Page 157 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

Her decision was painful in a way. It meant losing a strategic advantage. As someone who’d always wanted to lead a kingdom, this wasn’t a good choice. It also meant perhaps seeing River walk away from her, and the odd thing was that despite everything, she still didn’t want him to leave.

He was staring at her. “I’m waiting.”

She took another deep breath. “I release you from your life debt to me. You no longer owe me eternal servitude. You don’t owe me anything. Did it work?”

“We’d need to test it.”

Naia nodded, and realized tears were running down her eyes. “You’re free to leave. I’ll just ask you to take me home.”

“This is your home. That’s where I brought you when you commanded me.”

“But if it was all because of some stupid magic rule, then it’s no more. Maybe I thought it was my home, but I guess it isn’t. You were just keeping me here so I wouldn’t get in your way, isn’t it?” She chuckled. “Maybe I should have asked you that before removing your eternal devotion.”

“Naia, that’s not right. I told you in many different ways, some of them quite embarrassing and shameful, how much I care about you. I told you I’ve seen you before. I know that our connection is bigger than what we see. Why would you think I just want you here to get you out of my way?”

“Because you made me sleep. Not to get in your way. Can I ask you not to do that again?” She rolled her eyes. “I should definitely have asked this earlier and made you promise.”

“I won’t do that. You don’t hate me?”

“No. You were trying to save your people, and I can understand that. I don’t agree with the way you did things, but I can see where you were coming from. But you know what? I also hate Ironhold. They killed my mother, they might have killed my real father, they might have destroyed Formosa and my grandparents, uncles, and aunts. If you want to defeat them, let’s think about this together. I can help you. It’s nice that you think I’m beautiful, it’s nice that you want me by your side, but you should respect me as a person, not as a pretty object.”

“That’s not fair. I do respect you.” He looked down. “I just… I had to do what I had to do. Once, I ignored my people’s needs because of compassion. I got my sister killed. I couldn’t let compassion lead me astray again.”

“You don’t think I can help you?”

He stared at her with his reddish-brown eyes. “I don’t want you to risk your life for that. I want you safe.”

“I’m not saying I’m going to fight. Let me just understand you. Share your griefs and doubts and fears, otherwise there’s nothing between us.”

“Well, I had plans and I didn’t think you would agree with them.”

She snorted. “That’s the loveliest part, River, that you were willing to let me go, even if you said you loved me.”

“Loving is letting go.”

“Letting go.” She glared at him. “Not squandering, not throwing things away. You know something? Destroying is easy. Breaking things apart is easy. Splitting is easy. It hurts, but it’s easy, it requires no effort. You wanted to go about it the easy way. Getting together, loving, building things, that’s messy, hard, that takes work. What do you want to do? Do you want the easy way? Do you want to go about your plans and watch me leave? It’s easy. Or do you want to go about it the hard way? Let’s plan together, let’s find a way to save your city, to defeat Ironhold, let’s find a way to get over our differences. It takes work, River. I forgive you because I want to choose the hard way, because I believe in building things. What do you choose?”

He stared at her for long seconds, then took her hand. “I want the hard way. With you. And now that you know everything about me, and now that I declared my love for you in front of my father, like I said… I need to ask you. Will you marry me?”

She kissed his cheek. “Give me time to trust you, time to think about it.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Think? Where is the girl who just said she chose the hard way? Who chose to love, to build things?”

“Hard way, River. It doesn’t mean snapping your fingers and getting what you want. You have to work for that. I want to trust you, and I choose to trust you, but you need to do your part. I guess I need to do my part as well, after all, I did disregard your advice not to go in the forest. My actions have put your city in danger. I want to fix it, but trust takes work.”

He took a deep breath. “I’ll work for that.”

Naia smiled. “And we’ll work together to defeat Ironhold.”

“As much as it’s safe for you.”

“And for you.”

“Fair.”

“I still need to go to Umbraar, River. I want to see my brother. Also,” she looked down, “I want to talk to my father. Real father or not, I don’t like the way I came here without his approval. Would you come with me and talk to him?”

He looked away. “We could wait, right? Until Ironhold is defeated?”

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