"Fräulein Maria? Fräulein Maria!"

Maria jumped in her chair, suddenly brought back to reality by the sound of Liesl's voice.

"Yes, Liesl?"

"Could you please pass me the jam?" The eldest girl asked gently, gesturing to the jam pot next to Maria's hand.

"Of course sweetheart." Maria smiled as she passed her what she wanted.

This morning was a particularly hard morning for Maria because she had barely slept for three hours. Sleep just hadn't found her. She had fought hopelessly amongst her sheets, trying to think of nothing, trying to empty her head, but it hadn't worked. Even without thinking about it, Georg's passionate, loving words to Agathe in the letter danced before her eyes, tormenting her; words a part of her wished she had never read.

It made her angry with herself because she didn't have the right to feel the way she did. Of course it was hard for Georg to marry her after what he and Agathe had shared. But what really hurt her was that he hadn't talked to her about it. Deep inside, she knew, she just knew that she could never be the first, she would never, could never have his heart. It would always be split in two, and Agathe would have the biggest part.

And could she blame him? Of course not. Agathe had been his everything for so long, she had probably been his first love, and from what she'd heard, she was everything a man could have dreamt of. It was still a mystery to her, what a man like him could find in someone like Maria. But for now, she had to live with the painful reality that he would never truly be hers. And she felt stupid and heartbroken for not realising it sooner.

The thing was that he had barely mentioned Maria in the letter. Not even told her her name. It had all been about Agathe, and she understood. But not once had he said he loved her. The children, yes. But not her. It made her heart drop in her stomach.

Did she still want a life with him, did she still want to marry him?

Yes, she did. Because she loved him with all her heart and wanted to make him happy and heal his sadness. Because she was ready to give herself entirely to him. Because he was her first love, and she knew she could never love another man as long as she lived.

Because he was the one she knew would give her everything she had always longed for – a loving home and family, and for that, she could never, ever let him down. Because she loved him so much that sometimes she would find herself giggling alone in her bedroom, or some other times she would feel her stomach uncontrollably twist, or in the middle of the night she would suddenly feel sad, wanting nothing more than to find comfort in his arms. Because, just as the Reverend Mother had said, she had looked for her life and finally found her destiny, with him. He filled her whole world. Because she was so deeply in love with him.

"Fräulein? Are you sure you're alright?" Liesl asked again, her blue eyes searching for hers in concern.

Once again, Maria snapped her eyes opened to try to stay in the present and ignore her bruised and aching heart.

"I am, Liesl. Everything is fine," she said with a weak smile.

"It's nice that Father is coming back today. I'm sure it will lift your spirits." Liesl offered kindly.

"You're right," Maria said as she tried to give her the sincerest smile, even though she doubted its authenticity.

Today. She had been so absorbed by her thoughts that she hadn't paid attention to the fact that Georg was coming back today. How could she face him and pretend that nothing was wrong?

"By the way, Maria…" Hede called from across the table.

"Mmmm?"

"We're going into town, this morning. Dress fitting, do you remember?" Hede asked as she saw Maria's eyes widening in horror. Indeed, she had forgotten.

"Yes, of course!"

"And I'm taking you out for lunch as well." Hede added with her signature suspicious look on her face.

"But won't the children need me there?" Maria protested, not too keen on the idea of staying away from the children, or being interrogated by Hede, when she could barely acknowledge her heartache herself.

"Max can manage." Hede answered, waving her hand dismissively.

"If you say so." Maria sighed defeatedly, forcing herself to eat her scrambled eggs.

Standing up for hours wasn't something Maria had been looking forward to doing, but what made this particular session harder was that she felt so exhausted from lack of sleep, and her heart was so heavy that it felt as if her whole body was being weighed down. The seamstress had to ask her at least ten times to straighten up.

"Forgive me, Fräulein, but I would hate it if you had a dress that doesn't fit you, in the end." The young woman apologized sincerely, clearly uncomfortable that she had to ask her constantly to straighten up.

"It's no trouble at all. My fault." Maria hastily answered, putting her shoulders back to try to help the seamstress.

She stayed like this for a few more minutes, trying not to wince whenever she felt a prick of needle dig into her skin.

"I think we're fine for today." The girl said after what felt like an eternity to Maria, helping her out of the fabric that would soon be her dress. With ineffable sadness Maria remembered her heady delight in picking out the material only a few weeks ago, still in a state of joyful shock that she was marrying the man she loved, and whom, she had believed, loved her just as deeply. How desperately she had wanted to look her very best for him on their wedding day. It seemed like a very long time ago now.

The seamstress continued, gently distracting Maria. "Frau Hessel apologizes for her absence, she said she had to be in Vienna for business. But for your next fitting, which is on Friday I believe, she'll be back."

"Thank you ever so much." Maria said with a grateful smile, and she and Hede left the shop.

"Didn't sleep very well?" Hede asked as Maria was trying her best to suppress a yawn a couple of minutes later, when they had found a lovely restaurant in a quiet street of Salzburg.

"Not really," Maria admitted, not seeing the point of hiding it anyway.

"I can see that." Hede said as she poured herself a glass of water. "You didn't seem to be in good shape at breakfast, this morning."

"I'm sure it doesn't look that bad." Maria answered calmly, definitely trying to change the subject.

"It does." Hede cut in anyway. "The circles under your eyes speak volumes."

"Well, thank you." Maria said ironically, as the waitress came with their plates and a bottle of wine. Maria realized as she gazed at her salad how little she wanted to eat.

"So, are you looking forward to the return of Prince Charming?" Hede teased while she was enjoying her noodles with gusto.

"I suppose so."

"What? No more enthusiasm? I'm disappointed." Hede said. She really did look disappointed, and more than a little puzzled about where the sweet, enraptured bride, whose feet had barely touched the ground in her happiness, had disappeared to.

"What difference would it make? We never have a minute to ourselves, it won't change much that he's back." Maria said more bitterly than intended.

There was a short, uncomfortable silence between the two of them, punctuated only by the sound of forks and knives from the tables around.

"Look, Maria." Hede started, putting her fork down and joining her hands. "I don't know what's happening between you two, or what's going on with you - and don't try to tell me otherwise," she said as Maria opened her mouth to protest.

"I am not an idiot. I have eyes." Hede emphasizing the last word. "You look like a totally different person since yesterday. I don't know what's gotten into you. But whether you like it or not, I'm going to be your sister-in-law, - and you should be happy with it, because there are not many like me-" she added with a mischievous smile.

"So if there's someone you know you should be free to confide in, then it's me. So I'm going to ask you once and for all: are you alright?" She finished, her hair messily falling on her forehead and her eyes staring right at Maria's. With a little ache, Maria realised that Hede's determined look made her look remarkably like her brother Georg when he was being adamant about something.

Maria let out a sigh of defeat and leaned back in her chair, thinking quickly: she couldn't tell Hede about the letter, that was out of the question. But she couldn't tell her about Agathe either. There were so many things she wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to know, but she just knew that there could only be one person to discuss it with, and it was Georg.

"Alright." she started quietly, thinking about what issue she could address her. "I'm nervous. And confused. And sometimes terribly lost." She said as she looked at Hede in the eye. "And I need to have some moments with Georg. Moments with him alone. There are some things I need to discuss with him, and besides, I think it is normal that as an engaged couple, we deserve some privacy."

Hede sighed, and put her hands on the table.

"I know, Maria. But the thing is, we technically can't leave you alone. We -Max and I- are here to stop you from being alone, so nothing... unfortunate happens."

"I know that. But I have to tell you, for the record, that three months ago I was at the convent, and barely a month ago I was ready to become a nun. Doing anything unfortunate, as you put it, before the wedding would be against everything I believe in. And Georg is well aware of that, too," she added as she remembered their encounter in her bedroom the other day, "so there's nothing to fear."

"Mmmm." Hede considered, crossing her arms and eyeing her.

"The only thing I'm asking you for is just some time, Hede. Please, " she beseeched.

"Mmmm," Hede repeated.

"All you have to do is to keep Max distracted for a while -don't look at me that way that's not what I meant!" she added, blushing at the unmistakable look on Hede's face.

"So I can have a proper conversation with Georg," Maria pleaded.

Hede was silent for a moment before speaking: "Alright, I'll figure something out to keep Max and the children out of sight for as long as I can, when I can," she conceded.

"May I ask you something?" Maria asked curiously.

"Go on." Hede said as she took a sip of her red wine.

"Are you sure that the situation between you and Max is solved?"

"It is." Hede firmly said. "I mean, there's no ambiguity between us. We really get along marvellously, he is a nice and funny person, well, he hasn't changed a bit." She smiled a little nostalgically.

"But our past remains our past to this day, and I don't feel like we'll get back together. And with both of us taking care of the children while you're gone – it would be too complicated if something happened. I wouldn't want to risk it. Max is too dear to me to jeopardise what we have now."

"But if it happened, it wouldn't matter, would it?" Maria insisted. "You've made it clear to me that you weren't the one who wanted to end up married."

"I'm not. But I wouldn't want to risk getting attached. I'm far too independent. And I like things the way they are." She put her glass down. "We are good friends. Nothing less, nothing more. Furthermore, I'm too old for this." She added with a dramatic sigh.

"Don't be silly. Georg is only three years younger than you and he's about the marry me." Maria chuckled as she resumed eating.

"How stupid of him." Hede said. "I'm kidding, of course." She added when she saw Maria's smile vanish.

Maria just plastered a smile back on her face and resumed eating her salad.

"Thank you, Franz." Maria said to the butler as he helped her out of the car, when they arrived at the villa. He barely nodded at her.

"Why are you so obstinately nice to him?" Hede hissed as they made their way to the house. "He is so annoying."

"He is not annoying, he is just... struggling." Maria tried to say. "Oh, alright, he might be annoying." She admitted when she saw Hede's look, as they were walking through the quiet foyer.

"I might go to see what the children are up to." She said as they headed for the parlour, where the children usually were after lunch.

"Hello, darling."

Maria froze, her shoulders tensing immediately as she recognized the unmistakable sound of Georg's voice.

"Oh, hello, brother." Hede said as she turned around, and Maria did the same.

Georg was casually leaning against the ramp, arms folded, legs crossed at the ankle, and he was looking at Maria with a lifted eyebrow.

"Hello." She breathed as he made his way to her.

Tranquilly, he went past Hede without acknowledging her and reached for Maria, kissing her on the cheek. Immediately, she felt her cheeks redden and her heart flutter, despite her previous apprehension.

"You're early." Hede commented, visibly insensitive to the situation.

"I couldn't bear staying away from my fiancée another minute." He said with a quick wink at Maria. "I'm afraid I can't say the same about you." He added nonchalantly.

"How wise of you." She retorted, arms crossed and with a smirk.

"I -I have to go to my room and get some things sorted." Maria hastily said.

Hede gave her a puzzled look - after all, she'd been the one to request some time alone with Georg, and now seemed a pretty good opportunity. Georg looked equally surprised, and gave her a questioning look.

"If you say so." He said as she got closer to her, kissing her cheek again and whispered in her ear. "I'll be in my study if you need anything."

"Right." She breathed as she blushed, conscious of Hede's gaze upon them.

Trying to act as naturally as she could, she made her way to the grand staircase and disappeared.

"What's wrong with her?" Georg asked as she watched his fiancée almost run up the stairs, her beautiful blue dress floating behind her.

"Nothing. Just fatigue, I presume, from all the events that are happening right now. Something that you men, can't understand." She said as she radiantly turned to her brother, happy to be able to tease him.

"Very, very funny, Hede."

Sometimes he felt like Hede and Max were the same person.

An hour later, taking a deep breath, Maria raised her fist to knock on Georg's study door.

She had spent the time in her room in restless turmoil and knew she had to face it. Just like the Reverend Mother had told her earlier, she had to face her problems: she had to talk to him. It would only bring her peace, and it would bring him peace, too.

"Come in."

Slowly, she pushed the door open, and quickly closed it behind her, leaning back against it.

"Ah, darling." He said as he looked up with a warm smile, gathering some paperwork as he got up from his desk and moved around it to greet her. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No." She answered, a little bit too fast. "I mean, uh, yes. Can we talk? Please?" She asked timidly and brought her gaze to his.

"Of course." He said, frowning slightly as he gestured to the leather couch on his right.

Maria let herself fall on the comfortable furniture, soothing her skirts and trying to look as casual as possible, as she gathered her courage. Soon enough, he joined her, gazing questioningly at her.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, a bit concerned.

She stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at her folded hands on her lap before inhaling deeply and looking at him.

"Are you happy, with me?"

The silence that followed was icy. Looking into his eyes, she saw a million things parade: surprise, confusion, affection... sadness? Oh, that's it, she thought. She was through. She swallowed hard.

Finally, after an eternity, he put a hand on her forearm and replied.

"Maria, what would put such an idea in your head? Of course I am."

She felt herself relax a bit, but she knew better.

"But there are things you don't tell me. I know it." She said as she averted her eyes from his burning gaze.

"Maria, you have to be more specific." He said calmly. "I can't guess what's going on in your mind."

"I know you miss her." She barely whispered. "I know you still love her, and I know you will never love me half as much, but well, I just wished you had told me. So I would have been more... prepared."

"What? Maria, what the-"

"Agathe." She simply said, unable to look at him.

His breath caught, as if she had burnt him.

"Maria, I..." He started, unable to finish. "Tell me what's going on. What has happened to you to say such things."

With a heavy heart, she started to tell him about her encounter with Friedrich the other day, how he had talked about his mother, how Hede had said a similar thing, and how she had started to doubt herself.

Georg was very seriously listening to her, but from time to time, she could see the same flash a sadness passing briefly through his eyes.

"And then, I just couldn't fall asleep... I was tossing in my bed, unable to sleep, and I needed you. So I came here."

Georg frowned slightly. "Wasn't the door locked?"

"No." She said. "I just sat at your desk, letting myself breathe in your scent... That's when I found it."

"Found what?" He asked her gently, putting a hand on her back.

"The letter... the letter you wrote her."

A small "oh," escaped Georg's lips, and he was suddenly very quiet.

"Look, Georg," She said, putting on a brave face. "I understand that you are always going to put her first. I only wished I had known you were suffering from it - by "it", I mean marrying me. Of course I knew you still loved her - how could you not? - but I thought there would be room for me as well. I wouldn't want you to hurt for anything in the world, and if marrying me is not what you want, then..." she swallowed again. "Then we could still cancel everything."

She'd expected him to look sadly at her, but he did not. Instead, he stared at her, with an unnerving silent intensity, until finally, he spoke.

"Never." He said. "Maria, I would never, ever want to give you up. Not for anything in the world. I just..." He cut himself off, trailing his hands in his hair, resting his elbows on his knees and looking down.

Maria felt her throat tightening, digesting his words. So he still wanted her? But what was it then? Oh, what a mess!

She draped an arm around him, and rested her head on his upper back, without saying anything. Her mind was racing: maybe she had misunderstood the whole situation. But how on Earth was she supposed to figure it out? She knew Georg was a very private person, and that it was hard for him to talk about his past, that he had been used to locking himself away. But now everything was different: she was going to be his wife, to share her life with him. She knew he was torturing himself, she knew he always had; but she had to be there for him.

For a long time, she just lay against his back, comfortingly caressing it, listening to his steady breathing and the beating of his heart.

"If I could grant you peace of mind... If you'd let me inside your heart..." She whispered quietly against him.

Then, after a few seconds, he straightened up and watched her, before pulling her to him, holding her close.

"It makes me sad," he spoke softly in her ears, his chin resting on her shoulder. "That you could think something like that."

"I just- the letter said..."

"Maria." He interrupted gently, and she immediately knew it wasn't the time to argue.

He loosened his grip so she could look at him again.

"This letter... Obviously, you weren't supposed to read it." He stated more to himself than to her. "But did you pay attention to the way it was written?"

His question took her aback. "Well, I- yes, I noticed you didn't... Oh, I don't want to sound so jealous or ungrateful because I'm not!" She explained, panicked. "But you barely mentioned me... It was all about your love for her, and I was wondering if you... If you really loved me, after all," she whispered sadly.

"You weren't mentioned that much because it was a letter to her, to Agathe. It was a way for me to say things I wish she could hear, which she obviously can't. I was, in a way, trying to make up for giving up on her. Like I said in the end."

"But you're not... giving up on her, are you? What you shared... it was..."

"Have you noticed how it was written?" He asked a second time in the same, gentle tone.

She shook her head slightly.

"If you had paid extra attention, you would have seen it was written in the past tense." He said calmly.

Her eyes widened.

"I don't... I don't understand." She breathed.

"I am going to tell you everything." He sighed, grasping her hands. "But you have to listen to me."

She nodded slowly, and he began his story.

He told her how he'd felt after her death: how he had thought he would never be happy again, how he had become the worst version of himself. The regret was clear in his voice.

"And then... I met her. The most beautiful, enthralling woman in the world," he whispered tenderly.

Maria frowned in confusion. Who? Baroness Shraeder? Or had he met someone before her?

"It was you, of course." He said with a small smile watching as her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink.

"Maria, don't you see? Have you never understood?" He asked as his eyes bore onto hers. "I was... I was confused, because I felt something for you I hadn't felt in years. Falling in love with you... it was both a blessing and a sweet torture. First of all because you were like a forbidden fruit to me, at the beginning, and second because when I asked you to marry me I... I remembered Agathe." He said as he kissed her knuckles.

"Of course I had been thinking of her, a lot - I've always had, for four years. But I remembered how I had promised myself never to fall in love again. And I had failed her, in a way. Betrayed her. But the worst thing was that I didn't feel bad about it.

"You have to understand, Maria. You..." he breathed. "You stole my heart, a heart I had protectively locked behind strong walls. It only took a glance, and the barriers were falling. But there was still her memory, clinging to me. I didn't want to completely get rid of it, because she had an important place in my life for so long. But I needed to make peace with myself. That's why I wrote the letter. You weren't mentioned much in it, not because I don't love you, but because it was something I needed to sort out between her and me. Or more between me and me." He finished with a small smile.

Maria stared at him, making sense of everything he had just told her.

"Why would you not talk to me? Why wouldn't you want to tell me about her?" She quietly asked. "I'm sorry, Georg, but it's just a huge mess in my head..."

"Because I had to learn to accept that she was in the past. I loved her, truly, deeply, passionately. But it was before. Now I have you, and you are the only thing I want to think of. But you're right, I should have talked to you. I didn't think it would impact you at all, but I'm an idiot: of course it would. Agathe is still here," he said as he put his hand on his heart, "but she is at peace, now. This," he said as he still had his hand on his heart, "is yours. All yours."

Maria looked at him like she had never looked at him before. Everything he had told her had been like a shock to her, and she didn't quite know how to respond.

"Sometimes I can't help but think what would have happened if we'd met while she was still there. You wouldn't have looked at me for a second, and I would have fallen in love with you, and I would have found myself all alone... again." She said quietly.

Wordlessly, he pulled her back to him, and circled his arms around her waist, his hands resting on her stomach and his chin resting on the top of her head.

"Maria, darling. I am a firm believer that some things are meant to happen, and some other aren't. And you and Agathe weren't meant to happen together. I can't think about what would have happened because in all honesty, I have no idea. All I know is that I've been lucky enough to have you, and to have a second chance to love."

He twisted her around so she was now facing him.

"I love you." He said with a seriousness that made her heart leap with happiness, his ocean blue eyes piercing hers. "I love you and you must never think anything else. Because I was once in love with Agathe doesn't mean I can't love you, too. Maria, right now, you are everything I could think of. I don't want you to think for a single second that you are unworthy, or that you will have to share me with her, or that you will live in her shadow. This letter to Agathe, it was a proper goodbye. There's nothing but you, now. And it's now that matters."

"But what if... what if I am nothing like her? What if I can't give you what you want, as she did?"

"You won't be anything like her, it's not what I'm expecting from you. I don't need a replica of her. I want you to be you. And you are enough, darling. More than enough."

She simply nodded, feeling better than she had since he had proposed to her. Now she felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders, a weight she had never noticed had been there.

"Alright, it's been... twenty minutes since we've been in here." Georg said as he checked his watch. "And not one single chaperone in sight. So I take it that they won't bother us for a good amount of time." He said casually, and she suddenly remembered the last time they had found themselves alone, and everything she had been thinking about before he came in.

"Georg, there was something I wanted to discuss with you. I mean, something else." She started. Wrapped in her feelings of bliss at how close she felt to him after their discussion, she realised she could just talk to him about everything that had been troubling her.

"I'm all ears," he said tenderly as he leaned back on the couch.

"I wanted to talk about children," she said shyly, looking at him.

"Children?" He asked, misunderstanding. "Has something happened while I was away? Did they behave badly?"

"Oh no, not at all." She hastily reassured him. "Not the children, but children," she clarified.

He crooked his head on the side, frowning slightly, still puzzled.

"Yes?"

"Well, I was..." She breathed deeply, looking down at her hands. "I was wondering if maybe you'd consider having more. With me. Or if seven was enough, after all." She lifted her eyes.

All trace of concern flew from her face when she noticed the wide smile that broke on his face.

"Children? With you?" He asked again, almost not believing it. "Nothing could make me happier. A little you running around, with your hair, your nose, and God, your eyes. I've pictured it over a thousand times in my head." He said with a bright smile.

"Really?"

"It would be the greatest gift on Earth." He said as he pulled her to him, capturing her lips in a tender kiss, and Maria let herself melt into it, relieved. When they pulled apart, he brushed a strand that was falling upon her forehead, and put in back in her fringe, gazing at her lovingly. "I can't wait to have you locked in this hotel room, all to myself for six weeks." He said with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

She blushed intensely at his words, understanding the meaning behind them. Of course she knew what their honeymoon would entail; she was even looking forward to it with a mixture of excitement, fear, and something else she couldn't quite name. Suddenly, she felt very shy and didn't know what to say: intimacy was, after all, something she wanted to discuss with him as well. But what could she possibly say?

"Darling? You are far away." Georg brought her back to reality, gently touching her arm. She jumped a little.

"Do you want to talk about it? About what will happen between us, once we are married?" He asked in a soft tone.

"Oh, I don't know." She signed almost defeatedly, trailing her hands through her hair. "I have no idea what to expect, I'm so... uneducated on the matter. I mean, I know what will basically happen when... when it's going to happen." Why was it so hard to formulate such simple words? "But what if... what if I can't please you? What if I'm bad, what if I don't know what to do, what if I hurt?"

Immediately, he covered her hands with his own.

"You have nothing to worry about. It might sting a little, the first time, but it will be alright. As for you not pleasing me... how could you? You don't have to do anything at all to drive me crazy, and I know you won't be bad. In fact I know it will be wonderous for both of us. When two people love each other as much as we do, it always is. And we are allowed to speak!" He said with a chuckle. "If there's anything you're not comfortable with, or anything you'd like to ask, you'll just have to tell me. But it will be fine, you'll see. I can't begin to try to explain..." He suddenly looked away from her, as if concerned his heated gaze would overwhelm her. "I can't tell you, I'd have to show you. Which is, I'm afraid, not possible for now." He shrugged.

Maria was left speechless. All she did was stare at him, breathing deeply, drinking every word. I'd have to show you. The words were intoxicating and she was suddenly looking forward to her wedding night even more than she had in the past three weeks.

"I wish the wedding wasn't so far away." She sighed, trying to cool herself down. The look he gave her didn't help: his eyes were dark, heavy with desire, and for the first time, she wished Max or Hede were in the room.

"Three weeks..." He said in a low voice that sent a chill down her spine. "Three weeks and you will be mine." He finished, and their eyes met in intensely searing heat.

The following second was like a blur. She didn't know who had initiated it, but they had both thrown themselves in each other's arms, mouths crashing in a passionate, hungry, desperate kiss. Soon enough, he had grabbed her and put her on top of him, firmly holding her waist on his lap while she was still kissing him, threading her hands through his hair and trying to make herself comfortable as she was sitting on him. Moaning, she impulsively pressed herself even more into him. But he just held her even more firmly to him, and she tried unsuccessfully to wrap her legs against him.

It was like being another person. Every time it would happen, she felt possessed, her reasonable self being replaced with a wicked one. Her mind, her body were screaming for more, just more, and she knew more would never be enough. She was still kissing him passionately, pushing herself even more onto his lap, messing up his hair with her hands. The feeling of him, all of him, was enough to set her on the edge.

She felt his palms caressing her thighs, and the softness yet the urgency of the touch felt like heaven to her as she kept on grasping handfuls of his hair. But just as she was started to feel lightheaded after such a long time without breathing, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead to hers, and her hands cupped the sides of his neck while she was trying the catch her breath.

"I hope I never get enough of this," she said in a whisper, savouring the magic of the moment.

"I know I'll never get enough of it," Georg answered in the same hoarse voice he had answered her two days ago in her bedroom.

Reluctantly, she rolled off him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her to him as she played with the buttons of his shirt, wondering what lay beneath it.

"By the way," She suddenly remembered something else. He looked at her questioningly, his hair all messed up thanks to her.

"What have you been doing in Vienna? Truly? You've been rather secretive about it."

"Oh, yes." He said as if it had been the last thing he'd expected to hear after their heated kisses, trying to recompose himself.

Slowly, he got up from the couch and cleared his throat, and Maria watched him curiously as he stretched his arms.

"Are you alright darling?" She frowned.

"Hmmm." Was his response as he made his way to his desk and pulled the drawer open, taking a medium size box out of it. Then, he went back to the couch and sat down next to Maria, carefully placing the box in her hands.

"Open it," he softly commanded.

Her eyes never leaving his, she lifted the top of the box and lowered her eyes, only to find another smaller box.

She looked at him in incomprehension.

"Come on, open it too."

She picked it up and did as she was told, her eyes shooting opened in surprise as she saw what lay there.

"Oh my, Georg..." She managed to say and she lifted her eyes to her fiancé, who was giving her an unreadable look.

"Do you like it?" He asked, his voice soft.

"Well, I... of course I do. It is gorgeous," she whispered as she looked at the object again.

It was a small golden ring, with nothing but a beautiful round, blue sapphire circled with tiny diamonds. As if she was afraid it might disappear, she ghosted her fingertips over it, staring at it in wonder, clearly not believing her eyes.

"I chose it because of your eyes." He explained as she was still staring at it, and she saw his hand taking the ring.

"It's gorgeous, but you didn't have to," she said quietly.

"Didn't have to? Darling, I couldn't possibly not offer you an engagement ring," he said as he took her hand in his, and slowly slid the precious ring down her finger.

She was quiet for a while. She still couldn't believe that she had doubted him, doubted his love and commitment. All the while he had been picking up an engagement ring for her.

"I had to go to Vienna because that's where the only jeweller I trust is. I wanted nothing but the best for my future beautiful, kind, amazing wife." He said as he squeezed her hand.

She let out a chuckle and looked at him and cupped his cheeks with both hands.

"I would be so lost without you." She smiled tearfully, suddenly feeling all emotional.

"I would, too." He gave her a reassuring smile back.

She brought his face down to hers and gave him a long, heartfelt kiss. Somehow, she knew they would be fine.

Author's note: Thank you so much for reading and, for those who waited, for keeping up with me.

I apologise for being so late and everything but here it is now. I do hope you enjoyed it and I would like to thank all the reviewers who left reviews on this story. I would love to hear what you thought about this chapter!

The plan was always to make it a three chapters story; I hope you liked it like that.

Thank you so much to bloomandgrow for helping me out for this one. I couldn't have done it without your help!