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feeling
uneasy. I had never even heard of these people or anything about
being a queen or princess, or whatever. Now I was supposed to just
give up my life and stay here, far away from everything that I knew
and loved? I just did not think that I could do that.
    “Brokk, even if you are right. Even if my
parents think that is okay for me to be here, I don’t know if it is
even something that I want.” I began. “I had a life. I was about to
graduate. I was supposed to start college in the fall. I never even
wanted to be a princess when I was a little girl. I wanted to ride
horses and roll around in the dirt. This just isn’t for me.”
    He moved toward me then and held me in place
by my left bicep as he looked me in my eyes. “Callie, Petrona was
always meant to be yours. You were born here, your parents were
born here. There is not another place on this earth that is more
for you than right here.”
    The tension in my body grew to a palpable
level, and not because of all of the talk about queens and
kingdoms. Brokk’s eyes bore into me with such intensity that I felt
myself drifting towards him without any effort at all. I stopped
thinking about cities and tunnels. I became solely focused on the
way that his mouth moved when he talked and I completely lost
myself in his eyes. I couldn’t even speak.
    “Callie?” His faced changed to something
close to worry.
    I snapped myself out of it. “Sorry.” I said
as I felt my blood rush to my cheeks in an instant and embarrassing
blush. I must have really zoned out for him to react like that.
“Maybe I better sit down for a little while.” I had to do something
to distract myself from wanting to pounce on him every time that he
looked at me.
    Brokk directed me over to one of the couches.
It was plush and comfortable. I sank down into it and started to
relax. He went into one of the rooms toward the back of the house
while I waited.
    When he emerged, he was carrying a small
cardboard box. He sat down on the couch a few feet away, but he
propped his back against the armrest so that he was facing me. He
stared down at the box for a few minutes, he seemed hesitant to
open it. When he finally did, he held out a ring to me.
    The ring was gorgeous. The center stone was a
large square sapphire that perfectly matched the color of his eyes.
I was not sure which sparkled more, the stone or Brokk’s eyes as he
held it out to me. The sapphire was surrounded by several tiny
diamonds and even more ran around the platinum band.
    “Brokk?” I was speechless once again.
    “Callie, I know that you have only known me
for a short time but you and I were meant to be together. Not just
because our families arranged for us to be married, but because we
are so strongly linked to each other. You must feel it. I know that
I do.” He said.
    I just sat there looking at him. The truth
was, I did feel it. It was hard to explain, but I was drawn to him.
Even under the most dire circumstances, I could not fight it.
    When I did not speak right away, he
continued. “This ring belonged to my mother. She had always hoped
that you and I would be together once you returned. She gave this
to me just before she passed away. She always wanted you to have
it.”
    He took my hand in his and slid the ring onto
my finger. “I know that it is too soon for us to make any real
promises to each other, but it would really mean a lot to me if you
would wear it. It was always meant to be yours, and so was I.”
    I did not know if I was going to laugh or cry
but I suddenly felt tears spring up in my eyes. “Brokk, I don’t
even know what to say. It is so beautiful.”
    “You do not have to say anything. I just
wanted you to have it.” He said nervously.
    “Thank you.” I flung my arms around his neck.
“I will never take it off.” I said softly into his ear.
    He pulled me even closer so that he held me
in his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around me, burying his face
in my hair. He held me as if he never