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Cael offered her a smirk when she answered his question, his hand still holding onto hers. She was the only one of the two of them who thought she had to prove her worth at all - he had always thought that she made dinner for him each night because she was so bored just sitting around at home with nothing else to do. He would have gone crazy, if he were in that position, but she didn't know how to work. The concept had been so bizarre to him at first, but after a while he had just come to terms with the fact that Cecilia Hooke had planned on living a life of leisure. Had she gotten with any of the suitors her parents would have set her up with, she wouldn't have had need to work a day in her life. Instead she'd be used for breeding more pureblooded children.

It was strange to think that at some point in her life, that was what she had wanted.

He kept walking, leading her over to the gazebo that he had strung some lights onto with a simple spell. Once they were inside, he sat down and pulled her to sit down beside him. He was suddenly wishing he had taken his glass of wine with him from the table. He rolled his lips under as he looked over at her.

"I know this all seems really out of the blue," he admitted with a sheepish smirk, lifting his free and to scratch at the back of his neck. "I didn't mean for it to be so cryptic. I just really wanted to do something nice for you." Okay, so that really wasn't what this was all about, but he was trying to work on getting there. He shifted so that he was facing her a bit more.

"Cecilia..." he began, though his mouth started to feel like it was getting dry again. "You know I love you, right?" He hoped it would be nothing more than a rhetorical question, but he didn't know how else he was supposed to start. "I try and say it enough so that you don't ever have to doubt it, but I don't really think you get how much I mean it. Over these last couple of years, I've fallen madly, deeply in love with you... You're beautiful, and strong - a hell of a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. You're smart, and you're funny - though sometimes I think the latter happens purely on accident," he said with a smile, his hand squeezing hers before he looked away from her for a moment, gathering his thoughts before his eyes were back on hers.

"What I'm trying to say is that I can't imagine going to bed or waking up without you next to me... I look forward to coming home every day just because I know you'll be here. I've never felt this way about anyone before...and I don't think I'm ever going to." This was the point of no return. He had already said too much, he had already made himself way too vulnerable. He had to do this now. He reached into his pocket to produce the box he had been carrying around with him, looking up to see her expression before he continued on. He couldn't read it, and he felt his heart pounding in his chest.

"You're the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, Cecilia Hooke...so I need to ask you," he opened the box, exposing the ring that he had picked out for her.

"Will you marry me?"