Savannah

The beak of Alget Zorax opened wide, his voice booming through the ornate entry hall. "This is all your fault, human!"

My stomach lurched at his accusation. I"d just gotten started, but I"d thought Sharlar and Helko were making progress. But now they were gone, disappeared without a trace.

Alget"s feathers bristled, his wings flaring out in a display of aggression. "I never should have agreed to let an outsider handle such an important event."

Bhelenia, standing tall beside him, clicked her beak disapprovingly. "Sharlar insisted on having this... human involved. Against my better judgment."

Varie, Alget"s wife, stepped forward, her feathers sleek and composed. "Now, now. Let us not place blame prematurely." She turned her falcon-like gaze toward me. "Savannah, do you have any idea where they might have gone?"

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. "I... I don"t know. They seemed to be getting along better after our activities together."

Ryon moved to my side, his presence reassuring yet also sparking a confusing flutter in my chest. "Savannah did everything she could to help them connect. This isn"t her fault."

Alget scoffed, the sound harsh and grating. "Of course you"d defend her. Your dalliance with this human has clearly clouded your judgment."

Dalliance? My cheeks burned at the implication. What Ryon and I shared went far deeper than a casual fling.

Didn"t it?

Ryon"s feathers ruffled, and I could sense his agitation. "Father, my feelings for Savannah have nothing to do with Sharlar and Helko"s disappearance."

"Enough!" Alget"s wings flared again, his beak snapping shut with an audible click. "This human has been nothing but a distraction. She needs to leave at once."

My heart sank. Leave? After everything I"d experienced here, the wonders I"d witnessed, the connection I felt with this strange, beautiful world... and with Ryon. Leave?

"It's clear you were only interested in getting close to Ryon," Alget spat, his beak clicking in disapproval.

I felt my cheeks heat up. The worst part? He wasn't entirely wrong. But before I could defend myself, Ryon stepped forward.

"That's enough," he said, his voice low but firm. "Savannah didn't do anything wrong."

Varie's eyes narrowed. "Ryon, this is family business."

"And she's part of my life now," he countered, his wings fluttering in agitation. "I won't give her up."

I stared at him, shocked by his defiance. "Ryon?—"

"No," he interrupted, turning to face me. "They need to hear this." He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "I love her."

Silence fell over the room, as heavy as the weight in my chest. Alget's feathers ruffled in disbelief.

"You barely know her!" Bhelenia scoffed from the side, her wings snapping with indignation.

"Doesn't matter," Ryon replied, his eyes locked on mine. "I want to spend my life getting to know her."

My heart skipped a beat. This couldn't be happening. Not like this. "Ryon, you can't be sure?—"

"I am sure," he insisted, taking a step closer to me. "And I'll leave the Zorax family if that's what it takes."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Alget's voice boomed again.

"Ryon," I said softly, reaching out but not quite touching him. "Think about your responsibilities here. And what about my life back on Earth?"

His gaze softened as he looked at me. "It all comes down to one thing, Savannah." He took my hand in his winged grasp. "Do you love me?"

The room seemed to shrink around us as his question hung in the air. I searched his eyes for any sign of doubt but found none.

Did I love him? My mind raced through the whirlwind of emotions and moments we'd shared since I arrived on Teloril—the laughter, the fire, the unexpected connection that had grown between us.

Tears welled up in my eyes as the truth settled over me like a warm blanket on a cold night. Yes, I did love him.

"Yes," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. "I love you."

A collective gasp echoed through the room as tears spilled down my cheeks.

Ryon pulled me into an embrace, his wings wrapping around me protectively. "Then that's all that matters," he murmured into my hair.

Before I could fully process the weight of Ryon"s declaration, he lifted me up and swung me around in a joyous circle. My feet left the ground as a giddy laugh escaped my lips, the sheer elation of the moment washing over me like a tidal wave. In that instant, nothing else mattered—not the stunned silence from his family, not the consequences that might await us. All I knew was the profound love I felt for this extraordinary being holding me close.

As Ryon set me down, still beaming, a cheerful voice rang out from the side. "Yes! I knew it!" Ranna emerged from her hiding spot, feathers ruffled in excitement as she bounded over to us. "You two are perfect together!"

I couldn"t help but smile at the young Draen"s enthusiasm, her unbridled joy a stark contrast to the thunderous expressions on the faces of Alget, Varie, and Bhelenia.

"This is unacceptable," Alget growled, his wings flaring out in a display of dominance. "You will not dishonor our family like this, Ryon."

Ryon"s grip on me tightened, his body tensing as he pulled me closer. "With all due respect, Father, my feelings are not up for debate." His voice was steady, unwavering in the face of Alget"s wrath.

Before the tension could escalate further, the grand doors of the entry hall swung open with a loud creak. Helko and Sharlar strode in, their presence immediately commanding attention.

"What did we miss?" Helko asked, his beak twitching in what I guessed was amusement. His feathers were slightly ruffled, but his eyes shone with a determined gleam.

Sharlar, standing beside him, glanced around at the stunned faces. "Oh, just a bit of family drama?"

"Where have you two been?" Bhelenia demanded, her wings fluttering with barely contained fury.

Helko and Sharlar exchanged a look before Helko stepped forward. "After the scavenger hunt last night, we decided we worked well together. And we"re tired of letting other people decide our future." he announced, his tone firm yet calm. "So we decided to elope."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. Alget's feathers puffed up even more, if that was possible. "You what?"

Sharlar nodded, her blue eyes unwavering. "We got married this afternoon," she said, her voice steady despite the shocked murmurs. "But we won't let our marriage be just a business arrangement."

Varie looked between her son and new daughter-in-law, her expression softening slightly. "You're saying you married for love?"

"Love and friendship," Helko corrected. He took Sharlar's hand in his winged grasp. "We realized we want to build something real together."

Alget's beak clicked in frustration. "This is highly irregular. There are traditions."

"It's not about tradition," Sharlar countered, her feathers bristling slightly. "It's about what feels right for us." She looked at Bhelenia, her gaze softening. "Mother, I think it's what Father would have wanted."

Bhelenia's stern expression wavered for a moment. Her dark blue eyes searched Sharlar's face as if trying to find something long lost.

Varie stepped forward, her wings slightly open in a gesture of peace. "Once upon a time, we were all friends," she said softly, her gaze encompassing everyone in the room.

Alget's feathers slowly settled back into place as he absorbed Varie's words. He glanced at Bhelenia, who seemed momentarily lost in thought.

"Maybe it's time to let go of old grudges," Varie continued gently. "For the sake of our children and their future."

Ryon squeezed my hand reassuringly as we watched the scene unfold. His warmth grounded me amidst the whirlwind of emotions.

Bhelenia finally sighed, her wings drooping slightly as if weighed down by years of unresolved tension. She looked at Sharlar with a mixture of sorrow and resolve. "Perhaps you're right," she admitted quietly.

Helko stepped closer to his new mother-in-law, his bow as correct as always. "We want to honor both our families by building something better."

Ryon pulled me closer again, his wing draped protectively around my shoulders. Despite everything that had happened, I felt an overwhelming sense of hope blooming in my chest.

Sharlar glanced at me and gave a small nod before turning back to address everyone present. "If we are to move forward," she said softly but firmly, "it must be together."

Varie stepped forward first, her wings extending as she enveloped both Helko and Sharlar in an embrace filled with warmth and acceptance.

Bhelenia hesitated for just a moment before following suit, her own wings joining Varie"s in an embrace that spoke volumes about forgiveness and new beginnings.

I watched in awe as Varie and Bhelenia embraced their children, the tension in the room slowly dissipating. It was a powerful moment, one that spoke volumes about the healing power of forgiveness and the strength of familial bonds.

Alget, however, seemed unmoved by the emotional display. His feathers remained ruffled, and his beak clicked with agitation. "This is highly irregular," he grumbled, his wings twitching. "There are traditions to uphold, and we have guests arriving in a week for the ceremony."

Sharlar turned to face her father-in-law, her gaze steady and resolute. "Then let them come," she said, her voice carrying a newfound confidence. "But not for Helko"s and my wedding." She glanced at me, and a mischievous glint sparkled in her bright blue eyes.

My heart skipped a beat as realization dawned on me. Surely, she couldn"t be suggesting?—

"They can come for Savannah and Ryon"s ceremony instead," Sharlar declared, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her beak.

A collective gasp rippled through the room, and my breath caught in my throat. I stared at Sharlar, utterly stunned by her words.

Change the wedding? For Ryon and me? The idea was so sudden, so unexpected, that I could scarcely process it.

Ryon"s grip on my hand tightened, and I turned to look at him, searching his face for any indication of how he felt about this surprising turn of events. His eyes were wide, his feathers slightly ruffled, but there was a warmth in his gaze that spoke volumes.

"Savannah," he said softly, his voice a gentle caress, blocking out all other sound. "I would never ask you to do anything you"re not ready for." His hand cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his touch.

For a moment, everything else faded into the background. The only thing that mattered was the depth of emotion I saw reflected in Ryon"s eyes—a love so pure, so profound, that it rendered me breathless.

Then, slowly, a smile spread across my face, and a bubbling laugh escaped my lips. Of course, this was how it was meant to be. After all the twists and turns, the unexpected revelations and emotional upheavals, what better way to celebrate our love than with a wedding unlike any I had ever planned before?

"Ryon," I said, my voice brimming with joy and excitement. "This is going to be the best wedding. Ever."