"Is this the end of all the endings?" - King Of My Heart, Taylor Swift

I'm perfectly fine, I live on my own. I made up my mind, I'm better off being alone. If only I could tell my parents that. Because everything in my life fell right into place, Arora and I got our lives together in the City of Dreams.

We met a few months ago, and now she's trying on calling me 'baby' like trying on clothes. We had lived just a few weeks in our city and it had become time to take the next step. The citizens had gladly accepted Arora and I as their rulers, but we still needed to get our title as queens of the city.

Arora and I had invited Damian to the gardens of our new palace. Damian had made me the new ruler of the city, because he was most acquainted with me. So before Arora could also be crowned Queen of the City of Dreams, something needed to happen.

We wore fine clothes for the occasion, but it was still winter. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to do it in the gardens, but it was the place that Arora had come to love the most.

"I'm a little bit nervous," Arora whispered to me while we walked towards Damian.

"Me too," I whispered back. But there was no need. It was safe, Arora and I loved each other and that feeling wouldn't ever disappear.

"I'm so happy you invited me for this," Damian said when Arora and I reached the arch in the rose garden where we decided to meet. "I'm honored to witness this."

"You're the one that made this possible," I just said.

Next to me, Arora shrugged. "It's colder than it looks. Let's get this done," she said.

"I agree," I said with a smile on my face.

"Alright," Damian started. "There's no official text for this, right?"

I shook my head. "We'll just improvise."

"Well, I'll just listen to what you have to say," Damian answered.

I felt awkward and I saw in Arora's eyes that she did, too. I understood now why most people did this by surprise. I was the first to sink to my knees and pull out the ring I had bought for Arora.

"You know I've loved you since September. You know my heart never stopped beating for you. You know I gave up everything I had for you. We might be disowned by our own parents, but we built our own kingdom. Because you're the Queen of my heart, body and soul. All at once, you are the one I have been waiting for. You rule the kingdom inside my rooms," I said. "Arora Aurum, will you marry me?"

Then Arora sank to her knees and pulled out a little box with an even more stunning ring. "I still can't believe I fell in love with you in only a few days. People always talk about soulmates, and I was a fool to not believe them. You're my soulmate. Ebony, you are love in its truest form, you're like rain after a warm summer day, the smell of freshly cut grass, the sound of birds in spring. You're like snowflakes falling down in the winter, I fell for you like leaves in fall. I will always choose you, in dreams and nightmares," she said and tears began to wet my eyes. "Ebony Navalle Keeling, will you marry me?"

I wiped a tear from my cheek. This was the woman I loved, the only one that got my heart. The only one that knew me better than I did. "Yes, I want to marry you," I said.

She smiled at me and a tear ran down her cheek. "And I want to marry you, Ebony," She said.

We exchanged rings and I almost cried again at the sheer perfectness of the ring Arora chose for me. It was more beautiful than anything I could ever have picked out. Arora had an eye for that. After that, we got up on our feet and I hugged her tight, and kissed her, and hugged her again, and cried a bit.

For a time that felt like ages, we stood there, the two happiest women in the world. Then I looked at Damian, who stood there crying. I let go of Arora and hugged Damian.

"That was beautiful to witness," he said.

"You deserve to experience the same, Damian," I whispered to him. We stood there, in silence in the cold, just being happy.

"We need to get inside," Arora said. "We have another event to attend this afternoon."

I nodded and we parted ways again, walking into the warm interior of our palace. When we arrived in our room, I kissed Arora again. And another time when we were dressing in our most beautiful dresses.

At exactly four in the afternoon, Arora and I arrived at the ballroom. All of the attendants had already arrived, waiting for us to arrive. Arora and I wore our most beautiful ballgowns. I wore a dark blue one with a matching mantle. Arora's gown was pink with gold and she also wore a mantle. The trains or our mantles were several meters long and quite impractical to walk with. But this was not a normal occasion.

Because now Arora and I were officially engaged - with Damian as our witness - we could both be crowned as queens of the City of Dreams.

The doors started to open and I had to let Arora's hand go. Accompanied by the sound of trumpets, I walked into the room, the train heavy behind me. But I walked right at the thrones at the end of the room, passing everyone that had come to the coronation. I saw many of the citizens I had come to meet the past few weeks, I saw the palace staff, but also some other royals. The Princess of the City of Flowers was present, just like her family and also the Queen of the Haunted City had traveled to the City of Dreams. Damian and his parents were sitting in the front row. I nodded to him as I passed, I owed this moment to only him.

I ended at the raised podium where the two thrones stood. There was an official waiting for me, the same man we had planned this day with. We decided not to have too many formalities and keep it simple.

"Ebony Navalle Keeling," the man started. "It's your wish to step forward as official Queen of the City of Dreams, is that correct?"

"That is correct," I said with a clear, loud voice.

"The city counsel has accepted your wish. You're here today to be crowned as Queen of the city. Please speak your vows."

"I, Ebony Navalle Keeling, will reign the City of Dreams with a fair hand. I will respect the law and will defend the city in times of war. I will serve the city and its citizens until my final breath, as it is my duty and my right."

"Please bow for your city, to receive your crown."

I sank to my knees, bowed my head and closed my eyes. I knew two little boys from the city came walking towards me with my crown - the ancient crown of the City of Dreams - on a pillow. I knew the officiant would pick up the crown from the pillow and put it on my head.

When I felt the weight of the crown on my head, I dared to open my eyes. The officiant smiled at me and nodded his head. I rose up and turned to the full ballroom.

"Ebony Navalle Keeling, Queen of the City of Dreams," the officiant said and everyone in the room began applauding. I smiled at the people before me, my people and the other royals.

After I was crowned and had taken my place beside the thrones - muy dress was too big to sit on the throne - Arora entered the room. She would undergo the same ceremony as I did and I watched with a smile full of love how she spoke her vows and received her crown from two little girls.

"Arora Aurum, Queen of the City of Dreams," the officiant said as Arora rose up and turned to the room. Everyone began cheering again, maybe even louder than they did for me. I got the idea that Arora was even more favored by the people than I was.

Arora joined me beside the thrones and a servant brought us two glasses of wine. We took them from him and raised our glasses.

"To an age of peace and serenity," Arora said.

"Long may we reign," I said and we took a sip from our glasses. That was the cue for the audience to applaud again. I felt the happiest I had ever felt, this day couldn't get any better.

But it turned out it could. After the coronation, there was a ball. Arora and I had left the party early to celebrate together, in our bedroom. After a few minutes, we only both wore our crowns. Our sex was different than a few weeks ago, more mature, more controlled. But still as fun.

It was late in the night, the city was asleep. Arora's love is a secret I'm hoping, willing, dying to keep. Change my priorities, but the taste of her lips is my idea of luxury.

I asked myself, is this the end of all the endings? Because my broken bones are mending with all the nights we're spending. Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff. Baby, all at once, this is enough. Being with Arora will always be enough, my eternal golden sunshine.