Shyra walked across the corridors of Alza once again with Mahi by her side. It had been a few days she'd been staying in Alza, and in that time she'd attended important meetings - with ministers and royalty, as well as privately, with her Jaani.

It might seem too soon, but she already felt like she'd known Mahi all her life, and a life without him seemed unimaginable and lonely.

When these thoughts came to her mind, her thoughts whispered back with one word that sent her emotions awry.

Marriage

It was something she dwelled on a lot, ever since her courtship took a serious turn, and it now stirred dread into her stomach, but she was sure of what she wanted. All the consequences and actions could come later.

First, she needed to know if Mahi was willing, and if he would stand by her side and fight for their unlikely marriage.

So she paced the magnificent gardens of Alza, anxiously muttering to herself and clutching a small box in her hand. Her palms were sweaty with nerves and she was just wiping them on her dress for the millionth time when she heard a chuckle.

"Princess, your fine clothes will get ruined for sure if you keep doing that. I suggest getting a small cloth and wiping your hands on it." Mahi said, walking up to her with a teasing smile playing across his lips. Her heart rate quickened as usual and she fumbled with the box before hiding it behind her back and clumsily getting down on one knee.

Mahi's eyes widened and he took a step back, glancing around hastily in the process. His reaction concerned Shyra and she felt her cheeks burn in mortification. She was about to pretend that she wasn't proposing to him when she saw his eyes misting with tears. She realized that he understood her intentions and appreciated them, so she hastily went on with her prepared speech.

"Prince Mahi of planet Alza, son of Emperor Songrat and Empress Inara, heir to our wondrous Pranali..."

"Oh my Cosmos, enough with the titles. Just get on with what you have to say."

"Er, yes," Shyra mumbled, clearing her throat. "Mahi, if I had a flower for every time I thought of you... I could walk through my garden forever," she began. "But it would be very boring to go through my eternal garden alone. After all, life is best when it's shared with the people you love."

Mahi covered his mouth with his hands, eys sparkling and misting with emotion.

So Shyra smiled and completed her impromptu speech. "Prince Mahi, would you do me the honor of being your dharm patni? Your lawfully wedded wife?," she paused for dramatic effect, then rephrased her question in a different way. "Will you marry me?"

Mahi drew in his breath sharply and his fingers trembled as he moved them from his mouth. He whispered something that Shyra had to lean forward to listen to, and he used that opportunity to kiss her lips.

Shyra jerked back in surprise, staring at Mahi with wide eyes. Looking at her reaction, he hurriedly apologized for his impulsive decision, looking pointedly at his fumbling hands.

"So is that a yes?" Shyra whispered, staring intently at him. Mahi paused his nervous actions and nodded shyly.

"Say it aloud, Prince. Or I may never get the confidence to move forward with this."

"Yes," Mahi said, louder this time, and before he could say more, Shyra leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. After a moment of shock, Mahi wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back with an intensity that made her blush.

Shyra and Mahi stood hand-in-hand in front of his father's court. It was a split second decision to inform his father about their courtship. A decision that Shyra really hoped she wouldn't regret.

Even her hand in Mahi's seemed like a celebration for an unearned victory. She kept glancing around and jumping at the slightest movement, causing Mahi to squeeze her hand tightly and keep reassuring her.

To distract herself from her nerves, she tried to listen to the proceedings of the court. When she strained her ears, she could hear snippets of conversation about Arawn Adair.

"...his demands are getting worse and worse. It looks like he's moving in for the final kill, Your Majesty." a courtier was saying.

"So he's threatening us with another attack?" the Emperor replied frustratedly. A chorus of murmurs rang through the room as the courtier replied a small yes.

"That's not all. Apparently he's collecting his armies from all our neighboring systems to prepare for a massive attack. And after the recents attacks, I'm not sure we can survive this one."

Shyra felt her entire being tremble as the weight of his words settled in.

Arawn Adair's attacks always left them in a state of destitution before they could pull themselves up again. Shyra had seen the frustration in everyone's eyes as they struggled to get back to their routines. If another attack, that too a massive one, was launched...

"I'm getting too old for this," she heard the Emperor murmur. The court stilled as they absorbed his words. Beside Shyra, Mahi's body stiffened and he clenched her hand tightly.

Shyra shared his apprehension as well. In all the time she'd known him, Emperor Soren was a man who ruled his empire with a strong hand. While she resented him for the Asteroid Path fiasco, she respected the man's ability and zest to rule. She also knew that he wasted very few words, and meant what he said.

So if he was getting too old for this, it meant that the burden would slowly begin shifting to Mahi. Judging by the way Mahi reacted, he seemed to register this as well.

"Your Majesty, do you want to retire to your rooms? You must be exhausted after this long day. I can..."

"No, Minister Khoya. Please don't make the mistake of taking my words lightly. We all know that my time here is coming to an end, and I can't deal with Arawn for much longer. It's time that we start preparing Mahi to take the throne and defend our Pranali."

Mahi's hold on her hand slackened and she felt him tremble. Her attention was split between him and the court, and before she knew it, the court was being adjourned.

Shyra bit her lips nervously as she considered her choices. She was coming to the conclusion that she needed to take him away when the doors burst open, startling them both.

Emperor Soren emerged from the courtroom and spotted them immediately. His sharp eyes took in their clasped hands and shocked faces, and Shyra felt herself being examined from every angle.

The spell was broken when Mahi left her hand and ran to his father, embracing him and sobbing on his shoulder.