Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 439: Engagement Interview (2)

Chapter 439: Engagement Interview (2)

"Yes... And then...The timing seems perfect now and we decided to share our joy with everyone!" Talia sat up straight with a serious expression.

"Yes, very well. So... Arthur, the ring... It looks so dazzling and can you tell us about it?"

The interviewer looked at Arthur and Talia looked at Arthur to hear him speak.

"It was a miracle I got that gem..." he held her hand and looked at the ring. "It looks good on her fingers." He smiled and looked at the interviewer. "I always knew I’d propose to her one day. I was looking for gems when this rare blue diamond came to me as a surprise when I was visiting Dugimia in one of my visits. So, yes...the sparkling diamond rare as such was fated to be hers, I’d say... just like this precious one is fated to be mine."

Arthur placed her hand over his knees covering it with his hands and Talia wasn’t conscious of it even though they were in front of the camera. She was grinning in her heart hearing him say those heartfelt words out in the open.

" He designed the ring himself and I love it. It is fated to be mine like he said," Talia added with a smile looking at the ring.

This ring was with her the moment she had lost all hope and even helped her stay strong. She thought she’d lose this ring, but she got it at the last moment.

"And it is definitely an improvement from the marble I received once... It was blue too, the marble." Talia chuckled, still looking at the ring.

"A marble? Was it Arthur who gifted you that?" The interviewer got excited. He was specifically informed not to ask about their past since there are a lot of confusions, but since the Princess brought it up herself, he was excited.

"Oh no," Talia gave a cheeky smile. "It was... He was a handsome boy with the prettiest red hair I’ve ever seen and with the promise of marrying me in the future, he gifted me a blue marble."

"It was me... It was me..." Arthur said with a chuckle looking at the interviewer and the room brightened up.

"But he forgot that promise," she looked at Arthur accusingly and he leaned away from her pretending to be scared of her.

"Seeing you on this sofa, I can safely assume he didn’t," the interviewer chuckled. So we can say Arthur was your first love?" the interviewer asked and Talia turned to look at him still with a playful smile.

"First love? Hmm... First crush, maybe. But not first love. I was just five then and I didn’t understand love. My first love was... this basketball player with the mysterious green eyes I met in high school. It was he who gifted this necklace." Talia held the necklace in her hand. "He saved his lunch money for three months to gift me this and I still treasure it."

She turned to look at Arthur and he was mouthing "It was me" repeatedly looking straight at the camera.

"Yes, it was him..." Talia said with a chuckle. "First crush, first love, first boyfriend... I shared all my firsts with him."

"Yes, Talia is very obsessed at me. She still has a shrine with my pictures in her room," Arthur suddenly said making the atmosphere weird since they didn’t understand his dry humour.

"Ah, yes! That’s what he dreamed the other day and then he woke up with a bump... in his head." Talia laughed as he spoke making everyone realise it was a joke.

"And Arthur..? " the interviewer probed him after laughing for a while.

"Yes, she’s my only love. Words aren’t enough to express my love for her. And I am glad I get to share my life with her."

"Well, we can see that... You two are perfect in every sense...." The interviewer turned serious. "Now the climate you two are coming from are different, although you have a lot in common growing up in the same culture and all. But now she is the Princess and you’re the CEO of a conglomerate. How are you planning on tackling the differences?"

Talia leaned back and let Arthur answer it. She knew they will ask this question. It is an indirect way of asking ’You’ll have to walk behind your wife even though you are successful. As a man, can you handle it?’

"We grew up in the same country, but we were diff- Esteria and Rosandlae aren’t that different culturally since there are always class differences in both cultures. I can say, we never looked at each other that way. For us, we were always just a boy and a girl and we’ve been comfortable with each other that way. She... She’s shown me what love is. Talia and I... We’ve talked about our...differences and it was- It was in a way very astounding that we were able to look past everything right from the start considering our families’ history... It was not very great as everyone knows..." he chuckled.

"But we fell for each other and our parents – my dad and her grandfather... They all came together and... The support we got from them is marvelous. Aside from that, her family here... man, I was terrified before I got permission from her great-grandmother, the Dowager."

"You got permission from her family before proposing to the Princess?" The interviewer was impressed.

"Isn’t it the tradition everywhere?" Arthur asked and the interviewer nodded with an awkward chuckle.

"Yes, please tell us how was it to meet our Iron Queen."

Arthur let out a deep breath. "I was sure she’d not oppose our marriage, but still I was a little nervous...She is a very sweet lady and was very welcoming of me. She told me how the one I wish to marry is not just a girl. She is also the Princess and she has a duty to the people. And by marrying her, I’ll be part of that duty too. We talked about it too... A very serious talk. But it is obvious. I have watched everything she’s achieved..."

He turned to look at Talia. "You’re amazing!"

"And I am glad watching her achieve the greatness she strives for and the support her family gives. The hours she puts into her work, the amazing team she has around her who work hard as she does, and the deserved success in all her encounters... The people she helps... I am glad I am going to be part of the family who adores her and this amazing institution that enables her to do it all. I have my job which is entirely different from the work she does, but I respect what she does and I am proud to support her in any way I can."

"As Arthur said, between us, we’re just a man and a woman. We never let anything else come between us privately. But we know we have more responsibility than that because of the privilege I was born with and the privilege he has achieved.

He is doing a pretty important job managing a big company and he has his responsibilities and he is a very responsible person. We have already found a balance as we knew we need, before getting into marriage.

Life with him is amazing. He is funny; no one could make me laugh as he does, and no one knows me better as he does. He knows how to make my mood better and... He is my greatest support... Like a deep-rooted tree, he’s been a constant, a stay in my life for more than a decade. I love him dearly." Talia said holding his hand.

"So you’ve met each other’s family?"

"Yes, his father was very welcoming of me... And his brother – Roderick... I’ve always admired him and grateful to him since he saved my life once. And Emily and... the kids are so adorable. His family is so lovely," Talia couldn’t help her smile.

"Yes, my family loves her more than they love me, actually." Arthur chuckled. "Just kidding. Both of our families are as excited as we are about our union. They love us the same...same..." Arthur’s insistence made everyone chuckle although he said with a straight face.

"Everyone loves him," Talia added.