Aria really did look out of this world beautiful. Helen and her maids had finally gotten the better of her today and had applied complete make-up on her, not just the usual eyeliner and lipstick she had worn yesterday.
Joseph's eyes travelled from Aria's hair, which were done in an elegant updo at the nape of her neck, and fell down to her thighs in golden curls. His eyes stuck on a few stray strands that stuck on Aria's forehead and Joseph almost reached out a hand to brush them away.
Tearing his eyes from Aria's forehead, his eyes travelled over Aria's eyes, a little embarrassed and cast down. Her perfectly curved nose and supple cheeks. Joseph gulped and licked his lips to moisten them as his eyes fixed on Aria's ruby lips, now dyed pink with lipstick, and a little parted as she seemed to be thinking something.
Joseph finally managed to look away after a lot of effort from Aria's lips as she spoke. "Sorry Joseph. I know you must have been disappointed, but it's just that. . . . ."
Aria's voice faded into the distance as Joseph inhaled suddenly and realised that he hadn't been breathing.
But his breath stopped again as Joseph's eyes travelled over Aria's exposed collarbones and he shook his head to bring back his mind, which had run wild.
Aria was wearing a traditional light brown ball gown that started a little down from her collarbones and went down all the way, trailing a little when Aria walked.
It was a kind of dull colour but Aria could wear anything and look unearthly beautiful. She could be dressed in rags and would probably outshine most noble ladies.
Joseph was suddenly brought back to reality when Aria snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"Are you even listening to me?" Aria asked, exasperated.
Joseph blinked and looked at Aria. He had to use all his willpower to listen to Aria and not let his mind wander.
Aria sighed and shook her head upon seeing Joseph's expression. "Why does he look like he was fighting a battle?" Aria wondered as she produced a delicately wrapped box and said, "Happy Birthday."
She placed the box in a still surprised Joseph's hand, who looked at the box. That box, the sixe of his palm, just sitting there, brought so much happiness for Joseph that he felt like over the moon. All the riches, nothing in the world could compare for him whatever was inside the box. He knew that, even before knowing what was in the box.
Under Aria's worried gaze, Joseph gently removed the packing and opened the box.
From inside, Joseph very carefully took out a glass sphere and stared at it.
Looking at the sphere, Joseph forgot everything. Where he was, what he was doing, who he was. He just kept staring in the glass, looking mesmerised.
The globe was a quarter filled with some white substance that looked oddly like snow.
On the surface of the white substance, was a mini model of a place that Joseph knew very well. It was the meadow. Their meadow. The meadow in the globe looked exactly like the real thing on a winter night, with a strong wind blowing the snowflakes here and there.