“I will,” she promised, grateful in that moment for Paulina’s example of living a fulfilled and happy life without marriage and children. Otherwise, she wasn’t certain she could make such a promise. “And you,” she said. “Promise me you’ll move on, that you’ll open yourself to love. You shouldn’t be alone in this world, Henry. Promise me you’ll do your best, even if it’s difficult.”

He hesitated but said, “I promise . . . if that’s what you want.”

“It’s what I know is right; I can’t be happy if I know you’re alone.”

He drew back slightly, and she opened her eyes to see him gazing at her. “I love you; I’ll always love you.”

“I love you too, Henry,” she said, and he kissed her with a kiss that seemed to encompass everything they’d shared, all they’d hoped for, and even the heartbreak of letting go of those hopes. His kiss was lengthy but still far too brief. He looked at her with silent yearning in his eyes, and a glisten of tears, then he turned and walked away, leaving in haste as if he had to before he changed his mind and backed down on his word.

Amala stood where she was, trying to hold on to the moment, until her legs felt tired and she crawled into the nearest carriage, curling up on the seat to try to fully accept that the remarkable and wondrous romantic journey she’d shared with Henry was over. And logic told her that it would be the one and only romantic experience of her life. She needed to keep her promise to him; she needed to find a way to be happy. But it would take time. For now, she simply needed to grieve over all she had lost. Still, she couldn’t deny that the ache in her heart seemed strangely worth it. She wouldn’t trade away all she’d shared with Henry in order to be free of it. All the extremes of joy and heartache made her feel more alive, wiser, more a part of the human race. He had taught her the meaning of love, and he’d given her the knowledge that one had to truly know love in order to know true loss. She felt as if she better understood the impact of her parents’ deaths for that very reason. It would take time—and plenty of it—to fully come to understand all she’d gained from these experiences, but she would forever be grateful for all that Henry had taught her about life and love, about devotion and loss. Oh, how she loved him!