Umm late update, I know. Sorry.
But the good news (or bad news) is that this will be the last chapter! And as usual the last chapter is filled with lots of romance… ;-)

I hope you like it, and I want to thank everybody who has reviewed! You guys are awesome! ^^

H22: Ever after

Inside the cave

Lok

Sophie's skin was paler as snow, her normally bright and analyzing green eyes closed. White blood- stained bandages were wrapped around her stomach.

"Sophie… can you hear me?" Lok asked softly. He was holding her hand as he struggled with his tears. He didn't want to cry, he wanted to be strong for Sophie.

"I've done everything I could Lok," Vern said, "now it's up to her."

Lok nodded. He was Vern very thankful for his help. Even though Vern was very shaken up by Delphine's death, he had done everything in his power to safe Sophie. He had taken her to the cave and stopped the bleeding. Then he had called in one of the sorcerers of the White Mountain, who had used a few healing spells. But since Sophie already had lost a lot of blood, it was still possible she wouldn't survive.

Come on Sophie! Lok thought. Wake up, I don't know what I should do without you…

Zhalia

Zhalia grabbed Dante's hand and held it tight. Even though she and Sophie had their quarrels – especially in the beginning – the girl was like a sister to her. Zhalia had already lost her parents, and couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone she cared about again.

Silently she looked at the motionless girl.
Come on Sophie, you can do it!
Suddenly Sophie's eyelids started to tremble.

"S- Sophie?" Lok asked.

Sophie moaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"Lok?" she asked with an almost inaudible voice. "What happened? W- where am I?"

"It's okay Sooph," Lok said, and he softly stroked the hair out of her face. "You're safe now… youll be alright."

Dante smiled and looked at Zhalia. "Let's give them some privacy," he whispered.
Zhalia nodded. She understood those two kids had a lot to talk about, and quietly walked out of the cave.

Dante & Zhalia

Outside the sun was shining high above. For the first time the Underworld actually looked beautiful to Dante. Zhalia had wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the horizon, sunken in thoughts.
In the soft reddish sunlight her skin almost seemed to glow. Dante walked towards her and took her in his arms, her back against his chest and his arms around her waist.
"A penny for your thoughts…" he said.

Zhalia smiled. "I was just thinking about how many things have changed. How I have changed. It feels like nothing's ever going to be the same again."

"And is that a bad thing?"

She thought about that question for a few seconds. "No."

Dante turned her so that he could look her in the eyes.
It still felt unreal to him, that she was here save in his arms, alive and freed from Rassinov's curse. He got so close to losing her, and now he wanted to be with her forever.
An impulsive thought crossed his mind, but he pushed it away immediately.
No I can't possibly... she's a Queen and I'm just a seeker… just a seeker who loves her…
All his life, all the girls he'd ever had, it meant nothing anymore, it had all been just a search, a search for her. When he had seen Zhalia for the first time, he had known that she was his destiny.

He realized that there had never been a more perfect moment, it was now or never. Dante made up his mind.
"Zhalia…" He got down on one knee and grabbed her hand.

"Dante? What the hell are you doing?"

"Just telling you the truth," he said. "Zhalia… I don't belong to the nobility and I'm also not extremely rich or extremely funny. God, I don't even have a ring… but I do have a hearth, and I want to give it to you."

Zhalia looked at him with a shocked expression. "Dante, are you doing what I think you're doing?"

Dante smiled. "Queen Zhalia, will you marry me?"

"Oh Dante I…"
The past few years many, many men had proposed to her. Tall men and small men, old men and young men, rich men and poor men, but she had rejected them all, she knew they didn't really care about her.
No man had ever given her that special warm, tingling feeling inside. Until Dante came along. He had made her feel young and insecure – especially that night at the rebel camp – but above all he had made her feel alive again.
She had known that he cared about her, but a little voice in the back of her mind had always wondered exactly how much. And now Dante had given her the answer; he cared about her just as much as she cared about him. And she cared about him more than anything else in the world.
An indescribable feeling of happiness spread through her body.
"…I thought you'd never ask."

Everything was bathing in sunlight, there was an electricity in the air that seemed to last forever.
"Is that a yes?" Dante asked eventually.

"No it's a no…" Zhalia said, but in an unmistakably sarcastic tone of voice. "Of course it's a yes!"

He got on his feed and kissed her. In that one kiss he wanted to express all his love, and Zhalia answered the kiss with the same passion and intensity.
Above them the sun reached its highest point.

A few weeks later at Zhalia's ice palace

Zhalia

Lok and Eathon had returned to the bakery, there was a lot to explain to Sandra and Cathy.
Sophie had gone to Snowland with Dante and Zhalia, where she had received the best medical care. She was now almost fully healed, and had found a new friend in Zhalia's royal servant Peter. Both of them were extremely enthusiastic about the soon to come wedding – a bit too enthusiastic if you'd ask Zhalia.

Zhalia, Dante, Peter and Sophie were having a meeting about the wedding, but Peter and Sophie did most of the talking.

"It has to be an outdoor ceremony at the fall of night, when the moon starts rising, that's a tradition in Snowland," Peter said. "It will be big, really really big!"

"Yes!" Sophie said impassionedly. "And afterwards there has to be a party for the most important guests, with champagne, elegant food, jazzy music and lots of ice sculptures, fountains and magical lights."

"Great, great, and there must be flowers! I was thinking of lilies and roses."

"Peter you're a genius! And the colors must not only be the traditional white and blue, also a hint of some other color… pink?"

"The queen hates pink," he said, as if Zhalia wasn't there, "what about lilac?"

"Lilac looks like purple and purple will remind everybody of Rassinov… yellow?"

"Yes a soft, creamy tint of yellow… an unusual, happy yet romantic color, perfect!"

"And what about the dress?"

"Oh yes the dress, it must be big and glamorous."

"With the traditional jewelry-"

"Guys stop!" Zhalia said. "I want a simple wedding, not too big and not too much glamour and show."

"But my Queen, the citizens are delighted about the marriage, it must be big, with a lot of important guests, that's your duty as a queen." Peter said.

Much against her wish Zhalia realized he was right. As a Queen she had to meet certain expectations.
She sighted. "Fine, but the after party must be a bit more modest. And no exorbitant dresses!"

"Alright," Sophie said with a smile. "I should have known that's not your style. What about a simple, elegant and feminine dress? Outstanding but in an understated way."

"That sounds good," Zhalia said.
At least better than a huge dress with sparkles and ribbons…

"And what about the rest?" Peter asked. "Because there are hundreds of things that have to be planned and-"

"We have faith you guys will make it right," Dante said, and Zhalia threw him a 'oh do we?'- look.

"Yes!" Sophie cheered. "Oh it's going to be amazing, we promise, right Peter?"

Peter nodded. "Come Sophie, we have to start planning, we've got just four weeks until the big day!"

Zhalia already started to regret their decision to leave everything up to Peter and Sophie.
"Don't overdo this guys!" she yelled as the two walked away, busy chatting about decorations and fitting music. "Not too theatrical please!"
Oh god this is going to be a complete disaster…

At the evening of the wedding

Zhalia hadn't seen Dante in a week. It was a tradition in Snowland the groom didn't see the bride for seven days before the ceremony. She had never thought about it before, but it really was a stupid tradition. She missed Dante ridiculously much, and therefore time passed by utterly slow.

Zhalia gasped for breath as Eva, one of her maids, constricted the bodice of her dress.
For the thousandth time that day Zhalia wished she and Dante could have married undercover or something like that. Quick and pure, without painful bodices and difficult hustling with her hair.

"It's done my Queen," Eva said.

Zhalia turned around and looked in the mirror. She had to admit the dress Sophie had picked was really gorgeous. It looked just like she'd hoped; simple and elegant, though still Queen- worthy.
Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all.

Suddenly time passed way too quick. Before Zhalia knew it she was sitting in a carriage, on way to the snowed fields behind the palace, where the ceremony would take place.
The ride went very slow because there were citizens everywhere, cheering and desperate to catch a glimpse of their Queen. Zhalia smiled and waved confidently, though in reality she was so nervous it felt like somebody had shoved a sock down her throat.

Luckily Mr. Coquees was there to support her. He knew her well and immediately noticed her nerves.
"Calm down dear," he said. "Just relax and enjoy the ride, everything's going to be alright."

"I'm not so sure about that…" Zhalia said. "God I've never been so nervous in all of my life. What if I stumble? What if I forget what to say? What if a meteor crashes down on Wereld?"

Mr. Coquees laughed. "I highly doubt that will happen. It's going to be a perfect wedding, I just know it, I've been waiting for this moment my entire life."

"Exagerator," Zhalia said, and she rolled her eyes.

"No really," her old friend said with a serious face. "I thought you'd never meet the right guy, and now you've found him after all, there is no way I'm going to let anything ruin it, I promise.

Zhalia smiled. "Thanks, I think I'm starting to feel a tiny bit better."

After an hour they had finally reached the place of the ceremony, the big snowed field behind the palace, in front of a small lake.
Zhalia stepped out of the carriage, and Mr. Coquees escorted her up to the altar, which was made of ice and decorated with little ice blue daisies.
There were countless little blue and golden lights burning in the trees and floating in the air between the stars. It all looked great, and Zhalia reminded herself she had to thank Sophie and Peter for their excellent work after the ceremony.
Zhalia also noticed there was soft violin- like music playing on the background. She didn't know where it came from but it was just perfect.

There were a lot of guests, and Zhalia saw a lot of acquaintances. King Earl and other royals, Craigh, Vern… Then she also saw her friends; Sophie and Undecim, sitting next to Lok and his family. Lok waved enthusiastically. They looked happy.

When she finally saw Dante, standing on the altar, she forgot about the others. He looked stunning in his traditional greyish blue and white attire that accentuated his athletic posture and russet hair.
Their gazes met and the last nerves she felt faded away.

Dante

Just like the other present persons Dante gasped for breath when the bride appeared. She walked down the aisle with slow, majestic steps. Dante couldn't think of anything to compare her beauty with, especially not since he hadn't seen her for seven long and lonely days.
She was wearing a white gown with a sweetheart neckline and lace up at the back. The bodice was decorated with a few subtle crystal flowers and the long silk skirt was waterfall draped.
Her hair was set in an elegantly wrapped updo, finished with a ceremonial crystal tiara and a sweep lace veil.
In her arms she was holding a bridal bouquet of white lilies and roses, little ice blue daisies and also a few light yellow roses.

With the help of Mr. Coquees she climbed the altar.
She gave Dante a small beaming smile.

The priest also climbed the altar, and a silence fell.
"Dearly beloved," he said. "We're gathered together to join together our cherished Queen Zhalia Moon from snowland and the brave Dante Vale, in the sight of the god of the moon, giver of all spiritual grace."
He turned himself towards Dante. "Dante, will you love, comfort and honour this woman, as long as you shall live?"

"I will," Dante said, and he put a white golden ring with a dazzling blue diamond on the third finger of Zhalia's left hand.

"Now Zhalia," the priest continued. "Will you love, comfort and honour this man, as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes I will," Zhalia said, and she put a white and yellow golden ring on the third finger of Dante's left hand.

The priest started singing a ceremonial song in the ancient language of the mountains, about love that will last forever and the spiritual connection of every living creature with the moon.

When he was finished he took both Dante and Zhalia's left hand.
"Then I hereby pronounce you husband and wife, for now and forever," he said. "You may now kiss the bride."

Dante leaned in and kissed his bride gently on the lips. The public started clapping and cheering.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"And I love you," was her simple answer.

Dante looked in her perfect almond- shaped brown eyes. "I can't for our wedding night," he said, and he smirked.

Zhalia chuckled and put her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his again and kissed him passionately, much to the delight of the public.

Sophie, Cathy and Peter were sobbing and Lok whistled on his fingers. In the back of his mind he was already secretly daydreaming about marrying Sophie.

Zhalia threw the bridal bouquet to the public. Behind them the firework had started. Exploding flowers of silver, golden and blue decorated the sky.
It was going to be long and enervating night full of celebration, a night no one would ever forget, especially not two persons…
-

Epilogue:

Lok and his family moved to Snowland, where they opened a new bakery.
Sophie decided move to Snowland permanently as well – together with Undecim, who couldn't miss her – to stay close to Lok, Zhalia and Dante.
Sophie also decided to write a book about their adventures.

When Lok and Sophie were old enough they got married. A few months later their first child was born; a boy named Monty, and soon after him they got twin girls called Delphy and Sasha.

Zhalia and Dante got kids as well; a girl named Zelena and a boy named Dayan.

And they lived happily ever after…