RUTH MADE IT A HABIT TO VISIT ME EVERY DAY. HE BROUGHT ME a couple of presents for Gordon, because his health was getting worse every day and he couldn't come to visit me. Gordon always sends me a bouquet of my favourite flowers-dandelions.

I feel so bad, that I can't go and visit him just this once. I want to tell him how thankful I am, that he treated me like a daughter all these years and made sure I'm okay. I wrote him a couple of letters, that Ruth passed, but it still didn't felt right. I wanted to go there myself.

Today was not very busy. The spring is coming, so here in Croyso we are getting a new delivery of herbs, which is not a hard job for me. I was sitting in the shop checking all the packages we received today, when I heard shouting and cheering from outside. I look through the window and I saw a group of people gathered around something, but I couldn't see what.

I stood up and I walk out the shop, because my curiosity got the best of me. And when I reach the crowd I saw them on their beautiful black horses-sir Hebaron, sir Uslin and sir Gabelle were here with Ruth. My heart warmed up, when sir Hebaron's eyes fell on me and he smiled so generously. I missed him!

He got off the horse and he walks past all the people, who were admiring him and his nice shiny armour. He came to me and when he opened his arms I immediately hugged him.

"My daughter!", he shouted and kissed me on the top of my head. I bury my face in his neck and I was ready to cry. I haven't seen him since I left and I felt like a part of me was missing.

"And if that's not our beautiful Eleanor", sir Gabelle looks down at me from his horse and both him and Uslin got off to come and hug me for the first time in years, "you became even more beautiful over the years!", he said.

"Are you flirting with me, Gabelle?", I raise my eyebrow in a cocky way and I see him slightly blushing at my comment.

"Maybe. I've been flirting since I know you, but you never noticed my presence", he puts his hand on his forehead and lets out the most dramatic sight ever, "I feel disrespected".

"Like I would ever give my daughter's hand to someone like you", Hebaron threw him a dirty look, that said: I'm watching you.

"She's not your real daughter, so your opinion doesn't matter to me", Gabelle started with his usual protests and I chuckled.

"Well, he is like a father to her, so you gotta fight for your love along with the rest of us, okay?", Uslin rolled his eyes, then we all started laughing like the good old times.

It's been only two years and you all might say, that it's crazy to miss someone so much just because you haven't seen them in two years, but you don't understand how close I feel all of them. They are like my family. I've never had one, so their love felt like I was at home.

I invited Hebaron, Uslin, Gabelle and Ruth into the pharmacy and I made them a nice green tea with a couple of biscuits I made last night. You should've seen the happy expressions on their faces, when they tried my biscuits.

"I forgot how good your cooking and baking is, Eleanor", sir Uslin said while licking his fingers from the sugar, that was left on them.

"You're going to make someone very happy with your cooking one day", Gabelle joked.

"Oh, no! I have no intentions of marrying soon, so he's got to wait a little", I chuckled.

Even tho it was meant to be a joke, they all looked at me with those serious eyes and they looked at each other before looking back at me. I felt judged for some reason.

"What?", I asked in confusion.

"Eleanor, why don't you wanna marry? Do you still have feelings for Riftan?", sir Hebaron asked me with the most serious look on his face. I'm sure I've never seen it before.

"Why should a woman marry to be happy? I'm pretty sure I can do better on my own like I've always did", I explained.

"It's not like we are doubting your skills to do better on your own", Ruth began saying and he sips out of his tea, "we just want to know, that you're protected and there is someone to take care of you, when you need it", he explained.

"You are here to protect me. I have nothing to worry about", I crossed my arms and I put the most proud expression on my face.

"We haven't seen you in two years, Eleanor, what if something happens, when we are not here to protect you?", Gabelle asked.

"Don't worry, I'm a strong woman. I know how to defend myself. Plus, I feel like God has send a angel to protect me. I feel secure", I explain.

"What about the Riftan part?", Ruth brings the topic, that I was more scared about, "Are you still in love with him the way you were?".

The three men next to Ruth looks at me like they were about to suck the soul out of me, if I say yes. But even tho I know how my answer will affect our conversation, I still said yes.

"I think, that I'll never get over him", I sat down in front of them and I put my hands on my lap, "I believe he was my true love and no man after him can impress me. I know, that he is married now and probably very happy with Lady Maximilian Cro..I mean Calypse. But I still can't forget about the man I loved".

"Old people say, that no one ever forgets their first love, but we continue living", sir Uslin nods his head as he was saying this, "you can't just close your heart forever, because you can't forget about Riftan. You gotta move on, even if it's hard for you to get through it".

"He's right", sir Hebaron adds, "I never ever forgot the first woman I ever loved and it was hard for me to look at other women after her, but I eventually moved on. We can't be stuck in the past forever. Life goes on".

"But...you're single?", Ruth looks at him.

"Because I'm too busy to date right now. You don't need to bring it up, jerk!", Hebaron turns to Ruth and shouts at him. He always gets so defensive, when it comes to the fact, that he's 35 and still not married. We all laughed at him.

Riftan's pov:
Why are all my knights here today? Why are they laughing with her? I thought as I was watching from the distance my Eleanor smiling to my knights. At first it was only the magician, who came to visit everyday. Now they too.

I was getting really jealous. It wasn't, because I had any problems with my knights meeting her or anything, I know they love her so much, she was a part of our family too. I'm jealous of the fact, that they can see her and I can't. And now especially with Gordon's health he doesn't shut up how I should go and invite her to visit.

Do you think it's that easy..to just go there and say: hey, I know we are in love with each other and I choose another woman over you and I let you leave me forever, but do you wanna come and visit us? Yeah, right. If I do that, I would slap myself.

And still. The idea of seeing her sounds really fascinating to me. If I only had a chance to change the way I look at least once just so I can go there and talk to her once more..I would kill for that. I would do anything for that.

Or...can I? Can I do it? Of course I can. I can buy any spells and potions on the market to change my looks. I'll see her again.

UNEDITED