Chapter 8 The Question
When they came back they heard Daja and Tris crying in sorrow and loss. Someone had put a bandage on Sandry's wound. Sandry and Briar opened their eyes and Sandry said weakly "Now that was an interesting adventure." Lark was sitting in the corner with Rosethorn, Niko and Frostpine. She heard Sandry and looked up, her eyes red from weeping. She cried out in shock and ran over caressing Sandry and whispering to her, relief etched in every line on her face. When Rosethorn didn't look up Briar crawled over to her and hugged her. She looked up with tears and saw it was Briar. She flung her arms around him and cried into his shoulder with tears of happiness falling from her eyes. They were taken upstairs a few minutes later and put in Sandry's room in beds right next to each other so they wouldn't be alone, though that was impossible because the others brought in cots to sleep on so they never had a moment alone.
Late at night after their tenth day into recovery, they were both still a bit weak from Sandry's wound and Briar's magic working of grief but were a lot better. Sandry's wound was completely healed. They were the only ones awake still. Sandry was reading and Briar was fiddling with something in his hands. Briar was the first one to talk. "Sandry can I talk to you?" he asked nervously. Sandry looked up from her book and looked at him. "Sure Briar" she replied. She turned and swung her legs to hang of the bed. Briar pushed his covers off and walked to the chair next to her bed. Briar took a deep breath and started slowly "Sandry, your going to be crowned soon. That will be a huge change for everyone." He paused took another deep breath and kneeled in front of Sandry. "Sandry, would you please marry me?" and he took out what he had been fiddling with, it was an engagement ring with twinning vines on the inside and outside and a blossoming rose on the top. Sandry gasped, She covered her mouth with one hand for a moment. Then she lowered it. "Briar, I would be honored to marry you." She said with tears of joy in her eyes. Briar looked up. "Really?" he asked. She smiled "Of course." Briar slipped the ring on her slender finger than shoot up, picked her up and swirled her around while laughing with glee. I am the luckiest guy alive! He thought. They both fell away to pleasant dreams.
The next day when they woke up Tris was looking curiously at the ring on Sandry's finger. "Where'd you get that Sandry?" She asked curiously. Sandry smiled and told her to wake the others first. Tris went around waking the rest of them while Briar went to sit next to Sandry. The other's gathered around Sandry's bed and looked quizzically at them, still tired. Sandry sighed and started "Guys, Briar and I have decided to get married." They all gaped at Sandry and Briar for at least a minute. Then Rosethorn stood up and went to Sandry and Briar followed closely by the rest of them. She smiled at the fiancées and smiled "Congratulations, when was this decided again?" she asked after a quick hug for both of them. Briar said "last night after you went to bed." The rest of them came to congratulate them and wish them luck.