I didn't get from this story that Gareth 'must wed' as the previous reviewer wrote, but there was no doubt that Jessica was his true soul mate. There are only a handful of heros worth remembering and Gareth is certainly one of them. Every action, every word he spoke, every thought, was perfect. Even when he was less than perfect [in his own mind], when he explained to Jessica that he was 'adequate' with a sword and dueling, he was wonderful. The author did an outstanding job with his dialogue; he said just the right thing every time. Well done, Ms Allen.