I Think It's Elopement

When Leon saw I didn’t respond, he had to repeat, his voice softer yet edged with urgency, "Will you marry me?" "Yes, yes!" I put my hand over my pounding heart, my words tumbling out in breathless excitement. "What is this—are we really married like this? I mean, is this an elopement? It feels so thrilling, so dangerously real!" My fingers brushed the rough-hewn wooden table beside us, its surface scarred with years of use, grounding me in the moment. The cottage smelled of pine and woodsmoke, a far cry from the palace’s cloying incense and perfumes. "Now, you're my wife!" Leon declared, his eyes locking onto mine with fierce tenderness as he slipped the simple silver ring onto my finger—its band etched with tiny wolf paw prints, a quiet nod to his heritage. "You're mine, forever. No one can take you away." His thumb traced the ring gently, as if sealing the vow into metal. "I never really thought we'd get married here!" I glanced around the small, rustic cottage, taking in the flicke