There’s a knock at my bedroom door as I finish combing my hair. I quickly go over, slipping on my shoes, and open the door slightly. 

“Ma’am,” Cai says, bowing, and offering me a bouquet of flowers. I tilt my head, and he grins as I take the flowers. 

“What are you doing?” I ask. 

“Taking you out to dinner,” He says. “And I’m terrified of losing you, so I’m-” He gestures to the flowers. I blush. 

“There are pimpernel flowers in this. You’re never losing me,” I say with a laugh, reaching over and holding his hand. He grins and kisses my hand laced in his. “I think Harrison was using all the same techniques you used to make me fall in love with you,” I tell Cai, as he walks me towards the stairs. 

“I don’t think I was using any techniques,” He says with a laugh. “I was making it up as I went along.” I smile, and elbow him gently. 

“Well, he read to me, and we had a mud fight, and he took me out in the rain, and danced with me. He was just doing it at a crazy fast pace,” I explain. Cai’s brows furrow. 

“Creep. How long did he have his eyes on you?” Cai asks. 

“He was scoping me out during the competition, when I was still seventeen. He’s twenty,” I explain, and Cai shakes his head. 

“I swear I’ll kill that guy,” He says, as we get to the bottom of the staircase. 

“You wouldn’t,” I tease, and kiss his cheek. “That’s why I like you.” 

“Meanwhile, I like the girl who cut off a guy’s hand,” Cai nudges me in the side, and I giggle. “It’s good. It means you’ll protect me.” I grin. “You’re not wearing my clothes,” He points out. I look down at my dress. 

“Yeah, I guess being around you will have to do,” I reply. Cai smiles, then bites his lip. 

“Casey told me to say something about you wearing no clothes, if the topic of clothing came up,” He whispers. I blush, laughing. 

“Of course Casey’d do something like that,” I answer, then bite my lip, laughing harder. “I can’t imagine you saying something like that, ever. You’re too pure.” He blushes deep red, then bribes the door guard on our way out. 

“Are you okay with sneaking out for more than dinner? I was going to sneak to Metal Island.” My jaw drops. 

“So yeah, this is your grave,” Cai says, sitting down in front of a stone on the ground. It has my name roughly carved into it. “We couldn’t find your body, obviously, so it’s just the headstone, but I used to put flowers here before we moved our base to Stone,” He says. I nod, and sit down as well. 

“This isn’t a bad spot to be buried,” I comment, looking at the plants growing in the ashy dirt. I hear it's a great fertilizer. “If I die for real can I be buried here?” I ask. Cai chuckles. 

“I don’t want to think about that, but sure,” He promises, and kisses my cheek, then stands up. “Come on, I want to talk to you, and this is picturesque, but I’d rather not propose to you on your own grave.” I take his hand to get up, then pause. 

“Wait, propose to me?” I ask, as he pulls me towards some trees that used to be part of the Garden. Now they are covered in a layer of snow. 

“Yeah,” Cai says, then grins. “I don’t know what form it’ll take, since my parents might be an issue, but I want to marry you.” I bite my lip, blushing. He takes both of my hands and gets down on one knee. My eyes fill with tears. “I’ve liked you since I started tutoring you. Hanging out with you more during the competition only made that stronger, now that I knew you were kind.” 

“I've liked you since the night of the party at my Gold house,” I reply, tilting my head as I think. “I could be vulnerable around you, and you protected me.” Cai smiles. 

“I still think about that, especially nowadays,” He says, then takes a deep breath. “I want to wake up next to you every day, I’ve discovered lately.” He pulls a ring out of his pocket. I wipe my eyes, and put my hand over my mouth. “I love you, Olive. Will you marry me?” I grin, biting my lip. 

“I love you. Yes,” I sob, watching as Cai’s blue eyes fill with tears. “I love you…” I mumble, as he stands up, sliding the ring onto my finger, and kissing me firmly. 

“I love you,” Cai repeats, pushing me towards a tree, and pressing me against it as he kisses my jaw, then my neck. 

Cai and I sit on the beach, wrapped in each other’s arms. The waves come up to touch our bare feet. The motorboat we came here in is shiny in the moonlight. It was already an hour’s trip just from the mainland, and we ate dinner before he decided to propose, and now we’ve just walked around and hung out for a couple hours. It’s very late right now. I’m not tired. I don’t think I could sleep. 

“You know, Harrison’s ring was bigger,” I tease, looking at the diamond on my finger. 

“Yeah, well, he was a pedophile and a stalker, so-” He chuckles. “I win.” I laugh as well, and lace my fingers in Cai’s. 

“I don’t want to leave,” I mumble. He smiles. 

“We still have to go back tomorrow sometime,” He says with a chuckle. “I had Casey cover for us, after I told her what I planned to do,” He fidgets with my ring. 

“She was grinning so much earlier, and now I know why,” I reply, and Cai smiles, kissing my ear.

◈◈◈◈

Birds outside the window start chirping, and I yawn, sitting up. Olive’s asleep next to me, her head on the pillow. We found an open apartment on the side of the island that is less destroyed.

“Hey, darling,” I mumble, rolling over, and putting my arm around her waist. She smiles, her eyes closed. 

“Sugarplum,” She counters. 

“Pumpkin.” I reply, tickling her in the side, and she giggles, looking back at me behind her. 

“What time do you think we’re leaving, baby?” She asks, fixing her fallen strap from her tank top. 

“Probably a couple hours, sunshine. I want to stay here with you,” I mumble, burying my face in her neck. She smiles, and I chuckle. “Everything is completely blurry,” I add, rubbing my eyes. My glasses are in the clothing pile on the floor, and I’m much too comfortable to move. Olive smiles, and holds onto my arm, kissing the scars there. 

“I sure hope you brought extra clothes, honey bear, you ripped my dress a bit,” Olive teases, sitting up. 

“Yeah, I packed an extra set, since you like wearing mine so much,” I reply, smirking. “My little sweetie pie.” 

“We’re going to run out of normal pet names soon, Snookums, and then things will get weird,” Olive tells me. 

“I’m going to win this competition, lovely nugget,” I respond. 

◈◈◈◈

Casey smirks at me as we walk into the palace, and hugs me once I hold up my left hand with the ring on it. Cai smiles brightly as he walks past, going to pet Peach who purrs, always accepting any form of affection. 

“I knew he was going to do that,” Casey teases, and I roll my eyes. “I’m going to go tell Angel, she’s finally well enough to have lunch with us, they’re in the dining room.” She runs off, followed by Peach. Cai walks over and puts his arms around me from behind. 

“My luscious gummy lizard,” He whispers in my ear, and I burst out laughing. 

“I don’t think I can top that,” I say with a laugh, and sway from side to side. Cai smirks and kisses my ear. 

“Caden Franklin Imperos!” I hear someone screech, and turn to him, snickering. 

“That’s your middle name?” I whisper. He smiles softly, then looks at the staircase that his mother is descending from. 

“It’s a family name. I’ll handle my parents, okay?” Cai kisses my forehead, as Queen Imperos charges over. 

“You were not given permission, or our blessing, to become betrothed,” His mother hisses, glaring at me. 

“Mom, it is not ancient times. The word is engaged, and I’m a legal adult. Can we just talk about this?” Cai asks. 

“I do not like her. Your father does not like her,” She argues, gesturing up at the King coming down the stairs to inspect. “He ran away last night! Who knows what-” She turns to me, wearing his clothes. “You’re disgusting.” Cai steps in front of me, between his mother and me. 

“Don’t talk to her that way,” He growls, grabbing my hand. 

“I’m the queen. She is nobody. I can say what I want when she wants to ruin my son’s reputation. Awful,” She gives me the darkest look I’ve ever seen, leaning around Cai. 

“Mom.” Cai groans, and the king snaps. 

“Do not talk back to your mother!” The King yells, and Cai flinches, stepping backwards, his hand held behind his back to hold onto me. 

I quickly collapse a nearby metal painting frame, and make it into some bars floating between Cai and his parents. Please don’t hurt him. 

“A witch,” The King whispers, and Cai squeezes my hand. His mother watches me in horror. 

“Caden, get away from her. She’s dangerous,” The Queen says. 

“I’m not leaving her,” Cai responds. The King walks much closer, his hand on his sword, and quickly grabs my arm, yanking me around the side of the wall of bars. “Hey!” Cai calls, as his father tosses me on the ground on their side. I swallow, and edge back, getting to my feet quickly since I’m not wearing a long skirt. 

The Queen calls me something awful, and smacks me in the face hard. I put my hand on my stinging cheek, and hide my face in Cai’s chest as he rushes over and picks me up, watching his parents. 

“I’m leaving, and I’m marrying her,” He tells them firmly. “Don’t expect me to see you again.” He starts up the stairs. 

“Caden, I am your mother!” The Queen yells. Cai shakes his head. 

“Nobody touches her,” Cai says, inclining his head towards me after turning back to his parents. “Well, my decision is made for me now,” He tells me, setting me on his bed as I stare in shock. “Are you okay?” I nod. 

“I just didn’t think they’d go to hurting me,” I answer. He nods. 

“They usually don’t, only when they’re really angry,” He answers, and I tilt my head after. 

“Did they hit you?” I ask. Cai shrugs. 

“Mostly just Dad did, and not often,” He answers. “I promise, it never got bad, especially after I got famous. It would cause a scandal.” My eyes fill with tears. “Ivvy. It’s fine.” He walks over and pulls me into a hug, rubbing my back. “I won’t- I’m not going to be like them with you or anyone else if that’s what you’re- worried about.” 

“No, I know you won’t. I know you.” I kiss his cheek. “It’s your welfare I’m worried about.” He chuckles, and kisses my forehead. 

“Well, I won’t be seeing them again, remember?” He asks, pulling away, and smiling at me. “I’ll go find Casey and Flint, so you can talk to them.” I nod. “Stay here. I love you.” He bends down and kisses me before leaving. 

“I love you too,” I answer.