.”

“And you intend to marry her?”

My gaze darted between Raydir and my father.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Then we’ll make the arrangements.”

Raydir and I exchanged glances.

“All due respect, sir—”

“Arwyn,” my mother interrupted. She turned her gaze to me. “Let me talk to Raydir and your father alone.”

I nodded, a crease forming between my eyebrows.

I’ll be fine, Raydir linked me. He squeezed my hand.

I jumped. We were three days out from the Alignment and I still had the link. Maybe since Raydir had marked me, it would be permanent. Maybe it meant my bogus link with Darius would cease to exist. I could only hope.

Clearing my throat, I dipped my head toward my parents and turned on my heel to exit the hospital room.

Outside the hospital, the sun shone brightly, warming my skin as I walked. As much as I had been enjoying my freedom in the valley, I couldn’t help but think that part of me still longed for Gwyniar. I wish seeing my father had been under different circumstances. It was a teary family reunion but something I desperately needed. What I hadn’t been expecting was the proposal of a shotgun wedding—and one because of my father’s health, not because I was pregnant.

I rested my hands over my stomach. Would Ray and I have children someday? Was the valley safe enough to raise them if we did?

Suddenly, I found myself outside of the palace. Vines of honeysuckle trickled down the sides creating a green blanket along the stones. From the outside, it seemed a lot smaller than it ever did before. One of the guards nodded to me as I walked inside, but another eyed me carefully. I looked down at my clothes—I guessed I stood out a bit in my trousers and hunter’s top.

“Lady Arwyn,” I announced myself to him. As if you didn’t know, I’d lived here my whole life and had only been gone for less than two months.

He glanced at the first guard, who nodded, then proceeded to let me inside the palace. Flashbacks hit me like a blast of ice. Memories of my sister, of the days we spent playing hide-and-seek in the palace. The time I spent so many hours in the library, I fell asleep on one of the bean bag chairs and only awoke when I became hungry the following morning. I chuckled softly at the memory.

My footsteps echoed down the hall as I made my way to the library. The heavy oak doors creaked when I opened them, exposing the massive room to the light of the day. Comfort immediately washed over me.

I ran my finger over the spine of the books on the far bookcase. Everything was just as I remembered it. The alluring scent of leather, the sparkle of dust dancing in the light. The crinkle when a page turned.

Why did I ever leave this place? I wondered. I walked over to the window alcove and sat down. My fingers grasped a book in my lap and I stared down at the title: The History of Gwyniar and Alvenora.

What a shocking coincidence.

The book fell open on an image of Gwyniar from 200 years ago. The photo depicted a family dressed in the contrasting colors of Gwyniar and Alvenora: two men, two women, and two sons. They looked happy, proud. As if everything in the world was going just right and they didn’t know how much it would change.

A knock sounded on the side of the bookcase, and I lifted my head to find Raydir standing there.

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“I thought I’d find you in here,” he said. “You always loved this library.”

“My favorite room in the house.” I kissed him. “What did my parents say?”

Raydir ran a hand through his hair. “Your father wants us to get married before we go back to Darqua. He says that if this is to be the last time he ever sees you, he wants to know that we had a happy ending.”

My gaze flickered up to his. “And what do you think?”

“Well,” he said as he sat down across from me on the window seat, “I think we should do it. But it’s your decision too.”

I sighed. Of course I wanted to marry Raydir. I just didn’t want it to be in this way, with my father’s life hanging in the balance. Even though he was awake, I wondered how long it would last. How long would he be alright? Weddings were supposed to be happy moments filled with celebration, and this didn’t feel like a time to celebrate.

“Let’s get out of the palace.” Ray stood up and reached for my hand. “It’s a beautiful day outside and it’ll help get your mind off of things.”

I nodded and wordlessly took his hand.

He pulled me close to him so he could whisper something in my ear. “Getting married will give us an excuse to consummate our relationship.”

I giggled and pushed my hand against his chest. “We already did that the other night.”

“Yeah, but this’ll make it official.” He dipped his head to kiss behind my ear. “And I get to see you in a wedding dress.”

“And I’d see you in a tuxedo.” I brushed my thumb over his lower lip.

His green eyes sparkled with mischief. He kept his arms wrapped around my waist and let his lips find mine again before dipping me in the middle of the library. I pressed a hand against his chest.

“We really should go before someone finds us.” I glanced at the open door to the library. This time, I took the lead and we walked out of the library together.

Once outside, Raydir waved to one of the carriages. The driver opened the doors to let us in and I realized he was the same person who had taken me back to the palace the night of my ceremony.

“Where to?” he asked as the carriage started along the road.

“To Runswick, please,” Raydir said.

We sat in silence as the landscape passed by the windows. The last time I’d been to Runswick was the day I ran into Darius the second time—at the archery range. I shuddered at the thought.

Do not think about him. He’s not here with you. Raydir is. Ray is always there for you.

Sensing my uneasiness, Raydir leaned over next to me and kissed my temple. “Everything is going to be fine. We’re going to be alright. Your father will pull through from this.”

“Thank you for coming with me.” I laced our fingers together. “I don’t think I could’ve come here alone.”

He smiled. “You know I’ll always be by your side, Ar.”

The carriage came to a stop and the driver opened the door to let us out.

“I shall wait here for your return,” he said, sending a nod to us.

“Thank you, sir.”

Ray took my hand and we stepped back into a semblance of our old lives. Runswick was bustling with activity as always. The sun shone brightly upon the cobblestones and a fountain bubbled in the middle of the square. The wind blew a light mist towards us which felt cool and refreshing against my skin.

I resisted the urge to take off my boots and go splashing through the shallow water like we used to do.

“You remember, don’t you?” Raydir grinned at me. “You used to hate it when I splashed you.”

“That’s because you were annoying,” I teased, pulling him away from the fountain before he could get any ideas.

As we walked, I drank in the memories of my past and everything I used to know. Young children ran around in their school uniforms, some accompanied by parents while others just chased after their friends.

“The familiarity looks good on you, Ar.”

“Thank you,” I said, blushing. The gardens were abuzz with visitors admiring the vibrant colors that graced the view.

“You remember our first date?” Raydir swung our hands back and forth.

I laughed. “How could I forget? You brought me flowers and one of the guards thought you stole them from here.”

“Do you regret leaving?”

I sighed. “The valley is my life—our life—now, but there are aspects of this life that I will always miss.” I gestured to everything going on around us.

“Is there anything that you regret?” He slowly lifted his gaze to me. “Maybe me, for instance?”

“No! God, no, Ray. Why would you even think that? Do you regret me?”

He shook his head. “Of course not. I only ask because you seemed hesitant about the idea of us getting married.”

“Ray.” I stopped him so we could sit on a bench. “I want to get married to you someday. But I don’t know if now—under these circumstances—is a good idea.”

“Your father could be dying, Arwyn.”

“I know. And that’s exactly why—”

“—why we should do it now.”

“Raydir!” I yelled, exasperated, trying to stop the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. “Please. My father is dying. Please don’t make me decide this now.” My lower lip quivered.

His gaze softened and he pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“This is all my fault. And I don’t want to lose you.”

He brushed his fingers over my cheek. “You will never lose me." He paused, fumbling around in his pocket. "I, um, meant to give this to you after the Alignment but things got kinda crazy.”

From his pocket, he presented my own praesidium crystal on a silver chain. The stone was black obsidian, just like his and the others in the valley. But this one was special because it was from Ray.

“Thank you.” I turned around so he could clasp it around my neck. His touch sent shivers down my spine.

He leaned toward me, and I let my lips brush momentarily against his. Raydir tangled his hands in my hair, and I ran a hand up his chest.

“Ray,” I whispered. “We should slow down before we get permanently banned from the gardens.”

He laughed, pulling away and offering me his hand. “Raincheck?”

I gratefully accepted it so we could walk back to take the carriage back to the palace. “Absolutely.”

“Do you remember the first time we did that here?” Our carriage hit a loose cobblestone, and I lurched forward, grasping Raydir’s hand.

“As if it were yesterday. That guard looked like he was about to explode when my hand grazed your knee that day.”

I clutched my chest dramatically. “You should know that touching a lady’s knee is forbidden in Grwyniar.”

Raydir laughed. “I miss those days.”

I glanced out the window, sombering. “Me too.”

He squeezed my hand. “We’ll figure this out. And we’ll stay in Gwyniar as long as you want.”

“Thank you. Maybe—if we can just have a little more time to make a decision.”

“For you, absolutely.” He kissed my temple and I closed my eyes, dozing off to the sound of his heartbeat.

***

That evening as I got ready for bed, I began to think more about what Raydir and I talked about in the gardens. We both wanted the same thing in different ways. There had to be a way to compromise. I took a shaky breath as I undid the braid in my hair, letting my hair fall in waves down my back.

I caught a glimpse of Arabella in my reflection. People always said we had the same eyes. But where mine were a deep brown, hers had always been a warm honey brown with flecks of gold.

“Bella, you’ve always known what’s best for me,” I whispered to the mirror. “What should I do?”

As if in response, there was a knock at the door, and Raydir appeared in the doorway.

“How are you doing?” Ray asked.

I sighed. “I’ve been better. My mind is still reeling over what happened and seeing my father, there is so much guilt, Ray. For leaving.”

“I know. I know.” He took my hand and we sat down on my bed together. “About earlier, I—”

A knock at the door interrupted him.

“Come in!” I called out before sending Raydir an apologetic smile.

My mother poked her head through the door. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. “I’m so glad you both are back. I take it you’ve had some time to talk?”

Raydir and I looked at each other before turning back to her.

“Yes. Thank you for giving us a chance to do that given everything going on right now. And we really appreciate you letting us stay here while your husband—Arwyn’s father—is recovering,” Raydir said.

My mother smiled. “You have only ever wanted what was best for our daughter. And while I may not have always approved, I can see she’s happy with you. Now, about this ceremony—”

“Mother, Ray and I still need time to talk about it,” I interrupted. “In fact, we were just about to discuss our decision when you came in.”

Raydir raised his eyebrows. We were?

Yes. I think I have a good compromise.

She looked between us. “Well, then I’ll leave you to it then. Have a good night.” She pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I love you, my darling.”

“I love you, too,” I whispered.

Once she was gone, I turned back to Raydir. “I don’t want to get married. Yet. Not under these circumstances. And I know it’s my father’s only wish right now, but I want our wedding to be because we’re ready for it. I want it to be a happy occasion because it means we get to spend the rest of our lives together. So, I want to propose an alternative.”

Raydir took my hand in his. “I’m listening.”

I reached out to brush my fingers through his hair. “A love ceremony. Non-traditional but that’s more our style anyway. It’ll be small. Just you and me and my parents. We can go to the archway in Runswick. You know the one.”

The archway was a brick arch adorned with green vines sprinkled with pink and white flowers. These flowers stayed in bloom year-round. Just like our love.

Raydir grinned and kissed me. “It’s perfect.”

I leaned my forehead against his. “Thank you. Thank you for bearing with me during all of this.” I kissed him again, softly at first then increasing the rhythm as my lips parted, giving his tongue access to explore my mouth.

“Let me make love to you tonight,” he whispered in my ear. His fingers gently slipped the straps of my nightgown over my shoulders.

Shall we pick up where we left off?

I tangled my hands through his hair as his hands roamed over my back, pressing me closer to his body. Heat pulsated between us, and my heartbeat pounded in my chest.

He lifted his shirt off over his head before diving back in to kiss my lips, tasting every inch of me. I trailed my hands down his chest as it rose and fell to the steady rhythm of his breathing.

Leaning me back on the bed, he linked me.

Love me forever?

Always.