Bitterroot Valley I waited for you

It was easy to believe in the fairy tale of it. That their romance had turned to true love, and that this love made her see him differently than everyone else; better, and more purely. His words made her heart sing, and though she had fully expected to be asked now for her hand in marriage, the question still made her breath catch.

"My... my father," she said, though she'd never actually addressed @Rodyn as this, and was not sure if she was overstepping. She just wanted this moment to be perfect, and her perfect moment included having a father. She thought instantly of Moontide's former leader, who had sheltered and watched over her and her family for as long as she could remember. "You must ask him for my bride price. And my mother will want to meet you."

But he gave her something else, then. Something she knew at once was far more precious. Some of the stars faded from her eyes, and this time, she really looked at him. It was disconcerting to feel surprise at this revelation. Shouldn't she have suspected that he'd been born with a different name? If they were in love, if she really saw him. But she did not know what to make of it.

Except —

Except it was clear to her that he really needed someone to see him as Cövah. Even though he was a man, now, and perhaps twice her age. There was still a boy inside him. Still some secret vulnerability that she'd not yet even guessed at.

"Cövah," she repeated with a little smile. She pressed another kiss to his face, this one more affectionate than risque. "I want to know more about this boy," she told him, because she felt it would help her better understand the man.

Something she was only just realizing she would need.