Chapter 12

Once the early summer weather was starting to show, they traveled to Potsdam for some serious sightseeing. Although it was less than an hour outside Berlin, Zahra had never been there and Harry was equally eager to explore the historical Sansoussi Palace and adjacent palaces. It turned out to be even more spectacular than they had hoped - expansive gardens, incredible art, opulent interiors.

"This has got me thinking," Harry mused aloud, as they strolled arm-in-arm through the garden of the Italian-looking Orangery Palace, "about having at least two houses."

Zahra glanced at him with a playful smile. "Oh really?"

"Well, I'm definitely a city person. I like the energy. However, I often get an urge to get out to the country, and it would be more comfortable to stay in my own place when I do visit the country. I mean, this might be a little big…" he surveyed the sprawling palace and grinned at her.

"Yeah, maybe something smaller," she agreed, laughing.

Sometimes Harry could be so nonchalantly extravagant – he never felt constrained by a budget, or likely even knew what it was like not to be able to afford something. Zahra understood that he wasn't trying to show off, he was actually that oblivious.

Taking a rest from their exploring, they sat at a shady spot and she consulted the map of the area. That's when he said it.

"Zahra… what if… we got married?" Harry's words were hesitant but his eyes were intent.

She must have heard that wrong. "Married?" she repeated.

"I know this is out of the blue, but I've thought about it a lot."

"You have?" Zahra was still in a daze from the surprise.

"It's pretty clear to me – you're my best friend, Zahra, and whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, I want to be with you. I want you in my life forever."

Zahra was quiet as her thoughts raced. Harry sat there scarcely breathing.

"In the back of my mind I've always been anxious that you would have to leave, and I couldn't see a way that we could stay together if that happened; I never thought about getting married." Her eyes met his again. "But when I'm with you it feels like home, and I don't want to leave that for anything. So, yes, I would be happy if we got married."

"Are you sure?"

"I need some time to take it all in, but the idea doesn't scare me."

"It's not going to be easy. You know I can be an arrogant, spoiled brat. Plus, my father isn't pleased at all."

"Well, I hold in my thoughts and feelings way too much, and have no idea what I want to do in life. Not to mention, I only just turned eighteen; I would want to wait until I'm at least nineteen."

"A year it is then. I want to do this right. And I want to wait until we get married."

"Really?"

"You deserve to get to know who I am, then if you need to change your mind, you won't feel like you've given something you can't take back. I've used so many girls for sex, but I'm not that person anymore and I want to prove that to you, and to myself."

"Then I choose to wait as well," she replied.

"You're truly happy with this?" Harry asked, all earnestness.

"Absolutely."

"Then I guess all that's left to do…" Harry slid off the bench and got on one knee in front of her, a small box in his hands. "Zahra, will you marry me?"

Her face flushed pink. "You were ready to propose this whole time?!"

A wide grin broke out on his face. "I've been ready for a little while now. That day in the park was when I told my father that I wanted to get married. He was irate, making all kinds of threats. What he didn't know was that I had already gotten this ring out of the house. I was already sure of what I wanted to do."

Looking at the young man before her, Zahra was sure as well. "Yes, I will marry you, Harry."

Harry gently slid the ring onto her finger – a magnificent oval-cut diamond in a rose gold band with tiny diamonds extending down the sides.

Zahra gasped, "It's so beautiful!" She was laughing and crying and felt like she was dreaming and about to faint.

"It was my mother's," he spoke more quietly, his voice thick with emotion, almost a whisper. "I never thought that I would find someone that I would want to give it to. I think she would have loved you."

Zahra took his face in her hands. Even his pale cheeks were rosy now, and his blue eyes could not have been more liquid. Her full lips met his and for those moments the world disappeared, and it was just them and this garden and this peace.