Page 78 of Bewitched

“Nay. Of course not. Rapunzel also told me that she saw you and the King disappear when you used your magic. I figured you’d come back here.”

“Oh, I see.” She took another deep breath and released it. It all made sense to her. “We ended up in the moat,” she told him. “I don’t know how I missed my mark.”

“What were you aiming for? The tub of water?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Actually, the wagon of hay.” She giggled now too.

“Medea, I don’t want you to marry King Osric. And I want you to believe me when I tell you I didn’t come up with the idea to kill you. That was all him.”

“I know that, Rhys. After I saw how evil the man is, I realized that he had come up with the plan to have me killed and just told me a lie about you. You are not that way at all.”

“True, but I was tempted by darkness within me at first, Medea, and I am not proud of it. I told you all about that already. I did consider taking the King’s offer briefly, and I only hope you can forgive me. It was wrong, and I am ashamed that I almost gave in to the dark side within me.”

“Rhys, you don’t have darkness in you. Believe me, I know what darkness is.”

“Yes, I do have it, Medea. Everyone has light as well as darkness in them. We just need to find control so the good wins over the bad.”

“Mayhap you’re right. I’m not really sure. But I suppose I just have a lot more darkness in me than anyone, because of my mother and her evil ways. I keep hearing her voice in my head and it is getting harder and harder to ignore it. I’m afraid I’m going to end up just like her, and that scares me to death.”

“Medea, don’t say that.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I didn’t know your mother, but I’ve heard how awful she was. I am sure that will never happen to you.”

“It’s already happening, Rhys and I cannot control it. It’s the truth and you know it. Darkness is strong within me and it is starting to take me over. Even my own baby doesn’t want me near her.” She started to cry again.

“You are a good person, Medea, I’ve seen it in you. You are young yet, and inexperienced, that is all. In time, you’ll learn to control the darkness and let the light rise to the surface instead.”

“Nay, it’s too late for me, Rhys. It is too late and now, I’ll never see my daughter again. I don’t deserve to. Not after the way I acted.”

“You will see her, I promise. Just give it some time, that’s all.”

“Time?” asked Medea looking up at him. “My daughter seems to be aging a year for every day she lives, just like what happened to me. It’s going too fast.”

“I know all about that. Rapunzel told me.”

“Rhys, this is terrifying. My daughter might be the same age as me or mayhap even older before I see her again. Everything is spinning out of control. I just want to enjoy Lily-Rae as a child and watch her grow up together with you. I want to experience things in her life with her. I don’t want her to turn into me.”

“We will do all that, and we’ll do it together, I promise,” Rhys assured her. “Marry me, Medea. Be my wife.”

“What? Really?”

“I said it before and will say it again. I want to spend my life with you and raise a family together.”

Now Medea was back to thinking that she was dreaming again. Could this possibly be true? Good things didn’t happen to her. Not in her life. This couldn’t be real. Could it? “For real?” she asked him once more, just having to hear him say it was.

“For real,” he answered, being the best thing she ever heard. “Unless you’re still planning on marrying King Osric, that is.”

“Nay!” she cried. “I don’t want anything to do with that man. It was only the darkness inside taking me over when I agreed to be his bride and queen in the first place.”

“So... what does that mean? Will you marry me or not?”

“Before I answer, tell me something. Why do you even want me, Rhys? I’m not a good person, and don’t know the first thing about raising children. You could have your choice of noble ladies right here in Mura. You could have anyone you want.”

“I’ve already chosen. I want you, Medea.”

Medea shook her head, biting her lip, trying not to cry. “I don’t know, Rhys. I can’t condemn you to a life with an evil wife. You deserve so much better. Mayhap it would be best if you took Lily-Rae and raised her by yourself. Don’t even tell her a thing about me. I’ll go back through the portal and she’ll never have to know her mother was evil. Then I’ll—”

Her words were cut off as Rhys’ mouth covered hers in a deep, sensuous kiss. All the tension inside her left, and her body relaxed in Rhys’ arms. The kiss lingered, and when their lips parted, she spoke once again.

“Why did you do that?” she whispered.