The commotion from the hallways of the castle had alerted Cecily that something was wrong. She'd never experienced such a panic since arriving just three years prior when she had married her husband, and even then, they'd only spent just mere hours together before he'd ridden out to war at dawn.
Only a year later, came the news of his death...
At the Queen's insistence, Cecily stayed, her father had also been fighting the same battle, and now widowed, she had no one to depend on, other than the kindness of the King and Queen, who somehow felt it their duty to look after her.
She had no husband, and the wedding night had given no heir, and even with the constant presence of her in laws, Cecily was quite alone in the world.
The door flew open and Queen Sarah stood there looking pale, much paler than she'd ever seen her. "You must come with me, now". Her voice shook, cracking slightly.
"What is it?"
"A miracle..." Sarah replied and then turned, skirts bustling out through the doorway, her pace quickening with every step.
Cecily found it hard to keep up with her, following her down through the cloisters until they reached the castle steps that led down to the courtyard. She stopped at the top of them, looking down at the group who were speaking to the King. "That's impossible..." she breathed as her eyes now locked with a pair of familiar ocean blues.
Her husband...
His hair was longer than she remembered, dirtied with blood and mud, a beard grown in from where there had never been one present before. His eyes were tired, and he kept his watch on her as his mother embraced him tightly, crying with joy over the fact that her son was alive and had come back to them.
Then he let go of her, and began to climb the stairs to his wife...
"Cecily..." His baritone voice filled the air.
Cecily sank into a curtsey, looking up as he now towered over her. "Husband..."
"You are still here..." He simply stated.
"My father died in battle, the King and Queen were kind enough to allow me to stay". She replied. "I am glad to see that you have returned".
Steve looked down at her and then offered his hand to help her from her position. He'd not laid eyes on his wife in years, knowing that it was most likely that she'd have had a mourning period before perhaps marrying again. He was surprised to find her still here, even more so at the fact that it had been at the insistence of his parents.
She had changed from what he could remember of her. Her blonde hair cascading down her back in waves, face a little more matured. He had remembered her a scared girl on the day of their wedding.
It appeared that with time, she had been schooled in etiquette by his mother, who perhaps had still held onto some hope that he would return alive and well.
And he had.
But now came the task of knowing his wife. Something that should have been well established by now had things not turned out the way they had. Whether it would make things more difficult or easier was another question.
His hand reached for a lock of golden hair, toying with it as she looked up at him.
"Come, you must be tired, we shall have the kitchens get you something to eat and drink". Sarah now placed a hand on Steve's shoulder, interrupting them. "You can tell us all that happened once you have rested".
Letting go of the lock of hair, Steve now headed inside, along with his parents, looking back at Cecily as she watched him and then turned away to return to her chambers.
Her husband was home, and now her fate and future were secured once again.