Hello! I have come BACK! (hehe…) All joking aside, I'm excited to be sharing this story with you. It's based on an older version of a fairy tale (or a couple of fairy tales) that I'm sure a few people here might know. If you know where the story is from, great, but if you don't, no worries! Enjoy! P.S. I'm using the letters "CO" as a pagebreak.
The Sun's Arising
"Lucky people, so 'tis said
He who has luck will go to bed
And bliss will rain upon his head."
No one has ever heard our story. Some people may say that they know similar tales, but those are not the tales that I am referring to. There is a story that came after, and only now will it be told.
My brother Elio and I lived a happy life together with our parents, who happened to be the king and queen of a small nation. It was normally thought that royalty would not be so close to one another. Instead, we were the most joyful of families. Through this joy, our kingdom flourished in love and hospitality.
Elio and I were completely inseparable. We were quite the strangest of siblings, as although we were twins, we looked very different from one another. He had thick, golden hair which crackled like fire, while mine was black and smooth. Once, my brother joked that I had the mane of a horse, to which I retaliated by calling his head a bird's nest.
In spite of our arguments, however, we were the closest of friends. We loved spending time outdoors in a marvelous field that was part of the royal land, which contained a vast number of pine trees. Elio liked running, and he would often ask me to race him. He usually won, for he was an exceedingly fast runner. Sometimes, I would bring myself a book to read and sit under a tree while Elio swung in the branches above.
"You better not fall on me, or I'll tell mother and father," I would often warn him.
"Maybe I will, Selena, if you don't join me up here."
I would usually ignore him, but Elio would start dropping leaves and twigs on me, and I would drop my book, shrieking, "You wretched boy!" and start climbing the tree, with Elio scrambling up to escape me. Although Elio liked the trees, he was not a very fast climber, and I would quickly catch up with him.
When I was close to him, I would grab his ankle. "Got you!" I would yell.
"Let go of me!" he protested, wrangling his leg about. I would smirk, for I knew that he was afraid I would pull him down, but I would finally concede and let go. The two of us would then sit in the branches, enjoying the shade. When we were tired of being in the tree, we would decide to return to the ground, and I would climb down as quickly as I ascended. On the other hand, Elio would take an exceedingly long time.
"You're such a cat," I once said impatiently to him. By now I had reached the ground, and I was crossing my arms as he sluggishly moved.
"No, you're the cat—they can move down tress rather quickly, you know." Elio knew much more about animals than I did, so I accepted what he said.
Most of the time, we had to come inside before sundown, for we would have spent the whole day (that is, after we had tutoring and lunch) outdoors. On rare occasions, especially during the summer, our parents would let us chase for fireflies, and they would bring jars for us to put our fireflies in. While we ran through the field, they would watch us.
Evening captivated me, whether from the glow of the fireflies or the shimmering light of the moon. It was also the time when I knew that fairies tended to be out, so I would often search for some as well. Elio would often dismiss me, saying that there were no fairies here.
"And how would you know?" I would reply, refusing to listen to him. "The fireflies might be fairies in disguise."
"No, they're not!" said Elio, laughing at me.
Mother, who was a fair-faced, gentle woman, would walk up to me, saying, "Someday, Selena, you will get to see one in all her splendor." She had once told me that she had been visited by fairies before, and although she had never met them, she was aware of their magic around her.
Father would come up to her side and say, "If you should meet a fairy, however, make sure she is good."
I was aware bad fairies existed, as I had read many stories where they served as their villains. "Don't worry, Father, I will be careful when I do meet one."
About this time, Elio, who was likely getting tired of my fairy-talk, would challenge me to a firefly catching contest. Whoever caught the most fireflies in a certain amount of time would win. Mother and Father acted as the timekeepers.
"Ready, set, GO!" Father would exclaim, and we would be off. Elio would frantically start gathering as many fireflies as he could, but I usually could not concentrate, for the night was too beautiful for me to rush through it, especially with the people that I loved the most. I wanted to be with them forever.
Alas, it could not be.
A few days before my brother and I turned ten, I was told by the doctors that I had a serious illness in which I could not go outside, or else my skin would burn to shreds. It was confusing to me because I had been outside many times before with my brother, and although my skin was pale, I had never burned before.
Suddenly, I could no longer be outdoors. Elio, however, thrived on the sun, so I would tell him to go without me after we had our lessons and lunch. I wished that I could join him with all my heart, but inside the palace I remained. When he returned to the palace, he would recall the interesting things he had seen and did that day, but he told me that it was not the same without me there.
Then came our tenth birthday. There was a grand celebration held at the palace, with musicians and dancing. In the middle of the party, however, Elio grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs, saying he had something to show me.
I did not like surprises. "Where are we going?" I asked, but he refused to answer me until we were there. He said that he was going to tell me about it after the party, but he could not wait any longer.
He took me to a spacious room, one which had once been used for entertaining but was no longer used. Once we entered it, the sight made my jaw drop open. A large pine tree, much like the ones we climbed, was in the center. It was fabricated and not very tall, but it looked convincing. A mossy carpet lay on the ground below the tree, and a large window which spanned the entire far wall let in the light of the moon. Scattered upon the remaining walls were small candles.
"What is this?" I said.
"If you can't be outdoors, then the outdoors will be with you. See this tree? It's much like the ones we climb. And the candles are supposed to be fireflies…or fairies, if you prefer."
"But how did we get this?"
"You know that Mother and Father were looking for something to give us on our birthday, don't you? They asked me what I wanted, and I told them that I wanted something for both of us."
My eyes glanced around in disbelief, and I suddenly turned to my brother. "This was your idea?" I asked.
"Yes. That way we can play together, and you can have the outdoors at night all the time."
I felt tears well up in my eyes, and threw my arms around my brother tightly. It would not be the same as being with Elio in the day, but I was touched that he would do something like that for me. It made me realize just how close we were.
CO
And so it was, Elio outdoors by himself during the day and me inside, but at night we were able to play together as we had before, making up silly games and stories to keep us entertained. The servants of our palace would help maintain the "tree room," as we called it, ensuring the candles were lit in the evening and sometimes hanging lanterns to brighten the darkness (although still keeping the room dim to maintain the illusion of night).
When we were older, we still were as close as ever. Because of Elio's love of the outdoors, he would sometimes not come back until after sunset—by now, our parents had trusted that he would return to the palace at that time. I was not completely alone in the palace, for my parents were there most of the time unless Father happened to be traveling for royal reasons. When Elio returned to the palace, we would spend time together as we had been, talking about our days in the tree room.
Soon, however, I noticed that he was acting differently. Elio, once boisterous and loud, had grown reserved, often preferring to sit near the large window and stare at the sky. When talking to him, I also noticed that he was not paying attention to what I was saying. One day, I decided to trick him.
"Today I ate a spider," I told him while he was gazing at the stars.
"Was it good?" he said, not turning to face me.
"No, I promptly vomited it. And then I ate its cobweb."
Elio remained engrossed by the sky. "Then what happened?" he asked nonchalantly.
"I vomited again."
"That's nice." I was so close to slapping him, but I saw his eyes slowly drift down. Blinking at me in surprise, he asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
With an irritated sigh, I said, "What's wrong with you? It's as if you've drifted off to sea."
"I am swimming," he said, as though in a trance.
I knew at once he had a secret on his mind. "You're keeping something from me."
He glared defensively at me—the first time tonight he was actually attentive. "No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!" I taunted. "What is it?"
"I'm not telling you."
"But you have to tell me! I told you so many things before. It wouldn't be fair!"
"Too bad then, because I'm not saying another word."
I began thinking to myself. What would be so bad that Elio would want to keep it secret so that even I could not know? If he had caused some ruckus in the palace, he certainly would tell me, so I knew it could not be that. Did he do something crazy outside? Did he hit somebody? No, it had to be something that was so embarrassing that if he told me, I would surely make fun of him. But what could do such a thing?
And then, it struck me like lightning. "You're in love."
"In love?" Elio laughed out loud. "How could I possibly be in love? Do you think that would be something worth keeping a secret about? Of course I'm not in love."
"You're in love," I said once again, keeping my voice steady.
"I am," Elio admitted, and with that he promptly fell backwards onto the soft grassy carpet.
I pointed at him, smiling gleefully. "Ha! Did you really think I would not know?"
"You wouldn't understand," he replied.
"I won't deny it, but what is so bad about it? Love is a good thing."
"Too good," he said. "I can't stop thinking about her."
"Who is she, then?" I said. "Some goddess, I assume?"
A faltering smile spread across my brother's face. "What's greater than a goddess?"
"This is getting out of hand."
"I knew you wouldn't get it."
Sighing, I replied, "Please continue. What's her name?"
"Ara," he replied dreamily.
"Ara? Why have I heard that name before?"
"She's the daughter of one of Father's chamberlains. The youngest of five daughters, so she knows that it's like to have annoying sisters." He grinned sneakily at me. I was not amused, but I let him have his brief amusement.
"Have you met them?" I asked.
"Indeed I have. Although she is the prettiest of them all."
"You're biased," I said.
"How I am, but she is so…ravishing! One look and I cannot keep my eyes off her."
"Let me guess, she has blue eyes and golden hair that is not as shockingly bright as yours, but still luminous."
"Ah, luminous, yes, but not quite gold. Think amber. As for the eyes, they are not simply blue but a deep blue, like the evening sky. It's why I can't stop gazing at it, for it reminds me of her eyes. And the stars resemble the constant twinkle that I see in them."
One might find my brother's wordiness jarring, but it was part of who he was. I did not have his talent for imagery, although I was quick with words in a different way.
"If you so much desire this evening sky, then you should probably tell her your feelings."
His eyes suddenly darkened. "What?"
"You heard me."
Elio quickly shook his head. "I couldn't."
"And why not? You know her, don't you?"
"But…I just…I couldn't!" he griped.
"If you don't, how will you ever know that she feels the same way?" Elio tossed about on the ground. What a child, I thought to myself. At this rate, not a single woman will want to be with him.
"It's impossible for me to tell her," said Elio. "What if she says no? I might not ever recover."
"Who am I talking to?" I said. "Am I really talking to a prince right now? Or am I talking to a scared little boy who will pout if he can't get his way?"
Elio gave me a sour look. "You're cruel," he said.
"It's the truth," I simply replied.
My brother pushed himself off the ground and sat back up. "How should I tell her?" he sighed.
"Say what's on your mind. Tell her that you love her."
"And if she doesn't love me?"
"Well, how would you respond to her?"
He remained quiet for a moment, thinking deeply. Annoyed by his indecision, I stood up. "Pretend that I'm Ara," I said.
At once, Elio convulsed. "You will do no such thing!"
"For goodness sake!" I cried. "Stand up and face me." Seeing him so uncomfortable as he got up, I added, "If it makes you feel better, close your eyes." This he did. I then said, "Now, imagine that Ara is standing before you. She is listening to what you have to tell her. Go."
Elio rubbed his hands together, eyes still closed. After what seemed like a thousand years, he finally spoke. "Ara…we've…I…we've been together for a while, and I feel so alive…no, I couldn't say that…"
"She's in front of you," I warned.
He tried again. "Every day I spend with you is so joyous, so wonderful, and I can't stop thinking about all we've shared. I wanted to…to tell you…that I…" Right then, he opened his eyes and groaned in frustration. "It's not right, Selena! She'll think me a fool."
"What would you say to her, then, if she said you were a fool?"
Facing the window, he said, "I would tell her she can think that I'm a fool, for I feel so deeply for her that it doesn't matter what she says. And no matter what she thinks, I will be there for her if she ever needs me."
"And that's all you need to say," I replied.
Elio took another deep breath and sat back down upon the carpet. "I'll tell her tomorrow," he said softly. "It'll rip me apart, but I'll tell her."
Sitting beside him, I said, "Do not ever feel that a woman's love is the only thing that will determine your happiness."
"I know," he said, attempting to cheer himself up, "but I've thought about what it would be like to have these feelings returned. Whenever I see Mother and Father together, I think about how happy they are, and I wonder if I could obtain what they have."
I shook my head, almost laughing. Here was my brother, completely in love and dreaming of having an everlasting relationship. I had not expected that of him…or maybe I did, given how strongly he could feel things…but love? It was the last thing I thought would be on his mind.
"Well, let me say this: any woman who rejects you would be absolutely insane."
Elio gave me a small smile—he was still worried, but reassured. "Thank you," he told me.
The next day, Elio left to pursue not only his life outdoors but the love of the girl he had longed for. I spent my time reading, but I could not help think about what would happen if she refused him. I tried thinking about the last time something had made him so upset, but I could not recall anything. And even if he had ever felt so crestfallen, Elio would never let it show on his face. He would go on smiling as he did before. But he was so convinced that he would not recover from a rejection that I could only wish that it would not occur.
I tried to remember the story of how my parents fell in love. It was a very happy story, and it was no wonder that Elio had wished to have a relationship such as they did. We had once asked our parents the question of how they met.
"It was love at first sight," Father said.
"The moment we looked into each other's eyes, we knew at once that we were meant to be," said Mother.
"And here we are—still in love as we had been," Father replied, looking at Mother lovingly.
Love at first sight, I quickly learned in the lessons that my brother and I had under our tutors, was merely nonexistent, so to see that it had worked out between our parents gave us hope that we ourselves would find people that we would be blissful with forever. I wanted so much for Ara to be that person for Elio.
Hours passed, and I heard a knock on my room's door I was confident that it was Elio and opened it: he looked like a walking corpse. To my dismay, I guessed what had happened.
"Elio…I'm sorry."
I thought that Elio would start breaking down on the ground, as I had expected him to. Instead, the corners of his mouth turned up very slightly. Perhaps he has accepted her rejection, I thought to myself. And then, words tumbled from his mouth.
"She returns my feelings."
He said these so softly at first that I was completely skeptical of him. "She returns them? So she loves you as well?"
The smile grew wider, and he nodded, but his voice remained low. "Yes."
"Then…why are you so quiet? Why aren't you rejoicing?"
"I am rejoicing," he said, "but…it's so much different from what I imagined it would be."
I eyed him. "You doubt your feelings for her?"
"No, no, it's…" He gave a loud sigh, and he closed his eyes.
"Well, what is it, then?" He dropped his chin to his chest, and I could tell that he did not want to tell me, but I had to know. "Please, what happened?"
After slowly lifting his head back up, he said, "Before we departed, I kissed her."
I beckoned more words from him. "And? What of that?"
"When I was longing for her, there was so much turmoil and chaos, like a great flood. But when we kissed, everything inside of me just…stopped."
"Ah, so she released you from your anguish," I said.
"Maybe like that, but it was more…the idea that we were together now. How it was now…real." He laughed faintly. "I didn't think this would happen at all."
I had never seen anything grip Elio so firmly. He was completely engrossed in this quiet state, and he seemed partly uncertain about what to do about it. Never had something done something like this before to him, and it worried me a little. The lively, energetic boy that was once my brother had transformed into a man who was feeling emotions so strong that they were changing the way he expressed himself.
I decided to take on his usual role as the tension-breaker to snap him out of it. "You'll be seeing her again, I presume?"
He flashed a grin at me—a very brief return of his natural persona—and said, "Most definitely."
CO
It went from one day to two, and then a week, and before long Elio had spent a whole month with his new sweetheart. I hardly saw him often, as he would spend time with Ara's family. While I was sad, I was happy for my brother.
When we were together, we still did the same things together, but this time he would tell me stories of the time he spent with Ara.
"You have yet to introduce me to her," I said.
"I will—I promise. She is more excited to meet you, in fact." He then drew exceedingly silent.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
"Nothing," he replied. I knew at once that he was thinking of something grave.
"I can see something's troubling you."
"A little…but I will get over it."
"What is it?"
He slowly looked up at me, then back down. And then, he replied, "I have thought about asking her father if I could marry her."
My eyes grew wide. "That's wonderful," I said.
"It sounds wonderful," he said, "but there are some things to consider. First of all, in terms of marriage, I'm still quite young…"
"Oh, rubbish!" I said. "You've been of age for a while."
"But to marry now? It's too soon!"
"How long have you known her?" I asked him.
"For a long time. If I hadn't I probably wouldn't have realized that I loved her."
"Isn't that plenty?"
"But how do I explain it to Father?" he said.
I furrowed my brow. "He doesn't know about Ara, does he?"
"No, and neither does Mother."
"Why not?" I asked. "She's a chamberlain's daughter, perfectly respectable…"
"I know, I know," he sighed, "but there are things I've heard about her family. In particular, her father."
"Oh what of it, then?" I said, growing impatient with Elio's excuses.
"Well, it's been said…that her father was once…a cook."
Once again, my gaze grew doubtful. "A cook? Really?"
"Yes, and not just any cook, but the former cook of this palace."
I began thinking. I did not know the history of the servants in this palace, but I never would have thought that Ara's father was once a cook. Tucking some of my hair behind my ear, I said to Elio, "Are you opposed to the fact that her father was once a cook?"
"No!" he cried out immediately. "Not at all!"
"Then why are you still worried?"
"I'm worried Father might be opposed to it. And Mother…although I'm more worried about what Father has to say, obviously, since…"
"Yes, because he's the king," I finished for him. Then, out of my own concern, I asked, "Do her parents know of your feelings?"
"Ara told me they were aware since we have spent much time together. I have not told her father that I wanted to marry her, though."
"But you will tell her?"
"I have to, don't I?"
It was an interesting dilemma, with Ara's parents knowing of the relationship but not ours. If there was one thing that could make them aware of Elio's intentions, then they had to see it in person.
"Our parents know the chamberlain. Could you perhaps bring Ara to the palace for dinner? That way, they can meet her, and they will see how charming she is. Then, you can tell them that you want to marry her."
Elio squinted, not exactly convinced by my plan. "She is charming, but that might not necessarily mean they will consent."
"But it will give them a chance to meet her! They'll see that she's a proper lady, and regardless of who her father is, or once was, they will respect her and see her as a wonderful future queen."
"Future queen?" Elio's eyes opened once more. "I hadn't realized that…but you're right. She would become the future queen. That is, if I married her."
"So when you propose to her, you'll have to tell her that as well so that she won't get too frightened."
"Selena, you're so adamant about having us marry. Why is that?"
"I'm not adamant," I corrected. "It's just that…you deserve to have a good marriage, and I think you and Ara will have that. And I'll actually have, for the first time…oh, silly me…" With that I shook my head and smiled.
"What?" asked Elio, grinning again. "Go on!"
I looked back at him, telling him what had been on my mind for quite a while. "I'll have a sister."
The dinner was planned, and Elio brought Ara to the palace. Once again, the doctors came and told me that I had a fever, so I had to stay upstairs in my room while the dinner was going on, to my dismay. Other than the relationship I had with my brother and parents, the interaction with my caretakers was the second most important one I had. There were three doctors and two nurses who took care of me, always tracking my health and making sure that I was not too sick.
It seemed that my problems were multiplying and getting worse, but I told them that I could not feel any of them. One of my doctors, Doctor Tomaten, explained to me that this was actually one of my conditions. "You're quite fortunate in that way," he told me. "You don't have to feel all the horrible things that come with illness. But at the same time, it's dangerous because if you do get sick, you won't know."
"Is there anything for it?" I asked.
"There is some medicine that stuns it for a short period of time, and we occasionally include in the mixtures that we give you. That is why you are able to feel sick sometimes, but it's only to make sure that your reaction to sickness still exists. It just won't manifest if we don't bring it up."
Doctor Tomaten and my other caretakers would provide me liquid medicines that would help me feel better. On some days, however, I would start feeling dizzy and ill for hours, which would convince me that I really was not in a healthy state at all. My doctors wanted to make sure that I was as well as I could be, and although it pained me not to be outdoors, I understood why my parents had sent for them. They were all good people, with the doctors held in high esteem by Father and given badges of honor.
It was very late at night, and the doctors had said that no one could enter my room in case I had something contagious. Within three days, however, I was told that I was better. I came out of my room, and within seconds Elio found me. He was indoors, which surprised me.
"Shouldn't you be outside?" I asked.
"I wanted to make sure you were better. How are you?"
"Good, but I've been sick like this before. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"
Elio's face fell with shock. "Did the doctors not tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
His eyes were gleaming with excitement, and I immediately guessed what had happened. "I proposed to her yesterday. She said yes!"
Never mind that no one had said anything to me—it had happened at last! Feeling overjoyed, I hugged my brother tightly. "Finally! I'm sorry I was not there to hear it the day it happened."
"No, no, you're not at fault. I told them to tell you when they came to see how you were doing."
"It doesn't matter," I said as I released him. "The fact is that you're getting married! So Father and Mother approved after all?"
"More than approved! They could not stop talking to her at the dinner, and she found loved being around them. And then, when I told them about my intentions, they said that they would approve provided that I asked her father for permission. I did that, and he gave it, and I was going to ask Ara right after but I realized that I didn't have a ring, so I had one made…and before I knew it, there I was, asking her to marry me."
"Did you say anything about becoming queen?" I asked him.
"She said that she would have to get used to the idea but was willing, if it meant being by my side."
I had to laugh at this, although secretly I was touched by what she had said. "See how devoted she is to you?"
Elio took my hands. "Selena, I wanted to thank you throughout this all. I was nervous the whole time, and I don't think I could have done it had you not been guiding me."
"Your proposal came from your heart. I couldn't have told you how to do it."
"You convinced me to pursue her."
"Fair enough," I said, keen to take a small amount of recognition.
"Another thing," he then said, his voice becoming even more serious. "I don't want to you to think that I'll forget about you. You're my sister, after all."
"Oh please! You have more important things to think about! If I had it my way, I wouldn't let you visit me anymore."
"You're stubborn, aren't you?" he smirked.
"Fine," I said. "Every two weeks, if you're so desperate. Now let us go eat. It must be around lunchtime." As we went downstairs, my mind was in quite a stupor. Yes, I would not be seeing Elio as much after his wedding, but it had to happen someday, and the happiness I was feeling for him outweighed any dejection I had.
The wedding day of my brother and his bride-to-be steadily approached, and I did everything I could to stay as healthy as I could so that I could attend, for I did not want to miss it. I ate plenty of vegetables, drank water, and kept still as much as I possibly could. And then, right before the day of the wedding, something horrible happened.
I woke up feeling a dreadful ache in my stomach. It kept squeezing so tightly. In the afternoon, I vomited out the meal I had eaten for lunch. The doctors said that I had the stomach flu. Before they could declare that I had to be isolated from others once again, I told the doctors to bring my parents over, as I wanted to see them for a very short time.
They came in, and I begged and pleaded that I go to the wedding. This would be the only time I would see my brother married, and I had to go. I needed to go. I even told them that I would not eat anything that day if it meant keeping myself from expelling anything.
"How sick is she?" Father asked Doctor Tomaten, who was tending to me.
"Very sick. It could be contagious."
"But perhaps we can find a way," Father replied. For a second, I thought I saw him give the doctors a cutting look, and with that they began to depart.
"We'll come back to check on her," they said. When they left, Father started talking to me.
"Selena," he said kindly, "there is a way for you to attend the wedding. In the church, there is a balcony that has a very good view of the altar."
"But don't other people usually sit in that balcony?"
"We'll clear it. No one except you will be allowed there."
"And we'll have nurses there to make sure you do not faint in the middle," said Mother.
I could not believe that this was happening, but perhaps Father and Mother knew as well as I do that this was a special day and could not be missed, even with my sickness. I would have hugged them, but instead, I thanked them heartily.
"Go and rest now, Selena," said Father, and he and Mother then left my room.
I could not think of anything else the rest of the day. I could not even sleep that night. This was going to be an amazing day, and while I was disappointed that I could not talk to my brother beforehand and give him words of reassurance, I was enthusiastic for him and his future bride.
The next morning, a nurse came, and we entered a separate carriage from my parents to the church. I was placed in the balcony, as father said, with a blue silk tent over me so that I would be shielded. I could feel my stomach squeezing and tumbling dreadfully. None of that bothered me, for the ceremony was exquisite. There was music and processionals. And after the bride and groom said their vows, exchanged rings, and were declared man and wife, I clapped along with the rest of the wedding guests.
Right after the wedding, my nurse and I returned to the palace so that I would recover. She gave me soup and bread to eat. Throughout it all, I began thinking of the delicacies that were being served at the wedding. Surely, there had to be a cake. I started wishing that I was there, but I remained calm. This was the day of Elio and Ara. If they were having a wonderful time, then I could be happy as well.
Luckily for me, my sickness soon subsided, and during breakfast one morning, I met Ara for the very first time. My parents had asked Elio and Ara to join them for breakfast, as the newly-wedded couple was currently residing in a small palace east of where the main palace was—a wedding gift from them. Elio was taking a quick walk outdoors but said that Ara should eat, for she had said that she was hungry.
Ara happily introduced herself to me, and as we talked over our meals, I found her as beautiful and charming as Elio had described, and her eyes were a wonder to behold.
"It's a pity that we're only meeting now," she told me. "I had hoped to see you at the wedding, as Elio has said so many wonderful things about you."
"He said very lovely things about you as well," I said.
"I suppose that's the way he always is," she said, beaming at me, "complimenting people. It's a good trait to have for a future king." She then stared down humbly at her plate. "Although, to be honest, I'm still not sure how I would fare as a queen."
"Listen," I reassured her. "My parents said that they could not think of anyone better as a daughter-and-law. You will make a beautiful queen."
"Do you think so?" she said, looking back up in astonishment.
"I guarantee it."
Her face quickly went back to glowing as it had been. "We will have to see, for it will be a while until then. But in the meantime, I am so happy to be with you! One day I should bring my sisters here, and you can meet them as well!" I was excited to hear this, although I hardly had people come see me, given that I was ill often, so I was not sure how this would work. Just then, Elio arrived, and I told him that his wife was keeping me company while he was off exploring as he always did. He was glad to see that we had become friends, and when my parents arrived to the table, we all had a hearty conversation. It had been a long time since I had been with the three people I loved most at the same time, and now we had someone else to share our joy with.
Things had come in place at last. Elio had found the love of his life. I had gained a sister, and her sisters had gained a brother, and my parents would, if things went as planned, would become grandparents. Most joyful of families indeed.
It would be fitting to say that this was the ending of the story, but as it turns out, many more things lay ahead. Grave, perilous things.