Archive of Our Own ^beta

Rean awoke around 6:30 in the morning. He didn’t have any classes to teach or any patrols to go on today, but he still liked to keep in the habit of getting an early start to the day. Despite now bearing the title of Divine Blade, something that still felt a little unreal to him, he still practiced just as much, if not more. Just because he has the highest title doesn’t mean he can’t improve.

After practicing for about an hour, he ate a light breakfast and walked to the Leeves train station. On the way, he encountered a few townsfolk and a couple students who hadn’t gone home for the new year.

“Sup’ Schwarzer,” Rean heard from behind him. Even if he didn’t recognize the voice, Rean could tell who had greeted him. Only one student would even think of talking to him like that, not that he minded it.

“Good morning Ash,” Rean said as he turned around to face him. “I’m just heading to the train station. I’m gonna be in Legram for about 2 days. Can I trust you to not get into trouble?”

“Do you even have to ask that? Course you can’t. Legram though? What’re you gonna do- Oh, yeah. That's Arseid's territory isn’t it. Well, have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Ash said with a wink.

“Why are you the one trying to lecture me right now? Also, is there anything you wouldn’t do?”

“Gimme a break. Pretty much everyone but me and Altina went back home for the new year, I got nobody to mess with.”

“Well, I’d love to stay and let you get your fix, but I really need to catch the train.” Rean didn’t want to be rude to his student, but he really needed to get going.

“Whatever. See ya Schwarzer.”

After saying goodbye to Ash, Rean made his way to the station. He bought his ticket and boarded the train. Before he could get too comfortable, he had to transfer lines at Bareahard, not without being recognized by some people. Thankfully he was able to get away, and from there it was a straight ride to Legram.

The proceeding ride was mundane, Legram wasn’t much of a tourist location; especially not during the new year, where people would typically go to Heimdallr or Saint-Arkh. Luckily, the shortage of people meant Rean could get some much needed rest on the train. He also needed the privacy to psyche himself up mentally, as the rest of the day was sure to be eventful.

After the two train rides, Rean finally arrived in Legram. The lakeside town wasn’t foggy today, instead the sky was clear, the sun reflecting off the nearby lake. Stepping out of the station, he was met with both Laura and Victor. He expected Laura would be there to receive him, but had not expected the Viscount would as well. Normally he would have immediately given Laura a hug or kiss, probably both, but the presence of her father intimidated him still. Even if he only had one arm and still had some lung troubles from his fight with McBurn, his presence alone was intimidating. He very much looked the part of an overprotective father.

However, he did not act the part, at all really. “Rean! It’s good to see you again.” The Viscount walked towards Rean, his arm spread out to give him a firm hug. Rean awkwardly put his arms around Victor, still not quite used to his forwardness.

“It’s good to see you too, Viscount Arseid. How’ve you been?” Rean’s arms were still around the viscount, unsure if he should pull away or let him decide when it was over. He didn’t have to make the choice though, as the Viscount moved his arm from around Rean’s back to his shoulder.

“How long have I been telling you to just call me Victor? You’ve been dating my daughter since you were both at Thors, you’re more than welcome to drop the formalities.” The Viscount’s voice was as powerful as ever, sounding more like a command than a suggestion.

“I know, I know, it just doesn’t feel right to me,” Rean said.

“Nonsense, you’re practically family at this point! The only reason you aren’t is because neither of you have proposed yet.” The last part Victor made sure only Rean could hear.

“Well, uh, funny you mention that. I was thinking of asking you today if I could maybe… have your blessing for her hand in marriage?” He said it a little fast, feeling like his heart was beating out of his chest.

Victor actually looked taken aback for a second, a sight Rean doesn’t see much of. “Of course you can. I don’t see why you would have to ask in the first place with how often I encourage you. And besides, she’s her own woman. She’s free to do what she pleases, with or without my blessing.”

Rean let out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was holding. He knew he had little reason to think the Viscount would be opposed, but he wanted to ask regardless; for formality's sake if nothing else. “Thank you Visco- actually, I guess I really should get used to calling you Victor now.”

While Rean and the Viscount laughed, Laura stood behind them unamused. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about for the most part, or rather it seemed she wasn’t supposed to. She respected that, but could only wait so long. It seemed like the important part of the conversation had passed, so she cleared her throat to draw the attention of the two men.

“Oh, sorry Laura! I didn’t mean to ignore you like that, I just had to go over something with your father.” Rean walked towards Laura to give her a hug and kiss, which she readily accepted.

“All this time and you can still be surprisingly oblivious. I’ve missed you Rean. I know it’s only been a few weeks at most but… a few weeks is far too long.” The two swordsmen were still in the hug, a warm embrace after being apart for so long. Victor looked at the two and only smiled; they both looked happy in each other's arms. He thought they deserved that after all they’ve been through. He still hadn’t eaten breakfast though, and their plans took priority.

“Alright, I know it’s been a while but we really must be going. You can continue later, but we have brunch to get to.”

“Oh, sorry father!” Laura quickly separated from Rean, a slight blush on her face. She thought about how desperate she must have looked from that display. She couldn’t help it though, it’s been too long since she had seen Rean last.

Rean just laughed it off, before saying they should all get going. They left the station, and walked in the direction of the Aprikoze Inn. Rean had been there a few times, and regarded it as the best in the area. Sure there were fancier places not too far away in Bareahard, but the inn had a pleasant homemade feel to it; the more grand restaurants frequented by nobles couldn’t replicate that.

The trio of swordsmen arrived at the Inn, after receiving a warm welcome they were seated and their orders were taken. While waiting, they engaged in idle conversation. How they’ve been since their last meeting, what they’ve been up to, and other small things like that.

Soon their food arrived, and they all wasted no time in digging in. Rean and Laura shared a plate of pancakes since they had both eaten a small meal in the morning (and because they thought it would be fun), while Victor had a breakfast sandwich with a side of coffee.

“So Vis- Victor, will you be in Legram for the whole day?” Rean asked, catching himself on almost calling Victor “Viscount Arseid”.

“As long as nothing urgent comes up I should be. Don’t worry though, I won’t stop you two from spending time alone together. Though if you two end up engaging in anything excessively intimate I ask that you stay quiet and clean up after yourselves.” Victor said with a slight grin.

Laura was in the middle of taking a sip of her drink, and hearing that caused her to swallow it wrong and start coughing. “F-father that was highly unnecessary!”

Rean laughed as he patted Laura on the back to try and help her clear her throat. Once that ordeal had passed, the conversation continued mostly like normal. The viscount took the opportunity to ask them about their relationship, realizing he had never actually heard many of the details. The questions were along the lines of high school gossip; what their first date had been, who confessed first, when they first kissed; the typical things a parent would be interested in. Laura was almost thankful her father was only asking these questions now, as she surely would’ve turned into a blushing mess if he had asked the same questions when she’d started dating Rean.

Soon the trio finished their food, Victor insisting he would pay for all three of them. Once he had finished, the three left for the mansion. They were greeted by Klaus upon arrival, and the butler took Reans belongings to the room he would be staying in. Which room that was Rean didn’t know, but it hardly mattered at the moment since he would be leaving the mansion with Laura shortly. The viscount decided to stay at the mansion, to look over some documents and to give his daughter some time alone with his future son in law. He didn’t mention that last part to them however; he wouldn’t want to put the idea in Laura’s head that Rean might propose tonight.

After dropping off Rean’s things, he and Laura left the Arseid mansion. They walked around Legram aimlessly for a while, refreshing his memory of the town; it had been a year since he had last visited after all. With how busy he’s been since becoming an instructor, not the mention the Great Twilight, he hadn’t had the time to visit her hometown in quite a while.

Walking around and seeing the townsfolk again was nice, even those three girls who were oddly invested in keeping Laura away from any potential suitors. At this point they’d reluctantly accepted him, though he had no idea what they’d think if they found out he was proposing tonight. They were the least of his worries however, Rean was more concerned with his plan for the evening.

He didn’t actually know where they would be when it became the new year, as they had plans to ride to Bareahard by bike. Thanks to Jusis and his uncle, they were able to arrange privacy from the public while having good food on top of it. Despite earlier thinking about how most high end restaurants in Bareahard felt too grand,  Sorciere was an exception. He assumed they wouldn’t be there for anything more than dinner, but they hadn’t actually confirmed it. Rean also didn’t know if he wanted to propose after the year ends, right before it ends, or as the clock hits midnight. He had to ask, but he couldn’t make it sound like he was planning anything.

“By the way, do you know where we’ll be when it’s approaching midnight? I’m guessing we’ll be back from dinner by then right?” Rean asked, not trying too hard to sound natural since that would only have the opposite effect.

“We’ll be back well before midnight, I don’t plan to do anything more than eat in Bareahard, if that’s alright with you. Why do you ask?”

“No real reason, just wondering.” Rean checked the time, seeing it was only 2 in the afternoon. “We still have a while before we should get going, what should we do for now?”

Laura thought for a moment, wondering what a good use of time would be. She didn’t think sparring would work at the moment, not before dinner anyway. Since that’s out of the picture, she thought of something else. “How about we do a little fishing? I may not be as invested as you, but I still find it to be a nice way to pass the time.”

Fishing could be just what I need right about now, Rean thought to himself. “Sounds good. I brought my rod with me, and you have one of your own, yeah?”

The two went to the Arseid mansion to pick up fishing gear, then went to the dock by Lake Ebel. Rean helped Laura set up her rod, then they casted their lines. Fishing was a good method of clearing their thoughts, so for a while there was no physical conversation.

Today has felt like it’s been going by pretty fast. Before I know it I’ll be proposing. Am I ready for this? We’re both pretty young, not to mention the fact that we have our own responsibilities to take care of. What about our living arrangements? We’d probably live together if we’re married right? Would I go to Legram? It’d be a hell of a commute to get back to Thors every day. And what about our family names? Would I take hers? She wouldn’t abandon the Arseid name, would we combine ours? Schwarzer-Arseid, Arseid-Schwarzer? And that’s just assuming she says yes, what if she says no? Would she end the relationship all-

“Rean?” Rean looked up to see Laura giving him a concerned look. It seems his train of thought made him appear visibly troubled.

“Oh sorry, did you need me? I kinda spaced out for a second,” Rean said in an attempt to make it seem like he wasn’t nervous out of his mind.

It clearly didn’t work, as Laura’s look didn’t calm down at all. “It looks as if something is bothering you. You’ll hardly catch any fish if your mind isn’t clear.”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, you know how my train of thought progresses by now. Thanks for snapping me out of it though.”

She wasn’t completely convinced, but she figured that was the best she’d get for now. “Very well. But if you need to talk about it I’m always here for you. And I always will be.” Rean smiled at what she said, and they went back to fishing.

What am I even worried about? She’s done nothing but love me ever since we’ve been at Thors. Even if she said no it wouldn’t be because she doesn’t love me, just because she isn’t ready yet.

“Hey Laura?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. If I weren’t there to help you, what good would I be as your girlfriend?”

Returning to their comfortable silence, they focused on fishing once more. It might seem odd to others, but to them the silence spoke volumes. Simply relaxing in one another’s presence was enough for them, words weren’t needed sometimes. The fact that they could be so comforted by the silence between them was a display of love in it of itself.

They fished for about two hours, getting an impressive haul as a result. Rean caught most of the fish and overall the more impressive ones as expected, but Laura caught a fair amount as well. They didn’t want to waste the fish they had caught, so they gave half to the Inn and the other half to the chefs of the Arseid manor.

By the time they finished handing everything out, it was 4:30 in the afternoon. “Since our reservations are for 6:00 should we get going soon? I’d like to be there at least a little while before then.”

“Yes, I’m fine with that. I’ll tell Klaus to prepare the bike while we get dressed. He left your bags with everything you brought in my room by the way.”

“Oh? Is that where I’ll be sleeping then?” Rean said with a slight grin on his face in an attempt to embarrass Laura.

Instead, Laura responded matter of factly. “Yes, as long as it’s fine with you.”

Rean sighed, “Sometimes I miss when I could make you blush with any comment.”

After Laura told Klaus to prepare the bike, her and Rean went to get changed in her room. She showed him where Klaus left his bags, then Rean decided to undress without warning.

“Rean why are you.. getting undressed all of a sudden?” Laura said with a slight blush on her face.

“Hm? We have to change, don’t we?” He said with a hint of a grin, indicating that he very well knew what he was doing.

“Well y-yes but I thought we’d be doing that in separate rooms at least,” Laura said, her blush only deepening as Rean removed more and more clothing.

“It’s not like it’s anything you haven’t seen before. It’s fine, I don’t mind if you get dressed in the same room,” Rean was glad that he succeeded in making his girlfriend blush, it was a sight that became harder to obtain as she got more used to their relationship. Not one that was impossible to see however.

Trying and failing to not stare at Rean’s defined body, Laura continued to stammer. “T-that is true but if anyone were to come in here they would surely get the wrong idea!”

“You don’t need to be in here while I’m changing if you don’t want to. You can just come in after me.”

Laura gathered herself, not falling to Rean’s provocations. “No, you’re right. It’s nothing I haven't seen before.” She began to undress herself, not in any sexual manner since they didn’t have the time for that right now, but in a way that at least retaliated. Rean was surprised at her boldness, not expecting she would counter with a provocation of her own. He blushed a little, not as heavily as Laura had but enough for her to notice.

“What’s wrong Rean? Like you said, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” Laura said with a grin. It didn’t happen often, but she loved it when she was the one making Rean flustered for a change.

“Well played. You beat me at my own game this time.” The two laughed before putting on the clothes they would be wearing for dinner. Laura wore a simple blue dress, the shade resembled lapis. The dress went down to around her knees, the rest of her legs being covered by simple black stockings. Rean wore black jeans with a red dress shirt and black vest, nothing too fancy by noble standards but not casual wear.

Once they had finished getting ready, the couple left the mansion and went to where Klaus prepared the bike. There was no sidecar attachment, so Rean got in the position to drive with Laura sitting right behind him, squeezing him tightly. For safety reasons of course, nothing else.

Soon after departing, Laura could feel the rush that came with the bike that never quite disappeared. “Riding with you like this is always fun. I love the feeling of the wind in my hair.”

“I know what you mean. I have to admit, I have gone on more than a few pleasure rides with the bikes we have at the branch campus, but I’m definitely not as bad as Angelica.” They let out a small laugh at the mention of their ‘unique’ friend, for lack of a better word. They didn’t talk too much on the ride as they would have to raise their voices slightly, but they commented on things they passed by from time to time.

The couple arrived at Bareahard at around 5:40, and with the walk to Sorciere they arrived at the restaurant at 5:50. Avoiding attention from some of the public was somewhat difficult, as it always was with Rean being a national hero. It was even more troubling since he was with Laura, there were no shortage of people interested in his relationship with the Radiant Blademaster’s daughter and successor to the Arseid name. Luckily they were able to get through without being noticed too much, since most people were focused on their activities and preparations for the New Year; not many cared for their surroundings at the moment. When they arrived at the restaurant, Jusis’ uncle greeted them. He took them upstairs to the VIP floor, and then through a door which led to an inclosed room.

“Normally this room is reserved for meetings between big nobles, or if Jusis wants some privacy, but today he asked me to reserve it for you two. Someone will arrive to take your order shortly.”

Jusis’ uncle left the room after giving them menus, and the two sat down to choose what they’d eat. After deciding on their meals, they examined the room. It was large, one long table in the middle with smaller ones surrounding it. None of them were occupied however, as this room was apparently reserved only for the most influential of nobles (or anyone Jusis wants to give an invitation to). They’d have to thank him for giving them a private room later. Maybe they’d visit him if he was available after their dinner.

“This place certainly feels grand. It’s run by Jusis’ uncle, correct? I’ve never had the chance to eat here since I was in group B for that month's field study. We hardly had the time to stop by during the civil war either,” Laura said. “If we were in the main area with the others I might feel a little intimidated.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’d imagine in Bareahard there are still some nobles who’d disapprove of my being the heir to the Schwarzer barony.” Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Rean placed his hand on Laura’s. “Enough about them though, we’re not here to talk about how we’re not the average nobles, today is just for us.”

‘Just for us’ he says. The thought made her smile. After all this time they continue to love each other like they were still inexperienced lovestruck students, more than that even. They both cherished their relationship, their love for one another never wavering in the slightest; instead it only grew stronger with time.

“I suppose you’re right. They certainly did seem to make preparations for us in particular, I doubt the room is so dimly lit normally. Not to mention the fact that the only table with a candle is the one closest to the window, which is the table we happen to be sitting at. Did you request any of this?” Laura asked, looking around the room briefly.

Rean laughed a little before answering, “I didn’t, no. If I had to guess Millium probably bugged Jusis to make it look more romantic than a high class conference room. Though knowing him it could’ve been his own idea and he just didn’t want to mention it.”

“I can see those being equally likely, maybe even both are true. We’ll have to thank him regardless, the atmosphere is quite romantic.” Laura looked around the room once more, this time taking the atmosphere into account. The small circular table they were sitting at had a red cloth over it, with a candle in the center. The table itself was placed next to a fairly large window; they could see a decent amount of the city with a nice view of the setting sun.

She thought of how lucky she is to be sitting here with Rean, being able to see a view like this. Most girls could only dream of having a space like this with their lover, and a large amount of people would probably kill to be here with Rean. But that didn’t matter. She was the one who was here, she’s the one with Rean. Laura smiled before looking at her menu, deciding on what she wanted to eat.

Some time later, after the two had ordered, their food arrived. Rean ordered steak, and Laura ordered a saltwater fish meal. They both shared a side of Creamy Chowder that Rean recommended they had, saying he had tried the dish back during the field study.

Taking a bite of her food, Laura was pleasantly surprised. “You were right about this place. I didn’t expect it to be bad since nobles frequent the restaurant, but I did half expect it to prioritize having the fanciest meals rather than focusing on quality. You can taste the effort put into each individual dish.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s probably on the higher end of noble-targeted restaurants, definitely my favorite of them. I make sure to come here pretty much every time I’m in Bareahard.”

“I can see why. Living so close, I’ll definitely need to visit here again,” Laura said as she took another bite. The food was so good that they had to consciously try and savor it, lest they inhale it all. While they were eating they reminisced on both of their second field studies.

“I remember in one of the shops around here I saw something that would work as a gift, but ended up spending too much time debating on if I should get it or not so in the end I didn’t even have the chance to buy it. I think around then was the time I was starting to realize I felt for you romantically,” Rean said as he finished eating a piece of his steak. “I can barely even remember what it was now. I think it had something to do with Mishy? I felt a gift like that could be seen as a little too much at the time so I spent a while agonizing over that. That was also around when Jusis started opening up more, so you can only imagine what he was saying.”

Laura laughed in response. “I can definitely see you doing that, even now. While nothing quite as eventful as getting into conflict with the provincial army happened to us in Saint-Arkh, Alisa did interrogate me on all the time I was spending with you. She kept pushing for me to start things with you already. Thanks to her though, that was also around the time I realized I may have developed feelings for you. Honestly, the class knew we would start something before we knew ourselves. Their lack of surprise when we came clean to them still makes me laugh.”

“Yeah, it was pretty much only a matter of time for us. I think it was better that we took things slow though. Neither of us even knew how to act in a relationship at first, rushing into it would’ve been the last thing we needed.”

“Agreed, which made all the teasing until we finally did get together all the more effective in some cases. Especially once Millium and Crow joined the class.” The two continued to  eat while talking, and before they knew it the food was all gone. Rean asked for the check, and after some arguing against the insistence of the owner, paid. Him and Laura were already getting a lot of special treatment in being able to use the exclusive room, a free meal would be too much. After paying and thanking Jusis’ uncle, they went towards where the bike was left. They decided not to visit Jusis, as he would likely be too busy for them to visit unannounced even during a normal time of the year.

After another bike ride where a majority of the sound came from the engine, the couple returned to Legram. Rean checked the time, it read 9:00 pm. “Dinner took longer than I thought. I guess it makes sense since the place was full of people coming for New Years,” he said.

“Yes, you can hardly blame them. Talented as the staff is, even Sharon would spend a while on the food serving that many people,” Laura said as she got off the bike. “Now, we’ve kept father waiting longer than expected, shall we head back to the mansion?”

With that, they went directly to the mansion, only stopping to comment how beautiful the lake looked with the moon reflecting off of it. There would be more time to reflect on that later, Rean thought; it would be an excellent view for when he proposed. Apparently they set off fireworks around Lohengrin Castle every year, which would make the moment all the more dramatic. As they walked inside the manor, they were greeted by the Viscount, his presence looking as commanding as ever to Rean.

“Ah, there you are! I assume it was busy at the restaurant for it to have taken this long?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. We should’ve guessed the best restaurant in Bareahard would be packed today,” Rean said in response.

“No worries, you haven’t missed out on much,” said the viscount as he walked towards the two. “Now Laura, I need to borrow Rean for a moment. I hope you don’t mind, it won’t take long.”

“Alright, I’ll be in my room I suppose,” Laura said with a furrowed brow. This is the second time he’s needed to talk to Rean alone today. What could be this important?

After Laura went to her room, the viscount pulled Rean aside to another room just in case. “Alright, what’s the plan? When are you proposing? I didn’t see a ring on her finger so I’m assuming you haven’t, she definitely wouldn’t say no-“

“One thing at a time please,” Rean said, cutting off the viscount.

“Oh, yes, my apologies. So when exactly are you planning on proposing? I’m sure you must be nervous but there’s no reason to be, I really doubt she’d say no.”

“Haha… I’m planning on proposing at probably midnight. I have a whole pseudo-speech planned out in my head,” said a slightly wincing Rean, as the viscount was gripping his shoulder rather intensely.

“Alright then. I’ll make sure I'm out of your hair by the time you propose, I wouldn’t want my presence to ruin the moment. I suggest you use the balcony by Laura’s room, it has a nice view of the castle and if I recall correctly, a great deal of significance for you two as well.” Victor finally moved his hand from Rean’s shoulder, much to his relief.

“That sounds like a good idea. Thank you, viscount.”

Victor then slapped Rean on the back, laughing. “Please, I’ve already said you should call me Victor, you’ll be my son in law soon enough for Aidios’ sake!”

With that conversation done, Laura was called down from her room and since there was nothing more planned for the day, the three swordsmen decided to simply lounge around the house. Laura did have some questions of her own however.

“I don’t mean to pry, but what was it you two were discussing? You had a private talk this morning as well.”

Rean being Rean, he had to take a moment before answering in order to not sound suspiciously nervous. “It’s nothing to worry about if that’s what you’re wondering. You’ll find out later, tonight even.”

It was an answer she would have to reluctantly accept for now. She didn’t like being kept in the dark, but if it was something she’d find out later tonight then Laura figured she’d be fine. With everything important out of the way, the three relaxed for a while until midnight had almost arrived.  As it was steadily approaching, Rean called out to Laura.

“Hey, Laura?” He said, getting up from his seat.

“Yes?” Laura figured it had to do with what he was discussing with her father throughout the day, but as to what that could be she had no idea.

“Would you like to go to the balcony in your room with me until midnight?”

“I would, but what about fa-“

“It’s alright Laura. Go with him. We’ve been together for a while today, it doesn’t matter if we’re together right when it hits midnight.” The viscount said, cutting off his daughter.

“Well if he’s fine with it then I see no reason not to,” Laura said rather quickly. It was funny to the viscount how fast she had accepted his answer; that she wanted to spend time alone with him was extremely apparent.

Rean and Laura went to the balcony, the view of the moon reflecting off the lake and Lohengrin castle almost glowing from the light was stunning. This is it, he thought to himself. He cleared his mind of any hesitation he might have had left, determination filling his very being.

“Some big stuff happened the last time we were on this balcony, huh?” Rean said to Laura as he looked at the moon. She looked at him with a face that said she was listening, clearly not expecting him to have any plans besides being alone but she was ready nonetheless.

Rean turned around to face her. “After I dueled your father and showed you my power, I opened up to you here. We even had our first kiss after I went on about being a monster and understanding if you wanted to break up with me; you kissed me to shut me up and say that you didn’t care about whatever power I had. It helped me a lot, more than you know. I didn’t give everyone else in the class as in depth of a story as you got, but it helped me realize they wouldn’t care.”

“Yes, how could I forget?” Laura said in response. “What makes you bring this up now? You’ve been quite the romantic today.”

“Haha, I guess what I’m trying to say is… over the past few years, you’ve helped me in more ways than I can count. Back during the Great Twilight, like you said, I was sort of looking for a place to die. At the time, I wasn’t even sure if I was gonna live to see the next year. I mean, if things had gone even a little differently at the final battle I wouldn’t have. But I’m glad I did live. The night we spent in Mishelam, in my mind, could have been the last night I ever spent with you. But that thought only steeled my resolve to live, for you if for nothing else.”

“Rean…” Laura didn’t know how to feel. She was saddened by remembering how he thought during the Great Twilight, but his speech seemed to have a hopeful, loving tone. She was almost teary eyed, out of a mix of sadness remembering Rean’s baggage, and happiness hearing how much she really means to him.

“Now I know I want to live. A long life. And it’s a life that I want to spend with you.” Rean took in one final deep breath, and did what he’s been anticipating for a long time; He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a tiny box. Laura was confused at first, then she was rendered speechless when he got down on one knee. Her mouth was agape, she moved her hands to cover it as she inhaled in surprise and did everything she could to hold back tears of joy.

Now on his knee, Rean continued. He opened the box, revealing a stunning ring. “Like I said, I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. So, Laura S. Arseid, would you do me the honor of marrying me?

Laura was speechless at first, she didn’t know what to say, she fumbled over words for a moment. Rean wasn’t worried though, she looked happier than he’s ever seen her.

“R-Rean I… yes. Nothing would make me happier.” The tears of joy Laura was attempting to hold back started to flow as Rean stood up and put the ring on her finger. “I can’t believe this is really happening. It feels like a dream.”

Once the ring was on, Rean and Laura shared a passionate embrace; Her arms went around the back of his neck, his own resting on her back. They went in for a deep kiss, their first kiss as an engaged couple. Full of nothing but love for one another, they kissed for what had felt like an eternity in their minds. Nothing could ruin this moment for them, they were the happiest either of them had ever been.

As they separated, they noticed the fireworks coming from Lohengrin Castle. It was the new year, and it would be the first of many that they would spend with each other. Rean kept his now fiancé in his embrace, his arm around her shoulder pulling her in tight. They rested on the balcony, looking at the moon and the fireworks. The view was amazing, the moon had already looked almost magical that night, with the lake showing a clear reflection of it. Fireworks were in the mix now, explosions of vibrant colors in the air, with a majority being blue.

“Happy New Year Laura. I love you.”

“I love you too, Rean. Happy New Year.”