Following Hearts

To Be Oblivious to Love

"Is it too much?" Balthazar paced along the carpeted floor of his room. Ferdinand gazed at the jewel encrusted ring in his hands. The silver band was dotted with white gemstones, leading up to a large, sparkly emerald at the center of the ring. His gaze travelled upwards towards the pacing Balthazar. His face was flushed with a rosy pink color and his hair had deflated a bit since the morning when Ferdinand had first come into the room.

"Beautiful." Ferdinand breathed. He cleared his throat and looked back down at the ring. "It's beautiful."

"But is it too much?" Balthazar stopped to look at Ferdinand.

"Maybe for a regular couple, but this is a royal engagement we're talking about, so I think it's fine." Ferdinand held the ring up into the light, admiring the way the gemstones reflected light onto the walls for a moment. He returned the ring to Balthazar. The raven-haired prince took it and placed the ring back into its box, tucking it into his suit pocket. "So, this is all happening tonight?"

"Yes," Balthazar confirmed. He froze. "Do I tell her? Or do I keep it a surprise?" Ferdinand thought for a moment.

"Tell her. She hates surprises," he said. Balthazar nodded vigorously and ran his hand through his hair. "Do you want to run through it one more time?"

"Yes." Balthazar took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, the nervous energy behind his eyes had dissipated. "Rose, I haven't known you for very long, but in that time, I think I've really gotten to know you, the real you."

"I've always admired you. Ever since the moment I first saw you, I knew you were a great woman. Now that I've gotten to know you, I know that you're a good one too. You are kind and loving, despite everything the world has thrown at you. You remain passionate and spirited in spite of hardships. And I know you don't believe it, but you are selfless to no end. I need you to understand, that when I am asking you to marry me, I am not asking you to be my wife. I am asking you to be my equal, my partner. I am asking you if you will let me try to ensure your happiness and comfort for the rest of your life. I am asking if you will let me be your husband." Balthazar kneeled down on one knee and fumbled with his suit pocket a moment before pulling the ring box out and opening it. He stared straight into Ferdinand's eyes as he spoke.

"Rose Elizabeth Lovelle, will you marry me?" Ferdinand felt his eyes glisten and he had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep his smile hidden. Balthazar quickly stood and pressed his palms to his forehead.

"That was-"

"Awful! God I knew it!" Balthazar finished Ferdinand's sentence and put the ring box back in his pocket. "I need to practice pulling the ring out. I almost dropped it that time, can't do that in the actual proposal." He ran his fingers through his hair again.

"I was going to say it was perfect." Ferdinand's smiled faded, leaving a wistful expression on his face. His mind drifted back to the image of Balthazar and his sister laughing on the dance floor. "There's no way she could say no." Ferdinand stood to leave.

"Thank you," Balthazar stopped him. "For helping me with all of this. You didn't have to do that."

"It's my pleasure." Ferdinand flashed Balthazar a quick smile before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door shut behind him, his smile fell and he let out a shaky breath. "This is going to be a lot harder than I thought," Ferdinand whispered while walking down the hall.

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    A knock at the door interrupted Ginger as she dabbed blush onto Rose's cheeks with a feathery light brush. The blonde placed the palette down on the desk and gestured for Rose to hold the brush. Ginger was helping Rose prepare for her proposal, which Ferdinand managed to tell her about a few hours prior. Currently, she sat at her desk in her dressing gown, her hair still rolled up in curlers.