As Maria walked towards the staircase, looking down at the scene below, she suddenly felt shy. This must be how Cinderella felt just before she came to the ball. Hiding behind a pillar, she peeked down at the people below. She was glad that she could recognize all of them. It was nice to see the servants dressed in their nicest clothes and having fun rather than working. The children were all dancing with each other, laughing and smiling. Max was leading Liesl in a grand waltz. Dominik was at the grand piano, taking a break and letting the other musicians perform. He was engrossed in conversation with a person standing next to him . . . Maria's heart skipped a beat.

There he was, looking as handsome as ever in his tuxedo. He was here, he was really home. She had a strong urge to just run down the stairs and straight into his arms. But no – that would wait. Besides, she wouldn't risk tearing her dress. So, a new confidence in herself, she stood up straight and gracefully began to walk down the staircase.

As she walked down the sideways stairs, she kept her gaze low, making sure not to trip on her skirt. She heard the chatter and music die down, and heard gasps from the children and sounds of appreciation from the adults. She felt every gaze on her, especially one particularly burning one, and her cheeks turned pink in anticipation. Finally, she came to the landing that turned to the final part of the staircase, and she turned, looking forward and standing tall. And the first person whom her eyes found was her captain.

The look on his face . . . she would expect someone to make that face if they were seeing a miracle. She would never truly know how much of a miracle she was to him. She blushed a little but looked him in the eyes and smiled. The sight of him made her heart dance.

The whole hall was now silent as the two lovebirds slowly walked towards each other, finally meeting in the middle of the hallway. They stood a foot apart, just looking into each other's eyes and losing themselves. When a soft piano tune began to play, Maria seemed to remember how to think. Breathe, Maria, remember to breathe . . .

Dominik's voice filled the hall, and Maria managed to tear her gaze from Georg's to rest on Dominik, sitting and playing at the piano. "Maria, consider this piece I wrote a wedding present, because you two sure inspired it." He smiled at Maria, who gave a broad smile back. She turned back to her fiance and her heart melted at the sight of his seductive half-smile. He took a step back and bowed to her, offering her his left hand. Still smiling, she took his hand and made a curtsey. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his hand securely around her waist. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she placed his hand on his shoulder.

They went into a slow, intimate waltz to the beautiful piano music. It was the most beautiful piece of music she had ever heard in her life, and that was saying something – it was so sweet, and wistful, with a theme that carried the whole thing through. It was simple, with only Dom playing it on the piano. As they danced, Georg held her gaze, telling her with his eyes how much he loved her. Maria's heart was full as the gaze pierced her soul. How could she ever deserve this wonderful, handsome, accomplished, brave, distinguished, extraordinary man? She was just a simple country girl from the mountains. Tears filled her eyes and she leaned in, resting her cheek against his, losing herself in the dance. "I love you," she whispered so softly, he felt it more than heard it.

"Oh, my love . . ." he whispered just as quietly back. Georg did not miss the tears in her eyes, and he clutched her all the closer. Oh, how he'd missed her. But he gave a small smile when he remembered that once this dance was over, he would chase all of the fears from her mind. He too thought how lovely this music was. It was a beautiful gift to him and his love, and he made it a mental note to have it played as their first dance after their wedding.

The music slowed and faded, echoing in the hall. Maria and Georg stopped their dance but remained close in that position even as the others applauded and a new and more lively song began.

"Come," Georg whispered in her ear, before stepping back and leading her by the hand to the ballroom in which he had first seen her. Maria gave no objections, and discreetly wiped her eyes as he was not facing her anymore.

He opened the door for her and she walked inside. Once again, just like the first time, the beauty of the room captivated her. Only this time it was night outside, and the room was lit with candles. Their light reflected in the many gilded frames on the walls, giving the room a soft glow. Georg closed the door behind him and a smile crossed his face as he looked at her. How different her wardrobe had been the first time he had seen her, in this very room. Then, she'd been wearing that horrible convent contraption and playing a pantomime. Now, she wore a gown that reflected her soul, and she stood tall and graceful looking around the room.

"Look at your reflection in the window, Maria," he said. She turned her gaze to him, questioningly. "Please," he said softly.

So Maria turned towards the window and approached it slowly. She had not seen her refelction in a mirror since putting on the dress. In fact, she tended to ignore them – no mirrors existed at the convent, and even before that they hadn't been a presence in her life. She was not used to looking at herself.

When her reflection came into focus she gasped and stopped. Who was this woman? It couldn't be her, it just couldn't be. She was too . . . no, it couldn't be her.

Then the reflection of a very handsome older man appeared behind the figure of the woman in the window. He was removing his gloves and replacing them in his pocket. When he had come up behind her, Maria felt his warm hands on her nearly bare shoulders. So warm and soft, his touch sent a zing down her spine, and she took a deep breath. The man behind her and the man reflected in the window spoke.

"Before you came, I never wanted to come into this room again. It only brought back memories of pain. Then, for the first time in years one fine day, I saw the door had been opened. Looking inside, I saw you in a silly pantomime, making a grand curtsey to someone only you could see. The dress never deserved to be worn by anybody, but who was wearing it . . . was not what I'd expected from the convent. And the more I saw of you, the more I thought, 'She is too spirited, too independent, too young, and too lovely for that life.' And I thought it all the more when I found that I'd given my heart to you."

As he spoke, his lips rested against her temple, and they gazed into the reflections of each other's eyes. She did not attempt to stop Georg slowly pulling off her own gloves, though she didn't know or care why.

"Now, I see you in this room again, and unlike the first time, your dress is worthy of you. Can you see now that you do belong in this dress, and the society it belongs to? You have more class, more grace, more natural charm than most of this aristocratic class I've met. Never worry about disappointing me or our family, Maria, for you never could. You saved us, brought us back to life, gave us the chance of a new life. And you are the best part about that. Never would we change that, and I cannot imagine my future without you in it. All that matters is that the children love you, and I am in love with you. I will not let you go for anything."

As Maria listened, her heart was overflowing. Her throat was closing up with emotion, and it took everything for her not to cry. Georg then turned her around to face him, and he had a nervous smile on his face.

"You know, as I think back to that lovely night when I could finally tell you how I felt, I realize that I did not do something properly."

"What are you talking about?" she managed to say, and he smiled at the sound of her voice. An amused feeling surged through him that he managed to render this outspoken young woman nearly speechless.

"Well, first of all, I did not do this." As he spoke, he went down on one knee. She gasped. "Secondly, I did not have this." From his pocket he pulled out a small blue velvet box and opened it. Her eyes widened at the sight of a simple yet beautiful sapphire, surrounded by tiny diamonds, on a gold band. Georg took the ring out of the box and placed it on her right ring finger, then taking that hand in his. Looking into her eyes, he spoke, his own voice nearly choking with emotion. "Maria, will you marry me, and make me the happiest man that ever lived?"

It was too much to control now, and Maria could not stop the tears from spilling out. For a moment she covered her face with her other hand as she softly let her tears out. But when she dropped her hand and met his eyes, she had a radiant smile on her face.

"Of course I will, Georg!"

With that, he returned her smile, and his next actions happened so fast it left her breathless. He got up and took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. Her feet left the ground and he twirled her around the ballroom floor, and her arms wrapped around his neck as she responded passionately back. Maria's fears and insecurities left her completely, replaced with true happiness.

Eventually, he set her back down but his arms stayed around her in a fierce embrace. He soon began to kiss every part of her face that he could, hungry for her, and she was not about to stop him. He slowed down, and kissed her lips softly. When her lips left his, she buried her face in his neck. "I missed you so much."

"Not as much as I missed you," he whispered back. Pulling back to look at her, he smiled. "As much as I want to keep you to myself, I think it would be wise to rejoin our friends. That dress is something you need to dance in."

"As long as you're my partner, I could dance all night," she said sweetly, remembering the song she and Dominik had written. Maybe he should hear it later . . . As she linked arms with her love and they rejoined the party, Maria already began planning her own way to thank Georg for this surprise.