We went down a few corridors, then Lorien stopped abruptly and, releasing my hand, hit the stone wall angrily with a balled fist.

"Calm yourself, Lorien," Chataya cautioned. "There is no need to continue this."

"I want to go back there and-" Lorien said through gritted teeth.

"I believe the king has been sufficiently admonished, and that you have displayed enough of your indignation. Calm yourself." Chataya placed a hand on Lorien's shoulder, and his anger seemed to melt away. Most of it, anyway. When Chataya was satisfied that Lorien had calmed down, he bid us farewell, saying he had preparations to make for the bonding, and left.

"I don't ever want to see that man again," Lorien said after Chataya was out of sight.

"After what just happened," Varen said, "I do not think he will wish to see you either. You did get a bit carried away, Lorien."

"I couldn't just let him get away with insulting Claresa like that! As if I would just trade her away, as if she meant nothing!"

Confirmation flooded through me. Lorien still wanted me. I mattered to him, and he'd just proven it by giving a tongue-lashing to the king! 

Then I felt a bit of shame. After all that had happened, after all that he had done before to prove himself to me, I had doubted him. I had doubted his loyalty, his honesty. I promised myself that I would never doubt him ever again. Tears sprang to my eyes as these emotions swirled around in my chest. One of them escaped, rolling down my cheek. I reached up to wipe it away, and then Lorien was there in front of me, his face full of concern.

"Claresa, what is it, what's wrong? Is it what the king said? Don't worry about it, just put it out of your mind. Or have I upset you? I'm so sorry, I should have controlled myself better, but I'm calm now, see?"

"No, it's... it's about me."

"You?"

"I thought that... that you would take his offer."

"What!?!"

"I've been trying to understand, to believe that all that you've told me is true. That I'm the one you want. But it's so hard for me, because no one's ever... I doubted you, Lorien. After all that you've done, I doubted you, and I'm so sorry..."

"No, I am sorry. If you thought for a second that I would abandon you, then I obviously have not made myself perfectly clear." He placed his hands one my cheeks, cupping my face gently so that I could only look into his eyes. "I love you. And I will cherish you, for the rest of my life. I will love you deeper than anyone could ever love another. It is true that if I had not experienced the Alushaliel I would not pursue you. But that is the beauty of it all. You are my Aliel. I know that we are meant to be. I do not have to hold back, wondering if all of this is a mistake. I give myself to you. I give you my heart, my life, my love. I give you everything that I am. You, Claresa, are the one, the only. My Aliel." 

More tears ran down my cheeks, and he gently brushed them all away. How in the world did this happen? What have I ever done to deserve him?

"And you are mine. My Aliel." A soft smile shown on his face.

"I think that is the first time you've called me that," he said, his eyes holding me and showing something I'd never seen before. 

Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, so gentle, yet there was a heat behind it, only just held back. My knees turned to jelly and my mind cleared itself of all thought, except that Lorien was kissing me. I didn't want it to end. When it did Lorien looked at me in that strange way, and I could feel my cheeks warming. 

"You're blushing, have I embarrassed you?" His expression changed to worry. "I'm sorry, I should have asked before..."

"No, I'm not embarrassed. It was... perfect." He smiled again, and leaned in for another kiss. But then Varen cleared her throat, catching our attention. I had completely forgotten that she was there, and obviously she had seen the whole thing. Now I was embarrassed.

"Need I remind you, Lorien, that you are allowed but one kiss before the bonding. Until that time you must restrain yourself." Lorien sighed.

"It will be very difficult," he said, looking back at me. "But worth it." I returned his grin.

"I believe congratulations are in order, are they not? You are now engaged, or is it betrothed?"

"Either will do, Varen." I was constantly amused at how these elves didn't know about these things, although I was sure that they were exasperated with all the things I didn't know.

"Then let me be the first to offer my well-wishes on your engagement," she said, taking each of our hands.

"Thank you, Varen," Lorien said. "Well, now that that's all settled, we can move straight on to the bonding! I certainly don't want to have to wait any longer."

"Chataya has surely announced it by now, and has already secured the ballroom for our purposes," Varen informed us.