Operation Honey Trap vs The Emperor of the Apocalypse-Chapter 224: Tulips by the Lighthouse

[Suggested song for this Chapter, Marry You, Bruno Mars]

"Before we start the troop inspections you’re coming for a walk with me," said Alton as he claimed the seat next to Delphi at breakfast.

"We don’t have long, Alton. We need to finish up here on King Island as quickly as we can and get ourselves back to HQ. The Emperor’s army will be hot on our heels, and we need to get ready to meet them and defeat them. Not to mention I’m dying to see Feifei and the others again," Delphi said wistfully, her expression making it clear just how much she missed her friends.

"We’ll leave first thing tomorrow and make the crossing. And you’re right, we do have a huge amount to get done and not much time to do it all, but you’ve just been through something pretty seismic, and you need to look after yourself... I need to make sure you’re looking after yourself," he amended. "Come on, it won’t take long. We’ll walk to the lighthouse and back. Are you done eating?"

"I guess so," she said, looking around guiltily.

What would people think if they saw her and Alton skiving off like this?

"Excellent," he grabbed her hand and lead her out of the dining hall. "The morning chill hasn’t burnt off yet, so I got you a jumper from the quartermaster," he handed her a soft pink cashmere jumper.

It was fluffy and brand new, and she couldn’t help pressing the luxurious fibres to her face, stroking them against her cheek.

Her eyes were wide as she trailed behind Alton, being pulled along by one hand.

"This is not army-issue, Alton," she said with concern. "Where did the quartermaster get this from? I hope they’re not siphoning off precious funds for luxuries like this. Alton, who’s the quartermaster here on King Island? Do you think they might be corrupt? Is it a man or a woman?"

"Alright calm down. You got me, okay? I bought it for you in Woolnorth before we left. I thought you might need it on the boat... and I thought you needed something soft and comforting wrapped around you when it can’t be my arms."

Her concern turned into a happy smile of delight.

"Thank you, Alton!" she exclaimed. "You bought me a gift! I love it. Thank you," she turned suddenly shy.

Alton’s eyes softened at her easy joy. If he’d known she would like the jumper this much he would have brought her ten of them.

The sun was only just rising as they walked together along the trail to the lighthouse, and Delphi pulled her new jumper on to ward off the early morning chill.

"How does it look?" she asked him with uncharacteristic uncertainty.

He turned back to look at her, and she took his breath away for a moment.

The soft pink highlighted her unusual green eyes and creamy skin to perfection.

He bent down and plucked a pink wildflower from a clump beside the path, tucking it behind her ear.

"Perfect," he whispered, kissing her on the tip of her nose. "Good enough to eat. Stop tempting me," he turned, and kept on walking.

Behind him, Delphi’s cheeks flushed with secret pleasure at his compliment.

The man was too handsome for his own good, she thought. He had the lightest sheen of dark stubble across his cheeks and his dark hair fell perfectly over his forehead, making her want to run her fingers through it. He looked like a model for a cologne ad.

She was thankful he didn’t seem to be running for cover after she’d told him that the Emperor had touched her. A lesser man most certainly would. They wouldn’t be able to see past her being used goods... dirtied... someone else’s sloppy seconds.

Her mood shifted at the thought. Perhaps that was still to come, when he knew what had really befallen her in the palace... when he’d had time to process it and realised that her innocence was stolen by his uncle.

Up ahead, Alton stole a glance behind him at his ’vision in pink’. He immediately saw from the look on her face that she was back at the palace.

He stopped walking and swept her into his arms, kissing her on the lips until she forgot what was worrying her and she responded in kind.

"What was that for?" she panted, as he pulled back from the kiss and took her hand to keep on walking.

"Because I love you. And because I could see you were wasting time on that crummy moron again, and I want you to be thinking of me, not him."

"Thank you for noticing, Alton," she said softly. "Thank you for caring."

"Are you kidding? My brain’s on a one track journey with you. How could I not notice your moods? How could I not care? I sometimes think you’re some kind of witch who’s cast a spell on me. A woman never occupied my thoughts for more than ten seconds before I met you, and then boombah! I’m some kind of obsessed, jealous fool over you," he shook his head in disbelief at what this girl did to him.

The ends of her lips curled back up again, despite herself. How could she not be cheerful when she was with this gorgeous man who professed to love her?

By the time the lighthouse came into view, Delphi seemed to have worked up a post-breakfast appetite already, and her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Sorry," she giggled. "You didn’t let me stay long enough at breakfast to eat properly."

"Oh, I’m to blame am I? Lucky for you, I think of everything," he said mysteriously.

As they rounded the line of trees at the base of the lighthouse, making ready to climb it, a beautiful vista suddenly opened up.

Acres and acres of beautiful tulips, flowering gloriously in shades of the lightest pink through to a deep cerise.

"Oh my goodness!" Delphi gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. "This must have been a tulip farm."

Alton took her hand and lead her through the field.

There, hidden in the middle of the gorgeous landscape, was a rug with a picnic basket.

"How beautiful," she breathed. "How did you set this up? It must have been dark when you got here this morning." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

When Alton didn’t answer her, she spun around to look for him, finding him behind her, down on one knee.

He had a jewellery box open in one hand. The prettiest pink diamond ring glittered in the sunlight, nestled in a matched velvet pillow.

"Delphine Violette Chastain, will you make me the happiest man in this world and agree to be my wife?"