Sometimes she could not remember what he looked like and it plagued her. Other times if she closed her eyes, she could still feel his arms around her. Today, even that didn't help. At least she stopped crying when she came to watch the waves. All crying did was give her a headache and make her mother sad. But not crying did not mean the hurt in her heart had gone away. Others said in time her heart would heal, but they were wrong.
Kannak reached out and touched the last drop of dew on the leaf of a tree and without even realizing she was saying it out loud, she whispered, "Will we ever be happy, Stefan?"
In a whisper just as soft, he said, "Aye."
She dared not turn around for fear her ears deceived her. It sounded like his voice, but she thought her mind was playing tricks. Her heart would surely break all over again if she turned and he was not there.
"I love ye."
Still she was afraid to look. Then she felt him come closer and put his arms around her from behind, the way he did when she was looking out the window of the hidden castle. "It is truly ye?"
"Aye." He felt her lean against him and closed his eyes. At last she was back in his arms.
"I have missed ye so."
"I have missed ye too. We will be happy now, I pledge it."
"Ye cannae promise happiness, no one can."
"I can pledge to love ye until the day I die."
Finally, she turned in his arms and pulled away enough to look at him. He had not changed much except he had grown a thicker beard and his hair was lighter than she remembered. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen and his blue eyes seemed more brilliant than ever before. Kannak lifted her hand and traced the side of his face with her fingertips. "Am I forgiven?"
"For what?"
"For tricking ye into going to the hidden castle. I have wished for that day back so very often."
He took a moment to brush a stand of hair away from her face. "Ye cannae have that day back, I forbid it. That was the day ye gave me a reason to live. As to the castle, I hope to make it our home after we are married."
"Live in the hidden castle?"
"Aye. Would ye like it if we did?" At sixteen she was even more beautiful than he remembered. He touched her long silky hair and felt her lay her head on his chest.