One year later…
Summers in the village were always bright and sunny and the evenings were warm and peaceful. Nobody would have guessed that just a year ago, a vicious fight had taken place in that very village. But it had happened and all who lived there knew it was so. They could never forget it and they never would.
Shortly after Julianne had recovered from her injury, the villagers and the gypsies had made a pact to end the feud between them, a pact that they intended to keep, if for no other reason than for the sake of their loved ones. It was agreed that the land would be shared between them and that the gypsies would always be welcome in the village. This last part of the agreement was met with some resistance from Keith but his mind was quickly changed when Caroline told him that "unless he wanted a repeat of the events that had led up to this, he should just accept it and shut up".
It took some time for life to return to normal but things soon began to settle down until the village was once again in peace. The gypsies became less of a problem as their frequent raids came to a standstill and Caroline moved into the village with Keith.
One calm, mild evening late in the summer, Julianne stood leaning against the barrier of the bridge running over the river that separated the gypsy camp from the village. With a distracted smile, she gazed absently at the small rural community that had been her lifelong home. She sighed. If someone had once told her that she would someday leave the place to join a handsome Gypsy King and his convoy, she never would have believed them.
"Missing your home?"
Julianne jumped at the sudden voice behind her but a smile found its way onto her lips when she saw Ryan walking towards her. "A little. I know it's only a short walk away from here but I was born and raised there. It feels so different being away from my friends and family and living with you instead."
"What? Does that mean you hate being with me?" Ryan asked, pretending to sound hurt.
Julianne chuckled at his feigned upset. "Oh come on, you know that's not what I meant."
Chuckling, Ryan kissed her on the cheek and draped an arm around her shoulders. "I know. I was just joking. I miss my sister just as much as you miss your family." As he said this, he gazed across the river towards the village and sighed.
Julianne gave him a sympathetic smile. "You don't need to worry about her, Ryan. I know you don't like Keith but he's a good man. He'll treat her well. I know it."
Ryan met her eyes and smiled. "I hope so." A brief silence followed before Julianne spoke again.
"Do you remember the day you and Keith had that fight?"
Immediately, a surge of painful memories came flooding back to Ryan, as well as a feeling of crippling guilt. Oh yes, he remembered alright.
"As if it were yesterday" he answered. "I'm really sorry about what happened that day."
"So you've said a thousand times already. And for the thousandth time, I forgive you. When will you realize that?"
"Believe me, Julianne, I do understand that. Really I do. But no matter how many times you forgive me, I still can't help feeling guilty about it. I was so afraid that I might lose you and…" Ryan was suddenly interrupted by Julianne's lips against his. When she pulled away, Ryan was so surprised, he couldn't speak. Luckily, Julianne did the talking for him.
"Ryan, listen to me. I know you feel guilty but you can't blame yourself for something you didn't do. Sure, you were the one who attacked the village and I suppose I should be mad at you for that. But I realize now that you only did it because you were trying to reclaim your land. Heaven knows if someone had taken my home from me, I wouldn't be too happy either. So, once again, I forgive you for what happened, as should you."
Ryan stared awe-struck at the woman who stood before him. He couldn't believe she could forgive him so easily. She really was too good for him. "You're too soft for your own good. You know that?" he told her.
She smiled at him. "Is that such a bad thing?"
He cupped her chin in his hand and bent towards her. "Not at all" he whispered before kissing her.
Later, that night, while Julianne was fast asleep in the wagon that she and Ryan shared and all was quiet, Ryan sat alone on the bank of the river, watching the village intently. That same village he and his men had raided many times before. That village he had patrolled night after night for his next burglary. But tonight, as he watched, he realized he no longer felt the urge to steal. Why that was, he couldn't tell. Maybe it was because of this new pact that had been put in place. Maybe it was because of his feelings for Julianne. Maybe it was because his sister now lived there. Or maybe it was a combination of all three.
He sighed and thought. Perhaps it was time to put his life of crime behind him now. After all, there were more important things that demanded his attention. He had people to care for and a new love in his life. No amount of gold or silver could ever be more important than that.
He nodded to himself. Yes. It was time to give up his criminal life. He and the villagers may never truly be allies but if it meant ending the war between them and ensuring the safety of Julianne and his sister, that was good enough for him.
And so, with one last glance at the village, he bade a small goodbye to his sister. Then he turned and ran back to the gypsy camp and, in less than a second, he was gone.
The end
