"Mum," I hissed into the darkness. The was always a danger with whispering into the darkness of your parent's bedroom late at night. But this was important, "Mum!"

"What?" She mumbled, I could see her form shifting in the darkness, Dad was out like a rock.

"This is super important," I was bouncing on the balls of my feet, "really important, you need to come right now,"

Silence, a shuffle. "Sofia-, ugh,"

Then she was standing, padding across the floor towards me. I took her hand in mine and out to the back balcony. She shifted uncomfortably in the cold.

"What is this about?" She wiped the sleep from her eyes and pursed her lips at me.

"He proposed, Mum he proposed,"

It took her a moment to process this. Suddenly, her eyes were alight and she was looking at me with a renewed intensity.

"He what?!"

"He- he proposed! I asked him a question and he just went for it, he wasn't planning to so there was no ring. Actually he was planning on doing it tomorrow under the guise of it being his birthday but Mum! He proposed!"

She fell back into the open chair, I rushed forwards.

"Are you okay?" I laughed aloud, holding out my hands if she needed steadying.

"My daughter is marrying a prince," She shook her head, keeping her eyes set on the distant lights of the town, "I can't believe it. I thought this day would never come,"

"I can't believe it either," I gasped, hoping to keep my excitement from causing me to scream into the night.

"He didn't ask your father!" Mum gasped, looking at me accusingly.

"I know, it was out of the blue," I held my hands up in a peaceful stance, "so you can't tell Dad until he asks tomorrow, okay?"

My mother shook her head, rolling her eyes. "My goodness, that's going to be a challenge,"

My stomach plunged of course Dad would be the final contender.

The anxiety of the impending morning kept me up for the rest of the night and into the next morning. Sleep only came out of sheer exhaustion.

As a result, it was a surprise for me to sleepily enter into the living room to see Cas and my father in the living room. Cas looked incredibly formal today; wearing a button up baby blue tee and black pants. Vlad hung by the counter, quietly conversing with Vlad.

"Sofia!" My mother cried in a sharp tongue, "clothes!"

Cas and I caught a glance at one another. I instantly flushed from head to toe and a shade spread across his cheeks as well.

Ah, that's right.

With a yelp, I darted back down into the privacy o the hallway, my booty shorts and nightgown barely covering what was appropriate for a to-be-married man to see.

In record speed, I dressed and prepared my hair. Cas' blush was still fading when I re-appeared.

"So," I cleared my throat, "how long have you been around?" An amicable effort to clear the tension at my re-appearance.

"Not too long," Cas grinned easily.

"Two hours," If looks could kill, Vlad would be calling in a crime scene thanks to my mother.

"My apologies," I stammered out, rejoining her in the kitchen. Her place of power, maybe not a good idea. To my disappointment, the conversation didn't easily start back up again. Instead, I wove around my mother, selecting yoghurt and a few choice fruits from the fridge.

"Happy Birthday," I grinned at Cas, "had anything to eat?" I asked to Cas and Vlad.

"Your mother could feed an army," Cas smiled gently.

"And probably the neighbouring one as well when she's got the rest of the church mums," I chuckled. My mother stacked some items beside me- flour, egg, butter.

Cake is it today? I wondered.

Sugar, coconut, chocolate.

Chocolate chip cookies it is, then.

Mum gave me a slight smile, turning to Cas, "Would you like to stay for an afternoon tea, your highness?"

Cas looks to Vlad, a silent conversation passing between the two. Cas turns back to my mother, a smile across his face.

"We'd love to and please, Casmir is fine,"

"Wonderful!" She beamed, moving around the kitchen. In a low voice, she turns to me, "I need to do the weekly shop, do what you need to do," Mum moved into the next room over, completely outright leaving was looked down on so it seemed like I'd have to keep the attention of Cas and Vlad.

"Would I be able to steal a moment outside with you, sir?" Cas asked, turning to my Father.

Oh boy, I thought to myself, busying my hands with the ingredients. The butter needed to be melted, the sugar dissolved, the eggs split and it all intertwined into a mixture that'd be slowly joined with the dry content. Now my shoulder is hurting.

Dad and Cas moved to the door. Cas and I shared a lasting look, I gave him a small smile and an encouraging nod. Cas replied with a look of slight horror.

"Was it true? Two hours?" I turned to Vlad who had a lukewarm coffee next to his hand, going to sip my own tea.

"Yep," He replied casually, I almost spat mine out.

"Two hours?" I hissed in horror. What tales had my father re-lived? What horrors had he heaped onto Cas? Had it gone well? Or was everyone just holding together a facade?

"Didn't want to wake you up," Vlad hummed in humour, he watched Cas and my Father shuffle uncomfortably for a second.

I can't bear to watch, instead focusing on folding in the rest of the elements.

"Aside from that, a good day?" I grinned ruefully. Vlad shrugged.

"The usual,"

Vlad offered a hand to pour everything out onto the tray. I spent the next twenty minutes assembling scones and whipping cream. I couldn't bare to watch Cas and my Father's discussion. Sometimes Cas appeared sullen, other times, understanding. It was after I fought with the dough to assemble it onto the trays that they returned. The cookies warm and ready.

"Let them cool," I rolled my eyes as Cas who immediately went for one. He gave a boyish grin, the light of the early afternoon dancing in his eyes. Dad disappeared for 'work', "Interesting conversation?" I spoke in a low voice, passing him by as he leant on the kitchen bench.

"I have never been more pressured, even in battle," He admitted, Vlad snorted, chuckling to himself. I shook my head, glancing heavenward.

Cas and Vlad stayed longer than expected, chatting about humorous musings. Dad flittered in and out and eventually Mum arrived home. Vlad and Cas were the first to leap up and give her a hand, dishing out the appropriate groceries.

Afternoon tea was sweet. Cas was the relaxed and quick-witted self that I'd initially fallen in love with.

Fallen in love with, I almost gasped, I'm going to be marrying him!

I probably should've decided a little earlier if I truly loved Cas or not. But sitting here, watching him fold the pastries with my Mother and re-counting wild stories from the tour, I couldn't imagine anyone else.

No, not even Alek.

Cas and Vlad departed with a promise to return at six pm. "Something casual," was the recommendation from him before the two of them departed with a final 'thank you'!

Mum turned to me, her hands on her hips.

"No way are you wearing something casual,"

"Yes I am," I stuck my ground. I knew what Mum had in mind- a dress close to a ballgown. But tonight, she would not have her way, "I'm going to wear jeans and a nice shirt, that's it,"

The horror that crossed my Mother's face.

"It's a casual night," I continued, "the casual of sitting in the back of a truck and going to the drive in movies,"

My Mother narrowed her eyes, "You are wearing makeup then,"

I ground my teeth, narrowing my own eyes, "Only a little bit,"

"Fine,"

"Fine,"

Fine. I stood before the mirror in my only pair of jeans and a short-sleeved feminine-looking shirt. Mum had convinced me into lip gloss, mascara, and a bit of blush. That was enough from there, I'd decided.

Cas arrived at the door four minutes after six, he looked a little apologetic when I opened it. I breathed out a sigh of relief, he was also in jeans and a casual polo shirt.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes," I breathed out, beaming in the setting sun.

The two of us sat in the back, besides one another. "We've got a bit of a drive ahead," Cas confessed.

"Am I allowed to know where we're going?" I grinned slightly.

"You'll see soon," Cas promised, his eyes alight with playfulness.

Ever the workaholic, Cas spent some of the trip writing out reports. It was mostly land proposals and designs for the new buildings.

"Do we go modern or traditional?" Cas sighed, running a hand over his freshly shaven cheek. His face alight in the blue glow. I tried not to feel hurt, holding to the little package that I'd brought with me. Instead, I watched Ardeena pass by. We were going Southward, in a way just around the Chesno Forest. Up the mountainside, above the little town's glow.

It was when we were about halfway up that I realised something-.

"A shooting star!" I gasped, Cas looked up from his work.

There were probably only three or so times that I'd actually seen a shooting star.

"Make a wish," He grinned.

We arrived at an open lookout, overlooking Ardeena. Vlad, after a quick scout, opted to stay in the car and give us some privacy. Cas pulled a blanket from the car, as well as a traditional-looking picnic basket. He pulled out the items, some of which I gasped at- strawberries, blueberries, pineapple and mangos. I looked to the skies and gasped again.

"Look! Another shooting star!" I grinned, then faltered, "wait, there's heaps of them!"

"Meteor shower," Cas nodded, smiling gently, "happens once every twenty or so years,"

"No way," I gasped, looking to the shattered fragments, throwing themselves against the shield of the Earth. "That's incredible!"

"It definitely is," Cas nodded wistfully. His phone receiving another notification, he turned it off.

"Talking about anniversaries," I turned to my side, picking up the little package I'd brought with me, "Happy Birthday!"

Cas took the package with a beam on his face. He ran it over in his fingers and sliced one side of it open. The card first. He read through it, his eyes alight and a small chuckle on his lips. Very delicately, as if not to breath anything he retrieved the item from inside- a little wooden doll, about the length of his fingers and on a keychain. He looked up to me, his eyes alight. The moment we'd shared in the market feeling like a million years ago. He let the rest of the contents of the package slowly fall to the floor; a thick stash of prints.

Memories that I'd caught on the reels of the camera he'd given me. Moments that I almost lost in the hotel fire; the first team photo we had, a 'date' in the park together, him bent over his work, his forehead creased, a moment where Cas and Vlad had stolen the camera for a blurry selfie, moments up moments printed across the glossy pages.

I was terrible at giving gifts, but I think I did okay on this one.

With a gentle touch, he slowly passes the prints back into their casing and turns to me.

"Your turn," He whispered.

"I get a present on your birthday? This is fantastic," I beamed. Cas stood, offering me his hand. We walked a little ways down the hillside, watching over Ardeena.

There was a moment between us. I knew what was about to happen but I didn't know how he was going to say it.

"I can't believe we've only known one another for a few months," He whispered, a smile tugging at his lips. He turned to me, "but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And I hope the years ahead are as fantastic as the small time that we've already had together,"

He lowers himself to a kneel, "So, Sofia O'Zbrojaski, would you do the wonderful pleasure of marrying me for the rest of my life?" In his hand, a beautiful ring with swirling metal detail around it.

I looked down at him, tears welling in my eyes. I lowered myself, at the same kneeling position as him.

"Of course," I whispered, the two of us holding one another.