23: Good bye, new friends.

It was as if all the world had gone silent. Amaris stood there, completely stunned. Here was the emperor of all of Acad, kneeling in front of her, looking at her as if she was the most valuable stone that had ever existed, asking her to become his empress, his wife. Just two months ago, she was scrubbing floors of an inn, barely receiving enough to eat and now she had been offered one of the most important jobs in all of Acad.

"Are you sure that you want to ask me this?" She asked, certain that Ivailo was mistaken in his choice of a life companion. "You barely know me."

"I know you well enough to know that I won't regret loving you or making you the empress of our kingdom. After all, you are already the empress of my heart. So, what do you say?" He pleaded, his dark brown eyes going wide in desperation.

"Okay, I will marry you." It was as if the sun had shone through Ivailo's eyes as his face broke out a wide grin.

"Really?" Ivailo asked as he stood up, not sure whether to trust his ears.

"Really." She confirmed. Ivailo felt as if all of his worries about her safety were melting away. Without thinking about what he was doing, he pulled her in closer and locked her lips with his. It was as if there were fireworks going off inside of him. She is the one, he thought as Amaris pulled away and buried her head in the nape of his neck. The moment couldn't be more perfect if he tried.

"You realize I will still need to go to war, right?" Ivailo asked reluctantly, wishing that they could stay like that forever.

"Yes, I do." Amaris murmured. "Now you have even more reason to come home."

"Indeed, I do." Ivailo laughed.

"That wasn't meant to be a joke."

"I know. We should probably head inside, it would be extremely rude for us to not say goodbye to our guests." With a heavy heart, Ivailo disentangled himself from her embrace.

"Sir, are you sure that you want your soldiers positioned there? It is pretty exposed." Kafei asked Falael.

"Yes. There is not really any other place to occupy, so it would be better for Asharia's troops to be on the outskirts. There at least we will have the immunity of still being on Asharian soil."

"Fair enough. Well, I guess that concludes all the planning that we need to do before we get onto the battlefield."

"Indeed, it does. You know, I am almost reluctant to leave." Falael said.

"Really?"

"Yes. I have quite enjoyed your company, Miss Kafei. not to mention trying to plan out how to reclaim my brother's throne."

"Well, I am glad that you enjoyed your time while you were our guest, and that you enjoyed my company during your stay."

"Really? I am glad that your enjoyed your stay." Kafei said as she got up from her seat at the high council table, where she had been planning a war for the past half hour. "We should get going, it would be such a shame for Grace to return to Asharia alone."

"Not to mention that people like to talk, and they would come up with the most ridiculous rumors."

"My point precisely."

"But isn't there supposed to be a leaving luncheon?" Rinomve asked in a small voice as if he was shy about the question.

"Of course!" Kafei said, slapping her head. How in all of Acad could she forget that there was meant to be the last meal before Falael and Grace headed back to Asharia? She felt so stupid. "Anyway, we should head off to the dining room."

When they got to the dining room, Ivailo, Amaris, Lyra and Grace had already taken their seats and the servants had laid the food out on the table.

"So glad that you could join us!" Ivailo cheered.

"Oh be nice." Kafei pouted, earning a laugh from Ivailo. "Some of us actually have to work in order for a war to be successful."

"Someone is in a good mood." Falael commented.

"Indeed I am, and I have a good reason to." Ivailo said. "Please, sit down."

"So tell me, what is making my brother so happy?" Kafei asked, taking a seat.

"Amaris and I are getting married." The table erupted in exclamations of joy.

"Really?" Lyra asked Amaris. Amaris nodded. "That is awesome! I am so excited for you to become our sister-in-law, especially since we get along so well!"

"My baby brother is getting married!" Kafei was pretty much bouncing out of her seat at the news.

"Congratulations! you deserve to be happy." Grace said smiling. "You both do."

The servants made the already joyous atmosphere of the room even better by bringing in the food, a lavish meal of roasted pheasant, cranberries, and gravy with a side of lettuce and pickled cucumber, followed by an excessively decadent raspberry and cream cake.

When they had all finished eating the fantastic luncheon that had been served, Falael, Grace, Rinomve, Kafei, Lyra, Ivailo, and Amaris exited the palace where they had been staying for the past week and made their way down to the wharf.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Amaris said mournfully as Grace and Falael boarded the ship, The Sapphire Queen, with her elaborately painted hull and rows on rows of cannons.

"No, it's a see you later. After all, we would be extremely rude if we did not attend your upcoming wedding." Falael replied, wrapping his arm around Grace and giving the rest of the party a sad but hopeful smile.

"All aboard?" A distant voice called out, probably belonging to the captain.

"You guys should get going." Amaris said, wiping a tear from her cheek. To say that she was sad at the thought of a new friend leaving so soon would be like saying that the sky is blue. After all, tomorrow her Fiancee would take a very similar route to war.