Chapter 7
That night I waited at the stables. After a while I decided that the letter must have been an old one and was about to leave when I saw Nagit. I quickly bowed to him.
"Carli, you came!" he said sounding happy. I was surprised that he was being so informal with me and wanted to yell at him.
"What is it my lord wishes from me?" I asked.
"I want us to go for a ride again."
"Denushka..." I said and my voice trailed off.
"I have heard the truth of what had happened from Jonathan and I am truly sorry," he said with his hand on my shoulder, "I know no other horse will be the same, but..."
He opened the stable door and there stood a saddled white horse that looked just like Denushka. How could it be...I am sure of what happened to her...
"I tracked down Denushka's lineage and found that she was actually one of twins. This is her sister Bella."
I was moved that Nagit went through all the trouble for me, but why? It doesn't make sense. When he is married to Odette, we can't keep on being like we always were. It would not be appropriate...
"Thank you very kindly," I said formally, "your highness' thoughtfulness is appreciated."
"Then you can thank me by going on a ride with me!" he said and mounted his horse.
"Race you to the river!" he said and took off. I didn't have a chance to object and got onto Bella with a sigh. My heart was just getting more and more trampled the longer I keep this up. I will just have to tell him out straight that I am not fine with being his friend while he is married to Odette. I have long ago passed the point of being able to just be friends. I couldn't bear to let someone else have him. I decided that I would tell him when we rest at our usual place by the river. Then, perhaps I'll go back to my home estate and beg Lord and Lady Crompton to take me in. I had heard that Hugo had been nursed back to health and sent back and that he was doing well.
I found that Bella was just as spirited as her sister was and she quickly caught up with Knight, though I'm not sure if it was purely from her ability or that Nagit was holding Knight back a bit. We ended up galloping side by side until we reached the river. Nagit got off first and then came and helped me down too. Both our faces were flushed from the excitement of the ride and we sat down on the well known rocks next to the river. The moonlight was dancing on the water. The sight of this usually made me happy but now it made me feel sad. I sat for a bit not knowing what to say or how to say it.
"What is it Carli?" Nagit suddenly asked. I couldn't hold it in any longer and it felt like my heart was breaking.
"I...I can't live with you anymore!" I said quickly and already felt tears running down my cheeks.
"What?! Why?" he asked in surprise.
"Don't be such a dummy! When you marry in two weeks time we can't continue to do what we do now. It would not be fair to your wife...or to us."
"Carli..." the tone of his voice was strange and made me look up at him.
He reached over and caressed my face. What was he doing?!
"You call me a dummy, but you can't tell that my heart belongs to only you."
"What?!" I asked in surprise and disbelief.
"It is true that I am getting married in two weeks...I was hoping I could break the news to you rather than you hearing it from Mrs Spoon. Although I think you misunderstood her..."
"I don't understand..."
I noticed he took something out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was a small box. Was it...
I opened it and found a ring glimmering inside under the moonlight. I inhaled sharply and looked at Nagit in surprise.
"Now I really don't understand, what is this about?" Was he showing me the ring he plans to give Odette? I thought he was already supposed to have done that by the time the announcement was made?
"You dummy!" he said to me now, "I am asking you to be my wife and you say you don't understand?"
"What?! I...um..." My heartbeat suddenly sped up and my face was catching on fire. He's...asking me to marry him?
"Nagit...are you sure about this? I am ..."
"...5 years older than me, I know. But sometimes I think I'm more mature than you. Say yes already so we can celebrate!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "You have always been a bit impatient..."
"Yes," I finally said softly.
"What, really?" he said and I could hear the surprise in his voice.
"Oh, you didn't want me to say yes?" I asked and the next moment got enveloped in his arms.
"Thank you Carli! You make me the happiest man alive!"
"What about Odette? Surely you didn't just ditch her because I came back?"
"Wow, you think highly of your king," he teased, "Odette was in on the whole thing and pretended to help me catch Esmerelda."
"Oh..." was all I could say. I was so happy that my chest felt like it wanted to burst.
"Two weeks, huh? What if I had said no?" I asked and felt Nagit's arms tighten around me.
"I would have nagged until you said yes!" We both laughed.
It was already getting light by the time we finally returned to the palace and walked hand-in-hand, ready to face whatever the future had in store for us.
The end.
