AN: Once again, I want to write long and serious stuff, yet I write fluff instead. Story of my life. But this idea just started nagging on me the other day, so I wrote it down.
Buguese had shamed himself. He didn't really have a choice in the matter, he told himself. As it stood, he didn't have many friends. Going to Beerain for help in this case would be tactless, when she had feelings for him that he couldn't return. And as for Stags, he was a genuine warrior. He had no room in his heart for anything but the love of battle. But excuses or not, Buguese would have to endure the shame of going to Grasshop to discuss a very personal matter of the heart.
When Grasshop arrived at their meeting place, a storeroom near the castle for weapons, which was cleared out and abandoned after the war, the man looked irritatingly smug already.
"So, the mighty Lord Buguese comes to me for advice? I never thought I'd see the day you came off your high horse, but I'm glad to be a witness to this historical event."
"Close the door," Buguese answered sternly, while he briefly pondered to himself if it was worth asking what a horse was. (The answer was no.)
"Snippy as ever, I see," Grasshop replied, although he did at least comply to Buguese's request. "Why so secretive, though?"
"Because this is my private business," Buguese answered. "It would be troubling if someone overheard." Or, if Grasshop went and told the entire Inner World. That was probably a larger threat, now that he thought about it, but it was a bit late to back down now.
"If you really brought me to this creepy place to kill me, I did tell my wife I was meeting you. She'll never let you get away with it."
"You can be at ease. I'm not here to kill you, but tempt me and I may change my mind." Of course he didn't really intend for any murder, but maybe stirring a bit more fear into his colleague would make him less obnoxious. Most likely not, but one could dream.
"Then tell me why," Grasshop said, ignoring the threat. "Or the tension might kill me first."
"It is simple," Buguese replied. "As you said, you have a wife. So I would hope you have the answers I need." He paused, finding the whole situation awkward. Maybe it wasn't that simple. Unfortunately, this gap left Grasshop with the opportunity to open his mouth again.
"Yeah, I have a wife and you don't. Is it any wonder why I'm more popular with the ladies?"
Buguese glared at him. He wasn't even going to try to respond to that and feed into him further.
"I want to know how you do it. Not you specifically. Rather, I never had the time or concern to learn how these rituals of marriage… proposing first I assume, work."
Even simply asking that much to Grasshop was humiliating. But Buguese knew he had to say it.
Grasshop threw his hands over his mouth in shock.
"You're getting married?!" he exclaimed.
"Keep it down," Buguese replied, trying not to yell himself. "And yes, I intend to, but I wish to do it right."
"To Aqune, right?" Grasshop responded. "Or is it Beerain? Wait! It couldn't be Corona, could it?!"
"Don't mock me," Buguese responded.
"Well, it's fine with me as long as you don't mean the princess," Grasshop replied. "I wouldn't wish that on her, and she's a little too young to be getting married anyway."
"Of course I mean Aqune," Buguese answered before Grasshop could find any more absurd candidates.
"I figured," Grasshop replied. "You were always drooling over her anyway. Well, not literally. That would be disgusting. But I guess she fits you. The two of you are both so serious and boring. Meanwhile, Beerain is way too high-maintenance to make a good wife… don't tell her I said that, and I think Corona is into Hunter, so she'd probably turn you down."
"If you insult Aqune again I will find someone else to ask," Buguese responded with a scowl. Not that he knew of anyone else, but he would gladly deal a blow to Grasshop's inflated ego after he insulted Aqune, Beerain and Buguese himself in one breath.
"Alright already," Grasshop huffed. His hands were on his hips. "But I guess you really do love her."
Buguese nodded.
"Well," Grasshop said. "You can't propose without an engagement gift. Of course, that's just how it goes with Insectors. I don't know what humans are expecting. But does Aqune really know either? She's lived here long enough she's practically an Insector… without the exoskeleton."
"An engagement gift?" Buguese wondered. Was this really common knowledge? "What sort of gift?"
"Traditionally, it would be an Arachnan pink rose."
Buguese tilted his head. A human plant?
"Why is that?"
"You really don't know much about love, do you Buguese?" Grasshop chided. "Well, let me teach you! As you're hopefully bright enough to remember, the Insector world used to live cursed in darkness, and all of the plant life died."
"Of course I remember that!" answered Buguese.
"Well, then you know why any kind of flower is important to us Insectors. But this flower, even though it still only grows in the human world today, is particularly special. Because even when plucked from the ground…" he moved as if he was pulling an imaginary flower from the building floor. "it never wilts!" Grasshop followed with a triumphant pose.
It was obvious to Buguese how proud Grasshop was to have all this knowledge when he didn't. But already, he was learning something. So that did make putting up with the smugness a bit tolerable.
"In conclusion, we give it to our bride to be to show our love will endure… and hope they don't get hungry and eat it."
"Then I'll find one," Buguese said. He began walking towards the door.
"Huh?" Grasshop did a double take. "Wait! Don't you want to hear about the wedding ceremony?"
"Perhaps another time," Buguese said. "I am satisfied enough for today."
Despite what he said, he really hoped he wouldn't have to put up with Grasshop for a second time. For now, he contented himself with having enough useful information to take action. Hopefully, it was all true. Yet he assumed Grasshop saw more value in the opportunity to boast than to straight up lie to him.
"Thank you," he mumbled in a barely audible tone.
"You're welcome. Hope you don't get rejected!" Grasshop exclaimed.
"If I was not confident that she would at least consider, I would not have come this far," Buguese replied, annoyed.
He sincerely hoped he was right. Of course, he always had his fears that Aqune actually hated him. She wouldn't even be wrong to, he felt. But the girl had assured him many times that she didn't. She had even chosen to stay with the Insectors, and began a relationship with him. All of this was an incredible blessing. But Buguese loved her enough to brave taking things a step further. He wanted Aqune to be his wife.
"Aqune…"
It was morning the next day. As usual, Aqune was in the kitchen, preparing something for breakfast.
"Yes?" She quickly turned down the flame on the stove, as she was nearly done, then turned her head to face Buguese.
"I am taking a trip today," he replied. "I hope that you will come."
"A trip?" Aqune wondered. "To where?"
"To Arachna," he answered.
"You mean Arachna Castle?" asked Aqune. "Is there a problem?" She was naturally concerned. Buguese still wasn't very fond of the Spider Riders. He normally only travelled to Arachna to meet with Lumen for political reasons, or to bring her to visit the Riders. Aqune typically didn't need to come along if it was just for politics, though.
"Not the castle," Buguese answered. "But I can say no more than that."
For all Buguese knew, Aqune could have heard all about Insector marriage customs. Grasshop made it seem like it was something most people knew, and Aqune did have Insector friends. She was much more sociable than he was.
The previous night, Buguese had researched where the flowers grew. He learned from an old book that they were mostly isolated to a specific mountainous region, where no humans lived. Perhaps that was another reason Insectors took them. They would be easy to claim without being caught. Or at least easier than if they grew in Arachna Castle's gardens.
Though she was still puzzled, Aqune agreed to come with Buguese after they ate breakfast. The two rode to the spot in Buguese's snail-shaped transport, Aqune curiously looking out the window the whole time.
Soon, below them was a series of rocky mountains. It didn't really seem like a place where flowers would grow. But it definitely was the spot the book indicated. Well, roses could grow in deserts, after all.
"We're here," Buguese announced. To Aqune's surprise, he pulled the girl into his arms. Buguese then released the beam of light from his ship, which allowed the two of them to float down gently to the ground below. Buguese let Aqune go once the light faded.
Aqune glanced around.
"What is this place?"
"You don't know?" asked Buguese.
"I'm pretty certain I've never been here," she answered.
"I see," Buguese said. "Then I will tell you this. I am searching for a certain object, which should be here."
He didn't see any roses, pink or otherwise, in his immediate line of sight. But he supposed nothing was ever that easy.
"What is it?" Aqune asked. "Is it something you need my powers to locate?"
"No," Buguese said. "I doubt they would make any difference." He felt guilty that she thought she was only invited for divine assistance. "Simply, I want you to be here when I find it. But I can not yet say what it is."
"Sure," Aqune said, though her voice made it clear how skeptical she was. "But if you want any help, I would be glad to look around too."
Aqune reached her hand out, grasping Buguese's.
"I appreciate your offer," he answered. "But for now, I should be fine."
Aqune nodded.
"Sure. I trust you."
Up ahead, Buguese spotted an opening between two mountains. That seemed like a possible spot for the roses to hide. However, upon stepping inside, there was not a flower to be seen. Just rocks.
"I guess it's not here," Aqune said, not noticing anything of interest either.
"No," Buguese answered. "Let's keep going."
He turned back, and led Aqune further down the path at the foot of the mountains. While there was some grass growing in spots, he still hadn't spotted any roses.
Buguese had one more idea, however. He reached under his cape and pulled out a messenger bug. It began whizzing around in circles anxiously as soon as he let it go, probably relieved to be able to stretch its wings.
"I need you to search for anything growing. Aside from grass." Buguese had to word his command carefully, to not give away his secret.
"Chu!" the bug shouted. Immediately, it zoomed away.
"A plant?" Aqune wondered out loud. "No, never mind, Buguese. I'd like to wait and find out."
"Then I hope it won't be long," Buguese said. The messenger bugs were sometimes a bit ineffective. But they were fast, and they could fly, so in this case he assumed one could cover a lot more ground than he could.
Before long, the small bug returned to him, and began chirping excitedly. Buguese could understand the language, Aqune couldn't, so it didn't matter what it said now.
"Good work. You may leave."
"Chu!"
The messenger had found something, hopefully what Buguese was looking for. The issue was where it was located. There were plants growing on a landing near the top, but not quite, of one of the mountains. Probably, Buguese could climb it. But it was a bit dangerous and he knew Aqune would worry if he suddenly tried. But as long as Aqune was with him, there was one option that was a bit safer.
"Did you find it?" Aqune asked, as Buguese had been silent for a bit in his pondering.
"I believe so," he answered. "But I may need your help to get it after all."
"Sure," Aqune said with a smile. "What can I do?"
"Release your spider," Buguese answered. He then pointed to the ledge that the messenger bug had indicated to him. "I need to get up there. If Portia can release her thread, and pull us up to the landing, it would be easier than climbing."
"Alright," Aqune said. "I'll give it a try. Portia, spider out!"
Buguese watched in satisfaction as the purple spider appeared before them. He let Aqune direct her in making a thread, which successfully shot all the way to the ledge. Aqune then climbed onto Portia's back.
"Buguese, get on, and hold on tight!" she called.
"Yes," he said, and awkwardly did so. Then, Portia reeled the two of them up to the ledge, where they dismounted.
"Spider in," Aqune said. The spot was rather small, and she certainly didn't want to risk the weight of a battle spider breaking it. It was fortunate enough that Portia succeeded in pulling them up rather than dragging the mountain down.
Buguese immediately scanned the area. Sure enough, he saw a small patch of pink roses growing up there. He hurried over to it and plucked one from the ground.
"Buguese, that's what you were looking for?" Aqune asked, just as he was turning to face her again. But despite her questioning him, her eyes were wide with excitement.
"So you know what this is?" Buguese asked, just to confirm his suspicions.
Aqune nodded.
"I see." Buguese reached his hand out, and placed the rose in Aqune's hair. It complimented her quite nicely, he thought. Already, her face was red with a blush.
"I saw one in Grasshop's house," Aqune said. "I asked his wife about it, because back then, plant life in the Insector world was very rare. And she told me all about it."
"Then that will make this easier," Buguese said. "Aqune, I want you to marry me." He flinched a bit. That hadn't come out as well as he wanted. "It is not a command, of course. That is, I hope you will at least consider becoming my wife."
There was a pause where Aqune said nothing in reply. She only smiled. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle giggling over Buguese's awkward proposal. But she hadn't expected tears to start falling from her eyes.
"Are you alright, Aqune?" Buguese asked cautiously. But he wasn't about to approach her, if his proposal had upset her in any way.
"Yes," Aqune said. "I mean, yes, I accept." She rubbed at the tears in her eyes. "I always wanted this day to come, but I never thought you would ask. You're the Insector lord, so your responsibility is to your people. And I'm a human… a Spider Rider too."
"I have already acknowledged the complications," Buguese said. He was already too overwhelmed that she said yes to actually respond to that part. "I have always sacrificed everything for the sake of the Insector race. Even now that we live in light, continuing this prosperity means a great deal to me. But I know, I would never have made it as far as I did if not for you. You were always a light for me, a hope. I could not understand it at first, but Aqune… whenever you were gone, when I thought of a life without you, I couldn't stand it. Perhaps I should be satisfied with things as they are now, but I want more! I want to know you'll always be mine."
"Buguese… this flower you gave me symbolizes eternity." She reached up and felt its soft petals. "You and I aren't immortal like this flower. But for the short life Spirit Oracle did bless me with, I'd be happy to spend it by your side. During the war, it was my choice to help you, and this too is my will."
Aqune stood on tiptoes and stretched out her arms, grasping Buguese's shoulders. Buguese leaned his head down closer, and their lips met in a kiss.