The seasons rolled by, winter melted into spring, and before I knew it, an entire year had passed since I had first arrived in Malcosias. It was a strange feeling, learning that an entire year could feel as short as this one had. But scant weeks after I marked the occasion of a full year spent in this new land, another significant day approached—my wedding anniversary.
I had been looking forward to this day, anticipating a private celebration between Ed and myself as a happy couple. But as fate would have it, it seemed that our anniversary was fated to pass without commemoration. Ed was away on an expedition with the Pyreborn, and he wouldn’t return in time. According to Teodore, the knights had been dispatched to deal with mana-beasts who were awakening from their winter sleep, well-rested and ready to cause all sorts of havoc. While my Divinity might have worked to suppress and repel them, the vastness of the empire proved the challenge. My powers only extended so far, and when it came to protecting the distant reaches of the continent, we had no choice but to rely on the efforts of the empire’s brave warriors.
A sigh escaped my lips as I pondered the situation. If only this country were as small as Celestia... I mused with a frown. An image of Ed’s face on the day he had set forth on this particular expedition floated into my mind. A pang of loneliness struck, and the words “Is it too much to ask for us to be able to spend our anniversary together?” tumbled from my lips quietly. Almost immediately, I chastised myself. The situation is beyond our control. Ed surely felt the same way I did—there was no doubt he resented the situation too.
Determined to be a supportive wife, I quelled the flicker of disappointment. As I sat myself down on my sofa, my gaze fell upon a meticulously wrapped box. I picked it up and gently ran my hand along it. The box contained a miniature figure of a phoenix—an anniversary gift I had gone to great pains to complete on time. My haste now seemed to mock me.
As I recalled the form of the little felted bird, it occurred to me that with the extra time on my hands I could perhaps make another one. The final product had turned out well, though that was not to say the process had been in any way straightforward. It had been my first time working with felt, and the finished product was the result of three failed attempts—each of which had taken up more time than I had anticipated. I glanced over to the corner of the room where my three rejected creations sat awkwardly on a shelf. Lopsided wings, visible seams, and misplaced body parts gave them a rather grotesque appearance, like a set of shambling apparitions born from the laboratory of a madwoman. But as the madwoman in question, I found something oddly endearing about them, and so I hesitated to throw them away altogether.
In their own way, they were somewhat charming—especially since they represented the journey I had taken in the pursuit of finally creating something beautiful. Without those failures, I wouldn’t have been able to produce such a well-crafted final product. My lips curled into a rueful smile as I reflected on the time and effort I had invested. Suddenly struck by the urge to create another felted creature, I stood up and called out to my ever-dedicated handmaiden:
“Marisa, could you fetch me some more felt and my sewing—”
Three knocks rang out at the door. Instinctively, I cut off my request at once and glanced over at Owen, who was standing by the wall. My eyes asked an unspoken question—is it safe to grant entry? In response, he shot me a knowing smirk and nodded his approval.
Now just what is so funny? I wondered as I straightened up and called out, “Enter!”
“Excuse me,” rumbled a deep baritone voice. The door swung open, and to my utter surprise, none other than Prince Edward Ruby Martinez himself strode straight into my chambers. He must have come straight from the battlefield; his armor, usually polished to a pristine shine, was dirtied with grimy stains.
Not blood, nor sweat, nor filth would deter me in the slightest, however. It had been over a month since I’d last seen my husband, and the sight of him standing before me was all it took for my excitement to overwhelm any sense of propriety. “Ed, you’re back!” I exclaimed, launching myself straight into his arms—the sheer joy of seeing him overpowered everything else.
In contrast to my exuberance, Ed remained his steady, composed self. “Lina, I’m sorry I’m late,” he said, gently stroking my hair as he held me close. “I wanted to return earlier, but there were far more mana-beasts than we expected.” His voice was soft, filled with the quiet affection that I had missed so much. “Oh, how I’ve missed you,” he crooned, echoing my thoughts.
After a moment, he pulled away from our embrace, evidently for the purpose of reaching into his pocket to pull out a small jewelry box—the kind that I might have expected to hold a ring if we weren’t already married. “Shall we celebrate, Lina? The day’s not quite over. We still have some time to enjoy together.”
With a deft motion, he opened the box and tilted it towards me, revealing a pair of stunning ruby-inlaid earrings. “Lina,” he began softly, gently. “There exists a tradition in a distant land where lovers each wear one of the earrings from the same set. And it’s not just for show; there’s a meaning to it. The one who wears the leftmost jewel stands as the protector, and the one who wears the right is the person they’ve forever sworn to shield.” He paused, then dropped to one knee, his eyes never leaving mine. “Will you give me the honor of placing this on your right ear? The left...well, that one belongs to me, because I’ll be the one to watch over you—for the rest of your life.”
The sincerity and love in his eyes coupled with a gesture that felt like nothing short of a second proposal nearly made me break into tears or into laughter; I wasn’t sure which. The blush that crept up my cheeks was only the beginning of this emotional torrent—happiness and sheer gratitude for everything that had brought us to this moment washed over me in waves. And then, overwhelmed by it all, I did break, tears spilling over my cheeks. “Yes. Of course!” I squealed, smiling so brightly, so radiantly, that I felt like the embodiment of joy itself.
Ed’s eyes crinkled with warmth as he stood up slowly. “May I put yours on for you?” he asked.
“Of course,” I replied, my voice thick with emotion. “And I will do the same for you.”
We each took each other’s earring from the box, and with all the solemnity of a vow, we placed them on one another’s earlobes—though not without a little bit of finagling on my part. Ed was simply too tall for me to reach comfortably. In the end, he had to crouch slightly, but with a bit of laughter and teamwork, we managed. Once the earrings were in place, we both took a moment to admire them, sharing a smile that soon blossomed into a laugh.
“It looks beautiful on you, my darling,” he said.
I giggled in response. “Thank you. Yours looks dashing as well.”
There was something about the simplicity of the design that suited him perfectly, a wonderful contrast with his strong, rugged features. The thought that he would wear it out in public, carrying a piece of our bond with him, filled me with happiness. As I basked in the warmth of the moment, I suddenly remembered the gift that I had prepared. Right, the phoenix! I even wrapped it and everything.
“Darling,” I said, catching his golden gaze with my own.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Truth be told, I’ve prepared a little present for you, as well. Would you like to open it?”
“Would I? Absolutely I would,” he replied with an eager nod. “A present from my dear Lina...” he murmured to himself, and I could almost feel the excitement radiating from him; he was practically vibrating with anticipation. His reaction was so endearing that I couldn’t help but laugh at his adorable enthusiasm.
“Wait here for just a moment,” I said, still smiling as I went to retrieve the present from the nearby table. I returned and handed it to him with a mix of excitement and nervousness. “It’s not much, but I hope you like it...”
“Of course I’ll like it,” he declared with unwavering confidence. “It’s a present from my dearly beloved wife. How could I not?”
His words, coupled with the palpable joy in his expression, instantly dissolved any lingering anxieties. With an almost exaggerated gentleness, Ed took hold of the present. I could almost see his ears perk up; I imagined a tail wagging with excitement behind him.
“Can I open it?” he asked.
“Please,” I replied, and Ed carefully began to remove the wrapping. His hands moved deliberately and slowly, as if he were handling something incredibly delicate, not wanting to damage even the slightest bit of the decorative paper. I was grateful, but also a little impatient. It’s all right, darling. Just hurry up and open it, I thought with a wry smile.
Ed finally lifted the lid, and his eyes widened slightly. “A phoenix...” he murmured. “Did you make this yourself?” He didn’t seem to want to touch it with his sullied gloves, instead examining it keenly from a safe distance. Then, in a gesture that melted my heart, he hugged the box close to his chest, like a little boy who had just received something he’d always wanted.
“This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever received,” he said. “I’ll treasure it forever.”
“I’m happy you like it,” I responded giddily. My hand moved to my right ear, brushing against the ruby stone, and suddenly, there it was again, gracing his handsome face—that smile from a year ago. The one he had flashed on that fateful carriage ride to Malcosias. The one that had breathed hope into my future—the one that had captured my heart. And now, seeing that same smile on my husband’s face, my heart swelled all over again.
Later, after Ed had changed out of his armor and we had both freshened up, we ventured out into the streets of the capital, enjoying what turned out to be one of the happiest days of my life.