The Love That Bonds Us

Chapter 49 : Happily Ever After

I stared back at her, unsure of whether to feel guilty or grateful. Had I been aware of Renata's old feelings for me? I didn't know exactly, but on some subconscious level I suppose I'd always known. And she had been genuinely willing to marry me, just as I'd always worried. But at the same time she knew I didn't love her, she had tried to move on once ...

She took another deep breath and spoke again, distracting me from my thoughts, "You didn't send that proposal letter, did you?"

I shook my head sadly, "No. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. It's not your fault you feel the way you feel. I got over you once, and I think what I'm feeling now is just artificial. I can get over you again."

"You deserve more than I can give you, Princess." I said with a grin.

She grinned honestly back at me, and for the first time since I'd entered the room, I felt a little at ease.

"And I am fond of you by the way." I added quickly, "But you're just a dear friend. Not my lover."

"I know." Renata's voice was tender and sweet, "Look Agnarr, as a fake marriage present, I'll reason with my father. When he gets himself in a fit like he did last month, it's impossible for him to see anything logically. But if I talk to him when he's calm, he'll see that the Alliance needn't be broken simply because you didn't marry his daughter. You'd have to marry a lot of Princesses if that was the case!" she laughed and I couldn't help but see this funny side too.

"Heh. Thank you so much Renata. You don't know how much this will mean to Iduna and I."

The Princess shrugged sideways in her breezy, cocky little way, "Don't mention it. I'm brilliant, I know."

I had to laugh again and she grinned.

"And thank you for being so understanding. I was half-expecting you to throw something at me!" I admitted, recalling a similar moment from a tragic romance I'd been forced to read once.

"Of course not!" she said, slightly mortified I'd have thought so lowly of her, "You deserve happiness too you know."

I smiled at her one last time before turning to leave the room, but Renata suddenly stopped me.

"Oh, and one more thing Agnarr!" she called.

I turned and watched as she tossed something small through the air. I caught it in my palm and saw it was my mother's engagement ring.

"Go get her!"

Beaming excitedly, I left the room and took off down the corridor in search of Iduna.

I found her in one of the living rooms sitting on the sofa, her back against the arm of the chair, her legs resting on the plump cushions, and a book in her slender hands.

She looked up as I entered, "How'd it go with Renata?"

Breathlessly, I sat down on the patch of sofa she hadn't already occupied, though she pulled her legs up anyway. "It went surprisingly well actually."

Iduna's face mirrored my own relief.

"She was extremely understanding, and told me I deserve happiness too. She's going to talk to her father and sort everything out. The Alliance shouldn't be threatened anymore."

Iduna nodded, a smile slowly stretching across her lips, "Oh that's really wonderful news Agnarr."

I gave a nod, "Yeah, it is." then I looked down at my hand, the one holding the ring. I remembered the day my mother had given it to me like it was yesterday, and while I was happy I had memories of her, and this ring as a token of love for both her and now Iduna, it still hurt that she was gone and would never get to meet the bearer of it.

A small hand appeared on my own and I looked up to see Iduna had curled her legs around and skooched closer to me.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

I took a deep breath and leant back in the chair, "The day my mother died was a sad day for all of us. I was very young and I barely understood what was truly going on. But when my father came out of the room and told us she was gone, I just knew that I'd never see her again."

Iduna didn't need to say anything for me to know she understood my pain and grief. She curled up beside me and simply lay her head on my shoulder, squeezing my hand tightly.

"I still remember when I went in to see her." I continued, placing my free arm around Iduna, "I was scared and unsure. The woman lying in the bed was so sick, pale and weak. She didn't look like my mother. But she took my hand in her own and told me that she wasn't afraid. She told me she loved me and so long as I loved her, she would remain with me forever." I glanced at Iduna, who had tilted her eyes up to watch me through thick lashes.

"I'm so sorry Agnarr." she whispered softly.

I shook my head, "I made my peace with her death a long time ago." then I looked back at the hand still concealing the ring, "She gave me something after she told me that. She asked me to hold my palm out and she shakily placed something in the centre. It was her engagement ring. She told me it was a Family heirloom. It had once belonged to my Grandmother before she gave it to my father, who proposed to my mother with it. This has been going on for generations. And when she bequeathed it to me, she told me to keep it and give it to the love of my life when I wished to marry her."

Iduna sat up and stared at me.

"So, without further ado. Iduna," I lifted myself from the sofa and knelt on one knee before the girl, opening my palm and revealing the ring to the true love of my life, "will you do me the highest honour of accepting this ring, and in doing so, become my beautiful, intelligent, rightfully stubborn Queen?"

She let out a snort of laughter.

"It's only the rest of your life, luv!"

Laughing even more, she swung her legs down from the sofa. "I'm surprised you felt the need to ask." she said, before crying, "Of course I will!"

Elation flooding through me to the extent where I couldn't wipe the huge smile off my face, I excitedly offered the ring to Iduna and she lifted her hand for me to slide it on her finger.

"A perfect fit." I said, before jumping up, wrapping my arms around her waist, and lifting her - quite literally - off her feet. I spun around with her as she wrapped her arms around my neck and nestled her head against my shoulder contentedly.

A light rapping sounded at the door then, and it was pushed aside to reveal Frederic and Arianna. They looked tentative for a moment, but upon seeing our happy scene, beamed too, knowing that everything was alright now.

Iduna perked her head up when she sensed their arrival in the room, and grinned as she held up her hand.

Arianna gasped and rushed forwards to take her friend's hand and admire the ring there.

Then she punched my shoulder, "So you finally did it!" she was ecstatic, "And is this - is this mother's engagement ring?"

I nodded at my sister before smiling lovingly back at Iduna, "It was always destined to be my true love's."

"I'm so happy for you both!" Frederic was grinning so broadly as he walked forwards and put his arm around Arianna's shoulder, that it looked like his face would crack at any second, "Now can I call this a Happily Ever After?"

THE END