[Warning: Spoilers for both Red Dead Redemption & RDR2 below.]
Not many characters got a happy ending in Red Dead Redemption 2, and even though John and Abigail Marston get married in the epilogue, the story behind Abigail’s wedding ring is sad. Perhaps the dark history behind the engagement ring was meant to foreshadow John and Abigail’s untimely endings.
The ring originally belonged to Mary Linton, Arthur Morgan’s love interest both before and during the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. The former couple has a long history between them after falling in love in their youth, but Arthur’s outlaw lifestyle and Mary’s overbearing family seemingly prevented the couple from ever making it work between them.
In RDR2, it appears that Arthur and Mary may be rekindling their romance after he helps save her brother from a cult, and later assists in confronting her father as he tries to pawn Mary’s late mother’s belongings. Arthur and Mary spend a romantic evening at the theater, and afterwards he promises her they’ll run away together like they always planned once he gets enough money together. But ultimately things didn’t work out between the star-crossed lovers, and Mary left Arthur heartbroken, explaining how the ring ended up in John and Abigail’s possession.
Why Mary Gave The Ring Back To Arthur In RDR2
During RDR2’s Beaver Hollow Chapter, Arthur receives a letter from Mary telling him that things are over for good between them. She encloses the engagement ring he gave her alongside a long letter explaining that she believes he’ll never change. She apologizes for how things went down, and in particular, for not being able to break-up with him face-to-face. An important detail in the letter is that Mary gives Arthur her blessing to pass the ring on to another couple, which explains why he gives the ring to John before the Marston family flees town after the Van der Linde gang disbands.
Later, in Red Dead Redemption 2’s epilogue, players witness John propose to Abigail with the ill-fated ring. It’s unclear if Abigail knows the history of the engagement ring. The couple ultimately tie the knot in front of their son Jack as well as Uncle, Sadie, and Charles, after Arthur’s passing. Players also see a glimpse of Mary in the epilogue, too, where she’s seen visiting Arthur’s grave. Mary can be seen wiping away tears from her face as she pays respect to her former lover, leaving players to wonder if she regrets giving up on their relationship. Needless to say, Abigail Marston’s ring in Red Dead Redemption has a sad history attached to it.