At the bottom of a lengthy, old stone stairway, Death was standing alone. For the first time in a very long time, he was nervous. But on the other hand, he wasn't expecting to feel the way he did when she was nearby. He was waiting for someone, specifically for her to come meet him.
With a flick of his ear, he was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of her lovely voice. She apologized, sounding a little sad, "Sorry I'm late, Wolfie; I was caught up in trying to calm the soul of a very frightened bunny who didn't want to... face facts."
He soothed her, trying not to sound unhappy himself, "I'm sure you did a fantastic job of calming him, Dulcinea." He absolutely hates seeing her sad.
She replied, her ears lowering and her head bowed in sorrow, "Thanks, it just broke my heart to see the look on his face when I told him that he wasn't alive anymore."
Death's heart sank to see her like this. When she was this sad, how was he going to ask her what he was going to ask her? Should he not ask her today? Should he plan to ask her some other time? "But they'll never be in bloom like they are today," he thought, somewhat panicked. He was jolted back to reality when he heard her speak.
"Are you ok? Given how much of a toll this job has on you, I apologize if I have upset you. A worried expression was on her face as she spoke.
"Oh, no, I'm fine; I was just wondering whether today would be a good day to visit the place I previously mentioned wanting to show you." He answered somewhat awkwardly.
"Oh, okay, Wolfie, and just remember, when you're feeling sad and down, just turn that frown upside down." She cheerfully quoted.
Relieved to see her recover from her moment of sadness, he asked her if she was ready to go while trying to mask his feelings of nervousness and excitement.
She nodded, and he then escorted her into a pitch-black chamber. As he got closer to the end of the chamber, he could see the large wooden door. His heartbeat became more loud as they neared the door. Thoughts of doubt began to creep into his mind.
"What if she says no? What if she doesn't like it? What if she doesn't feel the same way I do?!"
He was about to think of something more devastating before he came back to his senses when he realized that she had asked him a question.
He snapped his head in her direction. "Hmm, yes, Dulcinea?"
"We're here; are you going to open the door?" She politely inquired.
He was a little surprised that they had reached the end of the chamber without him realizing it. Now he was trying to fight off feelings of embarrassment. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Now, Dulcinea, do you remember what I told you about this door?" he asked, pausing to await her response.
"Yes! You claimed that this was a magical door, one that could transport you anywhere you wanted as long as you wished." She repeated his words back to him.
"Good, now, Dulcinea, the place that I'm about to take you to is a place that I found a long time ago and have been wanting to take you to for some time."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll love it, Wolfie!" She said it excitedly, which made him feel a little better.
Before turning his attention back to the door, he smiled at her. He inhaled deeply as he mentally readied himself. In an effort to avoid her noticing his trembling hand, he reached for the doorknob. He turned the doorknob while surrounding it with his hand. He opened the door with little effort. He softly invited Dulcinea to enter as he gazed down at her.
She glanced at him before shifting her attention to the pitch-black void beyond the open door. She just remained there, motionless, with an odd sense of uncertainty. When he saw that she was hesitating, he whispered, "Close your eyes," softly in her ear.
The door then shut behind them as he took her hand in his and led the two of them through the walkway.
She jumped slightly as he spoke in her ear one more while she was still maintaining her eyes closed. "You may now open your eyes."
She was astonished by what she saw as she opened her eyes. She was standing in a stunning blue flower field. She gasped in surprise, "Baby Blue Eyes!" She then turned around and marveled at Death. In a soft voice, he replied, "I know they're your favorites."
At that moment, she ran to him for a hug. She threw herself into his unexpecting arms and knocked him flat on his back. "Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" she exclaimed wildly as she nuzzled, squeezed, and kissed him madly.
As she proceeded to give him small kisses on the face, he couldn't help but chuckle like a simpleton. She started to pull away, which jolted him out of his daze.
"So why do you decide to bring me here now, after all this time?" she questioned inquisitively.
His heart pounded, his mouth went dry, his eyes expanded, and his ears shot straight up. He found it difficult to respond to her since he didn't want to reveal his actual motivations. When she reassuringly put her palm on his cheek, she stopped him in his thoughts and stopped his moment of panic.
As he put his hand on hers, he let out a relieved sigh. He spoke to her in his calm, guttural voice. "I brought you here so I could ask you something."
"Ask me what?" she interrupted.
He turned his head away from her, got to his feet, and moved a short distance away with his back to her. There was a long pause before he spoke as he continued to stare into the blue flower field. "Before I met you, I was a different man." She remained still as she sat on her knees and awaited his next words.
"I didn't give a damn about the emotions of the souls I was gathering; I was only interested in the thrill of the hunt." He said, seeming rather ashamed. She said nothing as he went on.
He said, turning to gaze at her, "But that all changed the day I met you."
"You're like an angel in disguise; you have these stories in your eyes; your happiness surrounds us all; and you have a love for every true heart you come across." He took a brief pause before continuing. "You have my heart in such a way that I am helpless to separate myself from you."
Her eyes widened, her brows rose, her ears perked up, and her heart swelled as his gaze met hers and his words sank in.
"When I first met you, you didn't fear me, contradict me, or insult me; all you did was smile at me, which filled me with joy, and when I first felt that joy, I thought I was going to die."
"I told myself, I need you, in all of your wonder. For being close to you makes me happier than anything else. And every time I see you, my angel, it's just like the first time we met, and I feel truly alive despite myself."
His every word held her attention as she sat there in utter awe, her eyes welling up.
"Your adorable smile and contagious laughter drew me to you, but it's your loving, caring heart that makes me want to spend the rest of my life with you."
He dropped to one knee after finishing his soliloquy and took a ring box out of his pocket. After lifting the lid, a little, elegant ring with a pomegranate-colored stone at the center could be seen.
He simply stayed quiet while she sat there motionless for what felt like an eternity. His chest began to heave violently, and the beating of his heart echoed in his mind.
He jumped a little when he saw her stand up and walk casually in his direction.Her approach worried him because her face seemed unphased to him as she got closer.
She stood squarely in front of him, and he swallowed hard while maintaining an unwavering gaze on her. He slammed his eyes shut, waiting for her to strike when she raised her hand. She caressed his cheek gently, and as he jerked back, she smiled at him with a warm look on her softened face and said,
"You're in my thoughts, my dreams, my plans, and my heart; you're the one I wish to never part; for I cherish you more than my beloved cart. You always ease my moments of strife, with your kisses, which bring me joy and life; but nothing will ever bring me as much joy and as much life, than to be, your loving wife."
He was astonished—that was a more satisfactory response than he could have imagined; he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
He scooped her from where she was standing and pulled her into his arms as he spun in wild delight. She giggled as he spun her around within his arms with a cheerful laugh. He lost his balance thanks to his enthusiasm and fell on his back. The blue flowers below cushioned the impact of his fall. Their laughter could be heard throughout the field as they lay there.
As the high from their laughter subsided, he turned to her and asked, "That was one hell of an answer, Dulcinea; did you come up with all that on the spot?"
"No, I came up with it and have been practicing it in my head for a while in case this opportunity presented itself," she answered.
"Well anyway, you just made me the happiest man in this field. I love you, Dulcinea." He said lovingly.
"She retorted, "You're the only man in this field. Anyway, I'm happy and thankful that you brought me here and I love you too, Wolfie."
They exchanged intense looks before slowly leaning in for a kiss. They made wedding preparations for the remainder of the day in that lovely blue flower field.