Until We Meet Again/ Kiss Me at Midnight/New Year's Eve
Summary: On her last night in the Southern Isles, Anna tries to appear at her best, all the while stressing over what returning to Arendelle will truly mean for her, for Hans, and for their future.
If there was a grand event that the Southern Isles was known for, it was their New Year's Gala. Hosted by the reining queen, every year there was always a high turnout of extended Westergaard relatives and fellow royals and dignitaries from around the realm as everyone came together to celebrate the ending of one year, and the glorious excitement and hope a new one would bring. This particular one, successfully organized by Queen Charlotte, was no exception.
Anna originally wasn't going to attend. It just didn't seem right to mingle and dance when she still considered herself in mourning. It was a tough decision to make because she absolutely loved parties, celebrations, and seeing old friends. Both Charlotte and Hans had opinions on that confronted her about it during the day before the party. The queen reminded her that she was under no obligation to dance, and she could merely socialize with her allies, especially now that this would be her first formal appearance as Arendelle's new queen. And if all she did was drink some champagne, raid the chocolate tray, and disappear early into the evening, no one would judge her. Elsa's death was no secret to the realm. Her friends would understand. And Hans…well… his encouragement was a bit blunter, which surprised her.
"I planned on attending all along. So, if I can survive the evening among my brothers and people who still consider me to be royal trash, then you can manage an appearance, too."
So, there she stood off to the side of the lively ballroom, dressed in a flattering, off-shoulder black ballgown and matching gloves, her ensemble adorned with the purple and green sash and glistening golden crocus tiara befitting her regal status; watching the partygoers dance and mingle with a strained smile on her face as she tried to appear at her best. It wasn't an easy feat.
The evening started out alright. Charlotte and Frederick reintroduced her to their friends and joined allies, some of whom she hadn't seen since Elsa's coronation party, as well as various members of Frederick's family. She had no idea the Southern Isles had so many other Westergaards. They were practically coming out of the woodwork. They all seemed nice enough, to her at least. In conversations, some of their side comments about fellow family members, mostly the current line of princes, left her rather shocked. Away from Frederick and Charlotte, she certainly got to learn some family secrets that she wished were rather left unsaid. Surprisingly, none of them were about Hans and his misdeeds. Perhaps that was one family secret kept behind the castle doors. Thank goodness. Some of these women made it their livelihoods to just gossip.
One highlight early on was getting to meet Prince Ludwig, Hans' fourth-eldest brother. He and his wife, Giselle, lived in Corona, and came back briefly for the gala. She wished they had thought to come for Christmas, too. They were a lovely couple, and Ludwig had far more manners than at least four of his brothers combined. She would have loved to spend time with them, too, though she could easily see what drove him to move away. At least he seemed happy. It's more than she could say for some of his siblings.
Things went downhill fast for her while she was conversing pleasantly with the King Alastor of Malengrad. Just within her earshot, she could hear Reginald Spencer, the Duke of Weselton, conversing with Chancellor Beker from Alvania and Lord Albery, the visiting dignitary from Armensgrad. Rather than be like everyone else in the room and talk about pleasant matters and hopeful futures, their subject of conversation hit far too close to home.
Queen Elsa.
'This came far sooner than I anticipated,' Duke Spencer's words stuck out to her, 'perhaps now my Duchy will actually be able to have reasonable trade once again.'
'Not to mention, the realm is now safe from an unstable witch. Thank goodness we will never have to worry about a miscommunication earning us an eternal winter,' said Chancellor Beker.
'I hope the other one knows how to rule properly. The most I've seen during my visits to that wretched land were her playing with children and coddling some frightful snowman with children's books.'
Anna swallowed hard and tried her best to ignore them. Malengrad's King deserved her full attention. But the gentlemen's conversation kept going, ragging on about everything that made her heart hurt. It was as if they were staring right at her and could see all of her core insecurities out on full display. God, their brand of gossip was far worse than anything those Westergaard ladies were dishing out. Soon, the musician's current number had stopped, and the ballroom got noticeably quieter. It was easier for their damaging conversation to reach King Alastor, and he too formed a slight frown on his face as his eyes began scanning the ballroom looking for the unpleasant source.
With their own discussion essentially over, she politely excused herself and bolted for the back of the ballroom. She was certain no amount of champagne or chocolate could help her mood. She had been introduced to Weselton's Duke earlier on, and he was very cordial with her. Clearly it was too much to think that three years had changed his true opinions for the better.
No matter what, she told herself she wouldn't bail out early. She had to be poised. Calm. Regal. The very vision of a queen. Hiding would solve nothing. It wouldn't make her feel better. Everything would become a lot harder once she arrived home, and she knew she couldn't get into a routine of running from her problems. No, this was merely one party. She would face it with as much grace and dignity as Elsa would.
That didn't mean she couldn't duck away for a private moment to compose herself. And if she needed several of them to get through to midnight, then so be it.
Her plan was to sneak behind the pulled back velvet curtains tied to the ballroom columns to catch her breath and steel herself.
She should have known that by now, nothing ever went according to plan.
The instant Anna rounded a column, she crashed head-on into someone. She gasped and tried to back up, but her high heels got caught on the train of her gown, and she went flailing backwards. Her sight went immediately to the side, hoping she could at least catch onto the hanging curtains so she wouldn't land unceremoniously on the ground. And if that worked, she would pray that whatever anchored the curtains up would be strong enough to support her. Her fall was embarrassing enough. Having an entire velvet curtain and rod come crashing down on top of her would draw everyone's attention. She would never live this down.
God, why did I even come to this party?!
Before she could feel the impact of the cold stone floor, a set of arms latched onto her. One wrapped around her waist, the other onto her hand as they quickly flung her back upwards onto her feet. A bit too strongly, though. She ended up falling forward right into her savior's chest.
"Glad I caught you."
Her eyes widened as she glanced up and immediately let out the biggest sigh of relief. "Hans!"
That creeping sense of deja vu was back. Wasn't this how he saved her from utter embarrassment during Elsa's party? She allowed her sights to travel over his form. He was a handsome vision in that familiar crème color ensemble that accentuated his frame in all the right places and made him appear the more noble prince of her long-lost desires. Her eyes locked back on his and they held the same worried gaze as before. That annoying little blush was creeping back onto her cheeks. At least, this time it was partially due to her clumsy embarrassment, not all from the man keeping her upright.
"You know… we should really stop meeting like this." He teased, though he made no effort to release her. "Unless you enjoy having me catch you."
Her free managed to pull a stray tendril of hair back behind her ear. "You do have impeccable timing," she managed to smile, "thank you."
"Well, we can't have the Queen of Arendelle falling all over the place." He shrugged lightly and released her hand but kept his arm around her waist. "People will start to talk."
Her smile faded. "People are already starting to talk. About me. Somehow, I don't think the sight of me being a klutz will do much to change their opinions. It'll probably just validate them."
His amused expression instantly faded as he briefly glanced around the crowded ballroom. "Who is it? What did they say?"
Anna forcibly pulled away from him and shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about it. Not here. I came back to hide, not make myself feel worse."
"I've got a better idea." He said, and with a small smile on his lips, he gently took her one hand and guided her around the back of the ballroom. There was a staircase going up to the second-floor gallery and he guided her up.
She had never been up here before. It was much higher than she thought, and once on the proper floor, he guided her to the railing to gaze down. It was a magnificent view of the activity below, and it made the ballroom seem a lot larger and fuller than she realized. All at once she could see the throne where King Frederick and Queen Charlotte currently sat, along one side wall were all of the musicians, and around the surrounding walls were just people standing aside conversing with one another. The very center was covered with dancers, men in their finest attire and the ladies appearing like circles as their full skirts twirled around their legs as they waltzed. She could spot some of the princes mixed around the room. Tomas and Lars were hovered around the refreshments, and Viktor and Georg were chatting with Ludwig near the main doors.
She and Hans weren't the only ones taking refuge on the upper level. Several people had also come up to stand out of the way and catch up with old friends.
"C'mon." Hans said softly to her, and gently pried her away from the rail to take her outside to one of the balconies. "If you want to hide, we can do it together."
"You're hiding, too?" She asked.
"Of course." He replied. "There's too many people down there who know me and know what I did. On top of that, almost my entire family clan is here, and that's a whole slew of problems on its own." He perched himself on the edge of the stone balustrade. "I hope you don't mind this—I thought seeking you out would be a preferable alternative to wasting myself on champagne and making more terrible, regrettable decisions."
Anna smiled and sat down beside him. "I appreciate that. To be honest, I don't think there's enough champagne down there to make me feel better."
His eyebrow raised. "What about chocolate?"
"Or chocolate." She sighed. "besides, if I eat too much, my dresses won't fit anymore. I haven't had a single bite all evening. I'm trying to be good."
"Being good is over-rated. Trust me." He suddenly slid off the stone and adjusted his topcoat. "I'll be back."
"Wait, what? Where are you—" too late. He was gone. She took a deep breath and gazed out to the grounds below. She had a good view of the southern yard. A small smile creeped its way onto her face as she saw in the distance the snow transition from impeccably smooth to completely rumpled and lumpy—the sight where that disastrous snowman-competition-turned-snowball-fight took place. Oh, what a fun afternoon that was. Some of the Westergaard men didn't speak to neither her nor Charlotte for the rest of the day, and it was wonderful. Viktor and Georg still resurfaced for dinner that evening with plenty of reserve energy left. Anna didn't know where they rationed it all, but they at least found the entire activity enjoyable. And Hans… she was rather anxious to whatever torture he would instill on her for making him play, too. He didn't do a damn thing. She got all worked up for nothing.
A breeze swept through, and Anna immediately rubbed at her arms. Her gloves stopped just beyond her wrists, and she wished she decided to a wear longer, opera-length pair instead. It was rather cold in the night air.
What was it with Westergaards and sitting outside, anyway?
Hans returned minutes later with a small plate loaded with various truffles, fruits, and desserts. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the full plate, and she prayed he wasn't expecting her to eat all of that.
"Relax. It's to share." He said as if reading her thoughts and gently set it down between them. Without a second thought, he also shrugged out of his topcoat and draped it around her shoulders.
"Thank you." She hugged the coat closer to her before ultimately deciding to slide her arms through the sleeves instead. It was clearly too big for her, but the garment was warm. It smelled like him. That was more than enough for her.
"You can deny it all you want, but I know chocolate does make you feel better. So have one piece or ten. I won't judge. And if you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."
Anna shook her head and reached for a milk chocolate truffle. "I don't. I'm going to try and be strong and shrug it off. As the queen, I have to accept that not everyone will have a favorable opinion of me, and I can't let it ruin my night."
He tilted his head curiously, "what about Anna?"
She huffed and took a bite, savoring the rich taste on her tongue before swallowing. "Anna wanted to punch the Duke in the face." She smiled slightly when he burst into laughter, "but she also knows better. It's not as effective if the strike doesn't land the person into the fjords."
"Quite right." He smirked. "I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. You know? My nose still feels phantom pain sometimes when I think about it."
"Are you feeling it now?"
"A bit, yes." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm in the prime position where if I say the wrong thing, you'll deck me again and I'll fall off this ledge to my death."
Her jaw dropped. "I would never!" He merely chuckled once more and plucked a berry off the plate.
There was the sudden loud surge of laughter coming from the ballroom, and on instinct, she turned her attention back to the open doors. It had been quiet up to that point. She wondered if someone was giving a speech and made a joke. Oh well. She missed the punch line. She was missing everything that was going on inside. It didn't seem to bother her as much as she thought. Among the crowds, she had to put on her mask. She was Queen Anna… a person she still wasn't too sure about. Someone she still had to get used to becoming. In a way, she preferred it out here. Another moment of innocent privacy with Hans, where she could be just Anna. Ordinary Anna.
Herself.
She eventually turned back to him and felt her face flush. He was gazing at her with one corner of his mouth ever-so-slightly twitched upwards. His green orbs were so soft as they scanned all over her face. How long has he been looking at her like that? Why was he doing that?
"…is there some chocolate on my face?"
Hans shook his head slowly. "…this may be incredibly forward of me, but my god, you're divine. The crown really does suit you."
Her cheeks couldn't possibly become any redder. It was rather bold, but it was just Hans and his feelings. "T-thank you."
"…I'm not a complete fan of the somber dress, of course, but it can't be helped."
"Oh?" She tilted her head. "What would you have preferred?"
"I seemed to remember a delicate green gown with lace and frills… rosemaling pleats and dainty slippers… of course, I also recall an unfortunate sight of some of your underclothes, too—"
"Hans!" She giggled, scooped up a chocolate-coated biscuit and tossed it into his chest. It got wedged between his bold red sash and his golden-yellow waistcoat. He burst out laughing at the act. It didn't faze him one bit.
"There were these pretty colored ribbons in your hair…" he continued wistfully as he removed the treat from his clothes and took a bite out of it. "and that adorable pendant around your neck that drew the eye to all the right places…" he sighed and let his eyes fall to the sash crossing her dress. "I suppose now they've been traded in for other formal, regal pieces."
"I still have the pendant. Somewhere…"
"I miss it."
"You miss a lot of things."
His gaze grew a bit more somber as his eyes finally locked on hers. "I miss everything the way it used to be. But I'm not an innocent lovestruck bachelor, and you're not a fun, carefree princess anymore."
"I'm still fun!" She protested, then immediately frowned. "O-okay, lately you wouldn't really know it, but I am. We've certainly had some fun moments together…right?"
He nodded slowly and reached for a chocolate. "We have…."
She watched him chew. "I feel a 'but' coming."
"But those days are at an end." He said softly. "You're going home tomorrow."
It suddenly hit her extremely hard. He was right, she was leaving in the morning—well, it would probably be the afternoon, now. Anna groaned softly, having completely forgotten all about it. She wasn't even packed, yet. How could she have let that happen? How could she let herself be completely absorbed in the alternate world that the Southern Isles granted her? This wasn't her reality. She had been referred to as 'Queen Anna' throughout her stay and for most of this evening, but it was a matter of formality—just like when she was called 'Princess'. It didn't faze her that this wasn't her land. Her home, her kingdom, was a great sea-span away, where setting sail meant getting completely weighed down with every little thing that caused her to flee in the first place. An empty castle. Rude courtiers. Demanding citizens, among other things. Only now there would be a greater weight added into that awful mixture.
Hans.
This wasn't how this visit was supposed to go. She wasn't supposed to spend time with him; get close to him; have feelings for him again. She found herself tangled in a new web that she wasn't sure how to free herself from. She also wasn't sure if she wanted to free herself, either.
"Right…" She eventually acknowledged him, her shoulders instantly slumping. "Home."
"Hey…" he said, reaching over to gently lift her chin up. "It may not be as bad as you think."
"No… it could be worse."
"You don't know that." He countered. "You've made it through this hurdle. Tomorrow is a new day, a new year. Surely there'll be something you'll have to look forward to?"
Anna thought it over briefly and shrugged. "…my Coronation, I suppose."
"It's something." He offered. "When will it be?"
"Um… I'm not sure, actually. Either late spring or early summer. My courtiers are taking care of the arrangements, just like they did Elsa's."
He offered a weak, hopeful smile. "I don't suppose I…could come?"
Oh, how I wish you could….
"It's probably best that you don't." Anna sighed, "after what happened at the last one and all…. All I know is this one is going to be smaller. Arendelle is apparently still reeling from the disaster of Elsa's. Magic certainly started all the problems, but unfortunately it couldn't fix them." She scratched at her cheek and turned to gaze off to the grounds below. "I guess no one has to worry about me setting off eternal winters or ruining the ecosystem. I'm just me. The ordinary, lackluster sister who doesn't have her own brand of magic to appeal to the masses."
"That's not true." Hans hopped off the ledge and gently took her hands to guide her off and towards him as well. "You have the greatest magic of all."
She didn't believe him. "Oh yeah? What's that? Because clumsiness and naiveté are not real magical traits."
"You have this extraordinary power to see the good in others; to believe they have the ability to be their best selves. You have been this way your entire life, even in moments of true darkness." He stressed and drew her close to him. "Think of your sister. She shut you out for so many years, and yet you never stopped loving her, never stopped believing that one day you'd be a proper family again. And when everything suddenly went to hell, what did you do? You didn't hesitate to go after her. To bring her back. You didn't do that out of obligation, or out of guilt. You did it because you loved her. When she was out on that fjord on the verge of being killed, you threw everything away for her. It wasn't about stopping me. You were willing to die just to save her."
"H-Hans, I—" She was immediately shushed by his index finger gently pressing over her lips.
"And I haven't even broken the other subject yet." When she glanced up at him with a puzzled look, he raised his brows sympathetically, "You grew up believing in fairytales and whirlwind romances. When we met, you believed with all of your heart that I was the man of your dreams, and that I was capable of making any and all of your deepest desires come true. You sought refuge in me and saw something in me that I clearly didn't see in myself. You wantedme. We barely knew each other, and yet you trusted me with your home. Your people. Your kingdom. No one has ever put that much faith in me before. Look at us now! I committed a terrible wrong against you, against your sister; something I truly and deeply regret and will most likely take to my grave, yet you continuously treated me with kindness and respect. You sought me out first when you needed comfort. You chose to spend most of your days with me instead of anyone else in my family. You actually want me to heal, to be better. You want me to be happy." When she averted her gaze away, he tilted her chin up gently. "Don't you see? It's love, Darling. Love is your special brand of magic."
"Love isn't magic—"
"It is…" Hans said. "True love, Anna. You have it. You share it with everyone, whether you realize it or not. Love for your parents. Your sister. Your friends. For…for a long-lost fiancé who clearly doesn't deserve it but willingly takes it. Clings to it. It's all he has left. Right now, it's all you have left, too. But that's what makes you strong. The love you bear, it is immense. It can hold up the whole world. That's what will make you a great queen. A beloved queen. That's what will keep you going from day to day. That is the light that will shine your path forward. And love shines brightly for you. It always has, and it always will."
Tears were welling up in her eyes as she stared up at him. His words struck the biggest chord within her. He claimed that she saw something unknown in him, but in reality, he saw the greatest unknown in her. No one, not Elsa, not even Kristoff, ever regarded her in such a way. They accepted the love she gave them, but also took it for granted. It was sisterly love. It was romantic love. But that was as far as it ever went. Her feelings were never something that they thought should be celebrated. Deserved to be celebrated. But Hans called it magic. Was it really that strong that he would dare compare it to tangible magic like Elsa's? How could she ever compare to Elsa?
"How… how could you possibly know that?"
"Because you gave it to me." Hans replied and gingerly wiped away her stray tears with his thumb, "I had never experienced what love was until I met you… until I lost you. I mocked you then, believing the notions of true love to be something born only through fairytales with no place in the real world. But you were right to believe in it. To radiate in it. It's not about breaking curses. It's about people. Real people, like you and me. About giving it all to the ones you chose to care about and expecting nothing in return. It's about respect and sacrifice. It's about happiness and grief. You shared all of that with me then. I was just too pig-headed and selfish to realize it until it was too late. But now, I know it's not quite too late after all, because even though things are different between us, you still choose to love me in your own way."
"I… I do." Anna said, barely above a whisper. Her hands trembled as they slowly slid up his chest to clutch the lapels of his waistcoat. "I wish I didn't… I shouldn't…but I do. I still do." She hesitated before gazing up at his face. "Gods, Hans…" she couldn't bring herself to say anything else. She was so overcome with emotions that she buried her face into his chest and let everything she was feeling just bubble to the surface. His arms came up to wrap around her and hold her close to him. "I don't know how I can do this."
"Do what?"
"…leave you."
His hands rubbed up and down her back, careful not to wrinkle her sash. "I don't particularly want you to go, either… but it's for the best."
"For the best? I'll be sacrificing what's probably the last love I have left just to live an empty life." She shook her head, nuzzling into his torso. "I can't… I can't do this alone."
"Oh, Anna… you're not alone. You still have your sister's love. That stays with you, even if she physically isn't there. Mine will, too."
"It's not the same…" she whined and swallowed hard, "nothing can ever be the same as warm hugs, someone to laugh with, cry with, someone to support…and comfort me. I can't handle another round of closed doors and empty rooms" She pulled back after a while and looked up at his face, "Will you… will you write to me?"
"Of course."
"It's not the same as your physical presence…" she sighed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, "it'll have to do."
Hans held her close for several long, silent moments, unsure at first what to say to make her feel better. Every so often, the quiet was broken with the sounds of her sniffles, muffled by his waistcoat. It was late. Earlier, he could have sworn he heard the clocktower bells chiming their last round before midnight. "… Do you remember when I proposed to you then?" He suddenly asked.
Anna opened her eyes and blinked, confused. "Yes? Of course, I do."
"Do you know the significance of what that meant?"
Um what? The same as any ol' marriage proposal?
"…marriage?"
Hans released her and pulled back just enough so he could drop down to one knee before her. "A Southern Isles marriage proposal is a binding agreement between the two involved. It can only be broken either by death, should one of us die before a wedding, or by the written agreement between the couple and their families."
Anna furrowed her brow slightly and stared at him, trying to piece things together. "What are you telling me this for? Are you… are you proposing to me? Again?"
He shook his head. "No… I've already done that."
Suddenly, it clicked in her mind. "Are you saying that we're still engaged?" He nodded slowly. "But… but I punched you into the fjord! E-Elsa sent you home a disgraced man!"
"Yes, but that's hardly a legal substitute for dissolving the engagement. I knew that. My father, the King at the time, knew that. But we didn't do anything to address it when negotiating with Elsa because there were more important matters about my fall from grace to deal with. But now… both my father and your sister are gone, and here you are… in my arms… trying to pick up the pieces of your broken heart. Our broken hearts."
Anna shook her head slightly, not entire sure if she wanted to believe where she thought he was going with this. "I don't understand…."
Hans grasped her hands in his. "Tomorrow, when you go home… I want you to try living your life again. Grieve for as long as it takes. Heal in due course. When the time comes… find yourself a man that you deserve—a man who will love you with no hidden ulterior motives, a man that you can love in return. Marry him. Bear his children. Be happy. You deserve that. You need that. And I think, so do I…. Knowing you're living your best life is the only way I can truly forgive myself for my transgressions. The only way I can start to heal."
"H-Hans—"
"But… should you not find him, or if you truly feel you can't do that to me, or to yourself, just say the word and I'll be yours. Regardless of what happens, I will wait for you until the last breath leaves my body. There will never be another woman that I can—will—love as much as I do you. Should you truly choose me, I will honor the agreement we made three years ago and marry you without hesitation. It's not duties nor titles I'm after anymore; not praise nor fame. Just you. That's how it should have been from the start."
"Oh Hans…" she trembled in place and could feel his thumbs rubbing against the backs of her hands to soothe her. "Can't I just say it now?"
"No." He shook his head. "We're still two incredibly broken people. I don't want us to become another hasty decision like before. We both have a lot of grief to work through first. Take your time. Settle into your new role."
"…You were my first love…" she said quietly. "I don't know if I can love another man as I loved you."
Hans gazed upon her sadly. "That man is gone. I don't know if he can ever come back."
Anna shook her head. "He's not… he's alive in here…" she wiggled a hand free and placed it upon his chest first over his heart, then moved it to rest against her own, "…and in here."
"Here we go, everybody!" King Frederick's voice shouted loudly from the ballroom below. Hans and Anna both turned towards the open balcony doors. For the longest time, they had forgotten about the party going on inside.
"It's almost midnight…" Anna gasped.
"Promise me, Anna…" Hans begged as he slowly rose back to his feet. "Promise me you'll try."
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
"I… I promise." She said quietly. Her heart began to race when his hands came up to gently cup her face.
"Seven!"
"Six!"
"Then I'll wait for you… as long as it takes." He whispered and leaned his head down towards her.
"Wha—" she gasped. "What're you doing?"
"Five!"
"Four!"
"Three!"
"That promise was for tomorrow. Tonight, you're still mine." He tilted her chin up and guided her face towards his.
"Two!"
"One!"
The instant the clocktower rang midnight, Hans' lips met hers in a slow, gentle-moving kiss. It was sweet and soft, just as she always imagined her first kiss would be. This was the type of kiss she wanted Hans to give her years ago when she begged for one. A kiss of life more or less. And this one certainly gave her life. Her hands slid up his front to loop around his neck while one of his buried at the base of her formal updo, the other slid around her waist to press her up against him. His mouth moved against hers as the kiss deepened, sending tingles all the way down her spine. She had never been kissed like this before, and she was determined to make the most of it while it lasted. She moaned softly into it as Hans' movements became a bit more desperate, hungry even. He started to angle her back for one last intensifying play at her lips just before he reluctantly pulled away. Anna was left gasping for her breath as her eyes fluttered open to gaze up at him. The one corner of his mouth was slightly upwards. He looked both incredibly proud and miserable at the same time. That was certainly a kiss three years in the making, and it did not disappoint. Her fingers curled through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck as she tried calm herself down.
"Happy New Year…." He whispered breathlessly and slowly lowered his arms back to his sides.
"H-Happy New Year…" she murmured back. Another stray tear fell down her cheek. This was it. Their time was up. Parting was going to be hard enough. That kiss certainly did not make it any easier.
"…don't cry, Darling…" he sighed and wiped the teardrop away. "This isn't goodbye."
"…How do you know?" She choked out. "How can you possibly know what will become of us?"
He tried to force out a reassuring smile, but it just couldn't fully form. Instead, he looked to be on the verge of losing his composure just like she was. "I just do. Part of my heart resides in you. In time, in its own way, it'll call you back to me." He lowered himself back to one knee and took hold of her left hand. He slowly slipped off her black glove and closed his eyes tight as he pressed a long, lingering kiss into her skin. "Goodnight, my love. My Queen…" he murmured against her skin. "Until we meet again."