In the end, Aslan couldn't shake off the Spear of Destiny. Reluctantly, he added a third charm tag—this one to resize the spear. Now it dangled around his neck like a pendant.
Melusine, furious, went on a hunger strike for three days.
Aslan could only sigh in defeat. Who would've thought the Spear of Destiny had such a mind of its own?
To avoid further stoking a certain armed dragon's jealousy, Aslan retreated into the forest. Calming down a jealous dragon was no easy task—he had nearly offered his entire body as collateral.
"This body, my soul—every inch of me is yours," he had nearly proclaimed while stripping.
Besides, what was he supposed to do? Marry a spear? And if he did, he'd have to sleep with one eye open—lest the thing slice off something important.
Thankfully, the completion of their contract rings helped ease Melusine's heart. Their bond had deepened; and even if she still felt a twinge of rivalry, she now saw the sword and spear as Aslan's possessions. As long as she didn't fall, everything else was secondary.
Aslan was now searching for the perfect moment and place to present Melusine with the ring. After consulting the fairies, they recommended a secluded riverbank—framed by emerald trees and gemstones glinting in rainbow hues. Under moonlight, the scene turned dreamlike, and if lucky, one might even glimpse the aurora.
That sealed it. Melusine loved the aurora—an eternal, cosmic beauty stretching back 4.6 billion years.
On the chosen day, Aslan prepared a special barbecue, using ingredients he and Melusine hunted together. They passed no fairies—he had specifically requested solitude, and no fairy could refuse a handsome man's heartfelt plea.
As the sun dipped, they arrived at the riverbank.
The sky shifted from amber to deep sapphire, and the river mirrored it—flashes of orange, blue, and purple danced across its surface. The surrounding gemstones shimmered like stardust.
It was not the gaudy opulence of gold, but the sublime magic only nature could bestow.
Melusine seemed to sense something. She stood before the water, wind rustling her silver hair. Her golden eyes, reflecting the sky and river, seemed to flicker with hidden hues. Then she turned and smiled at Aslan.
In that instant, Aslan forgot everything.
Not the aurora, not the stars, not the forest or river could match the radiance of the white-haired girl before him.
Perhaps, just perhaps, he already held the most precious treasure in all the British Isles.
He placed his hand over his heart. The fairy runes etched into his chest began to glow. From them, two rings materialized in his palm.
He slipped one onto his own hand, then knelt gently before her, like a knight before his queen.
With one hand on his heart and the other holding hers, he spoke as the last sliver of sunlight vanished and stars and aurora shimmered above.
"Melusine, from the moment we forged our first contract, I swore I would one day give you the sky. If you have no harbor to return to, then I shall become your anchor—your island across the endless seas.
Today, I fulfill that promise. I offer you an eternal contract. From this moment forward, whether land or sky, no matter how far the horizon stretches, I will follow."
He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, then raised the second ring.
"Melusine, my dragon. Will you accept this bond?"
She snatched the ring and slipped it onto her finger without hesitation. Her chin lifted proudly, though a glint of moisture sparkled in her eyes.
"Do I even need to say it, Aslan?! I was born because of you—my wings beat only for you! Whether we soar above clouds or fall into darkness, I will never leave your side. You'll never get rid of me!"
She threw her arms around him, spun twice, and then—splash—the two of them tumbled into the river.
Water covered them both, glittering under the aurora like a curtain of gemstones.
Melusine sat atop Aslan, her soaked hair glowing with celestial light. No one could tell if the droplets on her face were tears or river water, but one thing was certain—their smiles, wide and radiant, outshone even the aurora.
Aslan gently patted her back. "Alright, alright, no more crying. Today's a happy day, isn't it? Let's get out of the water."
He braced himself to stand—but stopped.
His fingers hadn't touched stone. It was metal.
Something was wrong.