Can you believe it: this is already the last chapter (save for maybe an epilogue). Path of Happiness was a story that took a long time to finish, but I think I have grown in writing this story, more than with any of the other stories.

Thank you for staying with me for such a long time. You can't believe how much your support has meant to me.

As for this chapter, I usually do not do so, but might I suggest putting on the music of the Elizabeth the Golden Age soundtrack? It's actually the mood I want to have for this story.

Now then: the last chapter. I still do not own anything but the story.

Chapter 25: Path to Happiness

Travelling home with May and Arden was strange, Drew decided. He hadn't exactly expected a formal setting as Arden and May seemed to have searched the whole western coastline for him with only the two of them, but he supposed that there should've been at least some decorum.

He was caught unexpected by the stranger and all her images didn't add up in his head. She had never quite been the docile dress wearing princess from even before he knew her and the May he met at Fern and Loua's house was still under guardianship of Arden.

But while they travelled, he saw a May he didn't know yet. He was only sorting out his memories with May and Arden helping him by telling him his history but he knew May hadn't been this person who fitted less in a court and more in the wild.

She pulled her own weight on the road, made fires easily, shot deer from distances away and skinned rabbits without batting an eye.

"What did you do to the princess?" he asked Arden accusingly, who grinned and shrugged. But Drew couldn't say he wasn't excited by this new side of his fiancée.

Fiancée.

Maybe he had gone too long without being aware of having a fiancée but every time he thought about it, Drew felt his stomach flutter. They hadn't really discussed that yet and for that Drew was glad. It was not like he had really forgotten his proposal, but the details were a little…blurry.

He loved her. At least that he was sure of. Even now he still found himself getting distracted as his eyes followed May doing menial task. Arden's teasing face didn't disturb him in the least. He ha been away from her for four years: he wasn't feeling like missing her more than that.

Drew realized that this was the first time they were together for a longer time and under normal circumstances, it might have been indecent. There was still Arden who Drew thought took his assignment if protecting May rather seriously.

"You asked me to protect her," Arden remarked one day when they were both seated with their backs to the river. May was bathing there and the two were standing guard. It had been somewhat of a working around truly.

Despite them traveling together, May and Arden had held up propriety and Arden had respectfully looked away without even thinking too much of it when she bathed. May almost flipped a casket when she said she was going to bath and Drew stood up to join her.

She allowed him, and Arden, to come in the end to sit with their back to her. Mostly because Drew wasn't letting her out of his sight. "If memory serves you," she had shouted at him, Arden long having made his escape. "…I was the one who had to come looking for you!"

The memory remark had been a low blow and Drew felt rather incensed about it. "Isn't that all the more reason to not let you go?!" he had shouted right back at her.

May bristled at him and for a moment Drew thought that this must be one of the first times she had to argue; as she only seemed to do with him. "No! It's not! I can fight for myself now!"

He glared at her: why couldn't she understand he only wanted to keep her safe! It didn't matter whether she could fight now. Even if she had a whole army, which she technically did, he'd still want to keep her safe near him. "I just want to keep you safe, alright!" Drew finally bit at her.

May continued to glare and then huffed: "Fine," she relented.

Drew blinked, "I am allowed to stay?" he asked.

May scoffed and grabbed her stuff, "With your back to me."

And that was how Drew found himself sitting with his back to the river, Arden keeping him company. "I asked you to protect her, not turn her into the best amazon there is."

Arden chuckled at this, "She was going to turn the world upside down for you. I could join her or be left behind. The latter would've been the least preferable. And the best protection I could give her was if she could protect herself."

With that logic, Drew couldn't argue and he was rather touched she wanted to find him no matter what. "Didn't you think it was indecent, just the two of you?" he decided to ask.

This time, Arden laughed out loud. "Besides her being focused on only you, you would have had my head if I had acted indecent in any way!" he claimed.

Drew chuckled: "So now you are protecting her from me?"

Arden chuckled as well and his eyes sparkled merrily, "Of course."

Drew scoffed, "Of course," he repeated darkly to himself.

But even if Arden said that, his actions showed he'd gladly have them together. He would leave them alone while sorting out Drew's memory when he wasn't necessary and Drew saw him more than once looking pointedly away, even if they did not touch all that much..

Truth to be told, even if Arden gave them enough space to pursue some intimacy, Drew had no idea on how to go about it. From his befuddled memory he retrieved memories of the males…showing interest in his mother, but he knew that wasn't the right way.

In no way he wanted to be crass with May when he did show her what she did to him.

But as he argued with himself on the matter, he had no idea May was having the same argument. But unlike him, she was unwilling to keep it all to herself.

It had been a rainy day and Drew was glad for the small cave they had found for the night. It wouldn't be long until they arrived at the castle and Drew would be home at last. "Drew?" came May's voice, halting his thoughts off home.

Drew looked at her from over the firelight, "Hm?" he reacted, a sign for her to continue.

She shuffled a bit with her foot, sweeping over the cave floor. "Can…can I join you for the night"

She had spoken softly but Drew immediately sat straight up, incredulousness coursing through him. "What?" he asked her with a sharp voice: no way he could've heard that right!

But Arden was looking pointedly away again and May twiddled with her fingers. Drew released a breath and even if he didn't know what to think, he said: "I guess."

May nodded and set next to him, knees pulled up to her chest. Drew mentally quipped: 'I see,' while he curiously stared at her. What did she want?

"Are you going to tell me what happened to you while in captivity?" she asked finally.

Drew thought of Reod, his friend who had chosen to stay behind with Fern and Loua. It had not been a tearful goodbye; Drew knew he'd see his friend again. "It is not a nice story, May" he murmured.

But May seemed determined and bit her lip. "I still want to know. I know about it. I saw how slaves were treated, Drew." She grabbed his hands, tracing her fingers over the slight scar tissue that had formed where his hands had been ripped open. "You can't shelter me from this."

Drew hesitated. It truly was not a nice story. But he wanted to be open with her. "Alright," he said. "What do you want to know?"

May stared into the fire. "How did they capture you? I mean, Arden told us the story, but what made you decide to do that?"

Drew concentrated on the hand May was still holding. "It was meaningless," he finally said. "People were dying in that hot place, all because I had insulted their leader."

"But you defended me!" May exclaimed.

Drew squeezed her hand, "Doesn't make it any less true. He was more than willing to pull back if I personally surrendered. So I did. I was chained and they took me on a long walk in th desert." He smirked at her, but May couldn't see the humor and frowned.

"Not funny."

Drew chuckled, "To be fair, I don't remember much except that it was hot and that I didn't have a lot to drink. After the king's speech about victory and insult to us, I suppose, I was brought to the holding cells. After the night, I was brought up to be sold together with the people there. That's how I ended up with the mistress."

"Mistress Suha," May nodded knowingly and Drew raised a brow.

"I never found out her name." How far and wide did Arden and May search?! He stayed silent for a moment. "My work there wasn't horrible really. I met Reod there as well. But I had no intention of becoming a pleasure slave and the mistress then decided I had outlived my usefulness so she sipped me off to the galleys."

He stayed silent, looking into the fire, things about how he could tell her of the galley. How they had been driven without human dignity, chained to each other?

How could he tell of that boy doing the work with the buckets with the human waste, his eyes showing nothing but a beaten mind?

Thinking back it was nothing short of a miracle he hadn't lost his mind there. But May sensed that the topic was hard for him and squeezed his hand to let him know it was alright. Maybe he'd tell her about it one day.

"Then the storms started and the galley wasn't suited for the violent seas and it cracked in two."

"Cracked in two?" May echoed. "How is that possible?"

Drew smirked, "Well, exactly like that. There was one piece in the one place and another a little further away."

May huffed annoyed. "Just continue."

Drew smiled to himself: it was too easy. But he did continue: "Reod and I had been working to get our shackles off and luckily at that moment we managed. But we were too close to shore and I slammed my head on the rocks. Next thing I know is waking with Fern and Loua without my memory."

May stayed silent after that but did lean in some more to him. Drew couldn't say he minded. She was warm and the cave was cold despite the fire. He was just contemplating putting his arm around her when she spoke up: "I am sorry," she said softly.

Drew pulled up a brow, "What for?" he asked.

May shook her head. "Back at Fern and Loua I just became so angry I didn't even listen."

Drew smirked, "Now, it's not like you do that a whole lot." It earned him an indignant 'Hey!' and she actually retreated a bit, so it was time for a bit of damage control. He pulled her back to him: his arm now resting around her in the end.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," he told her earnestly. "For all you knew, I could've willingly forgotten you." He felt her tense again at these words so he squeezed her side to get her attention, not that he didn't have that. "Like I'd willingly forget you, idiot."

May murmured in protest: "I am not an idiot," but she didn't pull back this time, seemingly content with his arm around her.

Drew snorted but a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth: "If you thought I'd forget you, yes, you are an idiot"

But May stopped arguing and Drew noticed she was softly snoring in his arms. A glance at Arden told him there was another idiot in their company. The man was smirking but he raised his thumbs when he caught Drew looking.

Inwardly Drew asked himself what sort of guardian Arden was, but he shook the thought off. You shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and he wasn't wasting this little gift.

He pulled the sleeping May a little closer and she snuggled up to him. Drew waited for a bit but she didn't wake and he sighed. "I love you, idiot," he murmured in her hair. Feeling more content than he had in a long while, he felt himself drift off to sleep as well.

When he was awoken to take over the guard, he'd deal with an embarrassed May and a knowingly smirking Arden, while he'd feel annoyed at being pulled from his peaceful sleep. He'd deal later with that.

()()()()()()()()()()

"The people are happier," Drew remarked. They had long since crossed the border to home and Drew was staring at the people preparing for winter to come with not quite smiles on their faces. He had experienced the effects of war before and even if he had been away for a long time the people should still be feeling the negative effects.

Dead fields, sickness, rotten houses and people alone in the streets,

But the little amount of people on the streets, those without anywhere to go was remarkable.

May actually smiled with glee and Arden moaned, "Don't start! It's her pet project. She'll never stop about it if you mention it."

May growled and Drew smiled. Despite being her guardian, Arden loved riling her up. Well, if anything, they agreed on one point. "Alright," he said. "I won't ask."

May huffed insulted, "I'll have you know I did great. I gave people shelter while bringing in more food from the fields." After that, she refused to talk to either of them.

Drew wondered how they looked, as people didn't recognize them. He himself had been gone for a few years, but May was a rather prominent figure. But she seemed comfortable being unknown.

Then Drew finally recognized the lands and he knew the castle wasn't that far off now. May too seemed exited and suddenly he was hit with a wave of homesickness. He really had been away for too long. While he was lost in thought. May spurred on Blaziken and the two males had to do their best to catch up.

"What was that all about?" Arden asked moodily when they had reached her.

May smiled at pointed forwards. "We're home," she only said and sure enough: when Drew followed her finger, he laid eyes on the grand grey-stone castle, banners out proudly. The towers pointed high and Drew felt something in his chest unwind. When he had become a slave, he had hoped and prayed but never fully convincingly believed he'd see the castle again.

But now that he was here…words escaped him to describe the feeling of finally being home. So he nodded, sharing May's sentiment.

Then May spurred on Blaziken again and put quite a distance between them with a tinkling laugh. Drew smirked and set off in pursuit of her. Another laughter came from May when she noticed he had set in chase and kept up her speed.

"Come on, guys!" Arden called after them, exasperated. "Do we have to run?!"

Yes, Drew thought when he saw May grinning back even though they were already too far for Arden to see: yes, he had already been away for too long.

()()()()()()()()()

"Are you sure you don't want to visit your mother first?"May asked. They were standing before the huge doors that led to the throne room. May was sure her father was there and Drew had insisted on going to visit the king first, above anyone else.

"May, I told you, this is more important: a few more hours won't hurt my mom." He grasped her hand, delighted in the blush flushing her face still. "After this, there is still a whole future."

May nodded and didn't argue: clearly she thought priorities should be different but Drew was determined and pushed open the door.

The man he called king was slumped in his throne, a rather imposing chair which looked more sturdy than rich. He was absent-mindly listening to some man in a dark green cloak who violently gesturing in his speech. King Norman did not seem likely to agree.

Drew noted that he had aged in the time he himself had been away. Norman looked old with the white grey adorning his temples and the deep lines around his mouth.

"…and that daughter of yours is causing unrest in her absence. No lady of royal blood, unmarried, should behave like this." Norman sat a little straighter, his eyes narrowing finely at the "advisor". Then, in the moment of sudden awareness he noticed the two standing In the doorway and he sank back in his throne with a smug smile adorning his lips.

The advisor seemed to get a little more heated, "This is no laughing matter, Norman! You aren't young anymore and Max isn't capable of succeeding you yet!"

Norman didn't answer for a moment and then looked pointedly at Drew and May, "I do not believe that will be a problem anymore," he said. There was no way he didn't notice their clenched hands.

The advisor spun around and nothing but shock settled on his face. "Y-your highness," he sputtered.

Drew heard May scoff silently. "Behave like what, exactly?" she asked.

The man visibly winced, embarrassed at having been caught saying it. "Well, princess May, you are a young woman. It's unsuited to an unbound woman such as your…" But he never finished as Norman chuckled. But he wasn't staring at the advisor, but at Drew.

Drew had raised a brow at the man's statement. "Unbound, dear advisor?" he asked smoothly. "I was not aware of that."

The man opened his mouth to protest but Norman interrupted him again. "Still then?" he asked.

Drew smirked, "When I came back, right? I haven't changed my mind."

The advisor was confused, looking from Drew to Norman and back. "What is going on?" he asked. "General Hayden, weren't you declared dead?"

Drew flt May tense next to him and for a moment he wondered how much trouble she had had while he was gone. He squeezed her hand and May relaxed a little. "As you can see, I am very much alive," he remarked. "As for Mau being 'unbound' as you call it." He pointedly ignored the man's sputtering about speaking under his rank.

They had been over that!

"Before I went on campaign I asked for her hand. Both," he looked sharply at the advisor already opening his mouth again: couldn't the man keep his muttering to himself? "..her father as well as she herself." The advisor was visibly floundering for words and Drew saw Norman smiling smugly on his throne, not inclined to help.

For Lord's sake, the man was enjoying it! He hadn't been back long enough to be amused by court's play yet.

"But you were gone for so long and…"

Ah, Drew thought. It had not been his absence, but his birth that had bothered the man. And obviously this did not bother his king, so the man was trying a different approach.

"So?" Norman interrupted, clearly of opinion this had gone on long enough. That and the look on May's face promised murder. Finding one of his advisors in a back alley would raise difficult questions so Norman had to act first. "I never actually annulled their courtship."

Ok, so it wasn't quite a courtship but these were finer details. The advisor seemed to have no more arguments and left. He nodded stiffly to Drew and said: "Good to see you back, general Hayden," before he left. Drew was not quite sure of his honestly.

So was May. "I am very sure," but Drew did not comment on it. Instead he focused on his king.

"She's a fury, you know?" Norman spoke, faintly amused.

May gasped out an indignant, "Father!"

But Drew pulled her close. "I don't care," he said. "Because I am not letting go." He found no doubt in King Norman's smile

()()()()()()()()()()

Once again, May was dressed in white, staring in the mirror. Misty too, was once again tinkering at the bottom of the dress and it felt unreal to be at this point again.

But this time, there was no trace of sadness in her eyes and the tension was an exitable one.

"May, you look beautiful," the lady in waiting quipped and May smiled amused.

"Didn't you tell me that some years ago as well?" she asked.

Misty smiled back at her: "But now, I can actually be glad about it."

And May stared back into the mirror, taking in how she was not relying on any fate. Thinking of the day, and many more, before her made her belly erupt in butterflies. She was exited.

Nervous too but there was no doubt in her face.

A knock on the door interrupted the companiable silence between the two women. The door opened to her father in the entrance. He smiled weakly: "You look so much like your mother," he said softly.

May smiled back, meaning it too this time and Norman offered her his arm.

"Shall we?" he asked.

May latched on and Misty followed them through the silent halls of the castle that belied the occasion.

At the doors, Norman halted and his daughter stared at him curiously. "May," he started. "I..I know, I haven't been the best father. And now I am looking at a woman I haven't even noticed growing up. I just…" He shook his head, uncharacteristically lost for words.

"My daughter," he grasped her hands and May couldn't see for a moment as tears clouded her ees. Her father looked the same with glassy eyes. "I am so… so proud of you. And he'd better make you happy." His voice sounded choked up and anything he might have wanted to say was lost.

May smiled watery and squeezed her father in a tight hug. "Thank you father," she said equally choked up.

And then, when they released, Norman opened the doors to the courtyard where a wave of sound washed over them. Faces May had come to know over the years while she worked on the country she loved so much, shone at her from the crowd wishing her joy and happiness in the new step of her life.

Their walk to the cathedral was covered with flower petals and May listened in wonder to her people wishing her, wishing them the best.

And when they entered the grand hall of the religious building, the lead window of the Lady smiled down on them. At her feet, Drew was waiting, flanked by Ash, Arden and Max. From his posture, May could see that he too was nervous.

But when a choir of voices sang to the high heavens and their eyes met, Drew's face lit up and May felt her eyes go misty again. In that moment, while her father guided her towards her future, there was only the two of them.

May had no doubt that after everything, she walked a path of happiness.

The end

That's it. Maybe an epilogue, but this is it. It's bittersweet since the story has been at the back of my mind for almost three years now I guess?

To everyone reading this story, all the people I have spoken to after their reviews, the people I couldn't answer because of the guest status, the people favoriting and alerting this story: Thank you. The times when I was doing not so well, you guys pulled me through. Thank you for all this time!