Disclaimer: Deltora Quest and all its characters are property of Emily Rodda and Scholastic Australia, not me.

Summary: Not one of us really knows what happened between landing from the Final Battle – I wonder if any of my readers recognise that, but I mean it here as in the gluggy blob – until Lief and Jasmine's wedding. This is what I think could have happened, but definitely did NOT.

If you do not like stories where the romance is not subtle, do not waste your time reading this. I will have to change the characters just a little so that they can work with the story line. After all, only Emily Rodda could get the characters perfectly right, anyway.

Thank-you to my reviewers, your help and criticism is always very much appreciated. Ooo! Guess what my mum just told me the other week? Apparently I have a massive Jasmine flower creeper growing around the side of our house – and it's been there for eight years! LoL. I'm very observant, as you could all imagine.

PLEASE SAY YES

Chapter 3: Music

Lief sat on the edge of his bed, chin propped in his hands, and elbows resting on his thighs. He could not believe what had just happened in the library, it was amazing. Jasmine did love him, and his heart felt full. He stayed that way for quite some time, happily contemplating the future. As usual, however, after realising that everything was right for once, Lief began to have his doubts. Since when had anything ever just worked out? What nasty twist was involved later on down the track?

Deciding he needed to stretch his legs, Lief went on a slow walk around the palace.

"Lief!" It was Jasmine. "Lief, Doom told me to tell you to see him at your earliest convenie– Lief? What's wrong?"

"It's too easy, isn't it?"

"What's too easy?"

"This," Lief took Jasmine's hands in his own. "Jasmine, don't you ever worry that everything will just…collapse around our heads? Don't you wonder what's going to go wrong next?"

"No…should I? Lief, something doesn't always have to go wrong! There has to be a time – regardless of how long or short, when things just have to work Lief, are you sure it's not just you getting cold feet? Because I could understand if you simply wanted to…stop."

"Jasmine!" Lief was shocked, and pulled Jasmine in to a tight embrace. "That's not it at all. I just, I dunno. I just can't believe that things would ever work out right for me, but here I am. The Shadow Lord has lost his grip on Deltora, the land is thriving again, and then there's you, Jasmine – I have you, and that's what makes me happiest of all."

"Oh, Lief!" Jasmine blushed, and shyly stood on tiptoe to peck Lief quickly on the cheek. Lief turned his head at the last moment, and instead of kissing him on the cheek, Jasmine got his lips. At first she was shocked, and just froze. Lief returned her kiss with passion, and soon Jasmine was kissing him back.

They stayed that way for quite a while, until Jasmine eventually pulled back. "Lief," she began; he murmured to show he was listening – his eyes weer still closed. "Lief, where do we go from here?"

"Why, marriage, of course, Jasmine." Lief smiled when a hot red flush rose to Jasmine's cheeks. "Then living together, then children…"

"Lief! You haven't even asked me yet! What if I don't want all that?"

Lief froze; Jasmine was panting slightly. "Well, do you?"

"Of course!" Jasmine was still irritated. "It's just….this wasn't how I imagined things."

"It wasn't? Are you disappointed?" Lief couldn't keep a tragic tone from entering his voice.

"No, never, it's just–"

"Good then," Lief beamed. "In which case, I have to ask you something, Jasmine."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, Jasmine," Lief's voice took no a tender tone, and he produced a white lily from his pocket. "Jasmine, I love you. I have for the longest time – and I think I remember when I first realised it. When Dain first joined us, I remember being eaten up with jealousy each time either of you so much as smiled at the other –"

Jasmine laughed.

"And that love was what led me to follow you into the underground caverns and the Shadowlands. Jasmine – even the Shadow Lord knew it. He lured you into the Shadow Lands by tricking you into thinking you had a little sister, and he lured me their by bringing you in Jasmine. Slaves or no slaves, Deltora or not, Jasmine, how could I have ever let you go, without following?"

A pink flush had returned to Jasmine's cheeks and she was staring at the ground.

"Jasmine, I remember when we got back from the Shadow Lands, I said I when the time was right and I married, I would do it for love – as long as the woman would have me. Do you remember what you said?"

"That she probably would – when the time was right," Jasmine murmured, still staring determinedly at the ground.

"Today, Jasmine, I'm asking you – is the time right?"

"Oh, Lief! Of course it is!" Jasmine jumped up and hugged Lief tightly around the neck. She felt tears spring to her eyes, and laughed.

"I love your laughter, Jasmine," Lief whispered into her ear, his lips tickling her skin there. "It's like music to my ears."

LoL, I've edited chapters 1 & 2 so that they include the words Love and Angel respectively. Well, that was quite short, but this was always going to be a short story. Woo-hoo! Next chapter is the last! This will be my first finished Deltora Quest story – LoL, there's only two that I've started, LoL.

Hope you enjoyed, and yes, I am aware that the characters are very OOC, but this is a fluff story. You can't keep Deltora Quest characters in their usual state of being and have a fluff plot – the two simply cannot co-exist. So, if you have the time, please review, and if you have any ideas for the final chapter, you know my door is always open!

:D Susie :D