Declaration

Observing the world shift beneath her through the oval glass panel, she kept an eye on the horizon ahead. Eventually the ocean would appear, first as a silver line, then a growing grey expanse. Sleep did not arrive for her on the return home.

It was difficult for her to abide the passing minutes until she could be back on the ground. Air travel had always been uncomfortable due to her own sensibilities about movement; she liked to feel that she was really getting somewhere. She liked to feel the movement of traversing some distance. In the air, everything felt so static, so artificial. The passing scenery outside affected her no more than the same images would on a television screen. It felt simulated.

Even so, she felt a jolt of excitement at her first glimpse of the coast ahead. In that moment, she could feel the forward motion.

She was coming home today. Orm had been keeping count faithfully, tallying the days left every morning when he woke up. This morning, he'd had to double-check that he hadn't lost count somewhere, just to make sure he could be justifiably excited. He pictured the sight of her in the window, peering into the cove, the soft glow of light behind her. He could already picture the happy recognition on her face. Waiting for her to reach the cove would be the longest wait of his life.

In her absence, he had kept a sharper eye on palace happenings. If there had been any talk of sending him away for his first diplomatic errand, it had escaped his notice so far. He had no reason to believe that he wouldn't see her tonight, but he had learned not to place heavy expectations on his own wishes until their fulfillment was guaranteed. It wouldn't be the first cruel twist in his life if he were moved out of Atlantis before sunset. So he waited, suppressing his anxiety as much as possible, trying to fix his thoughts on anything other than Her.

She'd gone down to the cove earlier than usual that night. She had barely started unpacking her bags when she was distracted by the giant clouds hovering over the sea. Grabbing her camera, she left the unpacking for some other day to get pictures. The sheer rock walls of the cove created a contrast against the mellow sea and the formless clouds. As the sun sank, she sprawled on the sand, listening to the hushed sizzle of waves lapping at the sand near her bare feet. Closing her eyes, she could envision the white foam on the water's shallow edge. Closing her eyes…

A splashing noise made her sit up straight. It was dark out now, nothing like the shell-pink sky when she'd had her eyes open what seemed like moments ago. On the edge of the beach, a figure—Orm—and at his feet, his lantern. Sand had splashed up his legs, as if he had dropped it there moments ago.

"What are you doing out here?" his voice trembled, as if she had startled him.

"I came down to watch the sunset," she began.

"You've been here that long? You've been sleeping that long?" he hustled towards her, leaving his lantern behind, as she got to her feet. Drawing near, he locked her in a tight embrace. "You shouldn't have come out here without my signal," he said. "You couldn't have known whether I would still be around…"

She pressed her cheek against his chest.

"Sorry, Orm. I forgot about that—I was so excited to be back home," she exhaled slowly, lingering in his arms a moment longer. "I missed the sea. I missed you."

"I missed you too," he said, kissing the top of her head. He loosened his grip. "And I'm thankful you've come home safely."

She finally pulled away, reluctant to leave the hug so soon. Even with time to think on the flight, she hadn't come to a decision on how truthful to be about her feelings towards him. Maybe a declaration of stronger commitment would soothe his nerves, but she felt it also had an equal chance of making him more anxious. Wasn't it enough to be with him in the moment?

"How was your family?" he asked.

"They're doing well, and they expect me to be doing just as well," she chuckled. "of course, I couldn't tell them about the man in my life,"

"Even if you had, they wouldn't have believed you," he smiled, clasping her hand. "I suppose Atlantis truly is nothing more than a myth up here."

"I'm glad that you're real," she said. "Or, I'm glad that I'm crazy enough to be hallucinating you."

"Don't worry, I'm very real," he replied, grasping her other hand. "I wish we had some real music to dance to, though."

"I'll bring music for the next time we meet," she replied.

"You have an answer for everything," he smiled. "You'd make a good queen."

"Didn't you once tell me that I didn't know anything about being a ruler?" she countered, smirking back at him.

"You misinterpreted; I meant that you don't know what the finer details are like. Etiquette can be taught, but there are some things you need to be born with. Like confidence."

"You think I'm confident?" she laughed. It was not a compliment she had received very often.

"I think it's your natural response. When you don't have time to overthink something, you tend to respond more strongly," he said. "and with more honesty. Sometimes it can be a little brutal."

"Oh," she trailed off. "That explains it."

"What's wrong?" he had felt a twinge of some negative feeling in her voice—disappointment, maybe? Or sadness?

"There's something I've been overthinking recently," she replied, hesitating.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,"

"No—this is something I want to tell you." Taking another breath, she said the words before she could reconsider them again. "Orm, I love you."

Visible shock registered on his face, which she could see even in the faint moonlight. Followed by this was an expression of relief.

"I love you too," he replied, making up for his moment of shock with the sudden warmth in his voice. She pulled him into a second hug, burying her face in his chest. His arms hung at his sides for a moment, but his grip was tight and reassuring when he returned the gesture. There was no doubt in her mind now that the words could not be taken back. She had been right to say it. She wanted to remain like this for a long time.