For seven years, Princess Evelyn had dreamed of the moment when she would see Edward again.
She had imagined it in countless ways.
Sometimes she imagined herself running toward him.
Sometimes she imagined standing quietly before him, unable to speak.
Sometimes she imagined that the moment would feel like a dream and that she would wake up before she could touch him.
But none of her dreams had prepared her for the reality.
Edward was finally home.
He was no longer a distant figure behind letters and memories.
He was standing in front of her.
Alive.
Changed by seven years of hardship, yet unmistakably the same man who had stolen her heart in the royal garden.
They stood together in the garden of his newly appointed royal residence.
The evening breeze moved gently through the trees.
Neither spoke.
Edward simply looked at Evelyn.
He studied her face as though he wanted to memorize every detail.
“You really came back,” she whispered.
Edward smiled.
“I told you I would.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That something would happen to you.”
Edward stepped closer.
“So was I.”
She looked at him.
“You?”
“Every time I left for another assignment, I wondered whether I would return.”
His voice softened.
“But whenever I thought about giving up, I remembered you.”
Evelyn lowered her eyes.
“I remembered you too.”
Edward reached for her hand.
The moment their fingers touched, Evelyn’s composure disappeared.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
Edward held her tightly.
Neither cared that servants might be watching.
Neither cared about royal dignity.
For seven years, they had been forced to express their love through letters.
Now they finally had each other.
Evelyn buried her face against his chest.
“I missed you.”
Edward closed his eyes.
“I missed you every day.”
She held him tighter.
“I don’t want to let you go.”
“You don’t have to.”
Those words made her cry harder.
Edward gently stroked her hair.
“Let it out.”
“I waited so long.”
“I know.”
“There were nights when I thought seven years would never end.”
“So did I.”
She pulled back and looked at him.
“Are you really here?”
Edward smiled.
“Touch me and find out.”
She laughed through her tears.
She placed her hand against his face.
He covered her hand with his.
“I am here.”
Evelyn smiled.
For the first time in seven years, she believed it.
They eventually sat beneath the old tree in the garden.
It was the same tree beneath which Evelyn had spent many lonely evenings waiting for letters.
Edward looked around.
“You still come here?”
“Often.”
“Why?”
“Because it reminded me of you.”
Edward smiled.
“I thought you might have forgotten me.”
She looked at him with disbelief.
“How could I?”
He laughed softly.
“I don’t know.”
“Edward, I waited seven years.”
“I know.”
“I counted the years.”
“So did I.”
“Every letter you sent me became precious.”
“And I kept every letter you sent me.”
Evelyn looked surprised.
“Every one?”
“Every one.”
“Where are they?”
“In my room.”
She smiled.
“You kept them?”
“They were the only pieces of home I had.”
Her eyes became moist again.
“I will always have them.”
For a while, they talked about the years they had spent apart.
Edward told her about the difficult roads.
The cold nights.
The dangerous assignments.
The soldiers he had served beside.
The moments when he had nearly lost hope.
Evelyn listened to every word.
She wanted to know everything.
Not because she enjoyed hearing about his suffering, but because she wanted to understand the man who had returned to her.
“You have changed,” she finally said.
Edward smiled.
“Have I?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“You look stronger.”
He laughed.
“Seven years of service will do that.”
She touched his hand.
“But your eyes are different.”
“Different?”
“They look as though you’ve seen too much.”
Edward looked away.
“Perhaps I have.”
Evelyn squeezed his hand.
“You don’t have to tell me everything tonight.”
He looked back at her.
“Thank you.”
“I just want you to know that you don’t have to carry everything alone anymore.”
Edward’s expression softened.
“I have waited seven years to hear you say that.”
The conversation eventually turned to their future.
Edward looked at her.
“Do you remember what we used to write about?”
“Our wedding?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn smiled.
“I remember everything.”
“The ceremony?”
“Yes.”
“The house?”
“Yes.”
“The life we wanted?”
She nodded.
Edward looked toward the palace.
“Now it is no longer a dream.”
Evelyn followed his gaze.
“No.”
“It is real.”
She smiled.
“We are really going to get married.”
The words sounded strange coming from her.
For seven years, she had written them in letters.
She had whispered them in prayers.
She had imagined them in dreams.
But now they were no longer promises of some distant future.
They were approaching reality.
“When?” she asked.
Edward laughed.
“That is a question for the king.”
Evelyn smiled.
“My father has already begun making preparations.”
Edward raised an eyebrow.
“Already?”
“Of course.”
“Then perhaps I should be nervous.”
“You should.”
They both laughed.
But beneath their happiness, Evelyn remembered the problem that still remained.
She became quiet.
Edward noticed.
“What is wrong?”
She hesitated.
“There is something you don’t know.”
Edward looked at her carefully.
“What?”
Evelyn almost told him.
She wanted to explain the council’s decision.
She wanted to tell him about the royal law.
She wanted to warn him that his future with her was not as certain as he believed.
But she could not bring herself to destroy their first evening together.
Not yet.
Instead, she smiled faintly.
“We have so much to prepare for.”
Edward looked at her.
“You’re right.”
He took her hand again.
“Whatever comes, we will face it together.”
The words struck Evelyn deeply.
She knew there was truth in them.
Perhaps that was why she finally felt brave enough to hope again.
The following morning, the palace became busy with wedding preparations.
Tailors were summoned.
Designers began discussing ceremonial clothing.
Royal planners began reviewing possible dates.
The palace kitchens prepared for the celebrations that would eventually accompany the wedding.
Evelyn was taken into meetings concerning the ceremony.
Edward was introduced to officials who would assist with the arrangements.
Everything seemed to be moving quickly.
Too quickly.
But neither of them complained.
They had already waited seven years.
They were not going to waste another moment.
Queen Amelia visited Evelyn that afternoon.
She found her daughter sitting beside a table covered with wedding designs.
Evelyn looked up.
“Mother.”
Queen Amelia smiled.
“You look happy.”
“I am.”
The queen sat beside her.
“You have waited a long time for this.”
Evelyn nodded.
“I thought I would never reach this moment.”
“Neither did I.”
Evelyn looked down.
“Mother…”
The queen immediately noticed the change in her expression.
“You are worried.”
Evelyn was silent.
“About the law?”
She looked up.
Queen Amelia sighed.
“I know.”
“I don’t want to lose him again.”
“You may not.”
“But what if the council insists?”
The queen took her daughter’s hand.
“Then we will face it together.”
Evelyn nodded.
She wished she could believe that everything would be simple.
But she knew better.
Still, for the first time in seven years, she had something she had not possessed for a very long time.
Edward was beside her.
That alone gave her courage.
That evening, Edward returned to the garden.
Evelyn was already waiting beneath the old tree.
He approached her.
“Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“For the next chapter of our lives.”
She smiled.
“I think I am.”
Edward sat beside her.
He took her hand.
“We have survived seven years.”
“Yes.”
“We survived distance.”
“Yes.”
“We survived fear.”
“Yes.”
“We survived waiting.”
Evelyn smiled.
“And now?”
Edward looked into her eyes.
“Now we build.”
She leaned against his shoulder, He pulled her very close to her, studying every details of her skin, and robbing her hair over and over again.
Dazzling feelings for each other rushed like a shock waves.
Now real no longer imaginations.
Edward held her closely, tightly this time and whispered into her ears,
“Together, we’ll conquer”
“Together, we’ll win.”
The evening settled peacefully around them.
For those few moments, there were no laws, no councils, no political concerns.
There was only Edward and Evelyn.
A man who had returned from seven years of service.
A princess who had waited faithfully for him.
Two hearts that had survived separation.
And a future that was finally beginning to take shape.
Yet somewhere beyond their peaceful garden, the royal council’s decision still waited.
The ancient law had not disappeared.
Princess Lilian remained unmarried and secretly interested in marrying Edward.
And Edward still did not know that his return had reopened a difficult question within the royal family.
But for tonight, Evelyn allowed herself to forget.
She rested her head against the man she had loved for seven years.
Edward held her hand.
And together they watched the sunset.
Tomorrow, the wedding preparations would continue.
Tomorrow, the palace would begin preparing for the union everyone had waited years to see.
But tonight belonged to them.
After seven years apart, they were finally together.
And neither wanted the night to end.