In the Year of Our Lord, 1684

"My dearest Ingrid, will you be mine?"

Her chin trembling, she answered, "Forever and for always, my dear Gregor." Gregor then took her in his arms and held her close for the first time.

From across the garden, Helga let out a small gasp while turning in their direction. Aleksander put his hand lightly on her shoulder to stop her. She turned back to him and he could see anger in her eyes.

"I think you are about to receive another son-in-law," he said quietly while nodding in their direction.

Her anger drained quickly and she knew what he said to be true. She had never seen her eldest daughter so happy at any time before these past few months. "And you are to gain a daughter-in-law, my Lord."

"Come, let us let give them a bit more privacy, shall we? There is another section of flowers you must see to believe!" He guided her around a corner and another ten yards further away, completely out of sight of their children.

Ingrid pulled away slowly, her eyes brimming with tears. "You are all I have dreamed about for the past few months. It is hard to believe this is happening to me. You make me so happy!"

Gregor remained quiet and as he looked at Ingrid. A lot had happened to the both of them in such a short time and part of him wondered if perhaps they were rushing things too quickly. He then recalled how his own parents married after meeting each other only one time and without any correspondence whatsoever. He also knew of other family members who did not meet until their wedding day. He could not believe anyone could do such a thing. Gregor then realized their courtship, while somewhat unique, was better than most and they were lucky in that regard.

"Is there something the matter?" Ingrid asked with a concerned look on her face.

"It is nothing," Gregor assured her. "I was just thinking."

"I believe that is a scary thought, dear Gregor," she said mischievously.

Gregor was about to speak, but stopped. He eyed Ingrid with an exasperated look upon his face. "My dear," he sighed, "someday that sharp witted tongue of yours will try my patience." He shook his head back and forth, smiling. "And I never want you to stop," he added.

He paused for a second before continuing. "As I was about to say," he stole a look at Ingrid who was grinning placidly, "I wonder how your mother and father will take the news."

"They will take the news very well," she replied. "In my country, I am considered past the prime of my marriage availability, so to speak. In their minds, I am sure they expected me to be married a few years ago, but everyone appeared to ignore me and waited until Maria was of age. I guess I cannot blame them. Maria is a beautiful creature and I was not surprised. My only surprise was that no one inquired aboutmeuntil you."

Ingrid walked a few feet away and sniffed a lovely pink flower before turning back to Gregor. "I know I should not question things, but I wonder. Why me, dear Gregor? Why did you pick me when others wanted nothing to do with me all this time?"

Gregor speculated on his answer for several seconds.

"You captivated me, my dear," he began. "I was shown portraits of other women who were fairer than you, but none had your smile, your sweetness. From the minute I laid eyes upon your portrait, I knew there was something special about you. It was almost as if you were reaching out to me. How a portrait could do that to me is beyond my comprehension. And then, your letters touched my heart to the point where Ihadto meet you. So, here you are."

Gregor smiled broadly and leaned towards her adding, "I amsohappy, my dear, for the foolishness of every man who disregarded you in the past!"

"So am I," she answered. "So am I."

Later, they strolled the garden with arms linked as Gregor talked about various blossoms in the southwest corner. Ingrid barely heard a word he said as all her thoughts were of their conversation just a few minutes before. When Aleksander and Helga emerged from a remote section, Ingrid stifled a nervous giggle.

"I guess we should tell them," she said as she held his hand tightly.

"Of course we will," he replied. "There is no reason why we should not."

"I am nervous."

"I know."

"How could you know that?"

"Because you are breaking the bones in my hand with your grip!"

Ingrid let go of his hand quickly. "I am so sorry, Gregor. I did not know I was squeezing so hard."

"I am all right," Gregor said while flexing his hand. "You have a very strong grip for one so seemingly delicate."

"Looks can be deceiving," Ingrid said.

"So I see," Gregor replied. "And what might else be deceiving about you?"

"I suspect you will be privy to that once we are married."

"Must I wait that long?"

Ingrid giggled shyly and smiled while she patted his hand affectionately. "Yes. You will have to wait."

"I thought you might say that." He turned slightly and saw that his father and Helga were still a good fifty yards away. Turning back to Ingrid, he said, "Since we are on the subject, when do you feel it would be a good time for our marriage to take place?"

"Tomorrow!" she blurted out, before bursting into laughter. Gregor laughed along with her.

"You have a wonderful laugh," he said.

"Thank you." She placed her hands behind her and began to walk aimlessly as Gregor followed. Looking back to him, she said, "I really do not know when we should be married. I should like to as soon as possible after Maria's wedding, though."

Gregor looked at her thoughtfully. "I do not know anything about putting together a wedding. Perhaps you should talk to your mother and then we may gain a better perspective as to when it can happen."

Ingrid nodded in agreement. "I will do that."

Arm in arm, they walked slowly to where their parents were standing. As they walked, they each stole glances at the other, smiling mischievously as they did. When Gregor and Ingrid reached them, Gregor cleared his throat. Aleksander and Helga looked up from the flower bed they were eyeing.

"Ah, you must have had a lot to talk about," Aleksander said.

Gregor scuffed his shoe against the neatly manicured turf. "Yes, father, we talked about many things."

"Well, let us not stammer and stutter about," Aleksander said impatiently. "What is the news? Did she agree?"

Gregor grinned broadly, unable to contain his happiness. "Yes, father, she agreed."

"Praise be!" Aleksander exclaimed as he wrung his son's hand.

Helga reached for her daughter, touching her face with her hand. "I am so happy for you." They embraced and hugged each other.

"Thank you, mother," Ingrid replied.

They talked for a few minutes longer before they turned and made their way back to the castle with Aleksander and Gregor leading the way, while Helga and Ingrid lagged behind.

"Are you sure?" Helga asked her daughter. "You need not rush into any decision."

"Mother," Ingrid said after she stopped walking. She looked to see the men already inside the door. "I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life. I could not ask for a better man." She looked down as she tried to compose herself. "This may sound silly, mother, but I love him. Ilovehim. I have only just met him, yet I feel as if we have known each other for so much longer. Does that seem silly to you?"

Helga looked at her daughter lovingly. "No, my dear. It is not silly at all. There is nothing silly about two people being in love. He is a fine man and I know you will very happy with him."

"How do you know, mother?"

"I have a very good feeling about him. That is all. Come, let us catch up with the men."

The next few days flew by as Gregor and Ingrid spent almost every waking moment together. Of course, there were times when Gregor would have to attend meetings with his father and the advisors, but they did not last very long, most of the time. To their surprise, Helga was more lenient with their privacy and did not fret when they were alone. They took advantage of this and spent their time alone getting to know each other better. By the end of the week, it was quite clear they knew each other better than most people in the same situation.

It was the evening before she and her mother were to return to Kesse when Ingrid became solemn, quiet and sad. It would be five weeks before they would see each other again and it wore heavily on her heart. At dinner, Gregor noticed the change, but he did not mention anything about it. He, too, was sad and knew exactly how she felt. The lively conversations which had dominated their previous dining experiences were quieted and pleasant small talk was abandoned. After their meal, everyone except Gregor and Ingrid retreated to their rooms while they went to the sitting room. There, they sat on a sofa in a corner away from the hallway.

Gregor took her hand and squeezed it softly and reassuringly as he gazed at her. Ingrid's blue eyes were brimming with tears as she fought to compose herself.

"I should be so happy right now being next to you," she said finally as she looked at him, "but I am so sad. I never thought it would be so upsetting to leave you. I never thought I would become attached to you so quickly. Tomorrow will be so difficult!" she cried.

Gregor pulled her to him and tried to comfort her. There were no words he could say which would soothe her and he knew this. His heart was heavy also and he would miss her terribly. He felt her shoulders shaking as she cried as quietly as she was able.

Gregor gently rocked Ingrid in his arms until her crying stopped. A few moments later, Ingrid pushed away slowly and Gregor could see the moistness on her cheeks.

"I must look horrible," she sniffed.

"You look wonderful."

"You are already talking like a husband," she laughed. "I look abysmal and you pay me a compliment!"

"In my eyes, you will always be beautiful. That, my dear, will never change." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"My dear Gregor," she said while patting his hand, "you do have a way with words."

"Only for you, Ingrid. Only for you."

Gregor continued to look at his future bride and smiled. Her face broke into a grin as she enjoyed the look of happiness upon his face. Within a few seconds, however, their eyes locked and they stared into the other's eyes. Warmth, joy, and happiness greeted Gregor and somehow he knew their next meeting would be very special, too.

Ingrid thought she would never become tired of looking at Gregor and was disappointed when he broke their moment.

He stood up abruptly and held out his hand to her. "Come with me," he said seriously.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she rose from the couch, taking his hand as she did.

"I will show you."

He led her back through the dining room and through the doors to the garden. He stopped on the expansive patio and looked at the star-filled sky.

"It is a beautiful night," he remarked. There were but a few torches lit, but he could see Ingrid face.

"Indeed."

"I need to ask you something," he said, turning to her.

"You could not ask me in the sitting room?" She was perplexed at his demeanor as she searched his face for clues.

"Perhaps," he answered, "but I prefer to ask you here."

"I see. You may ask anything you wish," she said.

"I have not asked this of any woman before," he said seriously. He took both of Ingrid's hands in his. In the pale moonlight, he paused momentarily to regain his composure.

"Pray, do ask Gregor," Ingrid urged.

Gregor nodded, but still hesitated. His heart was pounding and racing. Finally, he asked, "Would it be too forward of me if I kissed you under these beautiful stars?"

Swiftly, Ingrid thought back to the previous evening when he tenderly kissed her cheek before they retired for the night. She had not felt anything so wonderful in her life and secretly wished for more. The thought of kissing a man for the first time was a desire she had hidden for a long time. Her desire to kiss Gregor had been with her almost from the moment she laid eyes upon him as he strode forward to greet her that first day. It took only a moment for her to answer.

"It is not too forward of you, my love," she replied softly. "I thought you would never ask."

Slowly, he moved forward until they were mere inches from each other. Gregor hesitated once more as Ingrid closed her eyes and tilted her face towards him, inviting him to kiss her soft, tender lips. Before he could lose his nerve, Gregor pressed his lips to hers gently and began to kiss her. For him, time literally stood still as he hoped he was kissing correctly, for Ingrid was the first woman he had ever kissed.

After she was over the initial shock of being kissed for the first time, Ingrid relaxed and let the moment be. She accepted his kiss lovingly, letting him take the lead as she mistakenly believed he to be the more experienced of the two. The sensations she felt were foreign to her body as delicious little tingles invaded her. Ingrid did not know what to make of these feelings and she did not know how to enjoy them. Instinct took over as she started to kiss him back and continued to revel in all of the feelings which were invading her. Her breathing became heavier and deeper and her heart raced as Gregor's warm hands embraced her face and held her to him. His breathing had quickened also.

No more than ten or fifteen seconds went by before Gregor pulled back slowly and broke contact. Ingrid opened her eyes gradually and in the moonlight saw his love filled eyes staring back at her. It took a moment or two before she could compose herself enough to speak.

"That was wonderful, Gregor," she whispered. "I will never forget it."

"Neither will I," he replied. He looked to the sky and sighed. He pulled her to him and hugged her. "I will miss you, my love."

Ingrid could only nod her head as she was becoming choked with emotion. She wished he had not said anything for she had almost forgotten her departure the next day.

"I cannot tell you how much this week has meant to me," he continued. "You are everything to me now. You are my life, Ingrid and I will not rest until we are married and we are together always."

"October seems to far away," Ingrid sniffed. A few evenings before, it was decided between Ingrid, Gregor, and their parents that they would be married on October 17th.

"It does," he agreed, "but you will be back before then for our engagement ball in August."

"And you will come to Kesse for Maria's wedding next month," she reminded him.

"Of course. You see, my dear, there will be plenty of times we will be together before our wedding so it will not seem long at all."

"I suppose you are right," she said as she lifted her head from his chest. But in her heart, she knew it would be a very long time indeed. "I wish I could stay here all night just to be with you."

"I would want nothing more, but I must give you something before tomorrow." He fidgeted slightly as he let go of her hand and reached inside his breast pocket.

"What is it, Gregor?"

"Come inside for a minute," he beckoned. Tugging on her hand, he led her back inside to the sitting room. Once there, he turned to her.

"After we decided upon our wedding date, father asked me to come to his room once everyone retired. When I did, he gave me something to give to you." He patted his breast pocket. "It was my mother's engagement ring."

He reached into the pocket and pulled out the ring. It was a petite gold ring with a cluster of deep red rubies in a small setting. Ingrid gasped aloud at its beauty, her lips visibly trembling.

He reached for her hand. "Mother's hands was about the same size as yours, so I think it will fit," he said as he placed the ring on her finger. It was slightly big, but it fit fairly well. It looked grand on her finger.

Ingrid held her hand in front of her face and admired the ring and its beauty. The enormity of its meaning came to her fully as she realized she was truly engaged to be married. It was not a dream and it would not be taken away from her if she blinked.

"It is beautiful beyond words," she managed to say. "Thank you, my love. Thank you." She pulled him close and kissed him.

They kissed much longer than before as they simply enjoyed each other and their newfound commitment. Love and joy overtook them as nothing else mattered in the world. After their kiss ended, they embraced and held each other for a lengthy time, not caring about the lateness of the hour or if her mother would be upset, for that matter.

It would be another hour or more before they retired, well past midnight and into the early morning hours. They kissed deeply once more before saying their goodnights, each not wanting to let go of the other.

Before ascending the stairs, Ingrid turned to Gregor and said, "I simply adore you. I wanted you to know that."

Her eyes were shiny and crystal blue at this point and Gregor thought perhaps he could see into her soul from their clearness. He could do nothing except stare into them at first, but eventually he broke into a broad grin that lit his face.

"October cannot come soon enough, my love."

V.

Ingrid's departure was difficult, as expected, for both of them. It was a bright, cloudless morning with a soft breeze blowing from the east. A perfect day for sailing.

They kissed each other on the cheeks as was only proper and Ingrid fought gamely to control her emotions without success before boarding the vessel.

The first few days and weeks were the most difficult for Gregor as he once again tried to concentrate on government matters and help his father. There were some days when his father did not look well at all and would stay in bed all day long, while other times, he looked and acted his normal self. Gregor was becoming increasingly alarmed at the frequent bouts of stomach problems his father endured, but Aleksander's physician assured Gregor his father was fine. For some reason, that did not comfort him.

In his first letter to Ingrid after her departure, he wrote of his fears and told her of Aleksander hearing Katrina's voice in his dreams more frequently now. Gregor confided his fear of not only losing his father, but also of having the responsibility of being the ruler over Ruudania upon his passing. 'I may become King Gregor II before we are even married,' he wrote grimly in his letter. It was not as if he was not ready to undertake the task, it was merely the weight of the responsibility with which he was coming to understand. He would embrace the responsibility as his father had those twelve years before, but it was something he did not welcome.

Ingrid had problems of her own upon returning to Kesse; namely her sister who could not speak a civil word to Ingrid no matter the subject. When Ingrid excitedly showed Maria her ring, she merely shrugged and said, "Is that all he could afford to give you?"

Other conversations ended in sarcastic remarks or other such cruel intentions. Ingrid kept her tongue still most of the time feeling that it would not be much longer before Maria would be wed and out of her sight. Ingrid did not like feeling this way towards her only sister, but she could not understand Maria's hostility towards her. When she complained to her mother about Maria's boorish behavior, Helga explained that perhaps it was wedding jitters that made her cross. Ingrid could not agree nor disagree with her assessment, but she simply wished Maria would stop.

She was saddened to hear of Aleksander's change in condition and even more distressed to feel Gregor's pain through his writing. She wanted to be with him and comfort him in the worst possible way, but all she could do was write back to him and pour out her feelings to him in verse.'No matter what happens, my love, I will stand by you and love you for all eternity.'She fervently hoped these words would ease his pain.