Celestia stared at him for a long moment before sputtering into a laugh.
"Have I missed a joke?" Charles asked, his expression darkening.
"But—we'd have to get married!" Celestia exclaimed in disbelief.
"That was the object of asking you to marry me, yes," Charles replied.
"But—married!" Celestia found no end of humor in this idea. "That's—well, it's just daft! You're my oldest friend, we've known each other for years!"
"And I've loved you for every one of those years," Charles said. "Ever since I met you, Celestia. I'd never had a friend before you, and I've never had another so true. You're the only person who's ever bothered to care about me outside of my father. You're the only person I've ever cared about so much. I've done everything for you. Every thought to pass through my heart has come with concerns of how you would feel. You are the one I imagine when I create magic, Celestia, with every ounce of my being."
"Charles, you're not supposed to say…" Celestia murmured. Her heart racing, she pushed her plate forward and her chair back; the look in Charles's eyes made her worry for both him and herself.
"Because I couldn't tell you how I felt," the man replied coarsely; there was redness rising in his cheeks. "You're my best friend…but I thought now, when we may need one another most, you would understand and perhaps feel the same as I."
"You led me from my father when he needed me!" Celestia exclaimed scornfully; as she rose to defend herself, she couldn't keep from moving to the offensive. "I saw Gordon that night, skulking in the hall with his poison; I could've saved him!"
"You wanted to leave!" Charles shot back. "I'd have followed you to the ends of the Earth if you had asked."
"I don't love you, Charles!" Celestia cried. "Not in that way. I doubt I'll ever love someone in that way."
"I've thought of no one but you in my lifetime," Charles murmured. He seemed to have calmed down, but there was live fire still in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Celestia said; judging it was safe enough to leave, she stepped back and turned towards the door.
"This is how you leave me, then?" Charles asked. Celestia chose not to answer, instead creeping away into the hallway; hopefully time would calm Charles's affections and return him to his senses.
