Okay, so, this is, as it said in the summary, five moments that Ingvar realizes something new about Lydia, starting from the moment they met. The first four are in the books, the last is after all of them. Yes, it is Ingvar and Lydia paired romantically. I think they should be together. That is something I firmly believe and will continue to believe no matter who ends up with who.
Disclaimer: If I was John Flanagan, Ingvar and Lydia would already be together, and Hal and Stig would both be happy with others.
He could remember the time she had first appeared in his life. At that moment, he had no idea how much she would change his life. He hadn't truly known what was going on. His shipmate had told him that there was a girl, and that she was a 'real looker'.
Ingvar had thought that Edvin had been exaggerating. After all, none of them had seen a girl in ages. Clearly, his friend's senses would be a little different.
It wasn't until the second time that he realized how right Edvin had been.
The second moment that stood out in his life was during the battle, after he was injured. He had been lying, injured on the bed, and he had seen Lydia standing over him. She was close enough that he could see her truly for the first time.
She looked like an angel. Dark hair, maybe. Darker skin, maybe. Angel, definitely.
So that was when he found out about her appearance.
It was only later that he understood how wonderful her personality was. After he had begun to heal for the first time, before he had taken a turn for the worse, she had sat by him, talked to him. She stayed for ages – it must have been boring after a while, but still she stayed, keeping him company for as long as she could. They talked and laughed – though laughing hurt Ingvar's side.
It was mostly a one-sided conversation. Ingvar couldn't talk too much without it hurting more. But still, she stayed, talked.
That was when he knew about her wonderful personality.
The next time that stood out was when he finally realized her prowess in battle. The last time, he had been too busy with the Mangler to notice how well Lydia was doing. But in Raguza, he could finally know how much damage she could cause. She was a warrior, he thought, as much as any one of us Herons. Then he corrected himself. She was one of the Herons.
Eventually, it was time to board the ship. Lydia guided him to where he should be. She handed him an oar and pulled him onto the Raven with her. She was absolutely beautiful in that moment. Exhausted, sweaty, clothes slightly torn – beautiful. She had pointed out the enemy to him, helped him fight and be a good member of the team.
The final moment that he noticed something about Lydia was a while after that. She was with him, standing by the rail of the ship, looking out to sea. They were both wishing to go back to the way it had been before. When they had fought side by side to get the Andomal back and had succeeded, enjoying the glory and triumph.
Those times were gone now. But as they stood there together, Lydia turned to Ingvar. She didn't say a word. She just leaned forward and lightly pressed her lips to his, just for a moment. Then she turned and walked back.
That was when Ingvar realized how right she was for him.