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“He’s released you,” Tristan said.
Aurora placed a hand over her chest. “I wanted to tell you,” she confessed, “but I was afraid of what would happen to you if you confronted Rumple. He’s too ruthless.”
Tristan grabbed her hands and pressed them to his chest. His heartbeat was strong against her touch. “You should know by now that I will fight heaven and hell for you.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t tell you,” she said. “If anything were to happen to you, I couldn’t live with myself.”
“Aurora—”
“You don’t understand.” She pulled her hands away and turned toward the sun casting its golden glow across the rolling hills. “I survived a decade in a world of nightmares, and yet… walking away from you just about killed me.”
“My love…” He cupped her face and peered into her eyes. “If you need more time, I’ll give that to you. But know that to me, no matter how much time passes, you are the one. You are my true love. There is no other.”
Aurora closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth of his touch against her cheeks. “I never needed time,” she whispered, her eyelids fluttering open again. “I’ve always known it was you. It will always be you. For all eternity.”
Surrounded by lush, green meadows and the gentle hum of nature, Tristan’s eyes sparkled with happiness and contentment.
“Aurora…” Hearing her name on his lips made her want to leap into his arms. But she suppressed her urge so as to hear what he had to say. “I’ve brought this especially for you.”
Taking one of her hands, he lowered himself to his knees. With his other hand, he held up a ring.
Aurora gasped as an emerald stone glistened in the sun. “Tristan, that is beautiful,” she breathed.
“It belonged to my mother,” he said, the corner of his lips curving upward. “She made me promise that the recipient of this ring should already have my heart. That has been you from the moment you pushed me off that ship the first time we met. You don’t just have my heart, Aurora. Youaremy heart.”
“Oh, Tristan…” Joyful tears slid down her cheeks.
“I’ve asked you once before, and now I’m asking you again,” he said, holding her gaze. “Aurora, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
She flashed him a beaming smile. Her once-independent spirit had found its perfect match in Tristan, and their love had somehow grown stronger with each day they’d spent apart.
“Yes, Tristan!” She beamed. “I would love to be your wife!”
Her body was buzzing with excitement. She waited until he slipped the ring onto her finger before leaping into his arms. He caught her in midair and buried his face in her hair. It smelled like wildflowers.
As the sun rose from the horizon, casting a palette of purples and pinks across the sky, they shared a tender kiss. It was a kiss that spoke of passion, of understanding, and of the promise of a future together filled with love and happiness.
“This feels like a dream,” she whispered against his lips.
“No, my love.” He smiled against her mouth, then tightened his embrace around her, so firm, so sure, as though he knew this time he would never again let her go. “This… is real.”
EPILOGUE
RAPUNZEL
Rapunzel had always been adept at finding her way into the most guarded sanctums, and this time was no exception. The towering gates swung open before her, seemingly unguarded. She stepped into Queen Snow’s castle. The hallways were lined with elaborate ice sculptures, capturing the memories of Aria’s rule.
Rapunzel found her way to Emmett’s study without a guard escort, as her audacity often demanded. The study was a realm of knowledge, a sanctuary for contemplation and decision-making. But on that day, it would be a battleground for wills.
Emmett looked up from his paperwork, surprise etching across his features as he beheld Rapunzel’s presence. “How did you get in?” he asked, his voice a blend of curiosity and annoyance.
Rapunzel replied with a wry smile, “My showing up unannounced has never bothered you before.”
“I am married now,” Emmett said, his gaze returning to the documents before him.
“Oh, I know that,” Rapunzel said dismissively. “That’s why I waited for your wife to go on her travels before coming to see you. I heard she went to visit Tristan and Aurora’s new baby—”
“Quit the chitchat. I hold no secrets from my wife.”
