The Princess Eilonwy and her companions, lately her rescuers, were returning to Mona after their arduous adventures. As they reached the top of the hill the castle walls came clearly in sight and all agreed that a well deserved respite was in order. Eilonwy slowly lowered herself to the ground and rested her back against a tree as her eyes wandered over the fields of Mona. Taran and Fflewddur sat down heavily on either side of her as Gurgi playfully began to scale the tree. Gwydion, ever restless, prowled through their surroundings practically sniffing the air for danger.
"Hullo! Home at last!" Came Rhun's cheerful if slightly out of breath voice as he reached the top of the hill and flung himself on the ground to rest. "Aren't you glad to be home, Eilonwy? Everyone will be so happy to see you again."
Eilonwy smiled fondly at the young man at her feet but didn't reply. Fflewddur began idly plucking at his harp to draw attention away from her silence. All of the companions could not help but notice how subdued she had been on their journey back to Mona from the Castle of Llyr. Although she assured them that she was recovered, she hardly ever spoke. Her eyes, although fully alert and full of affection for her friends, were sadder than her companions remembered and no amount of reassuring words or teasing could quite rid them of their melancholy. Taran wondered if Gwydion might have made a mistake when he took her aside and described exactly what she had been through and done. Eilonwy had disappeared for a short while after her talk with Gwydion and Taran strongly suspected that she had spent her time alone crying to the trees. Throughout their journey she had been staring guiltily at Gurgi but hadn't spoken a word to him yet although she seemed to want to. She had that same guilty look as she watched her friend playing in the branches of the tree, the friend she had hurt because he had been faithful to her. She looked away quickly and stared determinately at the ground. Fflewddur frantically began playing cheerful tunes on his harp and jesting with Rhun. Taran looked searchingly at Eilonwy as she brought her head up again and looked him in the eye.
"Did I do that to you, too?" She gestured at the ugly bruise on the side of his face.
"Well, I…you…yes." Taran stammered, tenderly touching the area where she had violently struck him as he had tried to pull the bewitched girl from her prison. He shuddered inwardly at the memory, not of the slap, but at the way she had looked at him so cruelly. The look in her eyes now could not be more different as she stared at him with horror and sorrow.
"I was afraid of that," she answered in a strained voice, "I'm sure I don't know why you bothered to pull me out of that castle after I had been so horrible to all of you." Fflewddur stopped playing as they all stared at her in shock, unsure how to reply.
"My dear!" Fflewddur began, realizing that Taran and Rhun were at a loss for words. "We couldn't give up on you for the plain and simple reason that we love you. What greater reason is there?" Taran and Rhun nodded earnestly and then exchanged wary glances, each unsure how to react to the other's enthusiasm. Gurgi dropped from his perch.
"Gurgi knows his friend loves him and didn't want to fill Gurgi's poor tender head with hurtings! Gurgi wouldn't let sweet girl stay in castle of rumblings and crumblings!" He eagerly reached forward and placed a crown of leaves and small flowers from the tree on her head. "Gurgi made a crown for lady without castle. She is still our princess!" Eilonwy tentatively reached up to touch the makeshift crown and then, without warning, broke into such a smile that it lit up her eyes with joy as well. The companions exhaled a collective sigh of relief as Eilonwy flung her arms around Gurgi and laughed happily, thanking him and apologizing at the same time.
"How wonderful," she giggled at the indulgence, adjusting the crown over her red gold hair, "isn't it lovely? More beautiful than anything made out of metal could be."
"I doubt if my mother will approve, but it is very fetching!" Rhun exclaimed.
"Nothing could be more beautiful." Taran grinned at her. Although Gwydion had assured him that the girl would recover with time, her recent distance and sadness had caused him to worry that one morning she would awake a stranger to him again or slowly fade away. He could now see that Achren's spell no longer had any hold over Eilonwy and his heart began to beat freely again.
Lord Gwydion lead the princess Eilonwy before King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria, announcing jovially "I believe we have found your misplaced treasure, your Highnesses." Eilonwy looked shocked as the king jumped from his seat and the queen smothered her in a motherly embrace. Taran smiled at the confused look on her face as she glanced at him questioningly over Teleria's shoulder. "I suggest," Gwydion added in a more serious tone, "that you do not misplace her again."
"Of course!" Rhuddlum answered, greeting his son and Eilonwy with obvious relief on his face. "We won't make that mistake again, will we dear?"
"No indeed!" Teleria muttered, taking stock of Eilonwy's disheveled state.
Taran could no longer deny that it was time for him to leave Mona.
"Don't worry friend, I will stay in the castle for a while until I am sure that all is well with her." Fflewddur told him softly, clasping his hand with understanding.
"And my eyes will never be far from either of you." Gwydion added before going to Eilonwy. He cupped the girl's chin in his large hand warmly. "How like your mother you look" he murmured sadly, almost to himself. "She would be so proud of her daughter. Do not doubt that you did the right thing, my child." He kissed her brow. "Come, Taran. Say your farewell."
Taran had to remind himself to breathe. Placing his hand on the ivory horn she had given him, he said "I will hold true to my oath."
"As will I." Eilonwy replied.
"There is one more gift I would ask from you…" Taran began nervously. "I hope that it is in your power to give."
Eilonwy raised her eyebrows, but looked at him kindly. "What would you have, Taran of Caer Dallben?"
"Only…only before I leave you, I should like very much…I was hoping to see you smile again."
The memory of the smile she bestowed on him was one that he would never keep far from his thoughts as he wandered through Prydain, trying to ease the pain of their separation.