It is, at least by Evan Geroff‘s interpretation, what one might call a good day. Summer, warm but not boiling, with the sun out and just enough cloud cover to the sky to provide the occasional patch of shade for relief when desired. Not every day of the trip has been so nice, but so far the rain and higher winds have left this one alone. It’s a good thing, for they have chosen to spend at least part of the day outside, and the sun accents the walls of Neuschwanstein Castle as well as the trees, mountains, and fields surrounding it. The courtyard where they currently stand seems to be a haven for many passing tourists, none requiring a second look at Evan as he stands with Olivia in the walking suit he selected for the day, one of the nicer he brought – but, of course, it fits the area. He in turns takes little notice of whoever may pass, intent on directing Olivia’s attention toward the designs on the wall facing them between the towers. “It’s certainly different from our castle, isn’t it?”

“It is breathtaking,” Olivia breathes, leaning closer to Evan as she surveys the grounds. “It’s so extravagant and beautiful…” Olivia is wearing a deep blue sweater, the sleeves of which only come to the middle of her forearms. Underneath it, a light blue collar peeks out, with gentle lace and embroidery to add a little detail. She wears a white skirt, which comes down to her calves, punctuated by tan stockings and blue heels which match her sweater. Her blue eyes shine, though it is unclear whether the blue sky or her sweater is causing this. “I couldn’t imagine living in a place like this. It wouldn’t feel right. Don’t you think?”

Evan Geroff chuckles quietly as he looks at his surroundings. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not in danger of becoming king.” He’s happy to have Olivia lean closer, and holds his arm around her gently as he speaks and looks about. “I don’t know what I would think, living there; it’s so fancy and grand, yet I can hardly imagine children running around or toys in the halls. It’d be a pretty picture, though.”

A giggle emits as Evan makes this comment, and Olivia grins up at him. “I’m glad you won’t be king. It’s easier to do what we want, that way.” She leans against him and puts her arms around his middle happily, looking through the courtyard. “I find regular homes are much more cozy anyhow. I can’t believe anyone would ever live here, though. It’s wonderful to visit.” She looks up at the castle once more, and then out over the courtyard again. “It’s so lovely today! I’m so glad it isn’t raining. Not that I mind the rain, of course, but I like clear skies better.”

“I’m glad it isn’t raining, also. We have nothing to obscure our views.” He seems lost in thought for a moment before he adds, “If I were king, I’d have to spend all day eating grapes and chasing dragons, and our sons would be forced to spend their entire life rescuing princess after princess.” Nope, Evan hasn’t gotten his hands on any sort of muggle book or fairy tale. Not at all. Can’t you tell? “And I couldn’t be a proper king anyway, having never rescued you from anything but a tree.”

“You did sweep me away to a castle, though,” she tells him with a sweet smile, letting her arm sweep wide as she surveys the courtyard. “I suppose that’s close enough, don’t you think?” She pauses. “Besides, that tree was a bit frightening. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten down if you hadn’t helped me.” Olivia still visibly shudders at the thought of it, and she looks up at him. She steps forward gently, as if to start them walking foward a bit, more toward the center of the courtyard, where less people are gathered.

Evan Geroff moves the arm he has around Olivia enough to allow an easier walking position. “It was my pleasure, good Lady, to free you from that menace, and claim the reward of your presence when I returned to my.. homeland.. of Germany.” It might occur to him that something went wrong in that statement, and what does one really follow it with, anyway? Back to more practical matters, as, stepping alongside Olivia, he scans the courtyard walls for exits. “Should we try the higher levels of the castle, or would you prefer to see some of the grounds first?”

“I suppose we can go up higher,” Olivia states slowly. “It’s safe, isn’t it?” She asks this, but seems to almost reassure herself immediately with a deep breath. Of course it is, if Evan is taking her there. “I’m certain the castle will look gorgeous from higher up.” She smiles at an older couple who passes by, hand in hand, her cheeks flushing pink as she considers the couple. “Have you got a map or anything? I didn’t get one.”

“I have a rough one somewhere.” Using his free hand, Evan reaches for one of his pockets, barely touching it before he pauses and sticks his hand into a different one instead, pulling out a folded bit of… parchment. He’s done this a couple times now, so it shouldn’t be too odd; pulled out information or hand-scribbled drawings he copied before leaving of places they might go. “Here; it looks like there are a couple higher floors, and.. can we get into this tower? And out here in the grounds, maybe a garden, and some footpaths. I read we can get an excellent view of the castle if we follow,” he moves one finger to attempt to indicate a specific path, “this one a ways.”

“It would be nice to see the castle from the outside,” Olivia tells him with a nod, looking at the map and standing up on her tiptoes a bit to see it better. “It isn’t too far a hike is it, do you think?” Olivia isn’t exactly wearing good shoes for hiking, and she fully realizes this as she looks up at him with a bit of a smile. Her cheeks have been pinkened a bit, either by the sun or by her own blushing – it’s hard to tell which. “Shall we go up there, then?”

“It shouldn’t be too far, and we don’t need to walk fast.” Evan grins down at Olivia in return to her smile, and nods once, altering their path a bit toward what will hopefully be the quickest way out onto the grounds. “Let’s go see. I’m interested in a good distance view of this place.” He glances at the map once, leaving it in his hand for now in case they need it to find the particular path they’re looking for. “There’s another castle visible in the distance, too, from somewhere out there.”

“Oh, there are two built out here actually? I thought they had only thought of doing so, and didn’t.” Olivia seems to pause in thought, though continuing to walk with him, her arm still draped around his middle as they make their way out of the courtyard. Olivia is quiet, just taking in the scenery as they make their way up the gently sloped path. “How far up is this?” she asks tentatively, glancing behind her down the path as she bites her lip. Of course she trusts Evan, but it is clear that Olivia is not comfortable with heights even still.

Evan Geroff shakes his head once. “I don’t know the distance.” The most natural move at the moment seems to be to lean over and quickly kiss the top of Olivia’s forehead, which he does, should she allow, only afterward adding, “I’ll take care of you; don’t worry. Don’t look down… look out. Do you like the mountains?”

Olivia obliges and looks out at the mountains. “They’re very pretty, with the sun shining down on them like that,” she comments, taking a deep breath and smiling a bit as he kisses her forehead. “Can you imagine living way up there?” she asks quietly stepping upward, no longer glancing back behind her, though she isn’t entirely at ease. She certainly isn’t quite as leery as she was before, however, looking to Evan to make sure she isn’t too close to any cliffs or edges anywhere along the way. “Oh, look, there’s a bridge. Do you suppose we can see the castles from there?”

Evan Geroff, for his part, is careful to watch the surroundings enough to direct Olivia’s steps as far away from any steep decline as the path allows. “That would be different from living in a castle, wouldn’t it? A cabin in the woods up at the top of that mountain. The kids would probably love it, as somewhere to play.. but I think it’d be too far away from other people. You’d always have such a view, though.” Not that they’re in danger of living on top of a mountain, any more than him becoming king, but either way he has opinions on it. As she directs his attention to the bridge, he looks forward again. “Perhaps that is where this view of the castle is from.” He smiles at her again, trying not to seem as though he’s paying too much attention to what’s up ahead. Is that the view? Will it be good enough? “We’ll know in a minute.”

Olivia pauses as they come to the bridge and stops right in front of it. “It’s… sturdy, right?” she asks him, trying not to look down as much as she surveys the area. It is just a moment before she turns her head and notices the castle itself, then drawing in a deep breath. “Oh my…” she breathes, walking out onto the bridge slowly, of her own volition. “I never imagined something could be so beautiful in my whole life!” she speaks quietly, coming to a stop toward the center of the bridge. “And to think… a Muggle built that!” she looks back toward Evan as she says this and then back out at the view once more, obviously in awe.

The view as the come into the area, of the extreme depths the bridge crosses, seem to Evan quite satisfactory, possibly even a bit much as he begins to answer Olivia’s question. “Yes, it..” but it isn’t needed, and he turns to look at the castle himself once before hurring out onto the bridge after her. He takes just her hand this time, his other by now free of the map and left hanging loose. “Completely without magic,” he says, quietly, low voice hinting that he’s just as impressed. It couldn’t also be low from nerves, could it? He leaves his voice quiet as he ventures, “Perhaps you should try painting this scene when we return.”

“It would be very pretty to paint,” Olivia comments in agreement, letting her fingers wrap around his hand as she looks back up to him just for a moment, her face shining, before she looks back out over the great ravine that leads to the castle. “I don’t think I could do it justice,” she comments quietly, not seeming to mind this fact, though, as she leans in closer to him, her free hand resting on the barrier put in place for the bridge. “No magic… and still he built such a wonderful thing.”

“It’s beautiful. And in such a prominent place; all those people,” for just a second he switches hands, and reaches an arm around her, directing her backwards gently for – it seems – just that much better a view, then takes her hand again as he continues, “anywhere out there, can look up and see it.” He briefly uses his free hand to gesture at everything ‘out there,’ sweeping across the space, then counting on the castle to keep her attention as his hand returns to him. Returns, in fact, to his pocket. “We can build something just as wonderful, though.” As he says so, he swings around to stand in front of her, and as he finishes, drops to one knee. He removes his hand from his pocket again, and this time, it is a ring that he puts forward, heart pounding. “Olivia? Will you marry me?”

Olivia has not been expecting this, and her jaw drops as she looks not at the ring, but at Evan, a smile spreading across her face, framing her straightened teeth. Marriage? Marry Evan? It seems an obvious choice to Olivia, as she nods hastily for a few seconds before finally managing a weak, “Yes, yes –” then repeating herself, in a stronger, more certain voice, “Yes!” Finally she looks down at the ring, gasping once again, and breathes in a voice that’s hardly audible, “Oh, it’s so beautiful…” She finally reaches down to take hold of it, picking it up slowly, and holding it in her fingers for a moment before looking back down to Evan. “Is all of this… real? You really mean it?” the disbelief in her voice is colored by the excitement and happiness that colors it as she focuses her gaze on Evan while she slips the ring slowly onto her finger.

Those few seconds seem like an eternity to Evan, holding his breath as he waits, anxious for that first actual ‘yes.’ When it comes he smiles slowly, his joy at first seeping and a few seconds later rushing onto his face as he stands again. He laughs briefly, quietly, at her happiness, and at his own. “I mean it more than I’ve ever meant anything in my life.” The previous laugh does not change the earnestness of his words. “I love you; I want to spend my life with you. I want to make you happy, always, in every way I possibly can.” He could probably go on, but some barely listened to corner of his brain is screaming that he’s about to start babbling.

Olivia echoes with a laugh of her own, of pure joy as she looks from her finger, back up to Evan, standing up on her tiptoes and putting her arms up to hug him and proffer a kiss onto his cheek. The girl appears to still be in shock at everything as she does so. “I love you, too, Evan,” she whispers, her cheeks pink from exhuberance, and her eyes shining.

Evan Geroff wraps his arms around Olivia, gladly returning the hug. After a moment he places a kiss of his own on her cheek, the action seeming far more appropriate than more words. Once they get home he’ll likely race around, spreading the news to everyone he can; but for now, he’s happy to just stand, here, with her.

Olivia receives the kiss on her cheek happily and examines his face more closely as her face is still up near his, and she is still up on her toes, though not at all unhappy about this. It seems to be sinking in a little that he is to be her husband, and that she will be married to him after — well, sometime. In a random moment of exhuberant and shameless affection, she reaches her lips up and presses them to his, lingering for a moment before withdrawing her lips away again with a bit of a smile. He was hers, an he wanted her, despite what the rumors said, that he was just biding his time until he could find someone better than her.

Evan Geroff definitely does want Olivia, no matter what anyone else may think, and he definitely doesn’t pull away from the kiss until she does. He continues to hold her close after, hands strong on her back, eyes examining her face just below his. “I hope our children have your beauty.” ‘You’re beautiful’ might have sufficed, and sounded better; but, our children. They’d mentioned things before, but it was so much more definite now – our children, our house, our life. Our wedding coming up, once they planned it.

“Our children,” Olivia repeats in a whisper, a grin spreading over her lips as she reaches one hand around front to drag her fingers along his cheek. She seems oblivious to the various other couples who happen by, including some older couples who merely tsk and smile, walking along to another bridge down the way and leaving the two of them as they are. “They should look like you,” Olivia decides, laying her head down on his shoulder. “I love you,” She whispers again, wrapping her arm around him as she hugs him tight to her.

“Perhaps the boys,” Evan concedes, though rather more taken with the image of miniature Olivias running around than with himself. But he’s not going to argue the point. Not now, certainly, while still filled with the thrill of her answer. For one usually so observant, he also seems not to notice any other people around them, his attention all caught up in his fiance as he holds her. “I love you, too.”

Olivia doesn’t notice anyone passing, nor anything or anyone else but Evan, as the two of them stand very close to one another, on the bridge facing Neuschwanstein castle. Olivia sighs happily, picking her head up again, bringing her hand up to rest on Evan’s chest. She looks up at him, her eyes still shining with the joy of the new development in their relationship. It seems only fitting to Olivia to lean up and once again press her lips to his, this time more fervently and sweetly than before, as she, this time, does not quickly pull away.

Other Interesting Logs:

• Reporting for Duty
• United We Stand
• Storm Clouds on the Horizon
• People Will Say We’re In Love
• A Sojourn With Mister F Clancy