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Extract from Warpath Chapter 29: Homecoming

The palace was nice and calm. The afternoon sun was high in the sky and gentle tendrils of sunlight poked through the windows, scattering dust that was floating in the air. Nobody was inside the hall. Sally walked to the center and exhaled with gratitude. "Man, does it feel good to be back."

"My thoughts exactly."

She whirled around to see a human leaning on one of the pillars. "Oh, hey Chris."

"Afternoon your highness. Feels good being back in this place. I almost forgot what it felt like."

"Yeah. I feel so…at home here. Too bad some of the others won't have the chance to see this place again."

Chris sighed sadly, shrugged, then said, "Well, this has taught us one thing."

"What's that?"

"We really can't forget what we have here. We've been gone for three years and we never forgot about where we came from. Sal, I never want to forget what I have ever again."

"Chris…?"

"This cost me most of my salary." He said digging into his pocket. "Sal? Princess Sally Alicia Acorn?" He opened the box he had.

Inside, it was ring, a brilliant ring with an equally brilliant jewel on it.

"Chris…"

"Sally Alicia Acorn, I ask you here today, after all we've been through, after all we've done, I declare my love to you to the whole galaxy. Will you be my wife?"

Her heart stopped.

Sally was stunned. She looked at the ring, then she looked at the man holding it, then to the ring again…

"Chris, I…I…I…" He sighed. A tear slid down her cheek.

The smile on the young man's face dissolved.

"I figured this would happen. Didn't really cross my mind until I walked in here. Guess I should have thought it more."

"What would happen?"

He took a second answering that, as if it was painful for him to say. "That…you'd refuse. Forget it. I was never here. I've got to get my stuff together-"

"Chris."

He froze mid-step and turned to face her. "Yes?"

"I never said no."

"Excuse me?"

"I never said I refused."

She ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Christopher James Vennettilli, after all we've been through, after all we've done, I declare my love for you to the galaxy. I would be happy to be your wife!" She kissed him without a further word.

That's when his heart stopped.

She said yes! She actually said yes! Oh my God..!

He embraced her tightly. He stroked her hair softly, taking in this woman who loved him. Then a thought, a doubt formed in his head that made him nervous. "Wait! What about the whole royal thing? I hadn't thought that through!"

She laughed. "Don't worry, I can be pretty persuasive with my parents. I think they've seen this coming for a little while."

He smiled again. "Sally, I've never been any more happier or sure with anything in my life."

She caressed his face "It's time a whole lot of good happened in your life, Christopher."

He lifted Sally into the air and they swung around and around, both of them laughing, full of delight. Even though they were alone in the hall, they felt the warmth of each other and everyone who helped them along the way.

At that time and in that place, they truly were the happiest people in all the universe.

Description
Extract from Warpath Chapter 29: Homecoming

The palace was nice and calm. The afternoon sun was high in the sky and gentle tendrils of sunlight poked through the windows, scattering dust that was floating in the air. Nobody was inside the hall. Sally walked to the center and exhaled with gratitude. "Man, does it feel good to be back."

"My thoughts exactly."

She whirled around to see a human leaning on one of the pillars. "Oh, hey Chris."

"Afternoon your highness. Feels good being back in this place. I almost forgot what it felt like."

"Yeah. I feel so…at home here. Too bad some of the others won't have the chance to see this place again."

Chris sighed sadly, shrugged, then said, "Well, this has taught us one thing."

"What's that?"

"We really can't forget what we have here. We've been gone for three years and we never forgot about where we came from. Sal, I never want to forget what I have ever again."

"Chris…?"

"This cost me most of my salary." He said digging into his pocket. "Sal? Princess Sally Alicia Acorn?" He opened the box he had.

Inside, it was ring, a brilliant ring with an equally brilliant jewel on it.

"Chris…"

"Sally Alicia Acorn, I ask you here today, after all we've been through, after all we've done, I declare my love to you to the whole galaxy. Will you be my wife?"

Her heart stopped.

Sally was stunned. She looked at the ring, then she looked at the man holding it, then to the ring again…

"Chris, I…I…I…" He sighed. A tear slid down her cheek.

The smile on the young man's face dissolved.

"I figured this would happen. Didn't really cross my mind until I walked in here. Guess I should have thought it more."

"What would happen?"

He took a second answering that, as if it was painful for him to say. "That…you'd refuse. Forget it. I was never here. I've got to get my stuff together-"

"Chris."

He froze mid-step and turned to face her. "Yes?"

"I never said no."

"Excuse me?"

"I never said I refused."

She ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Christopher James Vennettilli, after all we've been through, after all we've done, I declare my love for you to the galaxy. I would be happy to be your wife!" She kissed him without a further word.

That's when his heart stopped.

She said yes! She actually said yes! Oh my God..!

He embraced her tightly. He stroked her hair softly, taking in this woman who loved him. Then a thought, a doubt formed in his head that made him nervous. "Wait! What about the whole royal thing? I hadn't thought that through!"

She laughed. "Don't worry, I can be pretty persuasive with my parents. I think they've seen this coming for a little while."

He smiled again. "Sally, I've never been any more happier or sure with anything in my life."

She caressed his face "It's time a whole lot of good happened in your life, Christopher."

He lifted Sally into the air and they swung around and around, both of them laughing, full of delight. Even though they were alone in the hall, they felt the warmth of each other and everyone who helped them along the way.

At that time and in that place, they truly were the happiest people in all the universe.