Winter's Echo

Chapter Twenty-Eight – The Calm Before the Storm

Honeymaren froze, her breath caught in her throat - even her heart seemed to cease its thrumming. Was...was the queen saying what she thought she was? "Elsa...I-I..." Honeymaren breathed, staring at the queen in shock. Her jaw worked up and down helplessly as she tried to form words, any words, but managed only to stutter incoherently. Elsa dropped Honeymaren's hands in favor of cupping her face, crystalline eyes full of earnest sincerity. "All my life I have been terrified to let anyone close to me, even my family. But being like this, being with you...Gods, it's as natural as breathing." Elsa took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart as panic and doubt began to seep into her heart and mind. Why wasn't Honeymaren answering her? She bit her lip and closed her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Maren...there are so few things in this life that I've ever been certain of. Only two, really. The first is that I will do anything for the love of my family. The second...is that my family is incomplete without you. I am incomplete without you," she finished hoarsely, opening her eyes to look into her beautiful lover's, chocolate pools softening at the queen's honesty. Elsa reached up to bury her fingers in thick, dark tresses, running her thumb lovingly across her cheek. "I love you in ways I never thought I was capable of. I trust you in ways I never thought possible. My entire life I have searched for freedom - I literally left my kingdom to live in the woods trying to find it, only to realize that the closest I've ever come to being free are in the moments when I'm closest to you. If you would consent to be my wife..." Elsa gave a small, nearly giddy laugh, her entire body trembling slightly from the sheer adrenaline in her veins. "I swear to you, I could fly..."

Honeymaren bit her lip and looked down, taking a shuddering breath. She wanted so badly to say yes, but knowing what she knew, could she do that to Elsa? Would it do more harm than good? Would it be more painful for Elsa to lose her fiancé than her lover? Or was it better to live the days they had left as though the world were not about to cease its spinning? She shook her head slightly to herself and squeezed her eyes shut, a single, emotional tear escaping her and slowly trekking down her cheek. She couldn't breathe. What was the right thing to do? As though she read her mind, Elsa hooked a finger under Honeymaren's chin, guiding the noaide's stormy gaze to hers. "Maren...do you love me?" Honeymaren nodded immediately, swallowing the painful knot in her throat. "I love you more than anything, Elsa," she responded without hesitation.

Elsa smiled warmly and removed her finger from Honeymaren's chin only to lovingly brush the tear from her lover's cheek. When she pulled her hand back, the soft, blue glow of her magic emanated from her fingertips and the dark-haired woman felt a strange tingling sensation on her hand. "Then say you'll marry me," Elsa whispered as she reached for her lover's left hand, holding it delicately in hers. Honeymaren stared in fascination as the light blue glow enveloped her ring finger, the tingling intensifying for a moment before fading along with the light. Left behind was a beautifully sparkling band made entirely of ice; the incredible detail of the band was remarkable, made to look like a ring of leaves blowing in a breeze.

Despite it being made entirely of ice, Honeymaren felt no cold. She was certain only Elsa was capable of creating a piece as exquisitely beautiful as this; not because of her magic...but because it was Elsa. Elsa, the woman who built a grand castle on a whim of imagination. Elsa, who was so achingly beautiful it was nearly impossible to concentrate on anything but her presence. Elsa, whose heart was purer than the ice and snow she commanded. Elsa...the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, little though she had left to live.

"Yes," she whispered.

Elsa looked up at Honeymaren with wide, hopeful eyes - she had begun to lose hope when the dark-haired woman had remained quiet for so long. The noaide smiled brightly at the stunned monarch before sliding off of Elsa's lap and pushing away from the underwater ledge they had been perched on. She pulled the wintery spirit with her into the deeper water, wrapping an arm around Elsa's trim waist to pull her close. She buried her other hand into Elsa's wave of silky hair and kissed the queen soundly as tears of relief and utter joy began to escape the trembling blonde. Elsa gave a disbelieving, giddy laugh of relief, immediately wrapping her arms around her lover's neck and clinging to her as she returned the kiss with vigor. Elsa's heart was soaring in ways she didn't realize it could before Honeymaren pulled back just enough to whisper against her lips. "Yes, I will marry you, Snowflake...on one condition." Elsa bit her lip nervously, her eyebrows lifting in askance as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Honeymaren only smiled lovingly and brushed her thumb across her pinked cheek.

"You promise to dance with me."

Another short, surprised laugh escaped the queen before she nodded enthusiastically and hugged her noaide to her tightly. She buried her face in her love's neck as Honeymaren slipped her other arm beneath her legs, the water allowing her to cradle the petite woman effortlessly against her. She pulled the magical queen closer to her protectively, relishing the feel of her lover in her arms. "If it means I'm dancing with my wife, then I will dance with you every single day...for the rest of my life," she replied happily through tearful laughter. Honeymaren rested her head against the queen's and closed her eyes as they floated in the warm water, the mist shutting the rest of the world out of their private moment. 'If only I could give you the rest of your life, Elsa,' she thought longingly. 'But all I can offer is the rest of mine.' She breathed deeply, trying to commit every detail of the blissful moment to memory to keep her sadness at bay.

She tried to remind herself that nothing was sad until it was over.

Then...everything was.

Nearly a half-hour passed before either woman came to their senses and remembered the time crunch they were on. While incredibly reluctant to leave their warm, weightless sanctuary of romance, Elsa's guilt and niggling anxiety about Anna potentially being alone in the, by now abandoned, Northuldran camp spurred the lovers into action. Elsa raised an eyebrow as she watched her lover swim to the edge of the spring, keeping her left hand awkwardly above water. "...what are you doing, baby?" she eventually asked, her lips twitching in amusement. Honeymaren paused her movements, looking at the blonde curiously. "Keeping the ice ring you made out of the hot water..." she answered, as though it was the most logical thing in the world.

Elsa giggled softly and swam over to her lover, reaching up to lace the fingers of her right hand with her lover's left and placing a sweet kiss on her cheek before guiding their entwined hands below the surface of the warm water. "It's my ice, darling," she said when Honeymaren immediately tried to pull her hand out of the water again, looking at Elsa like she had lost her mind. "Look, it's fine," she said with a small laugh, holding the noaide's hand on display beneath the surface. Honeymaren blinked and squinted her eyes to look at the ring through the ripples in the water's surface. Though she shouldn't be surprised at anything when it came to her new fiancé's magic, the defiance of basic natural principals was hard to get used to. "You're amazing, do you know that, Snowflake?" Honeymaren asked with a warm smile, lifting her eyes to meet laughing pools of blue. Her smile widened as she took in the sheer happiness radiating from the queen, loving how the blonde's eyes and nose crinkled slightly in her amusement. By the spirits, how she loved to see Elsa happy like this.

Elsa lifted Honeymaren's hand from the water and placed a slow, loving kiss to the knuckle above the ring. "Nothing is going to happen to this ring, Maren. I learned the hard way that my magic is fueled by my emotions; the more powerful the feeling, the stronger it is. That makes this ring the strongest, most powerful piece of ice I've ever created in my life because it is linked directly to our love," she said softly, gently caressing Honeymaren's hand with her thumb as she drank in the sight of her ring on the finger of the woman she loved. "The only way this ring will ever come off of your finger is if I remove it, which will never happen, or...if a day ever comes that your heart no longer belongs to me." Honeymaren dipped her head down to catch the queen's lips with her own, unable to stop smiling even as she kissed her softly. "Then there will never be a day I am without it, Elsa. I swear it. I only wish I had a gift to create such a thing for you."

Elsa smiled shyly and turned Honeymaren's hand over in hers, placing her other palm over it and closing her eyes. The soft blue light of Elsa's magic seeped out from between their hands for a moment before fading. When Elsa pulled her hand away, a second ring to match the noaide's lay in Honeymaren's upturned palm. The dark-haired woman smiled brightly and carefully picked it up with two fingers, holding it in front of her and admiring the way it sparkled in the sunlight. She held out her upturned hand to the winter spirit in askance, her eyes full of warmth and love as Elsa primly offered her left hand. Honeymaren stared in awe as she slipped the ring effortlessly on the queen's delicate finger, surprised at how much the sight of the action affected her. When she looked up to see Elsa nearly bursting with happiness, she could tell the fact that it clearly did affect her pleased the excited spirit to no end.

Honeymaren pulled Elsa close in a loving embrace, laughing when she could feel the queen nearly vibrating in her arms. "Are you happy, my love?" Elsa shook her head and flashed her lover a smile so dazzling, Honeymaren was certain the world itself became just a bit brighter, like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud. "The word 'happy' falls so utterly short to describe how you've made me feel, Maren," she answered, wrapping her arms around her noaide's neck and hugging her close. Honeymaren smiled and tightened her arms around the queen, relishing the close embrace for a long moment before pulling away slightly to affectionately nuzzle her cheek. "You want to go tell Anna?" she asked with a playful tone. Elsa pulled back and grinned mischievously. "I do...but remember, she is probably going to be just as excited as I am and you are the one that has to spend the next couple of days with her until the Northuldra are settled."

Honeymaren laughed and once again moved toward the edge of the spring in a much more natural way now that the ring had proven itself impervious to the hot water, standing and pulling the winter spirit up with her as she reached the shallows. She pulled the beautiful queen's nude body flush against hers in a loving embrace once more and gave a playful grin. "Well, while I already see Anna as a younger sister, if we are going to make it official I suppose I will have to get in some practice with that, hm?" Honeymaren's words stuck a tender chord in Elsa's heart, images of her future family spending time together playing games and celebrating holidays and birthdays flashing through her mind. The blonde nodded, a watery laugh escaping her as a happy tear rolled down her cheek. "I wish I could find the words to tell you how that makes me feel," she said softly, brushing the back of her fingers across Honeymaren's cheek. The Northuldran turned her head to plant soft kisses along the queen's palm and wrist before grinning playfully. "Too bad you're not engaged to an empath. That would make life a bit easier, wouldn't it?" she joked as she brushed away the stray tear lovingly.

Elsa laughed again, shaking her head in amusement. "It's quite the shame. I'm fairly certain an empath is my only chance at a successful marriage, at this rate," she joked back, pulling away from her lover's arms and waving her hand elegantly, her clothes rematerializing in a splendor of icy snowflakes. Honeymaren grinned at her and walked toward her abandoned clothes while she tried to wring out her long tresses. "I'll never get tired of seeing that," she commented before retrieving her clothes from the ground. She paused, glancing between them and her still dripping wet form a couple of times before shrugging a bit. "Didn't think that one through, did I?" she said with a laugh. Elsa chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment before holding her hand out in front of her, the tell-tale glow of her magic emanating from her fingers. "May I try something?" she asked, wiggling her fingers intentively.

Honeymaren blinked and tilted her head curiously before turning to face her lover and standing still and patient. Elsa blushed a bit at her fiancé's shameless nudity; while she was definitely not complaining, she didn't think there would ever come a time her lover's beauty wouldn't affect her in such a way. With that happy thought, Elsa concentrated on the feel of her magic at her fingertips. Honeymaren raised an eyebrow after a moment when nothing happened. Just as she was about to ask Elsa what she was doing, a strange tingling sensation began to radiate all over her body. The Northuldran looked down in bewilderment to see thousands of tiny droplets of water lifting away from her skin and hair. She watched in wonder as they floated all around, eventually being caught in an intangible icy breeze. Honeymaren closed her eyes when a large concentration of the tingle radiated through her scalp, tickling her as Elsa's powers wicked away the water from her hair. When the tingling subsided, she opened her eyes again and gasped at what stood before her.

A large, opaque statue of ice stood before the two women. Honeymaren's eyes widened in disbelief when she immediately recognized the depiction – it was she herself cradling the blonde queen in her arms, locked in a loving embrace. The noaide held her magical lover close in a bridal fashion, both women's eyes closed and lost in a tender kiss. Honeymaren quickly put on her shirt and pants, stumbling over to the statue while still trying to pull her pants up, such was her eagerness to examine the masterpiece. Elsa giggled a bit at her lover's antics before she gazed lovingly at the image, feeling her heart swell with joy and love. "Elsa...this is beautiful," the dark-haired woman whispered as she delicately ran her fingers across the intricate detail of Elsa's icy hair and face. "I'm afraid I can't take the credit for it," Elsa said as she walked to stand next to her love, smiling at the wonder in her eyes. "This isn't a piece of art...this is a memory, Maren." Elsa smiled brightly at the statue, feeling a blush creep across her face when she realized both of their icy figures were nude, though she couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed. The beauty of their perfect moment, now immortalized in Elsa's magic, far outweighed her embarrassed humility. "This is our memory...our moment in time," she whispered reverently.

Honeymaren blinked for a moment, tilting her head in confusion at Elsa before her eyes widened a bit and returned to the statue, recognition sparking in them. "Water has memory," she murmured. "This...this was us in the spring." Elsa nodded, turning her smile back to her lover. "I wasn't sure it would work; I was simply trying to dry you off," she said with a little shrug. Honeymaren smiled warmly at the queen, slipping an arm around her waist and holding her close as they both admired the statue for another long moment. "I'm really glad it did, Snowflake," she said sincerely. "I'm really glad it did."

Honeymaren stared longingly at their frozen moment of love, feeling her throat tighten. The very idea of a memory served as a reminder that nothing lasts forever – that time was precious and shouldn't be wasted. In her soul, the noaide could feel the proverbial sand in the hourglass growing scarce, slipping ever faster through her fingers. Honeymaren glanced at her lover from the corner of her eye, the queen smiling contentedly as she admired the beautiful piece before them and nearly choked on the emotional lump in her throat. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to Ahtohallan. 'Great Mother, hear my prayer. Please, guide your beautiful child of winter to happiness. Let her feel the fierceness of my love long after my last breath leaves me so she may never forget what she has learned on her journey. Great Mother, I willingly sacrifice all that I am and all I could have been for your child. Please...protect her heart when mine no longer beats...'

Finally, the pair decided they could delay their return no longer and began their journey back to the Northuldran encampment, leaving their icy likeness at the shore of the spring. The trip was spent mostly in companionable silence with the spirit queen leaning back comfortably against her noaide, often toying idly with one of their rings. Only the occasional whispered endearment passed either woman's lips, both content to bask in their closeness and newfound commitment. Honeymaren couldn't help but smile every time she would catch Elsa staring at one of the rings, unable to resist planting a sweet kiss on the queen's cheek or temple when she did.

As they drew closer to the camp, the uncharacteristic silence made it clear that the Northuldra had, indeed, already left; most likely to try to beat the storm in the distance that grew ever closer. They spotted Anna near the edge of the camp practicing her archery with Honeymaren's bow, several arrows lodged firmly in an impressively small knot in a large tree. The noaide looked at Elsa in surprise, the blonde simply shrugging in response. "I told you, baby. You created a monster," she said with a smile before calling out to her sister and waving. Honeymaren urged the reindeer forward when Anna turned and waved emphatically back at the pair, grinning broadly as they approached.

"How did it go, you two? Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked, opening her arms in invitation when Elsa dismounted. Elsa smiled lovingly at her sister, gladly stepping into the offered embrace and squeezing her tightly. While the sisters reunited, Honeymaren removed the reigns and blanket from the reindeer before allowing the beast to wander away and graze. "We found a lot of good places to station an earth giant," Elsa said confidently before pulling away and smiling at her sister. "Though I must admit, I'm still a bit nervous about you and Maren being here. I didn't really find anyplace with satisfactory defensibility for either of you to be."

"Don't worry, darling, I've got a plan," Honeymaren said detachedly as she walked over to the tree Anna had been using for target practice, inspecting her marksmanship. Elsa raised a curious eyebrow – she had never mentioned any plan to the queen. Just as she was about to ask what exactly this plan entailed, Honeymaren was speaking again. "Wow, Sugar Rush. You've been diligent. I'm proud of you," she said sincerely, throwing a proud smile over her shoulder at the younger redhead. Anna grinned at the compliment, despite the blush in her cheeks. "Thanks! I've actually grown to love it. I know it sounds strange coming from me, but I like the calm it brings me," she answered with a laugh. "Nah, that's natural. I actually use archery to teach a lot of our more twitchy children how to calm themselves down," Honeymaren said with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

Anna suddenly froze in her tracks, her eyes narrowing at Honeymaren. The noaide blinked and froze as well at the redhead's sudden change in demeanor. Anna lifted a finger and pointed at Honeymaren accusingly. "What is that?!" The Northuldran blinked again. "What is what?" Honeymaren turned swiftly on the spot to see if there was something behind her before slowly turning back to look at Anna, jumping in shocked surprise to find the redhead now mere feet from her when she had been a good ten yards away seconds before. "What the h-" Before she could even react, the young queen had reached out and snagged Honeymaren's left hand with a sudden surge of cat-like reflexes. The Northuldran couldn't help the nervous swallow that followed Anna yanked Honeymaren's hand to her face to inspect Elsa's icy claim, causing the dark-haired woman to stumble forward slightly. Chocolate eyes darted over Anna's shoulder to find highly amused chips of ice taking in the moment, stifling her laughter with her own similarly adorned hand before folding them calmly in front of her.

Somehow Honeymaren felt rather than saw teal eyes snap up to regard hers piercingly, drawing the noaide's gaze back to the intense redhead. Anna's eyes narrowed once more. "...are you engaged to my sister?" Honeymaren swallowed loudly. "Um...yes?" she answered uncertainly. Was that the right answer?! Teal eyes widened, Anna's head snapping to the side to look at her sister so fast Honeymaren felt the muscles in her own neck twitch. When the redhead's hopeful gaze landed on her older sister several yards away, Elsa simply smiled proudly and lifted her left hand, wiggling her fingers daintily so the light would sparkle on the icy band. Anna gasped excitedly and looked back at Honeymaren, who couldn't help but flinch back slightly and regard her with caution, unsure of what to make of the young queen at the moment.

Which meant she wasn't prepared for the piercing squeal of excitement or the ensuing tackle-hug that happened a split second later. The Northuldran grunted with effort as Anna slammed into her like a runaway reindeer, doing her best to catch the redhead despite stumbling several steps backward. "Yes, yes, yes, YES!" she chanted loudly, nearly squeezing the breath out of the noaide before a giant kiss was placed on her cheek. As quick as it had happened, Anna released her and made a beeline for the Snow Queen whose arms were already open and waiting, much more used to the redhead's violent bursts of affection. Honeymaren simply blinked rapidly in place for a moment, body still frozen in its half affectionate, half defensive stance. "What the hell just happened...?" she murmured to herself in bewilderment, releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. 'It's a good thing Kristoff is so sturdy,' she mused to herself with a smirk.

Anna squeezed Elsa tightly before pulling back and grasping her hands, nearly bouncing with excitement as she inspected the finely crafted ring. "Finally! I'm so happy for you! We have to tell the people!" Anna gasped, her eyes going wide with a sudden influx of information. "I should tell the council first. Meh, nuance. And of course we have to hold an engagement party, which is perfect because the Northuldra will already be there. What kind of cake should we have? Pffft, chocolate, of course, what was I thinking? Stupid question. Oh, oh, oh! We could have a double wedding!" Elsa laughed and cupped Anna's face in her hands gently, trying to get the over-excited redhead to focus on her. "Slow down, Anna! Breathe. Maren and I will tell the council and the people in our own time," she said calmly, bright blue eyes meeting her lover's across the way reassuringly. Elsa giggled when she saw Honeymaren breathe a sigh of relief, running her fingers through her hair and grinning. "For now, we are just going to relax and enjoy the moment. We have other places our heads should be at right now," she continued, turning her attention back to her beloved sister. "But will you promise me one thing?"

Anna blinked and nodded readily. "Of course, Elsa – anything," she answered, tilting her head curiously. Elsa smiled at her baby sister, leaning forward to place a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Promise me you will be my maid of honor?" Anna stared at Elsa for a long moment before a quiet sniffle broke the silence. Fiery tresses bounced slightly as she answered with a series of emphatic nods, wrapping her arms around her big sister's neck and hugging her fiercely. "I love you so much, Elsa," she said softly. "I wouldn't dream of being anywhere but at your side when that day comes. It would be my greatest honor." Elsa shut her eyes against her own emotional tears, squeezing her sister back for all she was worth. "I love you too, Anna," she whispered back.

Honeymaren smiled softly at the siblings, her arms crossed over her chest. She waited patiently for their sweet moment to come to an end before clearing her throat, drawing their attention back to her. "We should get going, Anna. Your council and your staff will likely appreciate all the time we can give them to prepare for my people to arrive." Anna nodded and took a quick, steadying breath, smiling confidently at Elsa. "Okay, are you sure you're going to be okay here by yourself?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip. Elsa smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Yes, Anna. I promise. Besides, I won't be by myself. I will be with the other Spirits setting up traps and making plans." Blue eyes caught unreadable brown over Anna's shoulder and a faint, nervous feeling she couldn't quite explain began to form in the pit of her stomach. "Take your time...but be sure to bring my new fiancé back as soon as possible, alright?" she said with a small, playful smile. Anna chuckled and nodded, giving her sister one last hug and kiss before pulling away and grinning at Honeymaren. "I'll see you at the water's edge, lovebirds," she called teasingly before walking to the creek that ran through the Northuldran encampment. An ethereal whinny echoed through the clearing as Nokk appeared to greet her, nuzzling her affectionately.

Honeymaren moved to fill the space where Anna once stood, a somewhat strained smile on her face. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Snowflake. Be safe for me, okay?" Elsa frowned slightly and reached out to brush dark tresses away from concerned brown eyes. "Everything's going to be fine, darling, I promise. Please don't worry," she begged quietly – she hated the tension that was beginning to roll off of her normally calm noaide in waves. Honeymaren smiled charmingly at the queen and nodded in agreement. "Yes it will," she agreed. Though Elsa could tell there was strain beneath the surface, she smiled back assuredly anyway, hoping to instill her own confidence in her lover.

Honeymaren felt like she was going to be sick. Though there was no definitive timeline, the noaide knew deep in her heart this would be the last time she would be with her love like this. Untrusting of her own voice, she pulled Elsa close to her in a protective embrace, burying her face in a silken wave of white gold. She breathed in deeply, allowing the smell of winter to envelop her one last time. "Promise me you will remember that you are capable of far more than you realize, Snowflake. You are an amazing woman and there is nothing in this world that can tear you down if you don't let it," she whispered. Elsa sighed contentedly and leaned into her lover's comforting embrace, closing her eyes and nodding. "I promise, Maren. You've helped me awaken a strength in my soul I didn't think was there. If it wasn't for you helping me see it, I wouldn't have gotten through this," she murmured back, nuzzling into her. "I love you, Honeymaren."

Honeymaren took a deep, slow breath to steady herself for the goodbye she knew she had to say. She pulled away just enough to press her lips longingly against Elsa's, trying to say everything in that one kiss that she couldn't say in words. It was beautiful and pure and passionate without being hurried or indelicate. It was momentous. It was perfect. It was immortal.

"I love you, Elsa of Arendelle. Until the stars themselves fall from the sky, my soul is with you. Always," she whispered against the queen's lips.

It was goodbye.

"I'll see you soon, Snowflake." Honeymaren pressed a final, tender kiss to Elsa's forehead before she turned away without another word and made her way over to Nokk, biting the inside of her lip hard enough to draw blood as she fought to hold in her tears. She couldn't let her wall down - not now, not ever. She couldn't let Anna know what was to come, nor could she let her bravery fail her in her final moments. When she reached Nokk, the mighty stallion regarded her for a moment before bowing low before her, nearly shattering Honeymaren's fragile strength - the Spirits must have known what Ahtohallan had bid their noaide to do. She nodded to the water spirit, not trusting her voice quite yet, before flashing what she hoped was a convincing smile at Anna and gesturing invitingly to Nokk.

Anna gave Honeymaren a small, sympathetic smile, sensing her emotional distress. "Don't worry, Honeymaren. You'll see her again soon," she said reassuringly. Honeymaren simply nodded, allowing her smile to fall a bit before helping Anna onto Nokk, mounting the mighty beast behind her and holding the redhead securely when he rose to his full height. Nokk turned to allow his charges to say a final goodbye to his mistress, who stood where Honeymaren had left her. The spirit queen was clearly sad to see them go but was putting on a brave face for the two loves of her life. Anna waved emphatically, calling out to her sister. "Bye, Elsa! Don't get into any trouble without us, or else!" she called in a playful threat. Elsa rolled her eyes affectionately and shook her head, but nevertheless returned the wave. Honeymaren simply stared at the beautiful queen, drinking in her image for the final time before Nokk turned away and spirited her away down the waterline and ever closer to the final chapter of her story.

AN:

...even my heart hurts... ;_;

...sorry...

Fun fact, though, the ring is actually based on the ring I designed for my wife! The cover image for this story is both of our rings on our wedding day, hers the big sparkly one and mine the gold band with the matching leaf cage. 3

-Volchise