Desperate Forest
Page 16
Confused, I looked at him.
“You didn’t imagine it,” he said, “when you overheard me and Laurel talking that day. I am in love with you. If I’m being honest, I think I started falling for you when I first talked to you under that willow tree all those years ago.”
“What?” I stared at him incredulously. “You did not.”
“Yes, I did.” He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. “You were so different from anyone I’d ever met. You had a kindness about you that was so natural and a strength that ran so deep. And you still do . . . When I met you again, it didn’t take me long to see that. And even though I tried to fight it, I couldn’t help but fall completely in love with you.” He pulled me closer and kissed me.
When our lips met, I had no doubts about who he was or how I felt about him. And so, I let myself get lost in his kiss, feeling like I finally had the answers to all my questions. His kiss was strong, tender, and real—just like him.
When we broke apart, I smiled at him.
“Well, I guess you were right,” I said.
“About what?” Jay asked, rubbing my arm as I carefully laid my head against his chest.
“Everything did turn out all right.”
Epilogue
I sat under my favorite willow tree, book in hand, looking out over the river. The sun reflected off the water, more brilliant than a thousand diamonds, while a gentle breeze tossed my hair.
Lazy summer days like this were hard to come by since I’d officially become the Queen of Tover. I had a newfound respect for everything my father had balanced so gracefully during his time as king. Every day, I strove to live up to his legacy.
The first change I made was to allow all the men who had been forced to serve in my uncle’s army to return home to their families. Farm and village life flourished again.
Once a week, I went into town to enjoy Macie’s homemade bread and visit with Gianna. The easy friendship we’d begun during our time in the forest solidified, and my week was never complete unless we saw each other. Gianna loved showing me around town and introducing me to everyone she knew there.
Gavin had excelled in his position as the head knight of Tover. I was eternally grateful to have him as a friend, especially on days I struggled to adjust to my new position. More than once, talking to him about plans for the kingdom felt uncannily similar to talking with my father.
Laurel put her talents to good use, becoming quite well known in the village as a healer. She and Gavin were married soon after she saved me from my uncle. At first, it was a bit shocking to see Laurel walking around with a smile on her face instead of her usual scowl.
Laurel and I talked often now that we’d gotten past our original differences, especially since she and Gavin lived in the castle. Although we didn’t often speak of it, I knew she felt as bonded to me as I did to her over the similar loss we’d shared at Abrax’s hand. Somehow, we’d come out the other side of our grief together.
“Hello, Princess.” A teasing voice interrupted my thoughts. “I should have known you’d come straight here when you arrived. You really are too predictable.”
“What can I say?” I turned to see Jay striding toward me. “I once met a very special man under this tree.”
“I see . . .” Grinning, he wrapped his arms around me. “And you keep waiting here for him to return?”
“He just did.”
Jay pulled me in for a loving kiss. “I missed you. How was your journey?”
“Incredibly dull. Can you believe I didn’t run into one outlaw or band of misfits the entire time?”
Jay chuckled. “We must be doing too good of a job running our kingdoms. No one wants to hide out in the forest anymore.”
We strolled along the river for several minutes, filling each other in on what had happened since we’d last seen each other. Because we were both so busy taking on our new roles, we didn’t get the chance to visit each other as much as we wanted.
“I can’t believe I didn’t tell you this sooner,” I said. “I found out last week. Laurel and Gavin are expecting.”
“That’s wonderful!” Jay smiled broadly, then scratched his head. “Although, I might already be a little scared of that child.”
I laughed. “They’re both ecstatic.”
“Laurel, ecstatic? Now that’s something I never thought I’d see.” Jay led us back toward the willow tree. “Are they still coming to visit?”
“Yes, they’ll be here next week, in time for the ball. Gavin fought it at first, saying Laurel shouldn’t be traveling right now, but you can imagine how that ended for him.”
Jay chuckled. “I miss getting into trouble with Gavin. I should have persuaded him to join my knights instead of yours.”
“Ha! Then you’d have to take Laurel too.”
“Hmm . . . on second thought, I’ll stick with Thaddeus.”
Thaddeus had returned to his rightful position as the head knight and chief advisor to the King of Marcsnovia.
Thaddeus had told me that after the night King Charles died and Jay went missing, he couldn’t bear to search for Jay with the knights who’d been ordered to execute him. Instead, Thaddeus went to search for Jay on his own, eventually finding him with Gavin’s group.
When they’d been reunited and Jay told him he didn’t know what had happened—that he had no recollection of the night Charles died—Thaddeus was worried Jay had killed Charles, that he’d found out the truth and acted in anger.
Thaddeus was afraid if Jay remembered, he would be devastated by what he’d done. So Thaddeus kept quiet their entire time in the forest, never telling Jay he was really King Charles’s son and rightful heir.
When Thaddeus told me the final part of his story, I realized he did, indeed, love Jay like a father. Leaving his lifelong post to ensure Jay’s safety and doing whatever he could to protect him was truly the self-sacrificing love only a parent could have.
Jay put his arms around me again and looked up at the willow tree. “Can you imagine the things this tree has seen over the years?”
I smiled, gazing at the seemingly endless height of the tree myself. “Who knows?” I let my mind drift into fantastic imaginings of the people who had been there before us.
“You know, I noticed the oddest thing . . .” Jay stepped away from me and pushed back the thick willow’s curtain to reveal its gnarled trunk. He pointed to words carved into it.
“What is it?” I moved closer to read what they said.
Roselynn, will you marry me?
I turned to Jay incredulously, but he was already on one knee, holding a diamond ring glistening in the sun.
“Roselynn, meeting you under this tree was the best thing that ever happened to me. Meeting you again in the forest was the second best . . . although I didn’t know it at the time. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead or still wandering in that forest, never knowing who I really was or what I was meant to do.”
He took a deep breath. “I love you more than anything and I would be honored if you would be my wife. I want to see the world with you. I want to have children with you. I want to grow old with you, but most importantly, I want to live every day with you by my side. Will you marry me?”
“Of course! Yes, of course I’ll marry you!” I pulled Jay to his feet. He slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me fervently.
And so, I accepted the second marriage proposal of my life. But this time, the man asking for my hand was only interested in me—not my kingdom, not my title, not my land—just me.
And I knew I loved him wholly—for everything he was and everything he wasn’t. The first time we’d met, he had surprised and comforted me. When we met again, he had challenged and supported me. But most importantly, he had loved me.
When we broke apart, Jay rested his forehead against mine.
“Is it crazy that I can feel my father smiling down on us right now?” I asked.
“No . . . because I feel it too.”
I s
miled, knowing both of our fathers were giving us their blessing. Tover and Marcsnovia would be united as they had always hoped. Just not quite in the way any of us had expected.
Grabbing my hand, Jay led me down the path and I leaned into his shoulder.
“Come on, Princess,” he said, “it’s the perfect day for an adventure.”
Acknowledgements
Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a review of Desperate Forest on Amazon and Goodreads. A good review is the easiest way to support an author, and reading one really brightens my day!
All the hugs and ice cream in the world to my two sisters, Monica and Therese, for being my very first readers. I hope I always write stupid stuff in my first drafts so we can laugh about it together.
Monica, I think you missed your calling as a book editor! You have no idea how much I value your attention to detail and ability to see the big picture. Thank you for your enthusiasm for my projects. Your excitement for my writing means the world to me.
Therese, without your help, I would still be scratching my head over so many aspects of writing. Thank you for sharing your expertise and time so freely (I know you are beyond busy). I’m so grateful to you for reading multiple versions of this story and helping me take it from good to great.
Ray, you have no idea how much your support means to me. Your love and encouragement always keep me going, especially on days when I doubt myself. I remember when I told you I wanted to start writing books. As always, you supported me with all your enthusiasm. Thank you for reading this book even though you “didn’t think you’d like it.” (I’m so glad you did!)
My kids, you guys are the reason I wake up every morning. (And not just because you are usually jumping on my head.) I love you more than anything.
Mom, thank you for opening up the world of books to me as a child! Not only did you always fuel my passion for reading, but you also spent so much time teaching me and taking me to the library. I don’t know how you did it all, but I will always be grateful!
Dad, you’ve always believed I could do anything I set my mind to. Thank you for encouraging me to be creative.
Jerome, there are some things that words can’t possibly express, and one of those things is how much you are missed. You are always in my heart. Until we meet again, big brother.
Amy, what would I do without you? Thank you for always being there when I’m having an identity crisis. Someday we will live the dream of having our own creative studio.
My FanFiction readers, thank you for being my first readers and for encouraging me to keep writing. You will always have a very special place in my heart.
Finally, thank You, God, for all the many blessings You have given me in my life and for putting the love of writing in my heart.
About the Author
Cece Louise writes clean novels for teens and adults filled with adventure, romance, and spirit.
Cece is an avid reader who has been making up stories in her head as long as she can remember. A true believer that writing should be fun, she loves communicating with her readers and connecting with other writers.
When she's not working on her latest story, Cece enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, weightlifting, and being outside. A proud Hufflepuff, she also enjoys writing Harry Potter FanFiction.
Desperate Forest is her debut novel. She is currently working on her next novel, The Jabberwocky Princess. Visit Cece online to stay up-to-date on her latest project or just to say hi:
Cece’s website: www.CeceLouise.com
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