Chapter 151: Yes

Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Yes

Something was wrong.

Marian realized it almost immediately.

The note itself appeared harmless.

If slightly unusual.

Lady Marian,

Would you accompany me this afternoon?

There is somewhere I would like to show you.

— Cassian

That was all.

No explanation.

No destination.

No further details.

Which, unfortunately, was precisely the problem.

Cassian was many things.

Thoughtful.

Patient.

Incurably romantic.

But subtle?

Not particularly.

The realization only made the situation more suspicious.

By the time her carriage arrived at the edge of the lake, Marian was entirely convinced he was hiding something.

The sight of him waiting there did not help.

Cassian stood near the water’s edge, hands clasped behind his back.

The afternoon sunlight caught the dark fabric of his coat.

The familiar sight immediately settled something inside her.

Five months.

He had been gone for five months.

Yet somehow seeing him still felt a little unreal.

The moment he noticed her, he smiled.

And suddenly the rest of the world became considerably less important.

Dangerous man.

"What are you hiding?"

Cassian laughed immediately.

The reaction confirmed her suspicions at once.

Marian narrowed her eyes.

"You see?"

"I haven’t said anything yet."

"You didn’t need to."

Unfortunately, that only made him laugh harder.

The realization did not help his case.

Cassian offered his hand.

"Come."

Marian accepted it without hesitation.

The warmth of his fingers settled around hers.

Familiar.

Comforting.

Missed.

The realization was deeply unfair.

Five months apart.

And apparently she had become absurdly attached.

A troubling development.

One she had absolutely no intention of correcting.

They began walking.

The lake stretched quietly beside them.

Sunlight danced across the water.

A gentle breeze stirred the branches overhead.

For a time, neither seemed particularly interested in speaking.

The silence was comfortable.

Easy.

The kind of silence that only existed between people who genuinely enjoyed one another’s company.

Marian found herself smiling.

Cassian noticed immediately.

Of course he did.

"What?"

"Nothing."

The answer was suspicious.

Cassian narrowed his eyes.

Marian ignored him.

A strategy that worked remarkably well.

For approximately twenty seconds.

Then Cassian squeezed her hand.

Traitor.

The conversation drifted naturally after that.

The north.

The capital.

The ball.

The increasingly ridiculous gossip circulating through society.

Marian laughed more than once.

Cassian appeared entirely too pleased by the fact.

The realization became steadily more concerning.

At some point, she noticed he had not released her hand once.

Not that she wanted him to.

Still.

The observation felt important.

Then she noticed something else.

Cassian was distracted.

Not distant.

Not unhappy.

Distracted.

He would look at her.

Look away.

Then look at her again.

As though repeatedly confirming she was actually there.

The realization made her heart do something profoundly unhelpful.

After nearly an hour, Marian finally stopped walking.

Cassian paused immediately.

"What is it?"

Marian crossed her arms.

"You are hiding something."

The accusation arrived with complete certainty.

Cassian blinked.

Then laughed.

The reaction was deeply suspicious.

"You are."

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

His smile widened.

Marian narrowed her eyes.

The man had apparently spent five months away and returned determined to become insufferable.

Unfortunately, she found it charming.

Another troubling development.

"You’re impossible."

"So I’ve been told."

"By whom?"

"You."

The answer arrived immediately.

Marian stared.

Cassian looked entirely pleased with himself.

She hated that.

Mostly because she didn’t.

The realization was deeply irritating.

They continued walking.

Eventually reaching the old willow overlooking the lake.

The same place where they had once spent an afternoon talking long before either of them truly understood what was happening between them.

Marian remembered it immediately.

The realization warmed her unexpectedly.

Cassian became very quiet.

That was when she knew.

Not what.

But something.

Something important.

The air itself seemed different.

The lake remained calm.

The afternoon remained beautiful.

Yet suddenly her heartbeat felt far too loud.

Cassian turned toward her.

And for the first time that day, he looked nervous.

The realization nearly stopped her heart entirely.

Cassian Ashford was not a nervous man.

Yet here he was.

Looking at her as though she held the fate of the Empire in her hands.

The thought was absurd.

And yet.

"Marian."

No titles.

No formalities.

Just Marian.

The way he always said it when it mattered most.

Then he stepped back.

And dropped to one knee.

The world disappeared.

Completely.

There was only Cassian.

Only him.

And the small velvet box in his hand.

For one impossible moment, Marian could do nothing except stare.

"Cassian..."

His smile appeared immediately.

A little nervous.

A little helpless.

Entirely hers.

"Well."

The sound escaped him as a soft laugh.

"I had a speech prepared."

Marian’s heartbeat continued its determined attempt to escape her chest.

Cassian shook his head.

"A considerably better one than this."

The admission only made her love him more.

A dangerous realization.

One she could examine later.

Much later.

"I don’t know what the next ten years will look like."

His gaze never left hers.

"I don’t know what challenges we’ll face."

His smile softened.

"I don’t know how many mistakes I’ll make."

A pause.

"But I do know one thing."

Marian could barely breathe.

"I know that every future I imagine has you in it."

The world seemed very quiet.

Very still.

"I know that every success would mean less if you weren’t there to share it."

His fingers tightened slightly around the velvet box.

"I know that five months away from you felt entirely too long."

A laugh escaped her despite herself.

Cassian immediately smiled.

As though the sound was his favorite thing in the world.

"And I know that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering when I’ll see you again."

For a moment, neither spoke.

The lake stretched quietly around them.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

Then Cassian’s voice softened.

Certain.

Steady.

"I can’t promise that life will always be easy."

His eyes never left hers.

"But I can promise that you will never face it alone."

Something inside her melted completely.

"I can promise that wherever life takes us, I’ll choose you."

His smile became impossibly gentle.

"Again."

A heartbeat.

"Again."

Another.

"And again."

Marian was smiling so hard her face hurt.

She did not care.

Not even slightly.

"I want to build a life with you."

The words settled softly between them.

Simple.

Honest.

True.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

The answer arrived immediately.

Without hesitation.

Without doubt.

Without thought.

Just certainty.

Cassian laughed.

The sound was half disbelief.

Half relief.

Entirely wonderful.

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Marian was laughing now too.

Unable to stop.

Unable to care.

"Yes, you ridiculous man."

The smile that appeared on Cassian’s face nearly destroyed her.

Completely.

Then, finally, he opened the velvet box.

The ring caught the afternoon sunlight.

For a moment, Marian forgot how to breathe.

"May I?"

Marian extended her hand immediately.

Perhaps a little too quickly.

She refused to be embarrassed.

Not today.

Cassian smiled.

Then slid the ring onto her finger.

Perfect.

Of course it was.

For several moments, Marian simply stared.

The ring.

His hand around hers.

The reality of it.

After everything.

After Adrian.

After the dissolution.

After five months apart.

After all of it.

They had made it.

She looked up.

Cassian was already watching her.

That proved to be her final coherent thought.

Marian crossed the distance between them immediately.

One moment she was standing.

The next, her arms were around his neck.

Cassian caught her automatically.

As though there had never been any possibility he would do otherwise.

"Yes," she repeated.

Cassian laughed against her shoulder.

"I heard you the first time."

"I know."

Marian smiled.

"Just making sure."

His arms tightened around her.

Neither seemed particularly interested in letting go.

Then Marian leaned back slightly.

Just enough to look at him.

Cassian immediately forgot whatever he had been about to say.

The realization was obvious.

His expression gave him away instantly.

Marian smiled.

Then kissed him.

Because some traditions were worth preserving.

They remained by the lake long afterward.

Long after the proposal.

Long after the kiss.

Long after either of them had any excuse to stay.

The afternoon gradually surrendered to evening.

Neither seemed particularly concerned.

At some point, Marian simply decided the space between them was unnecessary.

The conclusion arrived with remarkable ease.

One moment she was sitting beside him.

The next, she had shifted closer and settled comfortably against him.

Cassian stopped speaking.

Marian glanced up.

"What?"

For a moment, he simply looked at her.

The expression was suspiciously soft.

Then his arm settled around her waist.

Natural.

Easy.

As though neither of them had ever intended any other outcome.

"Nothing."

The answer sounded entirely too pleased.

Marian chose to ignore that.

Mainly because she was equally pleased.

The realization was deeply embarrassing.

Fortunately, there were no witnesses.

By the time the sun began to lower, Marian was tucked securely beneath his arm.

One of his hands remained intertwined with hers.

The ring glimmered softly whenever it caught the light.

Cassian had noticed.

Repeatedly.

The realization appeared to amuse him enormously.

"My lady."

Marian immediately hid her hand.

Cassian laughed.

Traitor.

"You’ve been staring at it."

"I have not."

"You have."

Marian narrowed her eyes.

Cassian looked entirely unapologetic.

Unfortunately.

She loved him anyway.

--

Tbc