Now that Sapphira had a real bed for the first time in her life, she truly appreciated how comfortable it was. She thought she was probably warmer here than she had ever been before.

The thick blankets perfectly combated the cold in the air, reminding Sapphira of the heat from her fire. Through the window, she could see the snow that coated the ground outside, bringing a hushed and muted feel to the world.

She still was daily awed by living in the upper world. Not only had she never before had a proper mattress, she had also only even seen snow once or twice while she'd lived below. And now she lived in a warm house surrounded by it.

She glanced over at Elam. He laid on his stomach facing her. She wished he was awake so she could share this quiet sense of reverence with him.

The moonlit snow was a welcome topic to fill her mind. She wasn't sure why, but Sapphira loved the snow. It was beautiful, and it amazed her how it seemed to be able to silence everything just by existing. She also appreciated the cold it brought that gave her extra excuse to have this wonderful warmth.

Sapphira could feel a smile on her face that she didn't think she could remove even if she wanted to, which she didn't. She had so many things to be grateful for in her life. Sometimes it reminded her of the fairytales she loved to read, the ones where the princess escaped whatever dark situation ruled her life and got a happy ending. There had been many times over the course of her own story that she hadn't expected to get her own happy ending. It had seemed impossible, yet here she was- the evil was defeated and she was free. She'd gotten the happy ending, prince and all.

Which reminded her. Sapphira rolled over to look at Elam again, pulling her hair out of her face. She appreciated the contrast between her white hair in front of her and his dark brown. His hair fell over his face a little bit, and she carefully brushed it back. He looked so peaceful- content was really the right word. She didn't want to wake him up.

She did wish a little that he was awake, though.

With a quiet sigh, Sapphira resolved to attempt to actually fall asleep soon and not bother Elam. Maybe she'd tell him about what she'd been thinking about in the morning. She scooted closer to him. She was well aware that she already ran a higher temperature than normal people by herself, but he was warm too, and she couldn't get enough of any kind of human contact, and he was here, and she loved him. She closed her eyes.

"Why are you wiggling?" Elam had one eye open, just enough to meet Sapphira's.

"Sorry," she whispered back. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Sure you didn't," he answered, but he was smiling. Sapphira was sure her own smile gave her away. She hadn't meant to wake him up, but she wasn't complaining. Elam was a light sleeper anyway.

She just smiled at him then, looking without saying anything for a couple seconds. She wasn't even sure she had anything important to say; she just wanted his company. He smiled back at her, and his brown eyes held the same warmth she'd been thinking of. "I was just trying to get closer to you," she told him, and it was the truth.

"Well, come here then." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, and Sapphira couldn't have asked for anything better.

"I've just been thinking about how amazing it is to- I mean, everything. It's so amazing to be here, in the land of the living. With the sky and the outside, not always underground." She snuggled into his chest. "And to be with you."

Elam moved one hand to the back of her head. "I'm not sure how to tell you how…" -he paused, trying to think of a word- "wonderful it is that you're here. I'm happy for you, that you don't have to stay there anymore, and I'm happy that you're with me."

The warmth was in Sapphira's chest, expanding and filling her lungs. She tightened her hold on him briefly, and he did the same. They stayed like that for a while in silence, holding each other, Elam combing his fingers through Sapphira's hair. "Sometimes I almost can't believe this is real," she eventually said quietly.

He hummed in response and kissed the top of her head. "It is pretty strange to think about, isn't it? I always hoped we would at least get to see each other again, but I'm not sure I ever thought that we really would end up getting married. It didn't look very likely, did it?"

"It didn't," Sapphira agreed. "That was another thing I was just thinking about. It feels like some sort of fairytale. For such a long time, I didn't think I would get a happy ending. But now… it's real. We really did get a happy ending."

"It's not an ending," Elam said.

"What?"

"Even the happy ending isn't an ending, not really. It's just another beginning of something new."

He was right, she realized. She had never thought about it that way. "A new chapter in the story," she said.

"Exactly."

"I like that," Sapphira whispered. She'd gotten her fairytale happy ending, and it was only the start of a new, even better chapter of her life. The end of an old story and the start of a new one.

"There are so many things left ahead of us. Places to go and people to meet and experiences we haven't had before. There will still be hard times and problems, just like always, but they will be different. And they won't be as bad since we have each other now."

We have each other now . There was nothing Sapphira had ever wanted more than that, and now it was true. She smiled- she hadn't stopped smiling through this whole conversation. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too," Elam said, and Sapphira could hear his smile in his voice. He kissed the top of her head again, and she shifted so her head was resting just under his chin instead of on his chest.

"I'm really glad the story doesn't end at the happy ending."