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Faerghus is beautiful.
It’s an easy claim to make, with its endless sea of snow covered trees and roads, playing off the colors of the sky no matter the time of day. It’s a new side of nature for him to capture on canvas, if the dozens of paintings littering the territory of Gaspard offer any evidence of such a thing.
It’s also easy to say it’s beautiful, because Ashe is there. While Ignatz can compare the beauty of his love’s face to the heavens above, it really does add so much to the new land he’s come to reside in.
He’s adjusted to the cold well enough, despite the few instances of getting sick when he first settled down. Ignatz was happy to travel Fodlan for a while, seeing sights unbeknownst to him under the gentle air of peace. He’s been drawn back to Gaspard, however, unable to stray from Ashe’s side much longer. It’s where he belongs, Ignatz wants to argue.
Not only happy to offer support in helping him govern, he’s still just as ridiculously in love as ever. Absence makes the heart fonder and all that, and he’s proof enough of it. Judging the amount of kisses he’s gotten since his stay began, Ignatz can hazard a guess that Ashe missed him just as much. Distance didn’t seem to fit either of them, whether it be five years or a few months. They’re happy together, and Ignatz hopes next time he’s anywhere else but Gaspard, Ashe will be at his side.
It’s a little harder for him to leave, of course, being lord of the territory. But perhaps they’ll be lucky enough to enjoy Fodlan’s sights together in the future.
Ignatz hums a soft melody, setting down his brush to glance outside one of the windows. He’s more than thankful that Ashe has granted him a spare room in the castle to use as an art studio. Such a generous offer , he thinks, and I didn’t even have to ask. What has he done to be so lucky?
It’s stopped snowing for the night, and the air is still and calm. The sky has cleared up as well, and he can see stars begin to dot the vast expanse. There’s only so much his eyes can catch through the surrounding trees, but it’s a beautiful sight regardless. How long has it been since he’s painted such a calm scene?
His last few paintings were for the Kingdom - one for Dimitri and Dedue, one sent to Sylvain and Felix who resided in Fraldarius together, one for the church Mercedes and Annette were at, and one of Lonato. That particular painting hangs proudly in the foyer of the castle for all to see. Portraits, a painting of the Goddess -- all things he was happy to create.
To think he’d be able to paint so frequently and so freely still feels like a dream. There was something of a glint, Ignatz recalls, in his father’s eyes when he finally convinced him to travel around Fodlan. His parents knew of Ashe, and of course the requisite teasing followed as they discovered he was going to end up staying in Gaspard permanently.
Was that glint perhaps his father knowing he was in love? Perhaps so, and the thought makes him smile. As many years as it took to gain such happiness, Ignatz is beyond glad it is finally his.
A soft knock on the door interrupts his musings, and Ashe pokes his head through the door, a warm smile on his face.
“Ashe!” His heart soars, just a bit. “Are you finished with your paperwork for tonight?”
“I am.” Ashe crosses over to him, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on the side of his head. His eyes focus on the series of small landscapes in front of him, carefully painted across the canvas. “These look wonderful! I can only guess how much you love Faerghus from how well you paint it.”
“It’s as wonderful as you said it’d be.” Ignatz leans up to return the kiss, setting his paint to the side. “I am more than happy to have followed you here.”
There’s a warm shine in Ashe’s eyes as his hands curl around Ignatz’s. “And you know I am happy as well. If you don’t mind, actually, I’d love to take you somewhere tonight.”
“Is there somewhere in Gaspard I have yet to see?” He knows Ashe is already planning dinner for them both; they obviously aren’t heading to a restaurant in town. He’s seen most of the scenic locations as well - or perhaps he hasn’t, given the fact that Ashe seems eager to take him to wherever this is.
“Not somewhere,” he shakes his head, trying to conceal the growing smile on his face, “but something.”
Ashe’s smile, as ever, is contagious. Ignatz has a hunch this is why he went through such lengths to finish his paperwork early, and prepared dinner ahead of time. He’s thought this well in advance, hasn’t he? Whatever for?
“I would be honored to accompany you.” Ah, so formal - he doesn’t need to be! They’ve been on plenty of dates before. “May I ask where we’ll be going?”
“It’s a secret.” He’s offered a playful wink, and Ignatz feels a blush creep up on his cheeks. Even the little things still manage to get him. “This is special, Ignatz. I want it to be a surprise.”
The idea that Ashe is planning something so special warms his heart. It’s not anything new, considering from the start, he’s always done what he can to make Ignatz happy. This isn’t a hard feat to accomplish, of course. Ignatz figures they’ll never leave the puppy love stage, always being ridiculously enamored with one another. That isn’t the worst way to live, not at all, and he reaches out his hand to Ashe’s. Their fingers intertwine with a light squeeze, and Ashe escorts him out of the art studio.
Once they’re dressed in warmer furs, Ashe leads the pair outside to the stables. Ignatz fondly remembers hearing all of the stories of how he tried to care for the horses with Lonato, and how it ended up slightly a disaster. While he’s better with them now, they can still share warm laughs about tales of Ashe’s childhood. It’s always easier to look back on Lonato with a smile, and how happy and proud he’d be of the two of them.
Ignatz is a bit surprised to be pulled up on the same horse as Ashe, however. He doesn’t mind the closeness at all, and settles his arms around his waist. Whatever is planned has to be something different, something they’ve never done before - something very, very special. While he can argue any time spent together is as such, there’s sentiment going into this. Ignatz smiles fondly, and leans his head against Ashe’s shoulder. He’s so warm… were it any later, the temptation to doze off would be rather high.
“You’ve gotten better with the horses.” Ignatz comments softly as they begin their journey.
“I would hope so!” Ashe says with a laugh warm enough to deter the cold. “It would be rather difficult to get around on foot everywhere after a while.”
He’d walk all over Fodlan with Ashe, if he had to. There’s something special about riding on horseback together; he can’t place exactly quite what it is.
A comfortable silence lapses between them both, the only sound being the soft crunch of snow beneath the horse’s hooves. Ignatz notes they’re heading upwards, through a thicket of trees that appear to clear out after some distance. Perhaps Ashe is hoping the location will inspire some new paintings? He hardly needs such things, but the gesture is sweet nonetheless. As always, they’re looking out to support each other.
“Ignatz, can you close your eyes?”
The request throws him off a bit. He’s just about to look up at the sky again, too. “Of course, Ashe. What for?”
“This will be better if you see it as close as possible. And again, I want to surprise you.” Ignatz swears there’s a hint of nervousness in his voice. “Trust me.”
He does trust Ashe, more than anyone else. Ignatz nods, and let his eyes slip shut. He gives Ashe’s waist a squeeze, trying to imagine what’s in store for him.
-
“Open your eyes, Ignatz.”
Ignatz’s eyes slowly open, and his breath is hardly able to leave his throat as he glances towards the sky.
Ribbons of blue and green light, mixed with a faint hue of purple, curl through the night sky, illuminating it with a soft, blue aura. The stars, ones that Ignatz saw earlier, dance around the lights, stretching towards the horizon. He can see quite a bit of Castle Gaspard from here as well, and the town off in the distance. He can only focus on those for a few seconds, and that’s even generous before the lights take him in once more.
He’s read of lights like these before, but to think he’d see them in person, in such a beautiful clearing… and to even think Ashe was aware of such a location. With them so far away from town, there’s nothing to obscure the sky. They’re as vibrant as he’s dreamed of them being - and much more beautiful in person. Has he spoken of them before? He can’t recall at the moment - all he can do is commit the vista to memory, wanting to paint it later for posterity. He knows he’ll remember this forever, but he wants a physical reminder of this view.
“Oh, Ashe--” He turns to face the other man, and his breath is caught once more.
Ashe is on one knee before him, holding out a ring in his hand.
“Ignatz,” he’s looking up at him with all the softness in the world, as if the lights above them hardly exist, “when we met, there was something special about you - something I was always able to tell. Your smile, the way you saw beauty in the world, your way with art… there aren’t enough words to describe how much I love you, and how worthy I want to make myself to have a place at your side. I want you to, ah -- I’ve rehearsed this, goodness, I shouldn’t be messing up,” he takes in a deep breath, “I-I know I haven’t come from anything special. I’ve done things in the past I’m not proud of. And yet, I never want to stop taking your breath away. So… if I may ask, will you marry me?”
The cold stings at Ignatz’s face as tears run down his cheeks. He wants to find the words to say to accept Ashe’s proposal, but can only nod fervently as he removes his glasses to wipe at his eyes with the palm of his hands.
Ashe wants to marry him. Him. He was the one brought back to Faerghus, out of everyone in the monastery. He wonders if he’s dreaming, and if he is, he doesn’t want to dare to wake up.
“Of c-course,” he trips over his own words as well, sniffling, almost sobbing at this point, “of course I will. Yes. A thousand times yes.”
With eyes shining brighter than the stars, tears slipping down his face as well, Ashe slips the ring on Ignatz’s finger before pulling him into a kiss. He’s pulled into an embrace so tight they’re able to melt into each other’s warmth, and is promptly lifted off the ground.
“My love,” Ashe whispers after setting Ignatz down, “I’m so happy you said yes.”
“I wouldn’t dare dream of saying anything else.” Ignatz rests their foreheads together, brushing a gloved hand through his hair. Once again, he slips into the habit of studying Ashe’s face, and the blissful, gentle expression it wears. If he looks closely enough, he can see the stars reflected in Ashe’s eyes. “Have I ever told you that you are more beautiful than the Goddess?”
It’s amazing how easy words like this come to him now. Years ago, Ignatz never would have dreamed of being able to voice such thoughts. Ashe is able to make him feel the most confident he’s ever been, and it’s a feeling he wants to chase for the rest of his life. If his words can bring such softness to Ashe’s eyes, then he’ll whisper them forever.
“I believe you have, but I wouldn’t stop you if you wanted to say it again. And to return such praise, the warmth in your eyes is even greater than the sun.” Ashe brushes a thumb under those gentle, mesmerizing eyes. More kisses are peppered onto Ignatz’s face, and it’s as if the cold outside is irrelevant.
The compliment nearly dares to make him cry once more. “I’m glad. I never plan to stop admiring you.” Ignatz can only imagine how stunning he’s going to look on their wedding day. To think he’s truly going to marry the most gorgeous man in the entire world, whose hair reminds him of gentle moonlight. “You really did surprise me, Ashe. Honestly, I just thought you wanted to be romantic after a day of work.”
To be fair, this is ridiculously romantic either way. But Ignatz didn’t expect to have a ring decorating his finger, or to have the honor of calling him his husband in the future. Life’s taken him on many journeys, and to have his paths lead here is more than a blessing.
“I wanted to propose when you first came back.” That was a few weeks ago, wasn’t it? They’d exchanged so many letters before then. “I wanted to make it special, however. I had to make sure the sky looked like this when I would ask you to marry me.”
“How did you know I was the one?” He asks softly. “How did you even know this was going to happen?”
“Somewhere in between sending our love letters back and forth. I made sure to read about the lights as well, so I could plan this for you.” Ashe’s arms wrap a little tighter around him. “When you wrote to me that you were coming back to stay, I went to buy a ring shortly after. I wanted you to be my husband more than anything. I almost can’t believe I’m so lucky.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Ignatz cups Ashe’s face with his hands, “how could I not be, when someone as wonderful as you wishes to be by my side?”
They’re going in circles at this rate, pouring endless compliments on each other. After another kiss, Ignatz finally looks back to the sky, resting his head on Ashe’s shoulder.
“The lights really are beautiful.” He’s going to have to paint this - no doubts about it whatsoever. This scene needs to be captured, to have a permanent place upon canvas and in history. “I’m not even surprised you knew I wanted to see them.”
“I’d be silly not to realize it.” Ignatz’s favorite thing to paint, aside from Ashe, were landscapes. “And that expression on your face… and you call me the breathtaking one.”
“You are.” His lips briefly brush against Ashe’s jaw as another chill passes through them. “And you always will be.”
Ashe offers a warm smile. “As will you, love. But should we head back? It wouldn’t do well for either of us to catch cold.”
If they ended up sick, it’d just be an excuse to spend time in bed curled up under the covers together. But he’s right -- gorgeous as this sight may be, it might be time to head back.
“Dinner is waiting for us, after all. That should help warm us up.” Ignatz hopes they’ll spend the rest of the night by the fireplace as well, and slips his hand into Ashe’s. He responds by giving his hand a gentle squeeze, and they begin to head off.
He makes sure to look at the lights as long as he can, before the trees begin to come back into view. “Should I assume you made my favorite?”
“Am I that predictable?” They begin the journey back, and Ignatz doesn’t hesitate to bury himself against Ashe once more. “I did, however. I wanted everything to be perfect for tonight.”
Goddess, he’s so lucky. There’s so much love to say, to fill the air, but they have to save something for their vows. Even if they’d repeat the sentiments a thousand times over, it’d be more special to hear them up on the altar. Alas, he has plenty of time to think about his vows - and whatever he says, he’s sure Ashe will love.
To think life would lead them here, after years of struggle and war - there are far too many blessings to count. All they can think about is the future, and how happy they will be to spend it together, hand in hand.
“I love you, Ashe.” Ignatz whispers softly over the sound of snow crunching beneath them.
“And I love you, Ignatz.” They’ll never tire of hearing or saying that phrase, will they?
Ignatz admires the ring on his finger, and muses that it shines brighter than the stars above.