Chapter 10. The Proposal

Anne's POV

I was sitting on the porch and gathering flowers when Lieutenant Melon showed at the door:

"Miss Hamstead, I'm glad to inform you that Sir Klotgioc has been brought to his new residence and granted with a medal by your father."

"Excellent! Thank you, Melon," I smiled.

"Is it true that you're getting married?" he asked. "Tangerine has told me that you're engaged with Sir Cobweb."

I blushed:

"Oh, Melon! There's nothing settled right now… I think Cobweb likes me, but… well, all is uncertain. I haven't even decided yet. Of course, perhaps… I'm sure that… But just – oh, don't let the gossip spread in Aurumtown. Please. If everything goes – er, further, Dad will announce it to the people by himself."

"All right. Sorry, miss," Melon bowed and left the garden. I was still blushing. Just because Cobweb is so sweet with me, people have already started talking! It's stupid. Of course, the gossip has a point… I may be in love with Cobweb. Am I? Oh, I'm lost. Cobweb is oh so handsome and kind, but I don't like it when he talks about Klotgioc with disdain. It's unfair, 'cause Klotgioc has saved my life in the prison!

And Cobweb behaves – what a paradox! – too adorably with me. He keeps praising me nonstop, and calls me really ridiculous nicknames like "our prettiest warrior". I know he means no harm or sarcasm, but I don't like it still.

Mom and Dad seem to like Cobweb, anyway, and King Mustardseed himself admits that Cobweb is his most reliable friend. They're absolutely genuine. Maybe I should leave my critics behind and marry Cobweb after all. I couldn't get a better match – he (most certainly) loves me, and I have a crush on him, plus his looks, intelligence and heroic behavior. A fairytale prince – a most classical version.

My thoughts were interrupted by Mother Queen Titania's voice. She was coming out of the garden with my mother:

"Anne? Do you know about the ball?"

"No, Your Majesty! What ball?" I asked, jumping up. I would have cried with surprise, but I'm not allowed even to speak loudly, since my throat needs some more healing time.

"Mustardseed has planned a ball for the day after tomorrow, celebrating the fact that the Scarlet Hand is nearly defeated," Titania explained. "Your family and friends are invited. Just for you to know."

"Thanks, Your Majesty," I curtsied. "I like dancing."

"I've bought you a fabulous azure silk dress, adorned with pearls!" Mom added, smiling widely. "Your old brown velvet one is old and not exactly suitable for such a ball – you agree, Annie?"

"Sure," I nodded. I didn't like my brown dress. "Can I try it on right now?"

"Of course, dear!"

I clapped and rushed upstairs to my personal dressing-room. Linden, who's still looking after me in case my wounds hurt again, was standing on the stairway, and I nearly knocked her down.

"Miss Anne, be careful!" she pleaded. "You aren't hundred percent healthy yet!"

"Sorry, Linden!" and I walked to the dressing-room in a more slow and gracious way.

Klotgioc's POV

Three days had passed – and I didn't know what to do. Right now I was eating fruit and whipped cream for breakfast, when Melon's voice shouted from the garden:

"Hey! Sir Klotgioc, are you home?"

"Yes, Melon!" I took the keys, walked to the garden and opened the gates.

"What news?" I asked. "Is Miss Hamstead okay?"

"More than wonderful!" Melon grinned. "She'll be the queen of the Near-Victory Ball, which is the day after tomorrow."

"When does her wedding take place, then?" I wanted to know, trying to sound nonchalantly.

"Oh, it hasn't even been arranged!" Melon laughed. "She told me that herself. She hasn't really decided whether she wants to marry Sir Cobweb. As I understand, he hasn't proposed to her yet."

I gave him some cocktail and fruit and we chattered about weather and the war for a while. Then he rose and said:

"OK, bye, Sir Klotgioc. If anything is decided about Miss Hamstead's wedding, Sir Hamstead will inform everybody in Aurumtown. But – as I've said – there's nothing obvious yet."

As he was walking to the gates, he slightly turned his face to be and mumbled:

"So you still have a chance…"

I was stunned. I muttered some goodbyes to him and walked back to my house. As I sat in the room, I tried to clear my head.

"What did he mean?" I thought. "I still have a chance… Oh! Does he assume that I am only another suitor of Anne's? These gossips… Why do they think that I'm in love with Anne?"

And suddenly a sarcastic voice answered for the depths of my soul:

"Because it's true!"

"It can't be…" I whispered. "I hate everybody…"

"Nonsense!" I argued with myself immediately. "You say it because you've learned it by heart during your life. You fell in love with Anne back in the prison – no, in Oz's palace, when Oz wanted to torture her and you came to her rescue!"

"No! I don't want to believe it!"

"Oh, don't you?"

I thought I was going crazy. I lay on the couch and slept lightly for a while, trying not to think of anything. When I woke up, at first I didn't even realize what's going on. Then, a bright image flashed into my relaxed mind. Anne.

I wanted to see her immediately. I dressed myself in my best new costume and went to the largest villa in Aurumtown – Anne's birthplace and residence.

Birchtree, my old acquaintance, answered the door.

"Sir Klotgioc!" she laughed. "Still going to Miss Anne for visits, I presume?"

"Yes, Birchtree," I nodded.

"I'll go tell her. You wait here in the hall," she hurried away. I walked inside the hall – the spectacular white marble hall with a fountain in the center of it and gigantic vases with flowers here and there. The Hamstead family's coat of arms was hanging above the door which led to the ballroom.

The coat of arms seemed odd to a stranger, but I knew its meaning perfectly well. A pig and a winged gray cow were standing on both sides of a straw house (its image was gold, of course). A green ribbon was below the scene, with the motto "WE SEEM WEAK BUT WE'RE NOT".

It seemed that an eternity passed until Birchtree came back and announced:

"Miss Anne is glad to receive you in the Rainbow Room – it's a room for special guests, and the hosts use it for dancing and sports exercises, because it has a lot of free space."

She showed me the way.

The Rainbow Room wasn't painted in a variety of colors, as I half-expected. Its wallpaper was blue silk, with pearls sewn into it, the ceiling was white, the furnishings light brown, and the only random-colored thing was the carpet: it represented different flowers on green grass.

"It's called Rainbow because you can choose one of seven rainbow colors for the chandelier," Birchtree explained. "Which would you choose."

"Eh… yellow?" I suggested. Birchtree mumbled a magical spell, and room looked as if sun was shining inside it.

"That's good," I assured her. She nodded, curtsied and went away. Just then, another door opened, and Anne came.

I immediately understood why she chose to receive me in the Rainbow Room. She was wearing a beautiful sky-blue dress, adorned with lace and pearls – it was the color theme of the room's wallpaper.

The dress suited her, and anyway she looked wonderful. The scars on her face were now gone, as was the sadness in her eyes. Even her red hair seemed more glossy than in prison.

"Klotgioc!" she exclaimed, smiling. "What a long time has it been!"

"Three days," I shrugged, embarrassed a little. "How's your life, Anne?"

"Perfect!" she assured me. "And yours? Do you like it in Aurumtown?"

"It's the best town I've seen," I replied. "And I've seen a good many in my life."

Anne's hazel eyes lit up with joy, she was obviously flattered.

"Do you know about the upcoming ball?" she jumped from excitement.

"Yeah, Melon has told me," I nodded. "It's called Near-Victory, right?"

"Yes! Just that!" she smiled. "The war is almost over. The Hand is clearly losing. Captain Hook is nothing of a commander. His Majesty says that in Ferryport Landing the Grimm family has almost defeated the Master himself!"

I sighed with relief. How I hated the Hand! I didn't even try to hide it now.

I was thinking about the Hand and the ball to hide my true thoughts about Anne. But I couldn't! What did I come here for? I came to stop her marriage to Cobweb which is destined to become unhappy later!

"Anne, I wanted to say something to you," I said at last.

She didn't even guess! The happy expression on her face didn't change a bit, and she asked:

"Yes, what's that?"

Oh, if she wasn't so naïve, if I noticed something in her eyes and voice that indicated that she understood, it would be easier for me to speak further! I coughed. The words seemed to run away from my head. It took me a while to gather them. Anne's face became intrigued and concerned: she understood that there was a serious matter going on.

"Anne, I love you," I said finally. "I have loved you since the first time we really met, remember – you had just been captured… Anne, dear, will you marry me?"

She didn't move. I thought she was too startled.

"Don't think I'm marrying you for your wealth and titles – the mayor's daughter, and so on… I fell in love with you when I hadn't got an idea who you were – you were a courageous girl who desperately needed 'a shoulder to cry on'."

"I… I believe you, Klotgioc, but it's all so sudden!" she exclaimed, her cheeks red. "I'm lost! Let me think. I promise I'll give you an answer at the ball."

"Then… then… see you at the ball, Anne," I stammered. She gave me a hurried curtsy and ran away.

I lost hope. I was going to suffer for two days! Poor delicate Anne – she didn't want to strike me with her decline immediately – or she had to muster her bravery to decline… Anyway, when she reacted like this, I almost knew that Cobweb is the lucky one of us.

I went down the stairs and out of the house. I didn't even say goodbye to Birchtree.