“Are you telling me that these are like an engagement ring?”
The impatience rolled back, just covered every inch of him.
“They call them rings, don’t they? And in Talamh it’s the wedding where there are rings for the hands. But you’re part of this world, too, so, rings. Which I gave and you took, witnessed. Done.”
“I call bullshit.” She shoved up. “I call bullshit.”
Bollocks opened his eyes but decided to stay quiet under the table.
“Ah, gods, you want something else then? Fine, keep those and I’ll get the something else you’re wanting.”
“You didn’t ask me.” When he pointed at her ears, she actually snarled. “Bullshit again. You never asked me, you’ve never said you loved me or wanted a future with me.”
“Why would I give you the sapphires, the earbobs, well witnessed, and so pledge to you if I didn’t love?”
“I want the damn words. I’m entitled to words, and if you can’t bring yourself to say them to me—” She started to reach up for the earrings.
“Don’t take them off like this. I’m asking you. It’ll rip my heart, and my heart had enough tearing this day.” He got up, took her hands, brought them down.
“And look at you now, after all you’ve done this day, in that lovely dress and those things on your feet no one with sense would ever call shoes. With hot tears in your eyes you’re too angry to let spill.”
He brought her hands to his lips. “You love me. I see it, and I feel it, and I know it. You haven’t given me the words, Breen Siobhan.”
“I—”
“Because you want them first. Need them first, and that’s fair enough. I want no one but you. I think I never could, not through my heart, because I always knew you’d come. I love all you are, and that was a hard road for me to travel, as I knew it might come to what it did today, and I wouldn’t be there to catch you. I wouldn’t be meant to, do you see?”
He brought her hands to his lips again, searched her eyes with his over them. “To love you and not be able to have a life with you? I had love and duty pulling at me. I’m sworn.”
“I know that.” Anger dissolved like mists in the sun.
This was who she loved, the one who’d have love and duty pulling, the one who’d never, never forget he’d taken an oath. Not to Talamh. Not to the Fey.
And not to her.
“And the children, as you said.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “How could we make them and put them in his path?”
She closed her eyes, grateful he’d felt that, too.
“Yet today, I wanted you to know, and all to know. This is my choice. I choose you because you have my heart, and only want you to choose me and give yours in turn. I swear I thought you had when I badgered you into putting the sapphires on.”
She had love, she thought in wonder, right here. She had love, a chance, a choice.
“I chose you the night we lay in your bed, in the bed of the taoiseach, with the mural of Talamh overhead. I chose Keegan Byrne. I chose the taoiseach. I chose everything you are. But I loved you longer.”
“We love. You love, and I love.” He kissed her hands again. “But we’ll be sure this time. I’m asking and you’re saying you’ll pledge to me.”
“Yes, you can be sure.”
He started to pull her in, then pushed her back.
“What now?”
“I’m covered with blood and innards and gods know.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does, of course. Hell with it.” He flicked, and wore what she supposed he’d call finery. A clean shirt and trousers, a vest that fancied it up in his way. “That’s better now, isn’t it then?”
He yanked her back into a strong hold, a strong kiss.
“I like what happens next, Keegan.”
“We’ll have more of it, a lot more of it.” Tender now, he touched his lips to her brow. “A lifetime of the next. A cottage here for your work and our fine neighbors, Talamh for family and duty and magicks. And peace. I’ll love you long and hard in both worlds, Breen Siobhan.”
He spun her around until Bollocks came out from under the table, rose up on his hind feet to dance.
And at the end of the longest day, with the battle won and the moons shedding their light, she stood with him, in Talamh, a child of two worlds.