Ella and Kit stood quietly, hand in hand. In front of them were the two newest additions to the palace’s royal portrait gallery— one of Ella’s mother and one of her father. Ella smiled and squeezed Kit’s hand. So much had changed in such a short time. Seeing her family there among Kit’s, Ella felt love and happiness surge through her.
Kit smiled. “We must have a portrait of you painted,” he teased, bringing them both back to the night of the ball, when they had stood in that very spot.
“Oh, no,” Ella teased, playing along. “I do hate myself in paintings.”
Kit put a hand to his heart, as though struck. “Be kind,” he said, grinning.
“And have courage,” Ella replied, this back and forth now a part of their daily routine. A way to remind themselves of all they had and all they could have lost if not for their strength and conviction.
“And all will be well,” Kit finished.
They looked at the doors at the end of the gallery. “Are you ready?” Ella asked as they began to walk toward them.
“For anything,” Kit replied. “So long as it’s with you.”
Together, they pushed the doors open and walked out into the sunshine, where their subjects awaited the royal wedding. And as they said their vows and promised to love and cherish each other, it was clear to all those who had gathered that this fairy tale would end as all fairy tales should… with a happily ever after.
瑞拉和基特手牽著手靜靜地站著。他們面前是王室畫廊里的兩件新作品——一幅是瑞拉母親的肖像,一幅是瑞拉的父親。瑞拉笑著緊緊握著基特的手。在這短短的時間里發(fā)生了太多的變化。看到父母的畫像和基特家人的畫像擺放在一起,瑞拉心里的幸福甜蜜油然而生。
基特微笑著。“我們要給你畫張像。”他調皮地說,把瑞拉帶到了舞會那天晚上他們站著的那個地方。
“噢,不,”瑞拉也開玩笑地說,“我不喜歡畫像里的自己。”
基特用手摸著心口,仿佛很難過。“仁慈而善良,”他笑著說。
“堅強而勇敢,”瑞拉回答,現在這兩句一問一答已經成了他們兩人每天固定要做的事情。這樣他們可以記住自己經歷過的一切,以及如果沒有力量和信心他們可能會失去的一切。
“一切都會好起來的,”基特說。
他們看著畫廊盡頭的門。“你準備好了嗎?”他們朝門口走去時瑞拉問道。
“一切都準備好了,”基特回答,“只要有你在身邊。”
他們一起推開門走進了明媚的陽光里,在那兒,他們的臣民們正等待著王室的婚禮。當他們起誓要愛對方、珍惜對方的時候,所有在場的人都明白這個童話故事要結束了,和所有的童話故事一樣……結局是他們從此幸福地生活在一起。