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Another nervous tremor goes through me. He’s holding me, so he’s not trying to break up, right? “I kinda guessed.” I gesture at the car, idling with its headlights off. “I’ll be here until after Christmas. Is there something that couldn’t wait?”
He turns me to face him. “No. Yes.” He takes a deep breath. “Yes. I didn’t want to say it on the phone. Not for the first time. But I don’t want to wait.”
He doesn’t say anything else. I peer up at him, but the sliver moon has gone behind a cloud, and the stars don’t provide enough light to see much. “You don’t have to wait.” My voice comes out breathless. My heart pounds in my ears.
His hands tighten on my upper arms, and he takes another breath. The moon reappears, and he smiles in relief—as if grateful he can see my face. “I love you, Eva.”
My body buzzes in response. “I love you, too!” I surge close and squeeze my arms around him. “I thought—I was afraid you’d changed your mind.”
“Never.”
“But what about—” I lean back in his arms so I can see his face, but the fickle moon has gone into hiding again. Although the darkness makes it easier to say the scary things. “I don’t want to live in Freiberg.” He jerks against my hands, just a tiny lurch, but it chills me. I don’t want to hurt him, but he has to know how I feel. “I mean, not forever. And not right away.”
“Do you want to live here?” His voice is soft, as if he’s not sure he wants to ask the question. I wish I could see his face.
“Not yet.” I take his hands off my shoulders and hold them in mine. I can feel his pulse in them, and I suspect he can feel mine, racing together. “I’m young. I want to see the world. I want to live in LA or London. Or Seoul. I want to work in theater or television. Or something related to my degree, which I won’t find here. I love Rotheberg—and I loved Freiberg—but there’s so much more I want to see and do before I settle down.”
Finally, the moon returns, the soft glow illuminating Teo’s grave face. “Do you want to do those things alone? Or is there room for two on this adventure?”
I squeeze his hands. “I never want to go alone again.”
Epilogue
TEO
TWO YEARS LATER
I pull over the crest of the hill and stop the rental car in the wide spot on the side of the road. Below us, the sun shines on the brilliant carpet of wildflowers blooming across the field. A river winds across the field in a gentle zigzag, and birds chirp noisily from the trees beyond the road. A light breeze brings the scents of cut grass, flowers, and the faintest whiff of farm animals—diluted enough to be pleasant.
Beyond, the old buildings of my home crouch behind the high city wall. Their steep tile roofs glint from the recent rain. The castle’s pointed red roofs welcome me. Eva and I have visited a lot of amazing places, but Freiberg will always be one of my favorites.
Eva doesn’t wait for me to come around and open her door. I snicker—protocol doesn’t come naturally to her. And Eduard’s wedding—the reason we’re here—is going to be layers of protocol and formalities wrapped in rules, propriety, and politics.
She pauses as she swings the door shut, her sparkling eyes meeting mine with a knowing smirk. “Oops.” She sweeps a deep curtsey. “Sorry, Your Highness. I should have waited for the doorman.”
When she rises, I sling an arm around her shoulders. “You’d better behave, or I’ll get Lukas to throw you in the dungeon.” I guide her across the gravel pad to a small path into the trees.
“Where are we going? You didn’t show me this when we came here the first time.”
“That’s because I was eager to get my favorite felon to a safe haven.” I drop my arm from her shoulders and take her hand instead, moving ahead of her on the narrow path.
“Plus, Hans was snoring in the car.”
“That, too.” We wind through the well-kept woods to a rustic picnic table. It sits at the top of a steep hillside with an even better view of the town across the flower-strewn fields. A white cloth flutters on one end, weighed down by bright red dishes, a bottle of local wine, and a wicker basket.
Eva’s steps slow, pulling me back. “We’ve interrupted someone’s picnic.”
I give a gentle tug. “Our picnic.”
“Ours?” She releases my hand to touch the bottle, then opens the basket. “How’d you do this?”
“Andi helped me, of course.” I take the seat facing away from the valley, so Eva can enjoy the view. I’d rather look at her, anyway. “There’s supposed to be a full lunch in there.”
Eva pulls a covered bowl from the basket and pulls off the lid. “Cut fruit.” She takes a bite of an apple slice, then pulls more things from the basket, listing them as she sets them on the table. “Bread. Chocolate. Jar of olives. There’s a little cooler in here, too.” She sets the soft-sided cube on the table.
I open the cooler and pull out chicken and cheese. “There should be one more thing in there.”
“Really?” She opens the lid again. Her eyes snap to mine, startled, then go back to the basket. Reaching in slowly, she bites her lip, then pulls out a small velvet box. “What’s this?” She offers it to me.
I take it and open the lid, turning it so she can see the circle of gold with a tiny diamond. “My grandmother’s ring. Oma Feltz’s,” I clarify. “Not one of the crown jewels. You can have a fancier one, if you want. There’s a whole treasury full of?—”
She stops my rambling by pressing her fingers against my mouth. “Why is it here, Teo?”
“So I can do this.” I drop to one knee, grateful I’m wearing jeans as the damp seeps into the fabric. “Eva, will you be my princess bride?”
“As you wish.”
And we seal it with a kiss.
