As our lips met, fireworks went off in my mind, and the world vanished. My arms went around her of their own accord. My heart raced, and felt like it would burst from my chest.
I felt our two essences touching, some of the magic in her soul touching mine, healing. After what seemed like an age, we broke for air, and after a breath, Aloree pulled my head back to hers and kissed me yet more fiercely.
It felt like forever before we finally broke our embrace. Aloree loaded our things back into her basket, and we made our way back down into the wagon circle to make camp.
As we returned to the circle, Pol gave me a grin and a wink, and nudged Jom. Jom handed him a silver coin, and grinned sheepishly.
We went from town to town, around the Black Citadel's territory, circuitously coming closer to the Citadel itself. On the road, Aloree and I would talk in the evenings. I learned that she was kind, had a mischievous sense of humor, liked horses and ducks, and enjoyed walking in the woods. She learned of my swordfighting training, my love of swimming in rivers and lakes, the house in a tree I had built in my youth. Somehow, we always ended up kissing before the topic got too close to revealing me as a prince in disguise.
The others in the wagon train occasionally sniggered at us making out like the besotted teenagers we were. We never did more than kiss, and they made sure of it by never letting us out of their sight. But we had won each other fair and square, and there was a feeling that we should be taking what happiness we could.
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The news from the towns was not good. When we were in town, Aloree met with their leaders in her role as diplomat, and I traded and talked with merchants and artisans during the day and drank in the taverns during the night, gathering what information I could. In one town, I found the artificer who had created Aloree's self-heating cookpot, and made him a generous offer to come work for the company I represented. He seemed interested, and perhaps you'll see him. I tried also with the more military-applicable magitech, the current-makers and arrow-flamers, but they spoke with considerable reserve, and I sensed they feared to move from under the Black Citadel's thumb.
Aloree and I shared tales of a sense of fear, everywhere. Some who went to the Citadel, particularly magic users and young unmarried girls, both of which Aloree was, never returned. There were disappearances, and occasionally men dragged off openly during the day. Life under the Citadel was fraught with peril, and all sought to keep their heads down.
On the road, we encountered brigands but two more times in the rearguard. On both occasions, they fled at my and Canmar's arrows, long before it was time to draw sword. Aloree told me of what they had found upon the brigand leader I had beheaded--letters of marque authorizing them to attack travelers and kidnap those from foreign regions. Likely, now that we were deep within the Black Citadel territory's border, we would not face a force so strong, or government-endorsed, but the story gave me chills.
Our talks on our evenings on the road grew more intimate, and our kisses more fierce. We talked about what our children would be like, and what we would name them. We talked about each other's eyes and noses and how they'd look on babies. We talked about whether we'd survive the trip, and dreamed of being together afterward.
Finally, one evening, I asked her to marry me.