21. Chapter 21 #2
“I’m staying on land,” she said.
Neeah sighed, looking at us as if we were the most remarkable thing. “You found love. Isn’t it divine?”
Saskia rolled her eyes but smiled. “We can take you to your boat, if you’d like.”
I let out a breath of relief, glad that the mermaids wouldn’t have to swim us all the way back to shore. “Thank you, yes.”
Neeah offered both hands to Lyri, who reluctantly let go of me.
“Please stay close by,” I said to Neeah, unable to bear the idea of being too far from Lyri, and she nodded like she understood.
“And you take my hands,” Saskia said as she faced me and held out her hands.
I wondered why she wished to pull me this way instead of having me hold her shoulders like last time, but I decided to trust that a creature of the ocean would know better than I would in this scenario, so I grabbed onto her wrists and she held onto mine.
The moment her grip was firm, she started propelling herself backwards. I half expected my head to be dragged through the water, but something about the way she moved kept our shoulders out of the water as we cut across the surface, Neeah and Lyri moving alongside us in like manner.
It was…exhilarating, much more pleasant than my first trip through the water, since this moment wasn’t plagued with worry over Lyri. At least, not much worry. I did wonder how she was faring.
That question was answered when a light chuckle reached my ears, and I relaxed. Lyrielle was doing just fine.
Saskia looked over at Lyri and then back at me, a storm in her eyes. “The man who took her…will he be coming back through the portal?” she asked, concern tugging at the corners of her eyes.
I shook my head, glad that Lyri couldn’t hear this conversation. “He’s dead.”
After several seconds, she nodded calmly. “One of my sisters saved him, you know. Years ago when he came through the portal. He didn’t have magic, so she helped him to shore.”
“I thought he was my friend,” I murmured, then we both lapsed into silence.
My skiff came into view over the bobbing waves, and the rush of relief that coursed through my entire body when I reached out and took hold of the pitch-covered wood was overwhelming.
That relief doubled when Lyri was brought up alongside me and I was able to wrap her up in my arms again.
“Thank you,” I breathed out my gratitude to the mermaids as the reality of what our fate might have been struck me.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how… Thank you. ”
“We were happy to help.” Neeah said. “Milin told us about you.”
My brow furrowed. “Milin?”
“You met her a couple of months ago, I believe.”
Of course. Melody. “Red hair?”
Neeah grinned and nodded. “We wish both of you joy, and you will always know us as friends.”
“Thank you.” Lyri suddenly let go of me so she could throw her arms around Neeah, who looked stunned, but then closed her eyes and embraced her in return.
Lyri turned to Saskia and gave her a hug as well. That was my Lyri, embracing everyone around her.
The mermaids were kind enough to counterbalance the boat as I struggled to climb in and then reached down to hoist Lyri in with me.
Tired but smiling, Lyri leaned over the side of the boat to bid them farewell. “May I come visit you sometimes?”
“Of course, Princess,” Saskia responded.
Lyri let out a strained laugh. “I’m not a princess.”
Saskia gave a little shrug. “You are to some.” She smiled and then dove beneath the water, followed quickly by Neeah.
Lyri turned to me, looking baffled and bedraggled. “What do you suppose they meant by that?”
I’d been about to raise the sail, but instead I took in the sight of Lyri, with her drenched golden hair, bright eyes, and sweet face, and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer to speak up.
“I’m not certain what they meant.” I carefully maneuvered over to her, kneeling in front of where she sat on the bench and took her hands in mine.
“But one thing that I know with absolute certainty is that I want you to be my princess.” Her chest rose as she sucked in a long breath and held it, her eyes wide as I ran a finger over her cheek.
“I want you in my heart, in every piece of my life, and beside me when it’s time for me to take the throne, which will hopefully be a very long time from now. ”
She finally let her breath go in a stuttering wave, and then swallowed. “Tav, are you asking me to marry you?”
I chuckled. “Yes, and not very well, it seems.”
“I…” A breeze rose up and goosebumps peppered her arms.
I looked around the bottom of the boat, hoping to find something to wrap around her, but there was nothing. “We must get back to shore,” I said, and started to move away from her, but she grabbed my arms and forced my attention back to her.
I swallowed at the uncertainty in her eyes. I’d give her time to consider my words, because even though every bit of me ached for her, the last thing I wanted was to pressure her into such a monumental decision.
LYRIELLE
My eyes drank him in as I tried to convince myself that this moment was real.
So much of my life had been consumed with pushing aside my own wants, too afraid to hope for someone to love me because that reality was so far out of my reach.
Yet, this man knelt before me, drenched, and with hair dripping water down his face, which was soft with patience. “Do you mean it?” I had to ask.
“Of course,” he breathed out. “How could I not?”
“Because I’m not…anything. Despite the crest on my necklace, I’m not royalty.” I thought of all the missteps I’d made in the castle. “And I still don’t know all the rules about when to stand and when to bow and when to talk.”
He framed my face with his hands and looked deep into my eyes. “You are the most naturally regal person I’ve ever met. Crowds don’t ruffle you. Stares don’t intimidate you. You aren’t arrogant, and you genuinely like being around people.”
His words calmed my angst almost immediately. I loved being around people.
“But more importantly, you are kind and good, and you make me laugh. And against all odds, I think I’ve actually been good for you as well.” There was the smallest bit of doubt in his eyes.
“More than good,” I assured him, wondering how he could be anything less than confident.
“So when I say I want to marry you, I mean it with every piece of me.” He swallowed down the emotion that had crept into his voice.
“However,” he said as he rubbed his hands over my chilled arms. “You are only allowed to say yes if you truly want it. Not because it’s what I want.
Not because you think you have no other options.
Not because you believe I or my mother or the kingdom needs you.
It can only be because you want me as much as I want you. ”
I scooted forward and wrapped my arms around him, creating a little circle of warmth and raking my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck. “What if I want you more?” I asked as I took in the utter sincerity in his eyes.
“Impossible,” he whispered and then fit his lips to mine, tightening his arms around my waist as the waves rocked us gently from side to side.
I marveled at the give and take of our shared affection, and I marveled at the idea that we could have this always, that such profound connection and intimacy could be a consistent part of my life.
I pulled back as tears welled. “I love you.”
He smiled as his thumb brushed over the curve of my jaw. “And I love you. Does that mean you’ll marry me?”
“Of course I’m going to marry you, but you must promise me one thing.”
“Name it.”
“We must have babies.”
He grinned, then pressed a small kiss to my lips. “My love,” he whispered against my mouth, “we will have lots and lots of babies.”