The next day…
The next morning, Dante wore a nicer pair of clothes – the same pair he had worn at the tournament. Missio wore a simple green T-shirt with black pants. He descended the stairs with Missio, meeting Isabella.
"Breakfast ready yet?" Dante inquired.
"No… I want you to stay a bit longer…" Isabella replied.
"You know I can just go to a breakfast."
"Kidding! I'm making it." Isabella raised her arms.
Suddenly, Lorenzo appeared behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"It felt like you just came yesterday." He laughed.
"Yeah… times flies…" Dante replied.
Right then, the alarm went off. Isabella hurried to the stove and switched it off.
"Breakfast's ready!" She exclaimed.
The family sat down at the table. She brought over a course of meals – meat, veggies, berries, pasta and juice.
"What' the plan? Where are you heading first, Dante?" Clarice inquired.
"First, Verona. Then, Venice – Bologna – Vatican City – Cinque terre – Dolomites and finally Milan." Dante replied, cutting into the meat.
"That's quite the road trip. Hope you have fun." Clarice replied.
"Just call me every so often. It'll be lonely without you here." Isabella said in a soft tone.
"Don't worry…" Dante chuckled awkwardly.
Isabella 's eyes narrowed.
'Is he not going to call me…? He's so mean!'
She pouted internally and continued eating. Missio pressed his Music Box, distracting himself from his brother's defeaning heartbeat. After half an hour, they finished eating. Dante and Missio stood up. The family followed them. The Brothers sat down and grabbed their shoes. They slid them on and tapped them. The laces did themselves. Both stood up and exited.
"I'll get the RV. Missio check if we left anything." Dante ordered.
"Alright." Missio turned around.
He entered the RV's driver seat, scanning his retina. The vehicle unlocked in an instant as the screen turned on. He backed it out of the house and parked near the sidewalk. After, He drew a long and deep breath.
"It's time, Dante… the moment you've been waiting for 12 years… well, not me but everyone else."
He stood up and headed back inside. The clock struck seven, Missio stepped outside as well.
Dante pointed at the RV. "Wait in the car. I have to get something."
Missio nodded, his brother's heart beat still drumming inside his head. Dante entered the house where Isabella waited for him.
"How long will you be gone exactly?" She asked, trailing him.
"We'll be back by New Years Eve." Dante replied, heading upstairs.
Isabella and her parents waited for him downstairs. After a few minutes, he descended with a bag.
"I thought you said you'd be back by September?" Lorenzo inquired.
"Yeah… I would but it would be better if I took him straight to Pangea castle for his Saint exam. Then, I'll return." Dante replied, stepping out the front door.
"Well… we wish him a good recovery." Clarice stated as she and her husband stood at the door.
As Dante stepped towards the RV, Isabella called out to him. He turned around and saw her tapping her cheek.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" She put on hand behind her back and smiled.
Dante smirked, drawing a deep breath. "Yeah… I am."
He neared her, putting his arm in the bag. He stopped near his girlfriend and dragged a small black box out of the bag. Isabella's literally froze in place. Lorenzo's eyes widened as Dante opened it.
February 28th of the year 2984 of the Modern Age.
Inside lay a small yet pristine gold ring with a brilliant diamond at its peak. Clarice gasped as the King got on one knee. Dante hesitated no longer as his lips parted.
"Isabella, will you marry me?"
Isabella stared at the Ring in utter and absolute shock. Lorenzo's hands shook his excitement. Cold sweat dropped off Dante as his nervousness peaked.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Time slowed for the next few seconds. Dante gripped the Ring and lifted his other hand. He held Isabella's hand and slid the Ring onto it. Isabella neither responded nor resisted. Dante exhaled heavily and… vanished. Leaving behind a spark of lightning, he appeared in the RV and smashed the throttle. Isabella blinked, lifting her head.
"Goodbye!" Dante shouted.
The RV rushed away. Isabella's brain processed for a moment before…
"DANTE! GET BACK HERE! YOU CAN'T JUST PROPOSE AND LEAVE FOR SEVEN MONTHS!!!" Isabella screamed in rage.
Her parents rushed forward and held their daughter back. Isabella gritted her teeth, trying to move forward but couldn't
"Forget it, Sweetie, please! He's already left the neighborhood!" Clarice shouted.
"Dante, thank you!!" Lorenzo shouted.
Isabella continued to push forward. Both Lorenzo and Clarice barely held their daughter in place as Dante escaped.
***
In the RV, Dante sweated profusely, glancing behind every few seconds to make sure Isabella wasn't following them. Missio stared at his brother with wide eyes, his hear beat felt as if an earthquake had shaken his entire being. He glanced out of the window, catching Isabella's raging face. A sense of amusement arose in him. His brother – The King of Rome, Supreme Commander of the REOC and Chief justice has just fled from his new fiancé.
He clutched and burst into real laughter. Small tears formed in his eyes as he laughed his ass off for the time in years. The feeling felt fresh yet nostalgic. He ran out of breath but continued to laugh, lowering his head. As his laughs echoed ins Dante's ear, the supreme commander chuckled.
"First time laughing for real and it's at me running from my fiancé... well, that's deserved."
A nervous laughter escaped him as well. They swerved out of the neighborhood. Driving on the main road, each second felt like a ticking time bomb. Eventually, they entered the highway. As Missio caught his breath, Dante pulled out his phone. Immediately, multiple messages hit him like a brick. He put it into do not disturb and placed it in the middle.
"You're that afraid of her…?" Missio asked, wiping his tears.
"You will know this feeling once you propose to your girlfriend." Dante replied. "I just got out of nuclear radius."
Missio laughed again, turning off his Music Box. The breeze hit him like a new beginning, he drew in the fresh air and stretched his arms. Cars passed by in a flash as a new adventure began.