Chapter Text
"Is there a particular reason why you're covering my eyes and leading me somewhere in the Arlathan Forest, at night?" Arendil questioned, humour in his voice. Emmrich chuckled, leaning down to place a kiss on the elf's head. He kept his hands over Arendil's eyes, gently guiding his lover over tree roots and loose stones.
"In due time, my dearest. Do you think you can hold onto your curiosity for just a moment longer? We're almost there." Emmrich responded, slowly making the elf take a left turn and continued to softly guide his steps as they moved forward. After a few more steps, Emmrich gently pulled the elf to a stop. His eyes scanned over the clearing before him.
The whole area had been transformed into a fairy-tale garden. Hanging Roses were strung from tree to tree, jars of fireflies hung from the branches casting the clearing in a heavenly glow. Small candles were lit on the ground that was covered in a large picnic blanket. An assortment of plates were settled against the fabric, each containing one of Arendil's favourite dishes. Most of them were desserts, as the elf had a very large sweet tooth. The necromancer turned his gaze to the sky, and was pleased to see they had arrived just in time. The stars were shining brightly, surrounded in a sky swirling with purple, green and blue. He defiantly owes Bellara and Lucanis for their help with this. Slowly, Emmrich lowered his hands from Arendil's eyes.
"Surprise, my love."
Arendil's eyes fluttered open and Emmrich couldn't help the smile from appearing on his face at the loud gasp that left the elf. Emerald eyes darted around, taking in their surroundings before turning up to the sky. "How did you-? When did you-?" Emmrich chuckled as the other man spun around to face him, his eyes full of wonder and disbelief.
"I may have asked for some help." He took hold of Arendil's hands, pulling them up and laying gentle kisses along the knuckles. "Do you like it?"
"Like it?!" Arendil exclaimed, quickly pulling his hands away and throwing his arms around the necromancer's neck. "I love it!" Emmrich held onto the other's waist, sighing in relief. "I can't believe you did this for me, Emmrich. I don't know what I did, but it must have been something good if this is what I get for it."
"Nonsense, dearest. I merely wanted to do something special for us. We've both been working hard in helping with the recovery of those effected by Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain's attempt at destroying this world. I thought the two of us deserve a night of each other's company." He cupped the elf's cheeks and placed featherlight kisses on his skin. Arendil let out a small huff, mixed between a laugh and a sob. His emerald eyes found hazel and the elf couldn't help but lean up for a soft kiss.
"I have missed you. Waking up alone is starting to get a little inconvenient, I'd very much like to have my necromancer beside me than wake up to a cold bed."
"Well, we'll have to correct that. I'll make sure we have every morning to ourselves from now on." The necromancer took hold of Arendil's hands once more and led him over to the picnic laid out for them. "As much as I cannot understand how you can handle so many sweets, I thought I'd let it go this one night and let you indulge in as much sweetness as you'd like." He laughed softly as Arendil's eyes lit up at the sight of all the desserts in front of him.
The two men settled down on the blanket, Arendil quickly helping himself to some sugar cookies. He rested his head on Emmrich's shoulder and listened as the older man talked about how he had Bellara help him calculate when the stars were the most visible and how Lucanis had prepared all the desserts (without letting Emmrich even get close to the kitchen). The elf had laughed at that part. "I know you can cook well, but you know Lucanis. Every kitchen is his kitchen." Arendil turned his eyes back up to the sky. "It's beautiful, Emmrich. You did all this for us, for me. I-"
"Don't finish that thought, dear. This was all worth it to see the happiness on your face." The necromancer quickly glanced down, spying the skull ring on his left ring finger. Arendil's declaration of marriage. This is what I want, I want all of this, forever. "My darling, there is something I'd like to discuss."
"Uh-oh, am I in trouble?" Arendil teased, turning his body to give the older man his full attention.
"Depends on your definition of 'trouble'." Emmrich teased back, before taking a deep breath. "I did all of this for you, that is true. I also did this for me. I wanted to bring you here, to a place we can call our own, so I can tell you something I've been thinking of for a long time." He gently took hold of the elf's hands, letting his heart speak for him.
"Arendil, you are...the most extraordinary person I have ever known. You're something that I never thought I'd find. A person like you, taking an interest in me felt impossible, yet...here we are. We're here, together. From the moment we first met you surprised me. You keep on surprising me, darling." He pulled Arendil's hands up and placed kisses all over the bare skin. "I was afraid to love you, once. I had fallen so deeply, yet I knew I could have lost you at any given moment. I was afraid to let myself love you, for the thought of living without you was more frightening than death itself. Then...I had to live without you." Arendil flinched. A prison of regrets. He still had nightmares about his time trapped in the Fade. Emmrich rubbed his thumbs over the elf's knuckles in a comforting gesture. "Those three weeks without you made me realise just how foolish I was. I let myself believe that loving you was a mistake, when the truth is far from it. All of my life, I was searching for someone, someone who could see me for who I truly was. I had no idea that I'd find you after living over fifty years of my life. I've had people from different circles, but none of them compare to you. You, Arendil, are that someone. I was blind enough to not realise that until after you were taken from me."
Arendil at this point had tears in his eyes. His emerald eyes seemed brighter, almost the same colour as the magic that flowed through the necromancer's veins.
"I refuse to let anything tare us apart again, my love. That is why I'm saying this. I love you, Arendil. I will say that until my last dying breath, as there is no one else in this world that my heart could ever belong to. It is yours to keep and treasure." Emmrich let go of the elf's hands once again, reaching into his waistcoat pocket and pulling out a small leather pouch. He opened it and gently pulled out the delicate piece inside. He watched as Arendil covered his mouth with both hands, his tears finally falling. The ring was silver, but the outside was covered in a clear resin. Inside the resin however, was what set Arendil's heart alight. There, preserved forever, were Shroud's Kiss and White Lily petals. A combination of flowers that symbolised their relationship. Their flowers.
"My dearest heart, will you marry me?"
Arendil only nodded, and held out his left hand. Emmrich smiled softly and slid the ring onto the elf's finger, placing a delicate kiss onto it as it settled in place. "I've been wanting this since I pulled you from the Fade. As soon as you fell into my arms, I vowed to never let you go again." Once Emmrich was happy that the ring was in place, he let go of Arendil's hand, only to be pulled forward by hands around his neck. Lips pressed against his as the elf pulled the older man on top of him, locking him in place with legs pressed against his hips. The two fell into the kiss, a warm, light feeling in both their hearts. The necromancer eventually had to pull away for air, and he laughed softly as Arendil chased his lips, stealing another quick peck before Emmrich placed a hand between them. Arendil frowned, almost pouting at being denied more kisses.
"Let me catch my breath, darling. I was caught off guard for a moment there-" He was cut off when the elf placed both hands on his chest and flipped them over, sending the desserts around them in different directions. "Darling! The desserts-" He faltered when Arendil straddled his thighs.
"I don't care about the desserts, Emmrich. Not when you just proposed to me, in the most you way possible." He reached up and began to unbutton the necromancer's shirt, starting with the button at the very top of the collar. "You've just told me you were planning this for months, you've wanted to marry me since you saved me." The elf smiled as Emmrich swallowed, watching the desire shimmer in his eyes. "Now we are. You're marrying me, Emmrich." He leaned down once he caught sight of pale skin, teeth nipping against a rapidly increasing pulse. "You know exactly what you're getting into." Arendil rolled his hips, smirking at the immediate grip on his hips. A choked gasp met his ears and he lifted his head, emerald meeting hazel. "How about you lay there and look all pretty? I'll give you a preview of what our wedding night is going to be like."
"Spirits...Arendil, please."