* The Question *
Rosha stood in the seating room speaking with Impesh. "...And how are the preparations coming?"
"We have started laying the new floor in the throne room and much of the overgrowth has already been removed. We will not start on the royal quarters until the Queen has recovered." Impesh answered.
Rosha continued, "And what of Milo's tribute?"
"An appropriate stone has been found and placed in the courtyard. The carvers will start on it in the morning." Said Impesh.
"Very good. But make sure they only carve the basic shape. Kashekim's King stone must be completed by Milo." Rosha informed.
"As you wish..." Impesh nodded in recognition of Rosha's order, then said. "Question my lady."
"Yes..."
Impesh continued, "Many of the people wish to know if they should change their normal plans for Kritapar?"
"No. All of the ceremonies will be held on All Kings Day. The other four days of Kritapar will be celebrated as they always have been." Rosha said as she noticed Kida's door opening and saw Salin step out holding a food tray.
"Excuse me Impesh" Rosha went over to her, "Has there been any change?"
"No. The Queen is still unconscious and Milo still will not eat anything. I am worried for him Rosha, he has not moved in two days. He just sits in there staring at her and holding her hand. How can he not move for so long?"
"It is called love Salin." Rosha said with a smile.
Salin looked at Milo through the doorway as Rosha reach in and slowly closed it. "I wish I had someone that loved me like that." Salin said glassy eyed.
"Be patient child. I will help you find the right one. Come, help me with Kida's dress and we will talk about it."
***
Milo continued to sit by Kida's bedside determined that he would be the first thing she saw when she awoke. And besides, he had a question to ask her. But Milo was beyond exhausted and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out. Kida stirred for the first time in two days turning her head towards Milo.
"Kida...?" Milo said as he moved closer to her.
"No Milo, please." She muttered still asleep.
"Kida, wake up. It's me, I'm here." Milo encouraged her.
Kida's eyes slowly opened and a blurry vision of Milo's face came into focus. "Milo...? Milo...!" Kida shot up and stared at Milo as if he were a ghost then quickly through her arms around him, holding him tightly to reassure herself that he was in fact real.
"Kida... Kida I can't..." Kida released her embrace and sat back on the bed. "...breathe."
"How...? how did you...? Great Kings, Milo you are alive!" Kida said both happy and completely bewildered.
Milo smiled, "Great Kings is right."
Kida shook her head still completely confused. "I do not understand. You did fight Redic, did you not?"
Milo looked down at the bed as he sighed heavily. Kida took Milo's hands into hers guiding him to set next her. Kida had her answer, she recognized the look of a man that had taken another's life. "If you do not wish to speak of what happened, I will understand." Kida said in a soft tone.
Milo looked up meeting Kida's gaze. "No... It's okay. It was a right thing to do... I'm not sure how to explain it but... Well, your father helped me."
"My father?" Kida said surprised.
"Yeah... Redic had me, I mean he beat me up pretty bad. But then your father stepped in, I mean it was like he became a part of me... Well anyway, he helped me fight Redic." Milo explained.
"I believe I understand" Kida said uncertain, "So it was my father who killed Redic?"
"No...." Milo sighed. "Your father left me before, well before I..."
Kida softly touched Milo's cheek, understanding the torment that Milo was putting himself through. "It is okay Milo. A true warrior never takes the life of an innocent, Redic was not innocent. As you said yourself, it was the right thing to do."
"Thanks. I think I needed to hear that." Milo said now taking Kida's hands into his. "Anyway, enough about me. Are you okay?"
"I am well. But you look terrible. How long has it been since you have slept?" Kida asked.
"Um... Two days I guess..."
"Two days!" Kida interrupted, "You have been watching over me all this time?"
"Well, I had to make sure your okay." Milo said as he ran his hand through his hair.
Kida smiled softly, "Milo, it is sweet that you did not leave me. But you should have slept."
"Yeah... Um..." Milo muttered, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "Actually there's something I need to ask you."
"Milo... What are you doing?" Kida asked as she watched Milo get down on one knee on the floor next to the bed.
"Surface world custom." Milo said with a nervous smile as he took Kida's hand again into his. "I'm suppose to have a ring for this but... Well I... Um sorry..."
"Milo, you are acting strangely. Did Redic hit you on the head?" Kida said in jest, pulling her hands away as she checked for signs of a wound that had been missed.
"Kida please..." Milo sighed, pulling Kida's hands back down. "I'm trying to be serious here."
"I am sorry." Kida said trying to control her smile, "Please... Continue."
Milo took a deep breath. "Kida, I love you..."
"Yes Milo, I know..." Kida interrupted.
"Kida... Now were was I... 0h yeah... I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love another person. And I know we haven't known each other very long but... Um, I think Rosha was right. We don't have to wait... Gees, I'm messing this up." Milo sighed, but quickly continued, "I... I can't imagine my life without you and... Um... What I'm trying to say... Um... Kida, will you marry me?"
Kida couldn't help but giggle at Milo. Although his proposal had made Kida the happiest woman in Atlantis. The strange way in which he made it, recounting things which both of them already knew and accepted to be true, seemed comical to her. "That is a silly custom. Am I to get on one knee as well?"
"No... Kida." Milo sighed disappointed. He had made up his mind to propose to Kida when he had carried her up to her room, and had spent the last two days thinking of the perfect words to say. But it all came out wrong and Kida's laughter zapped what little bit of strength he had left.
"I am sorry Milo. Come, sit with me." Kida said smiling warmly.
Milo's knees almost buckled as he slowly got up and Kida had helped him slide on the bed. Sitting behind Milo and with her arms wrapped around him, Kida softly whispered into Milo's ear. "Try it the Atlantean way... Say, I wish to be your husband."
Milo repeated without hesitation, "I wish to be your husband."
Than Kida replied, "I wish to be your wife... That means yes."
"Yes...?" Milo question, making sure that he understood her answer.
"Yes Milo, I will marry you."
Milo could barely smile even though he was now the happiest man in Atlantis. But his joy would have to wait until morning. The peaceful retreat of sleep was calling him and with his question answered, he could no longer resist it. Milo's eyes closed and his body went limp in Kida's arms, it was now her turn to watch over him.
Rosha stood in the seating room speaking with Impesh. "...And how are the preparations coming?"
"We have started laying the new floor in the throne room and much of the overgrowth has already been removed. We will not start on the royal quarters until the Queen has recovered." Impesh answered.
Rosha continued, "And what of Milo's tribute?"
"An appropriate stone has been found and placed in the courtyard. The carvers will start on it in the morning." Said Impesh.
"Very good. But make sure they only carve the basic shape. Kashekim's King stone must be completed by Milo." Rosha informed.
"As you wish..." Impesh nodded in recognition of Rosha's order, then said. "Question my lady."
"Yes..."
Impesh continued, "Many of the people wish to know if they should change their normal plans for Kritapar?"
"No. All of the ceremonies will be held on All Kings Day. The other four days of Kritapar will be celebrated as they always have been." Rosha said as she noticed Kida's door opening and saw Salin step out holding a food tray.
"Excuse me Impesh" Rosha went over to her, "Has there been any change?"
"No. The Queen is still unconscious and Milo still will not eat anything. I am worried for him Rosha, he has not moved in two days. He just sits in there staring at her and holding her hand. How can he not move for so long?"
"It is called love Salin." Rosha said with a smile.
Salin looked at Milo through the doorway as Rosha reach in and slowly closed it. "I wish I had someone that loved me like that." Salin said glassy eyed.
"Be patient child. I will help you find the right one. Come, help me with Kida's dress and we will talk about it."
***
Milo continued to sit by Kida's bedside determined that he would be the first thing she saw when she awoke. And besides, he had a question to ask her. But Milo was beyond exhausted and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out. Kida stirred for the first time in two days turning her head towards Milo.
"Kida...?" Milo said as he moved closer to her.
"No Milo, please." She muttered still asleep.
"Kida, wake up. It's me, I'm here." Milo encouraged her.
Kida's eyes slowly opened and a blurry vision of Milo's face came into focus. "Milo...? Milo...!" Kida shot up and stared at Milo as if he were a ghost then quickly through her arms around him, holding him tightly to reassure herself that he was in fact real.
"Kida... Kida I can't..." Kida released her embrace and sat back on the bed. "...breathe."
"How...? how did you...? Great Kings, Milo you are alive!" Kida said both happy and completely bewildered.
Milo smiled, "Great Kings is right."
Kida shook her head still completely confused. "I do not understand. You did fight Redic, did you not?"
Milo looked down at the bed as he sighed heavily. Kida took Milo's hands into hers guiding him to set next her. Kida had her answer, she recognized the look of a man that had taken another's life. "If you do not wish to speak of what happened, I will understand." Kida said in a soft tone.
Milo looked up meeting Kida's gaze. "No... It's okay. It was a right thing to do... I'm not sure how to explain it but... Well, your father helped me."
"My father?" Kida said surprised.
"Yeah... Redic had me, I mean he beat me up pretty bad. But then your father stepped in, I mean it was like he became a part of me... Well anyway, he helped me fight Redic." Milo explained.
"I believe I understand" Kida said uncertain, "So it was my father who killed Redic?"
"No...." Milo sighed. "Your father left me before, well before I..."
Kida softly touched Milo's cheek, understanding the torment that Milo was putting himself through. "It is okay Milo. A true warrior never takes the life of an innocent, Redic was not innocent. As you said yourself, it was the right thing to do."
"Thanks. I think I needed to hear that." Milo said now taking Kida's hands into his. "Anyway, enough about me. Are you okay?"
"I am well. But you look terrible. How long has it been since you have slept?" Kida asked.
"Um... Two days I guess..."
"Two days!" Kida interrupted, "You have been watching over me all this time?"
"Well, I had to make sure your okay." Milo said as he ran his hand through his hair.
Kida smiled softly, "Milo, it is sweet that you did not leave me. But you should have slept."
"Yeah... Um..." Milo muttered, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "Actually there's something I need to ask you."
"Milo... What are you doing?" Kida asked as she watched Milo get down on one knee on the floor next to the bed.
"Surface world custom." Milo said with a nervous smile as he took Kida's hand again into his. "I'm suppose to have a ring for this but... Well I... Um sorry..."
"Milo, you are acting strangely. Did Redic hit you on the head?" Kida said in jest, pulling her hands away as she checked for signs of a wound that had been missed.
"Kida please..." Milo sighed, pulling Kida's hands back down. "I'm trying to be serious here."
"I am sorry." Kida said trying to control her smile, "Please... Continue."
Milo took a deep breath. "Kida, I love you..."
"Yes Milo, I know..." Kida interrupted.
"Kida... Now were was I... 0h yeah... I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love another person. And I know we haven't known each other very long but... Um, I think Rosha was right. We don't have to wait... Gees, I'm messing this up." Milo sighed, but quickly continued, "I... I can't imagine my life without you and... Um... What I'm trying to say... Um... Kida, will you marry me?"
Kida couldn't help but giggle at Milo. Although his proposal had made Kida the happiest woman in Atlantis. The strange way in which he made it, recounting things which both of them already knew and accepted to be true, seemed comical to her. "That is a silly custom. Am I to get on one knee as well?"
"No... Kida." Milo sighed disappointed. He had made up his mind to propose to Kida when he had carried her up to her room, and had spent the last two days thinking of the perfect words to say. But it all came out wrong and Kida's laughter zapped what little bit of strength he had left.
"I am sorry Milo. Come, sit with me." Kida said smiling warmly.
Milo's knees almost buckled as he slowly got up and Kida had helped him slide on the bed. Sitting behind Milo and with her arms wrapped around him, Kida softly whispered into Milo's ear. "Try it the Atlantean way... Say, I wish to be your husband."
Milo repeated without hesitation, "I wish to be your husband."
Than Kida replied, "I wish to be your wife... That means yes."
"Yes...?" Milo question, making sure that he understood her answer.
"Yes Milo, I will marry you."
Milo could barely smile even though he was now the happiest man in Atlantis. But his joy would have to wait until morning. The peaceful retreat of sleep was calling him and with his question answered, he could no longer resist it. Milo's eyes closed and his body went limp in Kida's arms, it was now her turn to watch over him.