The three weeks flew by in a blur of activity.  We had successfully helped the villagers, their faces now bearing a glimmer of hope instead of fear.  A grand banquet was held to celebrate our victory, a joyous occasion filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses.
 
Kaufman and I returned home, exhausted but content.  But as the days turned into weeks, a strange silence settled between us.  We were both busy, consumed by our duties, but something had shifted.  The easy banter, the shared laughter, the comfortable silence all seemed to have vanished.  Kaufman seemed distant, his eyes filled with an unknown sadness.  
 
"What's happening, Kaufman?" I wanted to ask, but the words caught in my throat.  Fear, a cold, sharp knot, twisted in my stomach.  What if he didn't want to talk to me anymore?  What if I had somehow pushed him away?
 
"If he doesn't want to talk, fine," I thought, trying to convince myself.  "I can do this alone.  I'm strong, independent, capable."  But the words tasted hollow, a desperate attempt to mask the ache in my heart.
 
Meanwhile, at the palace, a different kind of drama unfolded.  Connor, the ever-loyal advisor, approached Harton with a proposition.  "Your Majesty, wouldn't it be wise to hold another grand ball?  You could choose a wife, someone to share the throne with."
 
Harton, however, was not interested.  "No, not yet," he said, a wistful expression clouding his features.  "I need to speak to someone first.  I remember her, my first love."
 
………
 
A jolt of surprise shot through me.  Harton was looking for me?  Why?  What did he want?  A wave of confusion washed over me, followed by a flicker of hope.  Perhaps, just perhaps, he had remembered me, too.
 
I decided to visit the palace, my heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.  With a snap of my fingers, I vanished, reappearing at the palace entrance.  A group of women huddled nearby, their voices hushed, their eyes gleaming with ambition.
 
"I heard the King is looking for a wife," one whispered, her voice laced with a hint of desperation.  "Do you think I'm a good match?"
 
"Well, three years ago she proposed to someone," another chimed in, her voice dripping with disdain.  "Rumor has it she just vanished, or ran away.  Poor King."
 
"If I were her, I'd marry the King right away!" a third woman exclaimed, her laughter echoing through the hall. 
 
I pushed past them, my heart thudding against my ribs.  I found Harton in his office, his back to me, staring out the window. 
 
"The sky is so clear today, isn't it?" he said, his voice a soft murmur.  I nodded, unable to speak.  He turned to face me, a hesitant smile gracing his lips.
 
"Ms. Zerah," he began, his voice laced with a nervous tremor, "I have a proposal for you.  What do you think?"
 
"What kind of proposal?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.  He reached for something on his desk, a small velvet box.
 
"I heard you're looking for a wife," I said, my voice laced with a hint of irony.
 
"Well, yes," he admitted, his eyes meeting mine.  "I need someone beside me, someone to help me rule this kingdom."
 
"So, what is your proposal?" I pressed, my heart pounding.  He opened the box, revealing a beautiful ring, its diamond glittering like a star.
 
"Zerah," he said, his voice filled with emotion, "will you marry me?  Will you be my wife?  Will you be the person beside me for the rest of your life?"
 
My eyes widened, my heart racing.  "Why me?" I asked, my voice trembling.  Had he remembered me? 
 
"Zerah," he said, his voice filled with a love that seemed to radiate from him, "you are my ideal girl.  I fell in love with you."
 
"I need time to think," I said, trying to calm my racing thoughts.  "And, please, excuse me.  I should go.  And one more thing," I added, my voice gaining strength, "our worlds are different.  You are mortal, I am immortal.  Think about that, Harton."
 
I turned to leave, but he caught my arm, pulling me back.  He wrapped his arms around me, his embrace warm and comforting.
 
"I don't care if our worlds are different, Zerah," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.  "I want to be with you.  I want to be yours."
 
I gently pulled away from his embrace, my heart torn.  I ran down the hallway, the echo of his words ringing in my ears. 
 
The world was a whirlwind of emotions, a kaleidoscope of confusion and longing.  I yearned for answers, for clarity, for a path through the maze of my own life.  But for now, I was lost, adrift in a sea of uncertainty, my heart a tangled mess of conflicting desires.
 
I returned home, my heart heavy with the weight of Harton's proposal. The familiar path led me to the ancient oak tree, its gnarled branches reaching towards the heavens, a silent witness to my journey.  It was here, beneath its sheltering canopy, that my memories had first flooded back, a torrent of emotions and experiences that had reshaped my world. 
 
As if sensing my turmoil, Kaufman emerged from the shadows, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and longing.  He reached for my hand, his touch a gentle reassurance.
 
"Zerah, I know you're angry with me," he began, his voice a low murmur.  "But will you give me a chance to explain?  I've been wanting to tell you this, to talk to you, but I was so scared, so afraid of what you might think."
 
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest.  "Tell me, Kaufman," I whispered, my voice barely audible.  "What is it?"
 
He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a raw vulnerability.  "Zerah, you know I love you, right?"  I nodded, my throat constricting with emotion.  "And the thing is, I didn't want you to leave me.  When you were still human, you and Harton shared a love, a deep connection.  You even declined your role as a guardian, but because of the consequences, you were forced to become one, to leave your life behind."
 
A tear rolled down Kaufman's cheek, tracing a shimmering path across his face.  "To be honest, I was overjoyed when you became a guardian, because finally, I had someone to share my journey with.  I didn't want to be left behind, to be alone.  That's why I acted the way I did.  Please forgive me, Zerah.  I didn't mean to hurt you."
 
He knelt before me, his shoulders shaking with sobs.  His plea for forgiveness was raw, heartfelt, and utterly devastating.  I reached down, my hand finding his, and gently pulled him to his feet.
 
The world around us seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us, bound by a shared history, a shared love, and a shared pain.  I looked into Kaufman's eyes, filled with a love so deep, so profound, that it threatened to consume me. 
 
My heart ached with the weight of his emotions, with the realization of the depth of his love, and with the conflicting desires that tugged at my soul.  Harton, with his gentle soul and unwavering devotion, had offered me a life of stability, of shared power, of a love that felt safe and familiar. 
 
But Kaufman, with his passionate intensity, with his unwavering loyalty, with his love that burned with the fierceness of a thousand suns, had offered me something different, something wild and untamed, something that resonated with the very core of my being.
 
I was caught in the middle, my heart torn between two loves, two destinies, two paths that seemed to diverge into infinity.  And as I stood there, beneath the ancient oak tree, the weight of my decision pressed down on me, a crushing burden that threatened to consume me.