"Kartik?" She feels amazing, she is laughing, and her voice is carefree, it's almost as though she's on top of the world. Of course, she always feels like this when she's around Kartik.
He is beside her; his warm, strong hand wrapped tightly around hers, he is her anchor. "What is it, love?" His voice is strong and confident, his English is sounding better than ever, which is, almost undoubtedly a result of him being around her so often. She can't stop smiling.
"If you could, would you marry me?" Her voice is distant, but still very enamored in the present, she is looking into his eyes, so she notices when they spark with curiosity. She leans in closer.
"That's an odd question; tell me, Miss Doyle, what brought that to your mind?" He is grinning, but she can tell that he is genuinely curious.
"I'm not quite sure, really." She takes a moment to think, a moment to look into his eyes, his beautiful dark eyes. "I guess I was just wondering. I mean, after all, we are in the Realms, and anything is possible here. Here there's no rule that says that a Gypsy can't marry an Englishwoman."
"I suppose that's true." He is smiling now, full throttle, "Well, if you were asking me, then I would have to say that the answer would probably be a yes. I suppose I would marry you, Gemma." He takes a pause to look into her startlingly green eyes, "This is all rhetorical, right, Miss Doyle?"
She shakes her head, thinking no, this is not rhetorical at all, "Of course. Of course it's all rhetorical. I'm only sixteen, I couldn't get married." She gives a nervous sort of laugh, one that he doesn't buy at all.
"Of course, so, I suppose that, if I were to ask you to marry me right now, you would say no?"
"I suppose that I would." No, no I wouldn't. I wouldn't say no at all.
"Well, than I suppose it was stupid of me to manifest this ring. I guess I'll just give it to one of the factory girls." Out of his pocket he pulls a beautiful golden ring, in the center is a sapphire diamond, not too big, but also not in any way small. It glistens in the dying-afternoon sun, like the ocean. It is the most beautiful ring that she has ever seen.
"Oh, Kartik," She breathes, "It's beautiful."
"Oh, I know," He is grinning, a magnificently mischievous grin, "Too bad I have to give it to a factory girl, huh?"
She punches him in the arm, "Oh, shut up, you know I'm going to say yes."
"No, I don't know that. You told me you would say no." He is laughing at her weak attempt at a punch.
"You knew I was joking." She scolded, but she is laughing now too, and tears are clouding her vision. "My actual answer is yes, I will marry you."
He smiles, one last parting smile, and her eyes flutter open. She is surprised to find tears rolling down her cheeks, and light streaming in through the window. Despite herself she grins; gives a small, light chuckle.
"What are you going on about?" Anne's voice is groggy, and Gemma looks over to see that she is still in bed, it must be early. This just makes her laugh harder.
"Nothing, Annie, nothing, just a dream I had." Today would be a good day, she could already tell.