The Ring
By Lonelyrider

A nervous James tries to work up the courage to ask his beloved on-and-off girlfriend of 4 years if she will marry him.

Story Highlights:
Wealthy man
Proposal
Nerves
Gifts
Birthday
Mule
Human angel
Manor
Countryside
Victorian/midevil
Love
Flex
Success
Happiness

Lonely's birthday had come and gone in the last few days of June; the rural countryside landscape of Icyvania, being in the grips of a mild ice age, was still clothed in light snow despite it being summer, though the cold was mild this time of year. James watched the hardy roses that crept up his garden arbor in his huge manor back yard, gazing at the enormous diamond engagement ring in the pretty little maroon velvet box he had on the iron bench he sat on; James gulped hard, feeling his stomach flipping in knots for the 100th time. His sweetie was on her way in the beautiful cabriolet 1-horse-carriage he'd gifted to her for her recent birthday; he'd also treated his sweetie to a huge assortment of dresses custom made for her by the town seamstress, to her utter delight, and finally topped it off with an expensive and ornate ruby necklace and clip-on-earrings he'd had commissioned for his precious mare by the town jeweler; James gulped again. He wasn't yet done, though. He'd been planning this proposal for many weeks, and had spoken with his therapist at length regarding his nerves and self-esteem challenges, as well as asking and obtaining permission from Lonely's reluctant but agreeing mother, as her father couldn't be located, despite James's thorough trying to.
"Come on big guy, don't you chicken out." He told himself, feeling his body shaking all over; he hoped he wasn't sweating too much in his finest suit and top hat, and he was thankful for the mild cold in that moment. He'd called his beloved on his magic hand mirror and asked her if she would like to come over, and as always, she'd been happy to. James heard the hooves of Lonely's draft pony mare clopping and knew she'd pulled up in front of his manor, he faintly heard his butler greeting her and informing her James awaited her in his beautiful backyard garden, and the sounds of her thanking James's carriage driver as he took her mare and carriage to rest and look after her horse while she visted her beau.
"Jamesey! Oh honey, good afternoon! My, what a beautiful sky we have today. How are you, my sweet? Oh...darling, why, are you alright?" Lonely greeted James with her usual tender sweetness and doted over him with a tender touch of her lacy white glove; she wore one of the pretty and fluffy gowns he'd gifted her for her birthday, a pretty pink and white lacy number with a matching parasol and feathered hat with white face mesh.
"My...honey, you look....b...b...beautiful. Yes, forgive me, my dearest Lonely, is now a good time to talk?" James asked her in the tenderest, most gentle voice, gently stroking her face with the back of his huge hairy hand, Lonely closed her eyes and smiled, gently laying a loving gloved hand over his in enjoyment and encouragement.
"Of course, my dear. I can't wait to tell you all about how much I simply adore my new cabriolet, but first, you have my full attention, my beautiful angel." Lonely gushed, and in a polite and ladylike way, she gently rested her hands on her lap and crossed her ankles, her parasol folded leaning on his bench and watching him with her usual kind and sweet smile and loving gaze. James gulped, feeling his big heart hammering.
"I...I...oh." James stammered in his nervousness and blushed hard, Lonely made a kind and sympathetic face and gently touched his face. She knew her lover was shy, it was one of the things she loved about him.
"I'm so sorry honey. Let me try this again," James cleared his throat and pushed on, gently taking her gloved hands in his own; she noticed he wore his fanciest white men's gloves and a beautiful maroon suit and top hat with a pretty brown paisley vest his mother had gifted to him.
"Take your time, honey." Lonely whispered kindly; she also felt a little nervous, but in a good way, and she gave him her full doting attention. James cleared his throat and went on, adjusting his huge ebon wings behind him,
"Honey...I just...wanted to ask you. These last two years, since we've been back together, have you been happy, here, with me?" James asked her vulnerably, his gentle grey eyes shiny and big. Lonely smiled kindly at him, her cheeks coloring with happiness.
"Oh honey, yes, yes I have, so very much. I still thank God every day that you returned to me. & I don't wish to pressure you in any way by admitting this, but I hope we'll be together for a long time." She admitted shyly, blushing some more. James's jaw went slack looking at her, overcome with emotion, and he blurted his thoughts and blushed more himself.
"I...you...you're so pretty. Honey...I'm so happy you feel that way. Honey...my sweet flower," James slowly got down off the bench, kneeling on the cold stone under it slowly, very slowly, his eyes wet with emotion and focused on her; he was still insanely nervous, but a strange calm had come over him; his soul wanted him to finish what he'd started, even if he failed. Gently he took her hand in his, grasping it between both his hands and eyeing her with the tenderest gaze, his voice faltered, but he went on, "I'm sorry for getting so worked up...gosh, look at me. Okay James...deep breath. Honey...I have something I've been wanting to ask you. I need you to know, that even if the answer is no, I will always love you, no matter what happens. & I hope we can always be together as a couple, if not more, oh but, that's up to you, of, of course," James realized he was stammering & getting sidetracked again and went on; her face was kind and shy, like his, and she smiled softly at him, letting him hold her hand in between his two as he gulped and went on, "What I...what I mean to say is....is...is this," James finally did it, hands shaking and heart in his throat, he reached into his coat pocket and gently withdrew the big velvet box, opening it to show the absolutely huge gem atop the golden engagement band; Lonely gasped gently and her face was shocked but thrilled, and she waited with baited breath for her lover to finish what he was trying to say; James panted and swallowed hard, and went on, his voice drained from his nerves and effort, "Lonely....my beautiful little rosebud, my sweet beloved. My favorite girl. Will you marry me?"
James shuddered hard; Lonely hadn't meant to torture him in the silence, she was just so pleasantly surprised herself that she stared with overjoyed wonder at the enormous, beautiful ring that sparkled in the afternoon light of the cloudy sky.
"Oh...Jamesey, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hesitate! Yes my darling angel, of course I will, yes, oh thank you! Oh...how sweet! Oh honey." Lonely gasped, her voice shaking too, very gently, James watched her face, her eyes wet like his, as he softly slid the enormous, pricey ring onto her ring finger, then he chuckled briefly, opening the little box further.
"Oh uh, here we go, here's the man's ring, underneath. Here you are, sweetheart." James gushed with doting, presenting her with the cute velvet box shyly; shaking like him, she carefully took it and slid the simpler ring onto the hand he held out for her; the man's ring was much bigger and less ornate and flashy than hers, but it was beautiful with gold leaf carvings and three small diamonds at its center. The nervous couple laughed and hugged each other close, kissing hard and feeling each other's faces with tender smiles, each looking shy and vulnerable, nervous and happy.
"Honey, it's not you at all, there's no one else I'd rather marry. I just...don't want to mess this up." Lonely admitted to her man, with a swallow; he gave her a caring face and stroked her arm gently, carefully pulling her close and putting his wing around her, feeling her lean into him and snuggle him.
"Honey...please don't feel pressured, you don't have to if you aren't ready, or, or don't want to!" James assured her, gently stroking her face with a shaking voice, Lonely closed her eyes and felt his hand, and he could feel the love in her touch, and his face grew tender.
"Oh my sweet James, please know, it isn't that at all. It isn't you, my dearest darling. It's just..my own issues. I want to marry you, sweetheart. I'll work it out with my therapist." Lonely promised him sweetly, they kissed softly and deeply, holding each other's faces; James knew Lonely had been in therapy a very long time, and he relatively recently had started going to therapy himself with her support.
"I know exactly what you mean. I'm gonna talk to Mr Frankfurt some more about it myself, to be honest I have been for weeks now. I'm just so scared of commitment, but just like you said, it isn't YOU I'm scared to commit to, just the idea, in general." James gushed, Lonely nodded fast.
"Yeah, yeah exactly! It's like, I wanna be with you, just like you said. It's just the idea of messing it up, somehow. Oh honey, I'm so honored that you asked. I'm so surprised! Oh, what do you think of a fall wedding?" Lonely asked him tenderly, they kissed some more, and James gave her now ringed hand a gentle but firm squeeze in his.
"Oh honey, that sounds perfect.I will be so good to you honey, I promise you. Remember, there's no pressure. We'll proceed at your pace. If you aren't ready, we can nix the whole thing, and maybe try it another time, or maybe just stay boyfriend and girlfriend, if that's more comfy. I love you, and I want you to be happy and comfy with whatever we do." James gushed emotionally, finished with a tender kiss to her forehead. Lonely was crying happy tears.
"Oh honey, thank you so very much. You're such a great guy. I..." Lonely panted emotionally, tears on her face; James watched her vulnerably, gently stroking her soft cheek with the back of his knuckles with the tenderest gaze her way. "I want to marry you. I always have. I want to do this. My hesitation has nothing to do with you, my sweet Jamesey. I think...I think it's something I can work through in therapy. Thank you so much, for asking me, I'm just, so honored." Lonely sniffled, wiping at her eyes happily.
"Aww....sweetheart." James gasped, very worked up looking at her, the two gently pulled each other close, James cocooning his love in his warm wings as they softly necked on his bench for awhile together. Finally, they smiled gently at each other, both their cheeks wet, and held each other's heads softly. Lonely smelled James's expensive cologne and the familiar scent she loved so much of her big man's body as his wings softly shifted around her; she gently squeezed his hand in hers, feeling him rubbing her hand by her thumb with tender doting, his grey eyes emotional and loving as he gazed at her. Lonely gently nuzzled him and placed her forehead to his, and they both sighed and purred happily.
"Please excuse me, my sweet fiance. I'm just so excited, I want to go tell my mother the big news! I'm not ditching you darling, I'll return this evening, and spend the night. Mmmm." Lonely purred and nickered happily, as she and James softly rubbed noses.
"Of course my pretty rosebud. I'll summon Magnus to escort you safely there and back whenever you're ready. I think I'll go do the same, my mom will be thrilled. I haven't told her yet, she's going to flip out." James gave a little chuckle and Lonely did too with a nod, knowing how James's mother Anna was.
Standing in front of his manor a little while later, the two still with joyful tear stains on their faces, James leaned over and kissed his sweetie goodbye, gently squeezing her gloved hands in his as behind her cabriolet, her anthro pegasus bodyguard Magnus the barbarian fighter waited silently on his big shire stallion to escort her to her mother's beautiful tudor home to announce their exciting news.
"See you tonight, honey. Have a safe trip, and please tell Joan I said hello, and thank you for letting me marry her beautiful daughter. I'll tell you all about my mom's reaction tonight in bed. Mmmm, kissees, turtle dove! Bye honey! Mwuah!" James and Lonely shared more kisses and sweet nuzzles and blew each other kisses and waved as Lonely gently brushed her mare with her driving whip, not hitting her but softly stroking her as a signal to go, her mare nickered softly and started off at a trot, and James and Lonely waved goodbye, James watching his beloved pull away in her dark red cabriolet with her escort trailing her from James's driveway as James's servants readied his larger multi-horse-coach to speed to his own mother's huge estate to tell her the happy news, his heart was just bursting with joy and excitement that his precious rose had agreed to be his forevermore.






A huge ty & photo credit to the photographer 📸
https://unsplash.com/photos/gold-co.....ng-_OG-hxrBSUQ