The stone chamber Andrius gave us has a single large bed carved right from the mountain itself. Crystal formations in the walls give off this soft blue-silver light that shifts as evening settles in. There's a window—more like an opening carved into rock—that looks out over the Eastern Territories.
Irene sits on the bed, brushing her hair. The crystal light catches in those crimson strands, and I find myself watching longer than I probably should.
"Can't sleep?" she asks without looking up.
"Yeah.." I admitted.
I walk to the window. Moonlight shows the whole valley.
"Want to explore? I'm not tired."
She considers it, then nods. "Why not?"
The corridors are even better at night. Glowing moss on the ceiling, crystal veins pulsing in the walls. Our footsteps echo softly.
"Gardens this way," Irene says, reading symbols carved in stone. "
I look at what she's pointing to. The symbols say more than 'go here.' Weather stuff, behavior tips, warnings.
We follow the path down until it opens onto a wide terrace. The view is incredible.
Gardens built into the mountainside in flowing terraces, connected by walkways that look grown from stone. Plants creating color patterns that stay vibrant in moonlight. Water flowing through carved channels, making gentle sounds that echo perfectly.
"Beautiful," Irene says.
"Yeah it is." I said looking at her.
She catches my gaze and blushes slightly, that soft pink visible even in the crystal light. "Aiden..."
"What? I'm just appreciating the view."
She shakes her head, but she's smiling. "You're impossible."
We walk along the terraced paths, passing beds of vegetables and plants I don't recognize.
The path curves around a bend, leading us through an archway carved from living rock. What we find on the other side stops us both in our tracks.
It's a circular garden, perfectly enclosed by natural stone walls that rise about ten feet high. In the center sits a small pool fed by a waterfall that seems to emerge directly from the rock face. The water catches moonlight and crystal glow, creating ripples of silver light that dance across the stone walls.
But it's the flowers that make this place magical.
Thousands of them, covering every surface that isn't water or walkway. They're unlike anything I've ever seen—petals that seem to glow from within, creating their own soft light in shades of blue, white, and silver. The entire garden pulses gently, like it's breathing.
"Oh my god," Irene whispers.
"Yeah."
She walks to the edge of the pool, kneeling down to trail her fingers in the water. The ripples she creates catch the flower-light, sending patterns of illumination dancing across her face.
This place is perfect. Absolutely perfect.
And looking at her there, with the magical light playing across her features, surrounded by beauty that seems almost too good for this world... something clicks into place in my mind.
This is it. This is the moment.
I've been thinking about this for months now. Waiting for the right moment would come. The right place. The right feeling.
This is it.
"Irene," I say softly.
She looks up from the water, still smiling. "This place is incredible. How did they even create something like this?"
"I don't know. But it's perfect."
I reach into my inventory, feeling for the small box I've kept there. My fingers close around it, and I pull it out, keeping it hidden in my palm for now.
"More than okay." I walk over to where she's kneeling by the pool. "Actually, I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"About us. About this." I gesture around the garden, but I mean more than just the physical space. "About how some moments are perfect, and you don't want to let them pass without doing something important."
She tilts her head. "What are you saying?"
I kneel down beside her at the pool's edge. The flower-light reflects in the water, creating this magical backdrop that no amount of planning could have arranged better.
"I love you, Irene Belserion."
Her breath catches. "Aiden..."
"Whatever challenges we face, whatever trials wait for us anywhere else, I want to face them with you. I want to be with you forever."
I bring out the ring box, opening it to reveal the ring inside.
I chose this after spending countless hours browsing through the catalog of my inventory, especially since there were literally infinite different kinds of rings available in the inventory.
It's simple but elegant—a golden band set with a gemstone embedded, the gem is a Nexus Diamond, the rarest gemstone in all of existence, it was crystallized reality itself, formed only at the convergence points where multiple universes touch.
Based on the description. There are said to be only seven Nexus Diamonds in all the infinite realities combined, each one worth more than entire civilizations. That is without taking my inventory into account of course, I literally have an infinite number of them here
"Irene Belserion, Will you marry me?"
She stares at the ring, then at me, her eyes wide.
"Are you serious?"
"Hnn." I nodded.
She's quiet for a long moment, looking at the ring, at me, at the magical garden around us.
"Yes," she says finally, her voice barely a whisper.
"Yes?"
"Yes, Aiden. Yes, I'll marry you."
The relief and joy that flood through me are overwhelming. I slip the ring onto her finger, and it fits perfectly.
She stares at it for a moment, then launches herself at me, nearly knocking us both into the pool. I catch her, spinning us around as she laughs and kisses me.
"I love you too," she whispers against my lips.
"Good thing. Would've been awkward otherwise."
She pulls back to look at me, eyes bright with happiness and as she laughs.
The flowers around us seem to pulse brighter, as if celebrating.
We sat by the pool for a while, her head on my shoulder. The ring catches the flower-light, creating tiny rainbows in the water when she moves her hand.
"Come on, my love," I say eventually, standing and offering my hand. "Let's see what other wonders this place has to show us."
She takes my hand—her left hand, the one now wearing my ring—and lets me pull her to her feet.
We continue exploring hand in hand. Everything feels different now that we're engaged. The ring on Irene's finger catches the light as we walk.
"Look at this," Irene says, leading me to an observatory carved into the mountainside. The ceiling opens to the sky, and instruments track the stars.
We find workshops with musical instruments that chime in the wind. Gardens where herbs grow in spirals. Libraries carved from rock, holding scrolls that glow softly.
"It's like a honeymoon destination," Irene laughs when we find a natural hot spring tucked into an alcove.
"Is that what this is?"
"Maybe." She gives me a look that makes my pulse quicken. "Though honeymoons usually involve less clothes."
"We could fix that."
She blushes but doesn't pull away when I touch her face.
Back in our chamber, the crystals have dimmed to soft light. Irene sits on the bed, looking at her ring.
"Still can't believe this is real," she says.
"Which part?"
"All of it." She looks up at me. "Especially us."
I sit beside her. "We're real."
She turns to face me. "Then show me."
"Show you what?"
"What it means to be yours."
The air between us changes. We've been holding back for months. But now we don't have to.
I cup her face. "You sure?"
"Yeah."
I kiss her, deeper than before. She responds immediately, pulling me closer.
"I love you," I whisper.
"Love you too," she breathes back.
What follows is gentle and passionate. We take our time, learning what the other likes, what makes them sigh and gasp.
When we finally come together, it's with quiet words and soft touches.
Outside, the territories sleep under starlight. Tomorrow we'll face new challenges.
But tonight we have this. We have each other.
As two people who found their forever in a garden full of glowing flowers.
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