The Ring

"Aaauuugh!"

 Alex flopped onto a bench, his legs sore from walking from jeweler to jeweler, with hardly any rest inbetween. Shelby was nearby, grazing on leaves and grasses, also a little tired from traveling from castle town to castle town. 

 All this travel and all this scouring, yet he did not find a single ring that he thought Sarah would like. Sure, he had found diamonds beyond compare, but most of them had a price tag far beyond what he could afford. Not only that, they seemed more the sort of thing Josephine would like. There weren't many other gemstones that stuck out... In fact, it was as if most of them were obsessed with diamonds!

" 'You can't bring back anything less than a diamond,' they said. 'Nobody wants rubies or sapphires when being engaged! They want the big 'uns,' they said. But..." 

Alex stared up at the sky, the sun set staining the sky a dark orange and purple. All this time, and he wasted it, bumbling around with nothing in particular in mind. Sarah was making dinner, too! He couldn't search for much longer, but... he had to get this ring today somehow!

 He pulled out a phone he bought a few years ago. He usually forgot to use it, considering that Levia was clearly not up to date with modern technology. Yet, somehow, in the past year or so, they had gotten some form of wireless connection. Maybe Sevalian engineers were working on it? Either that or it was simply an odd form of magic. Either way, it was time to call someone who really knew about their engagement rings.

 Beeeep. Beeep.

 "Yoooooooooooooooooo, 'lexxyyyy!" said the ever-drunken voice on the other line. Alex could hear the chatter in the background. "Happy Valentinshe Daaaaay~! Didja do the friggle fraggles with ya guuurl yet?"

 The little knight turned three shades redder and blurted out, "N-no! Nothing like that, Stella! I was... I was busy!"

 "Busy gettin dat ash, ya?"

 "Stella!"

 He could hear the empress giggle loudly, with hiccups inbetween. "I wuz just pullin yer leg, 'lex! Shoooo,... whatcha need? Make it all quicky and stuffs, tho. Big ol' Valentinesh parteh here and there's chocolate and boosh and CHOCOLATE BOOSH!"

 That... that explained a lot. But there was no time to waste. 

 "I'll make it quick, then: I'm looking for an engagement ring for Sarah-"

 "OMIGOSH YER GETTIN' MARRIED?!?" 

 "Stella, could you just-"

 "NICKY-POOO! NIIIICKYYYY! ALEX IS GETTIN MAAAARRI-"

 "Stella-"

 "YEAAAH, HESH  LOOKING FER AN ENGAGEMENT RING OR SOMETHIN'! 'Leeeexxxy, whensh the weddin? I needs me the deeeets!"

 Alex's heart sank. "I... I know it'll be later this year, but-"

 "VEGASH WEDDIN?!? 'Lexxy! Ya lucky devil! Yer gonna have the best weddin' eeevuuur, I'll make shure of that!"  The knight heard glasses falling and rowdy shouts before Stella squealed, "Oooooh shiot, Reptile's gots him a honey and doin' some matin' call thingmabob! I'll catch ya later, Aleeeex~"

 "W-wait! Stella!"

 The line went dead. Wonderful. He was just as unsure of what to get for Sarah as he was a few minutes ago. A sigh escaped his lips as he slumped in the bench, his idiot hair twisting itself into knots. Running out of time... Alex didn't want to keep Sarah waiting too much longer. But now, who could he ask for help? Stella was preoccupied. Garnet doesn't care for jewelry much at all. Asking Sarah's family for advice would be completely embarassing... 

 Maybe he should have just bought the cheapest thing he could afford. But Sarah meant something to him; she derserved something nice, something with thought put into it. It was just that he was bad at the thinking part. There was a good reason that Xavier was the strategist of the Triden Griffins, in spite of his bad attitude, after all. 

 The little knight stood up and whistled Shelby over, getting on with the greatest of ease. Well, he thought, one more jeweler to see before heading home. Might as well give it one more shot before giving up...

 As he set off, never would he have ever dreamed that one more jeweler was all he needed. One that kept a gem that he was sure Sarah would love.

---------------------------------------

 "Aleeeex! What took you so long? Dinner started getting cold!"

 "Ah, sorry, Sarah! Was out doing some sightseeing, that's all."

 "Oh, really? You should have taken me along! Maybe we could have eaten at a nice restaurant today!

 Oh, that's right! I made you some extra fudgy chocolate brownies, Alex!

 ... I ate half of it, though."

 "That's fine, thank you!

... Sarah?"

 "Yes? What is it, Alex?"

  Time itself seemed to stop as Alex pulled out the tiny blue box, got onto one knee, and opened it up, revealing the precious gem inside.

 "Will you marry me?"