Ch. 8: Rising in the East
Something unexpected was taking place Maria was sure of it. She wasn't quite sure what to make out of it, but she saw an angel come down from the clouds.
"Behold. The spell is lifted. You have broken it for them Maria. Thank you." The angel told her. Maria was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say.
"What spell?" She asked confused.
"They will tell you later. Now I would suggest you all to leave this place as soon as possible. Go to the land of goodness and freedom. Austria isn't safe anymore. Blessed are you daughter of God." She told her looking at Maria. "Thank you for being such and angel to my family. I love you my child, goodbye." With that the angel touched Georg's injured rib and Maria watched in shock as he began to breathe again.
Maria ran over to him and bent down towards him. He opened his sparkling blue eyes and Maria gasped.
"Georg?" She asked hesitantly as he stood up.
"Maria. What did you say to me before I couldn't hear you any longer?" He asked.
"Well I just…well I said…" She trailed off embarrassed.
"Yes?" He asked patiently. Maria prepared herself for disappointment and elected to tell him the truth.
"I told you that I didn't want you to leave me ever, and that I love you." She told him shyly. The children's mouths dropped open and Georg stared at her with nothing, but love in his eyes.
"Really?" He asked happily. "That is nice, because I love you too." He told her. "You don't know how long I have wanted to say that to you." He finished as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her fully.
"Why didn't you earlier?" She asked breathless after his kiss.
"Well you were getting married to that dreadful and disgusting Nazi and I thought you didn't love me, and on top of that I couldn't." He told her not releasing her from his grasp.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Well because someone decided to put a spell on us after Agathe died because I was grumpy and I was distant from the children. So they told me if I couldn't learn to love and gain someone's love in return by Gretl's sixth birthday, my family would be cursed and have bad luck. You my darling were my only hope." He told her.
"Me? Georg I can assure you that you could have gotten almost any person in this world to fall in love with you…"
"That is not true Maria, because only true love would break the spell. True love is hard to come by you know." He told her. "No one but you could have come close to breaking it." He touched her face lovingly. Maria giggled.
"It does seem like we are living Beauty and Beast doesn't it?" She asked. He looked at her strangely.
"You read all of that already?"
"No, when my Father saw it he reminded me my Mother would used to read it to me before she died. I always dreamed of finding a prince and marrying him." She told him. "This is just like that fairytale." She added.
"Yes my beautiful princess it is, except I am sorry to break it to you, but I doubt that I am going to turn into any prince charming anytime soon." He told her.
"I don't need a prince, Georg." She told him honestly.
"You don't?" He asked.
"No, not when I have a Sea Captain. They are so much better anyways." She told him as she brushed some of his hair off the top of his forehead playfully. "You'll always be a prince to me." She added before her lips found his again. The Captain pulled back gasping for breath and took Maria's hand and gently led her into his study. He sat her down on the chair and told her to wait for a moment. He pulled a ring out of his desk and smiled brightly at her.
He kneeled down before her with the Edelweiss flower and ring. The Edelweiss was dead, but he was hoping it would come back to life, like the angel had said in the beginning.
"Maria?" He said her name sweetly as she looked down into his eyes. "You have made me the happiest person the day I met you. I would love to be the happiest person in the world for the rest of my life. I know I am not the prince you dreamed of, but I would feel like a king, if you Maria, would be my wife." He told her while he put the ring on her finger. Maria put her hand in her face not being able to control her tears any longer. She nodded her head and reached out for him. Georg smiled and took her in his arms and kissed her fully.
He reached down and gave her the dead Edelweiss.
"What is this Georg?" She asked laughing amidst her tears.
"It is a magical flower just for you my princess." He said. She took it hesitantly. When she touched it the flower suddenly bloomed again. Her mouth dropped in astonishment and a collective gasp came from the children watching nearby.
"It's beautiful Georg. I love you so very much." She told him.
"I love you too Maria." He told her. The children came into the room hugging Maria and their Father happily telling them congratulations. Suddenly Maria remembered the Nazis and their dark threats toward her fiancé.
"Georg, we have to get out of here." Maria told him. She began to be frietened for the first time since he woke up.
"I know darling. We are scheduled to sail out of Britain tomorrow. We will leave tonight. Of course I am sad that our marriage must be put off until we get there, but we can be married in a great big Cathedral in New York. Does that sound alright to everyone?" He asked they nodded as he told the children to go to their rooms to pack.
Soon everyone was ready and they left their house for the last time. Their backyard was right next to the border and they could walk strait up the mountains into Italy. They were soon safe over the border into Italy. Maria and Georg walked hand in hand at the end of all their children.
"Thank you Maria." Georg mumbled in her ear.
"For what?" She asked.
"Well for taming a beast for one thing. And also for not being late." He told her laughing at his joke.
"Late for what?" She asked.
"Late for telling me you loved me. Liesl told me you had approximately ten minutes to spare."
"See I was almost late with that too." Maria moaned.
"But you weren't my love, when it mattered the most." He told her kissing her on the head. "You seemed to seize the moment very well on that today. I can only hope it will be that way on our wedding night my love." Maria turned a dark shade of red. Georg laughed; he got a kick out of embarrassing her. "Can you promise me you won't be late that night and that you will seize that moment as well?" He asked tickling her.
"I guess I can promise you, but I do always have problems with being late Georg. Sorry you might just have to live with it. I will try my best not to be late ever again." She giggled before she turned his head gently and kissed him passionately. "I love you." She whispered in his ears while laying her head on his shoulder. "And…" She added. "I told you that on time!"
Georg pulled Maria into a tight hug as they walked into a small village in Italy. Together with their seven children they walked toward their destiny in Europe and beyond. And of course they all lived happily ever after.