"Alanna?" followed by a knock at the open door.

Alanna turned and saw Tristan by her room door. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. Tall and handsome with his dark hair swept up on a bun and his blue eyes shone gently in the dim light of Alanna's room. The dark, claw-like tattoo on his face made him seem so foreign, a reminder of how different her world from his was.

"Hi-well, hello-I..." Alanna tried to act cool and that failed.

"You are nervous. Are you hiding another man here somewhere?" Tristan teased with a playful glint in his eyes. "May I come into your room? Your mother was on her way out and she was shocked to see me at the door just now but thank our god Pan she let me in anyway."

Alanna nodded, instinctively tightened her grasp of the brochure in her hand.

Tristan walked into the room with a limp because his leg was wounded in the battle. "I have been busy these days. I am sorry I—"

"Don't apologize, Tristan. You have duties to do. I very much understand that." Alanna watched Tristan's leg,"Your leg ... still hurt a lot?"

Tristan watched his leg. "No, not so much."

"Really? You grimaced with every step you took just now."

"I-I feel the pain still. A little bit."

Alanna bit her lips, debating if she should tell Tristan about her own wrist wound, then decided against it. "I hope your leg will be better soon, Tristan."

Tristan stood half an armlength from her and he nodded gently. "It will be. It is not my first battle injury, Alanna." He paused, threw his gaze to the snow outside, sighed, and continued,"I just feel it's not right ... not to have time with you."

Alanna was not sure what to say as a reply, then she decided on something. "Tristan, listen-I want to-to talk with you about something." There she said it, though words seemed to escape her thought now. She took a deep breath, turned to the window to watch the snow outside again to compose her thought again.

"Alanna? What is it?" Tristan stepped even closer, he stood right next to Alanna that Alanna could feel the hard ripple of his arm muscle on her arm. His eyes widened in worry as he stared at Alanna.

"I found this-this brochure, this paper with information about grad school. It was at the back pocket of the clothes I wore when I was taken here." Alanna lifted the brochure and showed it to Tristan. Tristan took the brochure and spent a moment looking at it.

"Grad school. That is what you want to do, isn't it?"

"Yes. I do, Tristan. That is what I want to talk to you about. I-I want to go back to my universe. To do what I have always wanted to do."

"Grad school and dogwalking."

"Yes."

"And you are worried that-that going home to your universe will influence ... us."

"Us. Yes. I mean, seriously. Are we on a relationship here? Is there an us? I am not sure, I—"

Tristan tilted his head and he looked wounded. "I do not just kiss any girl and pretend nothing happens, Alanna."

"I-I am just not sure. I guess I need solid confirmation. You know. Proper words."

Tristan took a deep breath, and his eyes looked so serene it calmed Alanna down too. "I love you, Alanna. I have always loved you, and will always do. Is that solid enough?" Alanna gasped for air, Tristan had shown her how special she was to him before, but to have the proclamation out in such solid sentence right now, that did surprise her.

Tristan grew uneasy, and stuttered,"I-I I hope you feel the same. I am not-not good with words. I do not mean to make it awkward, you know. I-I..."

"Love is such a big word, Tristan. I am scared of using it, to be honest. Though I do think you are special to me. I do like you a lot. I really do."

Tristan gazed outside for a few seconds, then turned to her and smiled,"We have time, Alanna. You and me. Us. We have time to see where we are going, to get to know each other." Tristan lifted his hand and caressed Alanna's cheek. "I want you to be happy, to chase your dreams."

"We will live in different universes then."

"I will be faithful to you if that is what worries you. I will visit you, and I would love to see your universe too. Our beloved Pan's door will always be there for us to use."

Alanna smiled. Maybe Tristan was the one for her. Maybe, who knew? She had a failed one before, and this time, maybe she had found the one for her. Time would decide. A king from a snowy land, in a different universe, where dragons flew and sorcery happened. Apparently that was what it took for her to find her love and put together pieces of her broken heart.

"The death of Thyrra means spring would come again. Alathyr's winter will be over soon. Come visit here again when it is spring. It is beautiful," Tristan slowly took her waist and hugged it.

Tristan bowed his head slightly to let his forehead touched Alanna's, and they spent some time in silence, with their hands holding each other's back. There was not really any need for words, and it was peaceful.

"Come in the spring, Alanna. I would love to show you Alathyr. The majestic mountains and forests and lakes. The dragons' would take a dive into the lakes, and their scales glisten under the spring sunshine. You would love the scenery. Things would be a bit more settled here by then, we can spend a lot of time together."

"Visit me and my universe too, Tristan. I have so much to show you!"

"I will, Alanna. I will. I know I cannot just take the dragons with me, but Filip. He will come along. He would hate me if I go without him to visit you. That old gentleman has decided since day one that he loves you."

Alanna laughed. "I do seem to have a way with dogs. And dragons."

Tristan lifted her chin and she smiled. When he kissed her lips, she could feel the warmth that turned to a source of flame within her body. Tristan just felt right for her. She had no idea how to describe it. His strength, his gentleness, his broken heart, his wounds, his love ... all.

She knew a new part of her life had begun, here in the snowy land of Alathyr. A life that she had just discovered, a life she did not know that it existed.

Big decisions about her life had to be made in the future, she had to prepare herself for those too. To be a dragon healer was her destiny, and she had to learn to get used to that.

But here and now in this room, there were only Tristan and her. That was what mattered: Being us.

As her bare skin touched his, there was a sense of inevitability, like a massive gulf of waves that engulfed them, awakened all their senses in excitation and corporeal pleasure.

She slowly disentangled herself from Tristan's embrace, and he groaned as she pushed him gently and he sat on the edge of her bed.

"There are doors that need to be closed, Tristan. Doors to the past that have worn out its welcome, and some doors need to be opened, those for the new people, new adventure. A new beginning."

Tristan nodded, his eyes saw through her, and he agreed with her.

"Though there is one door I need to close now," she smiled, ran her fingers on Tristan's face tattoo, and walked slowly backward to her bedroom door.

She did not take her eyes off Tristan as her right hand pushed the door.

With a gentle thud, the door closed.

THE END

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