It had been so long since she had seen him last time. It had taken about two months, and those had felt like a punishment over and over again.

Maybe it was foolish, but Seraphina felt like her self-control splintered as soon as she saw how the Ocrean carriages arrived. As she balled her fists and tried her best to keep her expression unreadable, it became unreasonably hard to avoid running toward the visitors to welcome Linden immediately. She reminded herself to be patient, but that was difficult. This was worse than any political conversation or verbal battle she had ever been part of, and that meant a lot. Seraphina heard her maids trying to calm her, but she couldn't bring herself to pay attention to them.

After what felt like hours, the carriages finally passed the main gate and arrived in front of the entrance. The doors of the first carriage opened, and a familiar man jumped out.

It was no one but Linden himself, who immediately turned as if to search for someone specific. His dark eyes wandered across their surroundings, and then, it happened.

Their gazes met, and for just a moment, Seraphina thought she would fall to her knees. They hadn't even greeted one another yet, but being able to look at Linden in person instead of only seeing him in her dreams was far too wonderful. Again, Seraphina just wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him and kiss him immediately.

But she couldn't.

She had divorced Theodore, but everyone knew that she had first met Linden while being married to the emperor. The rumors had been bad enough. She couldn't also ruin her reputation further by throwing herself at their guest as soon as he came. Now she did understand why Lady Blanche had almost knocked her lover to the ground after finally reuniting with him after the vacation though. It was a strange thing, but now she almost wished she could care as little about onlookers as that couple could. But Seraphina was in a quite different situation. Her actions might influence the way Artias and Northern Ocrea worked together, so she had to be careful. She couldn't do anything foolish now.

But as she thought that, Linden reacted to her already. He discarded his usual emotionless expression as his lips formed a natural smile. It seemed to light up the entire world. His smile was so beautiful. She almost wanted to cry.

Seraphina's heart actually hurt just because of that sight. Her breath hitched as she struggled to keep herself still. She caught herself taking a tiny step forward to just be closer to Linden but held back. He had to greet the emperor first. If they didn't remember that, they would insult Artias far too much, so she had to wait. Maybe she would even have to be patient for a whole hour or so because the rulers wished to have another political discussion first. She felt like she might collapse if that was the case. Her pounding heart already made her feel like she was getting sick after all.

What made this even worse was that Linden stared right back at her. He seemed like he didn't even remember where he had to go, like he only saw her in this entire world. But a moment later, he arrived in the real world again too. He knew that he couldn't just ignore Theodore, even when he might want to. So, Linden forced himself to look away as he restored his calm mask once more. He glanced at Seraphina again before he finally walked in the right direction.

Theodore and Blanche were already waiting for him. And luckily, it seemed like no bad blood was between them. Theodore greeted Linden with more kindness than Seraphina had received during the past couple of weeks. That was relieving. After all, it showed that Theodore didn't seem to hold a grudge against the prince now. That would be important for future relations between the nations.

But Seraphina's patience was limited. It took an eternity for Linden to speak to the couple. Normally, she might not mind, but right now, she could only stand there like a lost puppy as she hoped that Linden would come to her soon. She was the highest-ranking person here after the royal couple, so she would surely get away with being greeted quickly, right? She hoped so.

The conversation in front of her just didn't seem to end though. They chatted and chatted like they had all the time in the world. Seraphina thought that that was bad enough, but then she understood the real issue.

Theodore said something with the same smile as before, but Linden turned rigid. For a few seconds, Linden seemed almost scared, only to calm down slowly after. That just terrified Seraphina more. Surely, Linden had liked her after spending three weeks with her, but he might be influenced by others' opinions since he didn't know her too well. And when it came to people who hated her most, Theodore probably took the first spot. Hopefully, he wouldn't also ruin the one thing Seraphina cared for more than anything else now. He certainly had enough bad words about her in mind to make this horrible. She was helpless and just hoped that he didn't.

But whatever Theodore had said also seemed to bring the end of the conversation.

A moment later, Linden already turned to Seraphina. And when he met her gaze, he didn't show her disdain. He didn't even seem worried anymore. Instead, it looked like he had to hide his growing joy to avoid being caught by all those people around him. He clearly approached Seraphina as his eyes stayed right on her, but he was quite slow. Maybe he was as impatient as she was since he sped up though. He almost ran the last few steps.

Seraphina knew that this was dangerous, but she was far too happy to see that he was longing for her too. A mix of so many feelings rose in her, and she didn't know how to deal with them. She couldn't hold back a smile. She should probably force herself to be a bit less obvious with her happiness, but she found herself speaking up. “Hello, Linden.” It was hard to speak when she could barely breathe. Her stomach churned so much. Was all of that happening because she was so excited? Possibly. She thought that she might die as the man she loved finally arrived in front of her.

Linden came to a halt. For a moment, he just looked at her while his eyes seemed to show an entire book's worth of emotions he might hold for her.

Just seeing that again made Seraphina's heart throb. Oh, she was so glad to have Linden here again. But this didn't just bring good things. Their situation was quite complicated. She couldn't forget that even when she just wanted to fall into his arms.

It wasn't just their political situation either. Seraphina wished that that was the only thing she needed to worry about, but unfortunately, that wasn't it. She actually had to pay attention to other troubles as well, including one quite personal thing.

Maybe it would be best to avoid thinking about this for now since Seraphina could just tell Linden after their greeting. But it was quite hard not to think about what might happen when this wasn't just a small concern but a change that could ruin their entire relationship. Seraphina still hadn't fully grasped that she was pregnant now and that she would give birth to a child in just a few months, but she had to tell the father. Needless to say, this would be a shock to Linden too. He had spent the night with her, but he certainly hadn't expected to end up with a child after giving in to the passion just once. What if he didn't want this? What if he had changed his mind and didn't want to marry her anymore, even though he had written that in his letters? Seraphina would break if she saw Linden turning around and leaving as soon as she told him. So, she desperately prayed that he would at least stay calm enough to discuss this with her.

But that was another problem. Seraphina had to stay calm herself while telling him, and she wasn't sure whether she would be able to do this. What if he wasn't ready for this? He did seem happy to see her, but he might not wish to marry her immediately. And if Linden got upset with her-

Just as she thought that, she was cut off.

Linden had probably misread her silence somehow. But he didn't get angry at her. Instead, he just stepped forward without a warning. Then he hugged her. As his arms wrapped around her, he pulled her against him, and suddenly, everything seemed warm and safe. Such a small gesture shouldn't have changed the entire world, but it did.

It truly did.

She couldn't help reciprocating it. Her arms closed around him as soon as she could. Seraphina became far too weak as she leaned against Linden and held him as tightly as possible. She couldn't do this in front of anyone else, she knew that. But she couldn't even bring herself to push him away. In fact, Seraphina just wanted to hold him closer. Now that they had done this anyway, it wouldn't change much, at least she told herself that.

Linden seemed to long for every bit of contact he could too. He didn't allow her to break away, not that she would have tried that in the first place, and just hugged her like he had missed her for months. As he brought his mouth to her ear, he whispered to her. “I'm so happy to see you again.”

And once more, Seraphina's stomach churned with an emotion she couldn't even identify. Was she glad that Linden seemed to hold fond feelings for her still too? Did she like the fact that he openly showed that he cared? Or was she truly just scared of telling him about the big surprise he needed to hear about? She wasn't entirely sure. And in the end, it didn't matter. Seraphina had to ignore her nervousness no matter how overpowering it seemed to be. She had to tell Linden about their child quickly. She knew that she would try to delay it for longer if she didn't say it now, so she forced herself to at least address the topic quickly. First, she had to greet Linden properly though. “I'm happy to see you too. Very happy.” It was a bit embarrassing. Usually, Seraphina was known to be good with words, but right now, she didn't seem to be able to express what she was thinking at all. Too many thoughts flew around her head. That was why she just forced out the thing that came to her mind first. “I have to tell you something.”

It was almost like her words woke Linden up. He slowly loosened his hold on her, and despite her desire to keep him close, she lowered her arms too. Linden took half a step back to look at her face. It both calmed and worried her when Linden showed her that beautiful smile in return. “I have something to say as well.” Oh. He did?

Seraphina could just pray that it wasn't anything upsetting. But surely, Linden wouldn't be cruel enough to tell her that he wanted to end this relationship with a smile on his face, right? He hadn't coincidentally fallen for another woman in Ocrea and wished to wed her instead, or had he? Seraphina scolded herself for that oddly specific worry, but she couldn't help but think about that. After all, she had bad experiences in that regard. “I see... Then we should probably...find a quiet moment to talk about all of this.”

Linden's smile only seemed to become brighter. “Yes. As soon as possible.” With that, he slowly lifted his hands to grasp hers. Her breath hitched as she realized that he did that in front of all of those people, but he didn't seem to worry at all. Instead, he refused to let go of her and just kept staring at her like he had found a miracle right in front of him. He seemed so enamored. She almost wanted to believe that his feelings hadn't changed.

And even when Seraphina dared to hope for that, she knew that showing that their relationship had begun back when she had been empress wasn't intelligent. Still, she couldn't bring herself to let go of Linden and got lost in his black eyes, almost like she was being put under a spell she would never be able to free herself from. She wasn't sure how much time passed as she just stared at him.

Seemingly, it had been for too long.

The couple was interrupted as a third voice chimed in. Seraphina flinched when she heard Theodore speak, only to turn and find him looking far too content with this situation.

Like usual when Theodore met her gaze, he didn't hide any of his thoughts. He despised her as much as ever, but when he saw her with Linden, he showed her so much gleeful contempt that she worried even more. His voice dripped with satisfaction as he spoke up. “It seems that you are quite content with this reunion. We shall not interrupt your conversation. How about you take the day off to rest, Prince Linden? We can continue any discussions tomorrow.” He wanted to push together the people he had wished to unify in marriage even more now. And for once, Seraphina didn't mind if that gave her a moment with Linden.

Linden didn't talk back either. Instead, he hurriedly accepted. “That would be very kind. I sincerely thank you for welcoming me here again.” He said something else after, something about their nations working together well. But Seraphina could barely bring herself to listen, especially since she heard that Linden was much more curt than usual. He was impatient too, wasn't he?

Luckily, Theodore seemed content after finally having gotten rid of his ex-wife. He didn't trouble her any longer and just bid farewell before leaving with his lover, who smiled at Linden and Seraphina once more. Even Lady Blanche was happy about this union. It made sense. After all, this would finally allow her to be Theodore's only wife, and she could receive this spot without causing a big political rift.

This could even be a great chance for Artias since connecting this nation with Northern Ocrea through marriage would link the nations inevitably. If so, wasn't this good for everyone?

Seraphina knew that she desperately searched for all the positive aspects of this to justify her foolish decision to divorce the emperor for a man she had barely known for three weeks. But she couldn't help it. Linden made her too happy for her to hold back in this regard. She was willing to offer her all to give this a chance and had even thrown away everything she had worked for before, just for this. Now the only question was whether Linden would accept everything she wished to offer. The thought of him possibly rejecting her hurt far too much already.

But Linden didn't show her any uncertainty or guilt or hatred. No, he seemed rather content and even smiled despite usually never doing so in public. He still didn't let go of her hand as he finally invited her to step away. “Let's go to the labyrinth. I want to be alone with you.” They would go to the place where they had kissed first and confessed their feelings for one another. Surely, he wouldn't break off their relationship at such a wonderful place.

Seraphina still had to swallow before responding. After all, being in a relationship was quite different from marrying and having a child together. She wasn't certain whether Linden loved her enough for that. “Yes. Let us go.” She stiffly turned and pulled Linden away, doing her best to ignore all the whispering and the many stares of the staff members around them. It was still a bit hard for her not to worry about her reputation, but then again, Theodore had successfully made everyone within the palace dislike her, so she should probably give up on that. She didn't want Linden to hear about any nasty rumors though.

It was a bit painful to worry about what Linden would think the entire time even though he was finally here again, but Seraphina had quite troublesome news for him. So, it was only natural that she could feel her heartbeat quickening as she walked toward the labyrinth with him. Still, she tried to stay somewhat calm and collected while telling herself that she could only find out what Linden would say once she admitted the truth. Panicking now wouldn't help her. She should just bring him to the labyrinth and share the news with him then.

Seraphina still couldn't switch her worries off, so she found herself tightening her hold on Linden a bit as they progressed. When they finally arrived at their destination, she almost got lost in the labyrinth, which was another sign of how distracted she was. Thankfully, Linden found the way for her though. She stopped thinking at that point and let him lead her to the center. She only turned to address one of her attendants as they were at the rose arch that revealed that they had reached their destination. “Sir Aldis, you will stay here.” She often sent Noah away anyway, but ever since she had found out that he seemed to be a spy for her ex-husband, she hadn't been willing to let him hear anything even remotely important. So, she quickly kept him at a distance. “Do not eavesdrop.”

Noah at least seemed a bit ashamed upon remembering how he had fooled her. Maybe that was why he gave in quickly now and stopped right where he was. “Of course, Lady Duremont.”

Seraphina just met his gaze for one more second to remind him to listen to what he had promised. Then she turned around and focused on looking in front of her to avoid tripping during the last few steps. It might not have been necessary at all since Linden paid attention, but she wanted to make sure anyway. Maybe she also just didn't dare look at her lover though.

Linden was the one that spoke up first, his voice as soft as ever. “That is your new title, correct? Lady Duremont.”

When everyone else said it, Seraphina usually felt a bit strange since she was used to being addressed as the empress. When Linden used that name, it might be a bit more pleasant than before though. After all, he didn't have to address her as someone else's wife again. Seraphina found herself liking this, even when she had to say that she favored it when Linden called her by her first name. “Yes. Since the divorce progressed without any issues, I received the title I held as my parents' daughter again.” She slowly turned to him to check his expression as she mentioned the important thing they should probably speak about first.

To her relief, Linden didn't seem guilty or hesitant like he might be if he had changed his mind about her in any way. His lips showed her a little smile as he slowly stopped and then turned to her fully. He lifted her hand gently and brushed his thumb over her while giving his response in a whisper. “I feel guilty for it, but when you wrote about the divorce, I couldn't help but be ecstatic. I desperately wished for this, even when I knew that it was wrong to be selfish. But in the end, this was what I wanted so much. I should probably wait a while longer to make this easier for you, but I don't want to waste any time.” Without even giving her a moment to say something, Linden suddenly sank onto one knee.

Seraphina wasn't certain what she had expected but certainly not this. As she looked down at her lover, she could only stare at him with wide eyes. “Linden...”

Linden still held her hand, which he carefully brought to his lips to kiss her. As he met her gaze, he seemed to be full of love and longing to the point at which his emotions flowed out far too easily. “I wish to marry you, Seraphina. Please give me a chance to make you happy as my wife. I already did this in my letter, but I want to give you this promise in person too.” And then he just gazed at her while waiting for the response.

He hadn't changed his mind. He wanted to marry her after all.

Seraphina felt like her whole world stopped. Her heart burned up as she could only stare right back at Linden. He didn't act like he wished to be elsewhere or just said this to erase his guilt. No, he actually seemed to long for this. He wanted to hear her response.

It was right at this moment that Seraphina found herself shaking. She had never reacted like that to something nice, but this was the first time. Linden had asked her to be his wife. She couldn't do anything but be ecstatic about it. Her heart hammered in her ears as she opened her mouth. She barely heard her own voice as she gave her best to speak up. “Yes...” She almost wasn't sure whether she had just thought that or said it out loud, so she repeated it. “Yes, I want to be with you.” She couldn't lie to herself about this. She had loved Linden ever since she had gotten to know him, so how could she even think about this for long?

Even Linden's reaction just made her fall for him even more as his eyes widened for a moment. Then he immediately jumped up and almost knocked her over as he abruptly threw his arms around her and pulled her toward him.

Seraphina fell right into Linden's arms. For a moment, she was more than shocked, only to reciprocate the hug as soon as she noticed what was happening. As she was in Linden's arms now, she felt much better than before. After all, she knew that he wished to marry her. Seraphina could finally allow her feelings to overwhelm her without needing to be scared of being disappointed after having been swept away by this sudden change. Though, there was still a concern she had. As she was almost crushed in Linden's hug, she knew that she desperately needed to tell him this before they talked about anything else. A part of her wanted to keep quiet just because they were happy right now, but she knew that she couldn't just go silent and get it over with like that. This was far too important. If she kept her mouth shut now, Linden might end up being upset later, and she couldn't risk that. So, there was only one choice.

Seraphina tightened her hold on Linden as she forced herself to whisper. “There...is something I have to tell you.”

Even that quiet sentence was enough to make Linden pay attention. He lifted his head while his hand gently came to her cheek so that he could cup her face. As he looked at her now, she could swear that she saw tears in his eyes. He was truly far too happy to receive her affirmative response. It almost knocked all air out of Seraphina's lungs. But she couldn't help herself, especially as Linden responded with all of his love being audible in his tone. “Tell me. I will listen.”

Seraphina wished that she had been able to just speak honestly without any hesitance, but again, she worried too much. “I...” This was such a sudden topic. How could she just say it? “Before you left, we...” She swallowed before beginning again, this time at an even quieter volume. “We spent...the night together.”

Luckily, Linden didn't get as embarrassed as she was upon hearing that. He just remembered what had happened and seemed confused to have her bring it up so suddenly. “Yes, we did. What...about that?”

Seraphina forced herself to take a deep breath before trying to slowly address what she truly had to say. “This must sound odd when I tell you. After all, we merely…” She only noticed it here. More than wishing to ease Linden into it, she was trying to avoid saying it directly with that. She would never say it if she continued like that. So, Seraphina swallowed again and forced herself to reveal it. “I...seem to be carrying a child.” She was too scared of seeing shock or anger on Linden's face, so she lowered her head before confirming one more thing. “Your child.”

And then she prepared to face the reaction she would now receive. Surely, Linden wouldn't be exhilarated to hear that he would have a child in half a year. They had only shared a single night, so it would even make sense for him to be distraught or annoyed now.

Seraphina still didn't want to see that expression on his face. It might be selfish, but she was uncertain enough, so she wanted him to console her. To hug her and tell her that it would be fine. But unfortunately, she couldn't demand that of Linden, not when this surprised him even more than it had surprised her. Maybe she was too expectant if she just stared at him and waited for him to process this within a few seconds when she had taken hours to understand. Seraphina once again didn't know what to do, but upon glancing up and seeing that Linden's eyes widened as he just looked at her in disbelief, she forced herself to say something. “It...was quite sudden for me too. But the doctor did confirm that...I am pregnant. I would understand if you were upset or-”

And within a second, Linden's expression shifted. Instead of the anger she had feared, he showed her a far too lovely smile. Without even giving her a second to prepare, he dove forward and pulled her into a tight hug while pressing his lips onto hers.

The kiss was so overwhelming that Seraphina was almost knocked over, but she managed to keep her balance with some effort. Still, she was quite surprised. It took her a moment to understand what was happening, but when she did, she was still barely able to believe it. Was Linden truly kissing her right after she had told him that she was pregnant? He wasn't angry with her? He at least didn't seem to be. No, he seemed quite happy instead. But of course, that couldn't be it. There was no way that Linden would truly be fine with this.

Or was there?

Judging by his actions, Linden wasn't pretending to make her feel better. He genuinely didn't seem to hold negative feelings about this. His kiss was much too passionate for that.

Seraphina couldn't help but return all of that as soon as she got the chance. They stayed connected like that for a long time. She wasn't even sure whether it had taken a minute or five.

But when Linden eventually let her pull away, he cupped her face immediately and showed her that far too beautiful smile that seemed to reveal that he might be far less tense than she had been upon finding out. “How could I be upset? This is sudden, but it is wonderful nonetheless. We have all the resources to take care of a child, and many people that could help us. There will not be any issue.” There actually were some.

Seraphina truly didn't wish to ruin the mood now when she was so relieved, but she felt like she had to say this, just to inform Linden before anyone else could. “Isn't...it troublesome if you suddenly return with a child? Especially if the mother is a citizen of Artias. I am luckily not a part of the royal family anymore, but my background does not change.” She found herself being far too worried about this as well.

And yet, Linden didn't hesitate to erase her concerns. “It would never be a problem for me to have a child with the woman I love.” That sentence alone made Seraphina's heart beat quicker again, which Linden seemed to notice. As he looked at her with all of his affection, he quickly added something else. “Please marry me. Become my wife and the queen of Northern Ocrea.”

It was happening so suddenly. Hadn't they only met one another for three weeks? How could they already discuss marriage and possibly letting Seraphina rule Northern Ocrea at Linden's side? He seemed to trust her a lot.

But Seraphina couldn't even bring herself to worry about his judgment. She felt flattered to know that Linden thought that well of her. He seemed to know that she would work hard to protect any nation she might be living in. He wanted to give her a chance to use her political knowledge too while being her devoted partner. If Linden, the man she loved so much, offered this to her, how could she reject it? Finally, after weeks of worrying about all of this, Seraphina could calm down and believe that things might not be as horrible as she had feared them to be. A smile grew on her lips as she met Linden's gaze and replied. “I accept.”

It seemed like her response alone almost overwhelmed Linden. He looked far too happy as he smothered her in his hug and kissed her forehead a few times. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I love you.” Then he kissed her lips, and just that single touch was enough to make her heart swell with so much love that she barely knew how to deal with it.

Seraphina had never felt anything like this, and she already knew that she would never be the same from now on. She had fallen for Linden so easily, and she would hold onto those feelings for a long time. That thought was what made her reply as soon as Linden removed his lips from hers. “I love you too.” The words left her mouth so easily, even though this was the first time she had told him that so directly. She had somehow thought that she would find it hard to express this, but that hadn't been the case at all. How odd. Maybe it was simply this easy because she knew that Linden would reciprocate her feelings no matter what.

Even her small response seemed to have cheered him up quite a lot. Linden just kissed her again, this time with even more passion. When he released her lips now, he already pulled her against him again. To Seraphina's surprise, he lifted her a tiny bit and spun her around for a moment before he looked at her again. At this point, Linden was basically glowing with how happy he was. He seemingly couldn't hold back anymore at all. Maybe that was why he almost tripped over his words as he hurriedly addressed her. “Then I will speak to His Majesty first thing tomorrow. I will tell him about us and ask for him to allow me to take one of his citizens as my wife. We can deal with everything necessary so that I can bring you to Northern Ocrea with me as soon as we go back.” He only seemed to think about what he had said a moment after and furrowed his brows a bit before hurriedly adding something. “That is, if you wish to move to my homeland with me. I...will never make decisions for you.” Now he worried about pressuring her.

Seraphina almost had to laugh at how sweet Linden's reaction was. She was about to cry just because he had promised to marry her, and now he worried about her opinion? She had already revealed it. “I already agreed to become your queen. Of course, I would have to move to your nation for that. I am quite willing to do that.” In fact, she was more than happy that Linden had offered it. While she would miss her family, this was her only option from now on. That thought made her smile lessen a bit. Right. She would have to leave Artias soon, if possible before her pregnancy showed. Otherwise, Theodore would surely throw her out as soon as he could. She couldn't risk her family's reputation being destroyed, so she had to move quickly. Searching for Linden's gaze, she began quickly. “I believe leaving quickly might be the best option. His Majesty... He...didn't seem to be upset about the thought of us being together. In fact, he told me to marry you multiple times.”

Linden leaned forward once more to kiss her forehead before he whispered to her, his expression full of softness. “That is wonderful. Then he will certainly agree. I will receive his permission to announce this marriage as soon as possible. This will just strengthen the ties between our nations, so he will not reject it. Having the child of a woman from Artias on our throne will benefit all of us.”

Seraphina had thought that too. She hoped that this was enough to convince Theodore. Until now, he had often said that he wished to send her to their neighboring nation, but a part of her was still scared of him forbidding this, just because he knew that it would crush her. But Seraphina didn't wish to worry about this now. She wanted some clarity at least. She met Linden's gaze while slowly lifting her arms to wrap them around his neck as she whispered to him. “I...became pregnant without being the queen. Would that not make it hard to present this child as the heir to the throne?”

Linden hurriedly shook his head. “No. Not at all. In Ocrea, all children of the queen and king are named heirs to the throne when their parents rise to the throne. As long as you are my wife, any of our children no matter the age would be named princesses and princes as soon as I am crowned to be king. You don't have to worry about anything, I promise.” He said that so easily, but this was still quite a big change. After all, Seraphina would risk it all while moving into a completely different nation. Maybe Linden knew how unsettling that was too. He tried his best to calm her down. “If anything concerns you, tell me, and I will solve the problem. I don't think that anyone in Northern Ocrea would reject this marriage. My father and mother already gave their informal permission when I told them about you, and I promise that no one else will mind that I brought back such a wonderful queen. And no matter what happens, I'm on your side. If there is anything you want, I will make it happen.”

It wasn't like that was a special promise. Everyone could lie. But when Linden said it like this, it sounded like he was serious. For the moment, he truly seemed to be devoted to her.

Only time could change that.

Seraphina knew that you could never guarantee anything, but she wanted to hear Linden calm her down again. Maybe that was selfish, but she wished for him to promise this, so she asked. “Now that you mention that, I do have one request.”

Her lover immediately nodded. “Whatever it is that you wish, I will find a way. What is it?”

Seraphina did feel a bit foolish saying this directly, but it was too important to her. So, she brought her hand to Linden's cheek and whispered to him again. “Don't have a mistress. If you ever fall for someone else, divorce me quickly so that I don't have to see you wandering away from me.”

With Theodore, her main concerns had always been of political nature. When she imagined Linden possibly parading around with another woman like her ex-husband had done it, it hurt her far more than that though. The pain in her heart almost felt like needles were pricked into her just because of the thought. She would certainly not be able to stand by and watch him love someone else without being depressed every single day. She couldn't do that, Seraphina knew that already. So, she at least wanted to receive a warning in case that ever became a risk.

But when Linden looked at her with so much certainty and proudly replied, he almost seemed to be sure of his feelings. “You don't have to worry about that.” He gently let his hands wander to hers and cupped them while he met her gaze and continued speaking with nothing but sincerity. “Whenever I look at you, I feel like I could live happily with just you at my side. I don't need anything else but your love. No one else ever made me feel like this. I hold my friends, family and allies dear, but they are different. While I would grieve upon losing them, I could still imagine living a happy life after some time. When it comes to you, I feel like my heart is broken each day I don't wake up next to you. Every single hour back at home felt like torture simply because I couldn't be sure when I would see you again. I only longed to speak to you, hold you, look at you. This cannot be anything that fades, I am certain of that. My heart carries all of those feelings for you. There is no space for anyone else.” He gave that whole speech without ever hesitating or looking away from her. “The only one I love will be you.”

It was quite romantic. Almost so romantic that it seemed unbelievable. But Linden made those words sound like they were truthful and came right from his heart.

Seraphina had wanted to hear just that. She had desperately needed Linden to affirm that he would stay with her and never ever look at anyone else. Now she was more than content upon finally having received what she had wanted. A smile spread on her lips as she looked at her lover and replied. “I never knew you were so romantic.”

“I didn't know either. Until now, I never felt the need to share this with anyone, but now... I hope those words sounded as wonderful as the feelings I have for you are. It's hard to express something this overwhelmingly beautiful. I am quite new to this. I hope that I will get better at telling you how I feel soon.” Linden once again said that so sweetly that she only wished to hug him.

Seraphina gently locked their fingers as she responded. “It was quite sweet. But you don't have to worry about not finding the right words.” Since she herself wasn't always sure how to convey her feelings best. She only knew one thing. She valued honesty more than anything else. “As long as you are always honest with me, it will be fine.”

Linden didn't even hesitate while meeting her gaze directly. “I will never lie to you. I swear that on my name.” He did seem to be serious.

That was all Seraphina needed. In the past, she would have called anyone foolish for giving their all so quickly, but now she couldn't wait to be with the man she adored. “Then I am willing to give my heart to you. I love you, Linden. I will do my best to be a good queen and a loving wife. I am more than happy to receive a chance to stay by your side.”

Linden looked like he wanted to kiss her immediately, but he held back to tell her something else in return. “I am the one that is glad to be given this opportunity. I will honor it with everything I am. This might be quick, but I want to finish everything already. I should meet your parents tomorrow. So that I can ask for permission to marry you.”

Right. He would have to meet her family too.

Seraphina was a bit embarrassed to already decide on her marriage with a man her parents only knew as a diplomatic guest. Something else worried her far more. “It might be best to do so.” Especially since she might already leave with her lover in a few days. She had told her parents about this relationship, but they would still be shocked. She couldn't imagine them reacting kindly to someone that would move their daughter so far away from them. Seraphina knew how mad her father could get, so she would rather warn Linden. “I already told them about you, but they might be surprised about this. My father will probably be very harsh, simply because he doesn't trust many people. Especially after how the last marriage ended, he might think that I am rushing too much. But do not worry. I will speak to them again before they say anything unfitting.”

And again, Linden replied with the perfect answer she had simply wished to hear. “I won't hold it against them if they are worried. I would be too in their place. But I will do my best to win them over in the short time we have. Let me speak to them so that I can show how much I care for you. And I will also give your family some promises to rely on. I will grant you a beneficial marriage contract. If I add the condition that you will receive half of my belongings in case of a divorce, your father would certainly be calmed, wouldn't he?” Certainly. After all, that would ensure that Seraphina could live comfortably even if her husband changed his mind about her.

But Seraphina still found that surprising. “Isn't it unfavorable if you as the heir to the throne give such promises? I could ask for national treasures in case of a divorce. That would be troublesome for you.”

Linden couldn't even deny it, but he didn't seem worried about the treasures. “Maybe, but I do not hope to ever need to use that contract anyway. I believe I would not survive hearing you ask me for a divorce. I will ensure that you don't ever consider that.” If he gave his all to allow them to have a happy marriage, that would be nice. Currently, it seemed like he wouldn't even have to do much.

Seraphina gently pulled Linden closer to her to bring her face right in front of his. “I don't think you need to worry about that if you just stay like you are.” Right now, she didn't want to imagine a life without him either. Seraphina couldn't believe that she was so dependent on someone, but she wasn't even upset about it. She was far too content being with Linden. Her heart was so full of joy that she just had to let it out once again. “I love you.”

Her words were enough to make Linden's face light up with a little smile that seemed to hold the power to change her entire world. “I love you too. Please allow me to make you happy.”

Seraphina gratefully accepted that, but she had something to add too. “That responsibility will not be yours to shoulder on your own. I believe I picked a path that will make me quite happy. Let's walk on it together.” She had truly decided to do something no one else would have expected her to agree with only weeks ago. But when Seraphina could stay in Linden's arms and had him close to her, she didn't doubt that it had been the correct choice for one second.