The sun rose slowly over Evermore, its rays slanting through the broken rooftops and damp fields, casting golden light on a village still licking its wounds. The storm had passed, but it left behind a quiet sorrow that clung to the air, heavy and persistent. Lily stood by the window of their repaired home, watching as smoke curled from chimneys and villagers moved about with tired but determined steps.
Her heart had never felt heavier.
Days had passed since the prince's offer. Her parents hadn't spoken much about it since, but she knew they were waiting for her answer. The wealth they were promised… it was more than they'd ever dreamed of. Her younger siblings would eat well. Her father would no longer come home with splinters in his palms and pain in his back. They could rebuild their house maybe even help others in the village.
It was everything a good daughter would want for her family.
But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Sam.
The way he'd looked at her during the storm. The way he hadn't hesitated, even when the wind threatened to throw him into the sea. The way his hand brushed her shoulder just before he left their house, drenched and silent.
He hadn't spoken to her since.
Not once.
She spotted him by the docks again, his silhouette tall and broad against the rising light, working as he always did quietly, tirelessly. There was a new edge to his movements, like he carried a weight he couldn't set down.
Lily's fingers curled around the window frame.
She had to see him.
Sam hadn't slept properly since the storm. He barely remembered the last full meal he had. The sea no longer soothed him like before. Its waves were whispers now taunting reminders of everything he could never have.
She was going to leave.
Lily.
He tried to convince himself it was for the best. What life could he offer her? Nets and salt. Hard days and harder nights. No silks. No horses. No castle with a view.
And yet…
He felt her presence before he saw her.
"Sam," she said softly.
He turned.
Lily stood at the edge of the dock, her dark hair braided down her back, a thin shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She looked out of place here, like something from a dream wandering into a world too harsh for her beauty.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then she said, "You haven't come to see me."
He looked away, his voice quiet. "Didn't think I should."
"Why not?"
He sighed. "Because you're promised to someone else now."
Her expression faltered. "I haven't said yes."
"But you will."
She took a step closer. "Sam… do you want me to?"
He turned to her fully then, eyes sharp with something raw. "What I want doesn't matter. Not in this world."
Lily's breath caught. "It matters to me."
The silence between them stretched again. The sound of the waves filled the space. Gulls cried above.
Then she whispered, "I don't want to go."
Sam's jaw tightened. "Then say no."
"It's not that simple."
"Yes, it is," he said, taking a step toward her. "You either choose them, or you choose this this village, your family, me."
Her eyes shimmered. "And if I choose you?"
He didn't smile. He didn't move.
"I'll spend my life trying to make you happy," he said simply. "Even if all I have to give is fish and firewood."
She laughed a soft, broken sound and looked away. "They think I'm foolish to even hesitate."
"Then be foolish," Sam said, voice low. "Be brave."
But even as he said it, he knew.
It wasn't just about bravery.
It was about survival.
Lily nodded slowly. "I just wanted to hear it from you. That you'd want me even if I have nothing."
He stepped closer, reaching for her hand. When their fingers touched, it was like the sea calmed for a moment.
"You're everything I've ever wanted," he said.
By evening, Lily returned home and found her parents sitting quietly by the fire. Her father looked older somehow, as if the past few days had added years to his face. Her mother's hands were folded tightly in her lap.
"Have you made your decision?" her father asked gently.
Lily took a breath. "Yes."
They waited.
"I can't marry him," she said. "I'm sorry."
Silence.
Her father rubbed his face with a tired hand. "We were afraid you'd say that."
"I know," she said quietly. "But I can't marry someone I don't love. Not even for gold."
Her mother's eyes softened with something like pride. "Then we'll make do, as we always have."
Tears pricked Lily's eyes. "Thank you."
Her father gave a sad smile. "The prince won't be pleased. But your heart is not for sale. We understand."
Lily didn't sleep much that night. She dreamt of waves, of hands reaching through darkness, of light breaking over the horizon.
But for the first time in days, the sorrow in her chest began to lift.
She had chosen her path.
Even if it was the harder one.
The next morning, Sam stood at the edge of the cliffs, watching the sea with cautious hope. When he heard footsteps behind him, he turned
Lily.
She didn't say a word.
She just smiled.
And it was all the answer he needed.....