Kestrel proposed on the first day of spring.
They were flying together—Seraphina on Pyre, Kestrel on Cinder—soaring over mountains that had just begun to show the first hints of green. The winter had been long and hard, and the promise of renewal felt like a gift.
They landed in a meadow filled with wildflowers, a place Kestrel had apparently chosen specifically for this moment. Pyre and Cinder settled nearby, giving the humans space while remaining alert through their bonds.
"Seraphina," Kestrel said, taking her hands in his. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"I've noticed. You've been acting strange for weeks." She smiled. "What is it?"
He knelt, and her heart stuttered in her chest.
"I've trained three Dragonbound. I've served the kingdom for decades. I've seen more battles than I can count and lost more friends than I care to remember." His golden eyes met hers, bright with emotion. "But in all that time, I've never met anyone like you. Never loved anyone like I love you."
"Kestrel—"
"Let me finish." He took a breath. "You are my partner, my equal, my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you—not just as advisor and queen, but as husband and wife. If you'll have me."
He produced a ring from his pocket—simple, elegant, a band of silver set with a small dawnfire crystal that matched the pendant he had given her.
Seraphina felt tears pricking at her eyes. Through the bond, she sensed Pyre's overwhelming joy, the dragon's approval radiating through their connection.
Yes, little flame. A thousand times yes.
"Yes," Seraphina said aloud. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Kestrel slid the ring onto her finger, then rose and pulled her into a kiss that tasted of spring and promise and forever.
When they finally broke apart, both were smiling like fools.
"I was worried you'd say no," Kestrel admitted. "Or that you'd think it was too soon."
"I was worried you'd never ask." She laughed, the sound carrying across the meadow. "I've been waiting for this."
"I wanted to get it right. You deserve nothing less."
Pyre's voice echoed through the bond. Cinder says congratulations. She also says you two took long enough.
Tell Cinder she can be the flower carrier at the ceremony.
The dragon's amused response came immediately. She's already planning the flight formations.
The planning for the wedding consumed the next several months. A royal wedding was no small affair—it required coordination between noble families, careful diplomatic maneuvering, and enough food and entertainment to satisfy a kingdom's worth of guests.
But through it all, Seraphina felt a joy she had never experienced before.
She was going to marry Kestrel.
After everything they had been through—all the battles, all the losses, all the struggles—they were going to build a life together.
Officially. Permanently. Forever.
And that, more than any crown or kingdom or power, was the greatest gift she could have imagined.