by K. M. Shea
“For not loving you as much as you deserved. For telling you to care for the country in my place. For everything I have ever done wrong.”
Gabrielle chuckled. “That is quite the list.” She hesitated when Steffen said nothing lighthearted in return. “Are you alright? Steffen?”
He didn’t answer.
She tried again, “Rune said, when you were swans, you didn’t remember your human life.”
“He’s right—to an extent. I never remembered who I was or that I used to be human. But I remembered you.” He leaned down and kissed Gabrielle deeply. When he finally pulled away, he went back to resting his cheek on her head. “I missed you so much it hurt.”
“Did it make you regret loving me?” Gabrielle asked, her voice small. This was, after all, what Steffen had feared when she first met him.
Steffen laughed before choking off the sound. “Never,” he said. “It made me realize how much I need you. You are my sense of adventure, my gentleness, and my haven. Without you…I-I can’t put the country before you.”
“You can, and we will. Being the king and queen is a calling we must fulfill. It isn’t fair to the people if we make all our decisions based on our personal whims,” Gabrielle said.
“I’m starting to think you’re my intelligence, too,” Steffen muttered.
Gabrielle laughed. “Well, we knew that already.”
Steffen chuckled into her hair, then moved his hands to her face, bringing his lips to hers again, softer this time.
After they drew apart, she continued. “Being apart from you was…harrowing. I threw myself against your step-mother for the sake of our people, but also to keep my mind occupied so I wouldn’t think about the what-ifs: What if I never saw you again? What if you were hurt?”
“You held the country together while I was gone, alone.”
“Yes.”
“But you’re up here, while everyone is downstairs celebrating Elise and my family. Without you, the country would have been smashed beyond repair. You’re the biggest hero of us all, and I don’t think anyone knows it.”
Gabrielle placed her hands on Steffen’s jaw. “Perhaps, but I prefer it that way,” she said, looking into her husband’s beautiful blue eyes, rejoicing that she could look into his eyes again. “Puss and I never enjoyed the fame of being adventurers.”
“That cat revels in it, and you know it. You were the one who disliked it,” Steffen said.
“Maybe,” Gabrielle agreed. “The point is, I’m happy because you’re home, not because people acknowledge my deeds. I didn’t become a princess for the riches or fame; I became a princess because I love you.”
“I know,” Steffen said. “You withstood my test: you stood by our country and protected it and sacrificed for it when I couldn’t. Thank you, my love.”
“You’re welcome, dear husband.”
“All the same, let’s never, ever do that again,” Steffen said. He kissed her forehead and pulled her close again.
“Agreed.”
“And I will do my best to become a better, more affectionate husband,” Steffen said.
“I don’t expect you to change, Steffen,” Gabrielle said.
“No, but I realize I owe it to you to do so,” Steffen said. “I have always loved you—I have. I hope you know that. But I had to become a swan to realize just how much I need you. And now?”
“Yes?” she asked, studying his handsome face.
“I will never let you go.”
The End
To read extra Puss In Boots scenes and material, check out kmshea.com
Other books by K.M. Shea
Life Reader
Red Rope of Fate
Princess Ahira
Robyn Hood:
A Girl’s Tale
Fight for Freedom
The Magical Beings’ Rehabilitation Center:
My Life at the MBRC
Farewell to the MBRC?
King Arthur and Her Knights:
Enthroned
Enchanted
Embittered
Embark
Enlighten
Three pack (Enthroned, Enchanted, Embittered)
Timeless Fairy Tales
Beauty and the Beast
The Wild Swans
Cinderella
Rumpelstiltskin
The Little Selkie
Puss in Boots
Coming Soon
Endeavor: King Arthurs and her Knights Book 6: November 2015
The Snow Queen: December 2015
About the Author
K.M. Shea is a book lover, champion web surfer, and all around geek. She is a fulltime independent author, and lives in the quaint Midwest with her beloved companion, Perfect Dog.
Follow K.M. Shea on Twitter: KM_Shea
Visit her blog: www.kmshea.com
Visit her Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005ANPMZU
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