"More?" Eless' smile remained but was perplexed. Luke just nodded with a crooked grin while her brow arched in silent question. He then assumed his best practiced, innocent look. "What art thou up to?" She chuckled, totally unconvinced by his look.

"Six feet and change?"

In response Eless groaned and nudged him lightly against his side with her elbow. He grinned and rubbed the spot he was nudged, "I am fragile!"

"I can nay leave the two of thee alone without some sort of mischief brewing." She pretended to scold both him and the dog. She gave a snort of disbelief. "And I am tall."

"For a midget, you sure are."His retort earned him a pinch and a huff which only ended up with him cracking up again.

It was a good thing he was so cute. His laughter infectious, Eless simply shook her head and let the day's tensions ebb from her petite frame. "I love thee, my Crazy Cajun."

"I love you, Eless." He smiled then. "More than you'll ever know."

"I think I have a pretty good idea." She snuck a kiss to his neck.

"Do you?" He smiled, and with a devilish look then, "What is your good idea?"

She blinked at him, then realized he was teasing. "Oh, that thou shouldest go around shirtless in jeans more often." She smiled ever so sweetly.

"For everyone, or just you?" Luke's grin spread.

"Just me." She winked. " We would nay wish to start riots. And if thou dost remember, I do nay share very well."

"Hmmm, I can do that."

She grinned. "I am a very lucky woman."

"You say that now..." He teased as he finally slid his arm around her.

"Oh, and I will continue to say it and believe it. Until my last breath."

He just smiled then. "I'll hold ya to that."

"Promise?"

Again that devilish smile slid across his lips and there was a nearly imperceptible arching of her brow as she watched him in the moonlight.

"What?"

"I am just wondering what thou art thinking." And plotting. But she didn't voice that part out loud.

"Ohh..nothing." Sing song.

She wriggled her fingers threateningly; ready to launch a tickle attack. "Nothing?"

"Nothing atall, Love."

"Tease." She accused him playfully.

"Tease" Moi?"

"Oui, toi, cher." She grinned. "Just wait...."

"Wait for what, Shugapop?"

She blinked at his new endearment, but pressed on. "''Til I tell thy mother."

"My mother what?" He eyed her then.

"I can nay tell thee. 'Tis a secret." Sage nod.

"So we are keeping secrets now?" Luke smiled and looked smug.

She chuffed. He caught her with that one. "Fine." She tried not to laugh with her threat. "I will tell her about all the mischief thou art up to."

"Oooh, that's nothing new, she's my Mom! C'mon now! Gotta be better than that!"

Eless was out of ideas, so she just waggled a finger warningly. "Thou wilt see! Just wait!"

"I have something you can tell her..."

She arched a brow skeptically. "Oh?" He nodded his head with that same smile."And just what might that be?"

He shrugged, "Search me."

"Literally?" The curiosity shone brightly in her eyes. It really was her weakness and would be her downfall. Luke's smile remained, but he didn't move. She paused and looked to the dog as if he would advise her. Of course when she looked, he was wagging that deadly tail. Bandito was no help, so she sighed and grumped at him. "Remember who doth give thee steak, dog." Unable to restrain herself any longer, she gave in to her insatiable curiosity, beginning with patting down his shirt. Not that that was a horrible chore or anything. He just grinned wider then. She tried not to laugh, but did anyway and gave him a light pinch at his trim waist while she was at it. "Hmmmm...nothing hiding in thy shirt."

Again Luke shook his head, "What's the horse say?" Grin. "Neigh."

Nimble fingers strayed to the pockets of his jeans and searched them next. She shook her head at his silliness. "I really wonder about thy sanity at times, Luke."

"Do you? And you love me!" Change, lint, usual pocket stuff was what those nimble little fingers would find.

She giggled. "Aye, I do. Both." She continued her search, only finding a bit of lint in the front pocket. Car keys were her next find and she sighed audibly.

"Going for a drive?" He teased.

"I might." She grinned impudently and added a brow waggle for good measure.

"Can't be that hard to do," He nodded. Eless couldn't get at the rear pockets since Luke was sitting, so she looked at him....defeated. "Really' You are going to give up?" He asked when he saw that defeated look. That was almost as effective as a double-dog-dare. He looked at Bandito then. "I told you so, Furface."

"Look!" She pointed over his shoulder in the general direction behind him.He glanced over his shoulder, looking for whatever it was. "Nay...nay.....Over there!" Hoping to get him to turn so she could scope out his pockets.

He turned a bit more. "What is it that I am looking for?"

"Just a bit more to thy right, cher!" She continued to point until she had access to his back pockets which she took full advantage of.

He turned all the way, then looked over his shoulder at her. "You wanted to look at my butt?"

She grinned wickedly. "Nay just look at it, cher." Her fingers were just as nimble as before and dipped into those pockets as well. She gave him a little goose for good measure.

He jumped with the goose, "Is it Christmas already?"

She laughed merrily. "Well, thou didst tell me to search thee."

He nodded again. "I did."

"Well, it doth seem that I am unsuccessful." She gave him a sly wink. "Unless thou dost count getting a good grope in."

He just laughed, and looked at the dog again. "You thought it was such a good idea." Bandito cocked his head to the side, and his tail thumped harder.

She looked from Luke to the dog and then back to him. "I am completely missing something."

He nodded and removed his arm from around her as he scooched from the swing, and knelt down to lift his jeans leg, up over the top of his boot. "You are missing something."

Eless watched him even more curious than she had been earlier. "I shall have to remember that for next time." He looked up at her, as he reached into the loose leather. "Hopefully there won't be a next time."

She chuckled. "Not even around Christmas?"

He grinned at her. "I'm out of wrapping paper." Something in his hand that he looked at, then back at her. Being as they were in tune, she'd be able to feel he was anxious and happy, and he knew that as well, so that grin remained as he held out the shiny toward her. "When we see mom, tell her that she has an elf for a daughter in law?"

She blinked. Her gaze flicking from the shiny to his face and then to Bandito and back to him. "An elf for a what?"

"Daughter in law..." He swallowed hard, "Marry me, Elessaria?"

"A daughter-in-law?" She blinked again. Frozen for a moment. Her own nerves traveled through the bond and she nodded mutely, leaning forward to wend her arms about his neck so he could hear her tremulous whisper. "Aye, I would be honoured and blessed."

Luke wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I want our forever, I love you, so much."

Eless couldn't keep the tears from forming, but they were far from because of any sadness. Instead she squeezed him harder as if she were crawling under his skin. "I love thee, melamian. For forever and a day."

Relief and another wave of happiness washed over him and he kissed her neck. "Forever and a day." Repeating her words as they said a lot of what he was thinking.

She smiled tenderly while she still trembled. The mixture of emotions flitting through the blue flames as well as radiating from her aura. "Sneaky." She teased him lightly, then peppered his face with soft, happy kisses.

"People may think we are crazy, but I don't care."

She shrugged a single shoulder. "They might, but I think most will be happy for us." Eless continued."Besides, the gossip columns have been a bit bare lately." She chuckled softly and blinked away the unshed tears. Softly, "Wouldest thou put it on me" Please?" She didn't trust herself not to drop it in the grass.

He smiled at her. "I would love to," He took her hand and kissed it first, before he took the ring and slid it onto her ring finger, checking the fit. "It's still a touch loose, but they said they can size it."

She had that typical dazed look upon her features when she saw the shiny on her finger. "I did nay think I could be any happier, Luke, and then thou dost go and surprise me....making me even happier."

He grinned at her. "You don't know how hard I had to work, hiding that from you."

"So thou wert keeping a secret, hmm?" She teased.

He nodded, "A big one. But I think it was an acceptable secret, much like Korrah."

"I guess I can forgive thee." She chuckled merrily and nodded. "Aye, like Korrah. Except I think I got the much better end of the deal."

I don't know about that..." He grinned.

"'Tis beautiful...thank thee." She chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose. "We shall just agree to disagree in this case."

"I thought it suited not only the shine of your eyes at times, but also the necklace."

She nodded her agreement. "Aye, they go very well together." She blushed. "I mean the necklace and ring."

"I am glad that you like it." He was indeed, as that smile showed.

"Perfect. Like thee." She punctuated her declaration with another kiss.

He slid back up to the seat beside her, and returned the kiss happily.

———- ((Adapted from play with the permission of Luke's talented player.))

Eless was both touched and amazed by the engagement gift. From its magical wrapping to the delicious contents, it was a definite hit. She packed it up carefully to bring it home to share with Luke. The tarts to be savored and the wine to be saved for a special occasion.

She sat at her desk in the back room and penned a note on ivory parchment:

Dear ConColor Pride:

Thank thee kindly for thy thoughtfulness. We are truly touched by it and are certain to enjoy such unique and delicious gifts. They will set a sweet tone for our journey together in life.

Again, many thanks.

With deep appreciation, ~Elessaria & Luke She rolled the parchment after the ink dried, tying it with sapphire and gold silk ribbons. When the delivery lad set out to deliver the day's orders, he would make certain to bring the thank you to Ander.