Ranger's Apprentice; The Final Pieces

One-Shot: Engaged

{After the story "The Bridal Dance" in book 11; "The Lost stories"}

After Horace and Cassandra's wedding, Will and Alyss get engaged. I have always been wondering what Will's and later their friends reactions were, and when they told it. The next story is how I think it went.

(The cursive text is not mine; I took it almost literally from 'The Bridal Dance' in 'The Lost Stories'; John Flanagan's book! The normal text after is mine!)

Have fun and please tell my what you think of it!

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Alyss is unhappy, as this is the second wedding where their dance has been interrupted. At Halt's, Will had to leave to go to Svengal, who has arrived in surprise, and at this one he nearly didn't make it. But Alyss leaves him with one final message: "You'd better be there at ours".

There was a short silence. Then, slowly, a big grin reached Will's face. He wanted to say something, but Alyss was first.

"Yes," she said with a smile, answering Will's yet unspoken question.

They smiled at each other and then embraced each other. When one released the other, Will asked with a big grin: "When are we going to tell the others?"

Alyss shrugged. "Guess it's better if we keep it for ourselves, for now," she answered. "These days are Cassandra and Horace's."

Will agreed. Their friends had been married just a couple of ours earlier, so it was only fair that they would stay in the spotlight this week.

Will grinned.

"They'll like it, that we kept it a secret," he said. Alyss laughed too.

"Yeah, especially Halt and Pauline will appreciate it."

She gave her fiancé a warning look.

"You won't say anything, will you?"

She knew Will – for already a very long time – and knew that if he would try to hide it, their friends would notice within a day. Will nodded.

"Yes, don't worry," he replied, still smiling. They embraced each other again, gave each other a kiss and walked both to their own house.

Will, with his noticeable grin on his face, to his little cabin at the edge of the forest and Alyss, with a mysterious but happy smile around her lips, to her apartment in the castle.

A week or so later all friends stood together to say goodbye. Will, Alyss, Halt, Pauline, Gilan, Jenny, Crowley, Kind Duncan, Cassandra and Horace. The delegation of Araluen would return home that day, and Gilan had to go back to his own fief.

Everybody said goodbye to those they wouldn't see soon, and when everybody was finished, it was silent. Then, Horace said with a big grin: "When will we see each other again?"

And then, with a look at Will and Alyss – who stood next to each other: "At another wedding, maybe?"

His friends looked at each other and smiled. Then Alyss smiled to Horace: "That is actually the plan, indeed, to be honest."

A few minutes it was completely silent, Horace's grin was frozen on his face. Only Will and Alyss kept smiling. Slowly, Halt said: "You're getting married?"

Will nodded enthusiastic and that was the moment the others got what was said. It didn't matter that their friends had been waiting for this since a long time, but nobody had seen it coming, on this moment, in this way. However, everybody wanted to congratulate the happy couple. As soon as it was quiet again, Halt said: "Since when does this plan exist, if I may ask?"

Will grinned. "Already a week or so, I would say. Since the evening of your wedding, to be precisely." He turned around to face the newly weds.

"And you didn't think of sharing that?" Halt again, asked. But at that moment, one of the servants of Araluen came and said: "I'm sorry, your Majesties, but if we want to be home soon we'll have to leave now."
Duncan nodded in agreement. He said for the last time goodbye to the little group of people and walked to the meeting point. He knew that his daughter and her husband would want to say another few things to their friends. He was soon followed by Crowley, who had likely the same thoughts. Cassandra embraced first Will, then Alyss a last time.

"We'll hear it all, I guess?" she smiled. Alyss nodded and said: "End of the month at last, all the details, I promise."

The two young women smiled at each other and Cassandra walked to the meeting point as well. Horace gave his friends another 'unbelievable' look, said goodbye a last time and quickly followed his wife.

Not long after, the remaining people all went their own ways as well. Gilan really had to get back to Wetborg, Jenny was needed in her restaurant, Halt and Pauline decided to go back to their apartment too. Probably to talk about the news. Will and Alyss knew they had been lucky this time, and that they wouldn't be as lucky next time they would speak their friends. Their friends were definitely 'offended' that they hadn't told it immediately. But right now, that wasn't something to worry about. It was still early enough, so Will reached his hand and asked: "Are you joining me?"

Alyss nodded, smiled and reached for his hand. In this way they walked, gone before by Ebony, to a little lake in the forest.

Halt en Pauline watched the couple as they walked away.

"Finally," Pauline sighed. Halt nodded agreed.

"Took them long enough," he said. His wife looked at him.

"Come on, Halt, be happier," she said teasingly, knowing that the grizzled Ranger was very happy.

"I am happy," Halt replied. "That just doesn't mean everyone has to know that. Besides, they didn't tell us they were engaged, did they? They actually should have."

Pauline only smiled en together they walked back to their apartment.

In the meantime, Will and Alyss had reached the place they had been heading for. A little lake in the forest. They came there often, especially on nice and warm summer days like this one. They sat on that spot, until the sky started to darken, birds made up for the night, and the fireflies flew through the dark openly.