Solace's P.O.V
"Queen Solace of Thera," he began, his voice dropping to a soft, affectionate tone that made my heart do a dizzying somersault. "In the short period of time that we've been together, you've captured my sight and my heart. From that first moment I saw you in the throne room, you've had me wrapped around your finger. I used to tell myself that even if you were a commoner, I would marry you and give you all the precious things in the world. But I'm the lucky one. I didn't just find a strong woman; I found a queen who will lead her kingdom into a great success."
He looked up at me, his eyes pleading and hopeful, his soul bared for everyone to see. "Today, I ask for your hand in marriage. Will you, Queen Solace of Thera, accept my proposal? Will you reign long alongside me, as my wife and my queen?"
The crowd was deathly silent, holding its collective breath. I looked down at him—the prince who became a fugitive, the soldier who had bled for my home, and the man who had become my entire world. I realized then that I was done hiding, done being afraid of the "strange feelings" he gave me.
"Yes," I whispered, my voice caught in my throat. I cleared it and spoke louder, so the echoes hit the palace walls. "Yes, I will!"
The crowd erupted in a deafening, joyful roar as Alaric happily slipped the ring onto my finger. He stood up, pulling me close, and kissed my hand exactly where the ring sat. "I love you, my queen," he murmured against my skin.
"I love you too, my king," I replied, finally leaning into him and letting the world see.
We turned to face our people together, our hands locked in a grip that no darkness could break. We knew the path ahead wouldn't always be easy—kingdoms weren't built in a day, and scars took time to heal—but as long as we had each other, we were enough.
In the months that followed, we merged our lands into one great, united territory, naming it the Kingdom of Aevera. Under our joint reign, the gates were never closed to the lost or the weary. New allegiances were formed, and the land flourished in a way that had been forgotten for generations. We had become the most powerful rulers in the world, not through conquest, but through a love that had started on a dusty road from a forgotten throne.