"Good evening young lady - may I request the company of the beautiful Miss Musa?"
"Why certainly," Stella replied, giggling. "If you would care to withdraw to the sitting room, Miss Musa will be with you presently."
Tegryn chuckled. "How did I sound?"
"Spoken like a true prince... such a gentleman!"
He sat down on the couch next to Layla, who was playing with Piff.
"Aww, doesn't she look cute?" he said, admiring Piff's new outfit. "Are you sure you don't mind babysitting Polli for me?"
"Of course not... after all, she gets so on well with Piff."
He looked over at the flowers given to Layla by her mystery man. "Those are really beautiful," he commented. "They kinda put mine in the shade a bit. Normally I'd be insanely jealous but seeing as they're yours, I'll let it slide! I just hope this guy's for real, whoever he is!"
Layla sighed dreamily. "Me too. Oh, you should've seen him Teggy, he was... oh, simply amazing. His eyes were so gorgeous. And those flowers - I've never smelled anything so wonderful."
Tegryn went over to them and took a deep sniff. "Hmmm... that's weird." he said.
"What is?"
"These flowers... I can't smell a thing."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded, taking another big sniff just to make sure his nostrils weren't deceiving him. "Nope, not a thing. Maybe I'm coming down with a cold."
At that moment Musa emerged from her room. Tegryn gasped, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor as he gazed upon the vision of beauty standing before him in an exquisitely elegant evening dress.
"Wow Musa, you look stunning!" Layla said admiringly.
"Yes... absolutely amazing!" Tegryn added, still gobsmacked.
"Thanks babe, you're looking rather amazing too... but there's something missing!"
"Oh yes?"
"Yep!" Musa reached into her dress and pulled out a blindfold.
"A blindfold?"
"Yes... and the sooner you put this on, the sooner we can go!"
Laughing, Tegryn obediently did as he was told, allowing Musa to take him softly by the hand and lead him to the venue for their next date.
"Don't wait up guys!" she called.
The anticipation was growing and growing with each step Tegryn took up a particularly long and winding staircase. It seemed like they had been walking for ages - and here he was thinking Alfea was huge enough already.
"Are we nearly there yet?" he asked.
"Almost!" said Musa excitedly. "This is gonna blow your mind!"
Eventually they reached the top of the staircase. A mild spring evening breeze wafted its way across Tegryn's cheeks, announcing that they were now somewhere outside. Musa carefully guided him a few steps forward and sat him down in a chair.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" he asked, grinning like a little schoolkid eager to get his hands on a big birthday present.
"No, not yet..."
The soft romantic strains of a violin solo slowly drifted its way into the space, and Tegryn became aware of something warm in front of him - whatever it was, it smelt good.
He could feel her hands gently lifting the blindfold away from his head.
"Okay, you can open them... now!"
He opened his eyes, and gasped at what lay before him - a sumptuous, mouth-watering five-star meal. He looked around - they were sat at the top of Alfea's clocktower.
"Wow!" he said in amazement. "I never realised you were such a keen cook."
Musa giggled. "Well, I did have a bit of help from the school chef! And now... the final touch."
She leant forward and lit a candle in front of him. He gave a start.
"There! How romantic is that?"
Tegryn said nothing, but just stared, gripping the table, breathing heavier than usual, transfixed at the tiny flame flickering before him.
"Teggy? Teggy? Is there something wrong?"
He gulped and shook his head. "I'm sorry Musie, it's just that, well, ever since that fight in Cloud Tower, fire makes me, well, kinda jumpy."
Musa cast her mind back and suddenly it dawned on her... she remembered his screams as he was trapped in that fiery dome, drugged by the combined effects of the intense heat, the Dream Dust spell and the vapours from the purification potion... man, it's no wonder he's afraid of fire.
"Oh my... I'm so sorry! Here, let me put it out."
"No, it's okay" he said, taking her hand. "I'll deal with it. I mean, it's just a tiny little candle, right? What harm can it do? I certainly won't let it spoil tonight, not after everything you've done here. You must've been planning this for ages."
"Yeah," she replied, "It took a lot of effort"...
'and its gonna take even more...' she thought. 'I really hope tonight is gonna go just the way I want it.'