“Give me a rose,” she said, “and I will marry you.”
Her eyes, oceans of blue speckled with golden ships Jack fancied were perpetually sailing to or from some great wonder, held all of Jack’s attention as he answered, “Must you torment me so? I did offer you anything that your heart desired, all my heart desires is you, but you ask me for a rose in this concrete wasteland. Marie, do you not love me?”
“Oh,” Marie said smiling, her hair, brown as the rich earth the two lovers rarely did see, fell across her face, hiding for a moment her eyes, “But I do love you, Jack”
“You ask too much of me,” Jack said, “I will be searching till I drop dead from age, or worse, a sooner demise from the devils dwelling without our city walls.”
Marie ran her fingers, as if they were fawns in the forest, through Jack’s hair, saying, “I would only ask you for such a thing if I believed you could find it.”
“Marie,” Jack said with a plea in his eyes, “you are cruel to me, and yet I love you. If a rose is what you truly wish, I will bring it to you. Then, I will marry you.”
“My hand is already yours,” she kissed him upon his brow, “and you have your whole life to hold it.”
Jack smiled, though he tried not to, and took her hand to hold. He brought her hand to his lips, as one might do in introduction, and kissed it lightly, and with all the love he had to give. Every bit of her was beautiful, so he thought, and though a rose was a death wish, he would bring it to her. “I will find a rose for you. Even if I must search the depths of the ocean, brave the fierce valley winds, swim the frigid rivers, search out all of the forest-”
“The forest,” Marie gasped, “You can’t go there! There’s monsters and devils and- and- the,” she paused, her lip quivering upon the next word she was to utter, “darkness.”
“Marie, I assure you,” Jack put his hand against her face, “that such tales are not true. There is no darkness greater than night. Monsters, perhaps, and devils, a possibility, but such things can be avoided. Besides,” he stood up, drawing his sword, and striking a valiant pose, “I am a warrior! And,” he, glancing at Marie with what he thought a seductive smile, but in truth was a rather idiotic grin, added, “a gentleman.”
Marie at first attempted to stifle her laughter but, failing horribly, laughed out loud instead, causing Jack to turn red in the face and sheepishly sheath his sword. As Marie continued to laugh, he took her hand and helped her to her feet. The two began walking down the street, the silence being occasionally broken by Marie’s titters.
“It was not so humorous as you make it to be,” Jack said after Marie once again burst into laughter. “It- it really wasn’t,” he added, growing red and smiling. But Jack soon found himself laughing as well.
They finally ceased laughing as they reached Marie’s home. Jack once more took Marie’s hand and kissed it with greater love than he mustered before, as this was a kiss of parting. The lovers wished a goodnight to each other and Jack began his walk home.
Marie retired to her room. Feeling suddenly tired, she laid upon her bed without bothering to undress. But, though her weariness from the day laid heavy upon her eyes, she could not sleep. The thought entered her mind that Jack would actually try to find a rose for her. If he did, she would keep her word. She asked for a rose, not because she did not love him, she loved him very much, but because she feared marriage and did not feel ready, even though at the same time, she desired it greatly. Greater than she feared marriage, however, she feared that Jack would be a fool and look for a rose. These thoughts plagued her till she fell into a restless sleep.
