Chapter 18: Declaration

The following night they decided to dine in.

Once they ended up in the entertainment room, the discussion changed to wedding plans again. Prue had been stewing on the couch, and Nianna was, as per usual, in Tah’s lap.

Prue still couldn’t accept that the only way of getting out of marrying Tah was to petition his father. She also knew it would cost her a lot to get out of the agreement. Jonas had made it very clear that he approved of the marriage. He wouldn’t be happy with her.

“Wait, it hasn’t been a year since your father gave us permission,” Prue said to Tah, still looking for a way out.

Tah looked up at her and he sighed. Damn, she could be a stubborn woman. He replied, “True, but we became engaged on the ship, my love. It has been over a year. My father stipulated that he supported our engagement and it had to be for a minimum year and either could pull-out in that time. Only a petition will now break the agreement.”

Prue looked at him and then flicked her eyes to Tina and Raghu. They both nodded in agreement. It had been over a year since he asked her to marry him. She realised while it may be semantics he was correct. She looked down at the ring and turned it around on her finger. She was in turmoil. She didn’t know what she wanted to do.

“He speaks the truth, Prue. Everything he has said is true,” Ty said, wishing he could help her.

Grace had been serving tea. She looked at the distraught young woman. She came over and hugged Prue. “Yes, you do, it’s why you still wear the ring girl. Your heart knows, even if your head is still fighting it. He is not like your first husband. He truly loves you for you, not what you can give him.”

Ty nodded in agreement to Grace’s statement. He’d had the same problem, so he understood Prue’s predicament. He glanced at Willow, and she gave him her loving smile. He smiled back and took her hand in his. He knew that she truly loved him, and his head and heart were both in agreement at last that he truly did love her too.

The tears dripped down Prue’s face. How could they know her heart when she didn’t? She knew Grace had a Gift, for telling when people loved each other. Ty said Tah told the truth, that he truly did love her. His gift of hearing the truth spoken by others had never failed him before.

Nianna crawled into her lap and held her face in her little hands. Prue looked into the big green serious eyes of her daughter. Then Tah wrapped his arms around both of them. “I love you, Prue, truly I do. You and Nianna are my family. I will live wherever the hell you want me to, as long as I’m with you, my love.”

Prue looked up into his face and knew he spoke the truth. They both looked down as Nianna moved one of her hands onto Tah’s cheek and said clearly, “Mummy, daddy, Nia.”

Prue smiled through her tears. How did you argue with a child’s logic? As far as Nianna was concerned, Tah had always been her daddy. Prue caressed her daughter’s cheek and gave in. She nodded, “Yes, mummy, daddy and Nia.”

Nianna looked at them both with her big serious eyes then said, “Good, Nia play.” She then scrambled down to find the other kids. It was the first time Prue had seen Nianna willingly leave Tah, to go play without him.

Tah laughed and snuggled Prue into his side. “Damn smart kid we have,” he told her.

Everyone else had to agree. There were lots of smiles and well wishes around the room, and all were happy that Prue and Tah had finally sorted out their love life.

Prue looked at Tina and Raghu again to see the smiles on their faces, and Tina’s hand was held tightly in Raghu’s hand. She realised Tina had refused Raghu because she wouldn’t leave her while she was in turmoil.

Vincent looked at Ulani, and she momentarily met his eyes and then looked away. He still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He knew he wanted her but he wasn’t ready for permanent, he had a feeling she knew this too.