"headed for infinity"- I hope you enjoy this chapter! I hurried to finish it just for you! :) Thank you for your kind comment, it really gave me the encouragement I needed to continue writing the story.


Deryn Sharp couldn't believe what was happening just now. She was staring at Alek, completely dumbfounded, her heart racing.

Had he really just told her that he had written to his mother and brother?

Was he really proposing to her?!

Deryn had been pleasantly surprised by his secret Huxley Ascender ride. It had been so wonderful to see the world from on high and feel the wind on her face, blowing her hair in every direction.

However, she had been completely flabbergasted when she saw him using semaphore flags to ask her to marry him.

Blisters! When did he learn to use barking semaphore flags! She wondered.

Deryn had always thought that marriage to Alek might be a possibility and she kept the idea open in the back of her mind—really, really far back.

Alek shocked her again with his next words.

"Deryn, I love you with all of my heart. You are my best friend and I cannot imagine a day without you by my side."

She watched in amazement as he knelt before her and produced a minuscule black box.

"Providence brought you into my life and from that time on, my life has been more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Deryn could feel a burning sensation behind her eyes as tears threatened. She couldn't help it, the dummkopf was being so barking sweet!

He opened the lid and as the sunlight hit the surface of the most beautiful ring Deryn thought she had ever seen, an exclamation of "Barking Spiders!" lept from her mouth!

She watched as he swallowed hard and heard him say, "Deryn Sharp. I promise to love you and always be there for you for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Deryn just stood there staring at him, her mind completely blank. It was as though all the vocabulary she had ever learned was suddenly gone from her mind.

The longer she stood there staring at him, the more visibly nervous Alek became. She watched as sweat broke out on his forehead and his eyes darted between her and the ring.

Finally she came to her senses and she felt a smile spread across her face. "Aye, you barking daft prince! I will marry you!"

Not caring about the airmen nearby that might be looking at them and not caring a squick what they might be thinking, she threw herself at Alek, tackling him to the ground. She thought it a good thing that there was thick grass beneath them, because it cushioned their sudden fall backwards.

She heard him laugh as they went down and she planted a passionate kiss on his mouth before he could say or do anything. She always loved kissing Alek, since his kisses had a way of making her feel like she was soaring.

A long moment later they broke apart, breathing heavily. She lay beside him, his face close to hers, enjoying the way his hot breath tickled her face.

As Alek took the ring from its box and placed it on her left ring finger, her face broke into a smile. It was a perfect fit.

She was amazed by the intricacy of the red-tinted gold ring. She stared in wonder at the round, beautifully-carved ruby at its top and the tiny, delicate diamonds placed in a circle around it. The way it caught the light and shone brilliantly was mesmerizing to her.

"Oh, Alek. Where did you ever get such a ring? There's no way you could afford something like this on your salary!" Deryn said quietly, sitting up on the soft grass.

"Did you have a bar of gold secretly hidden away or something?" She asked, laughing.

"No." Alek chuckled, then his expression softened. She looked at him, expecting an answer, but found that he looked almost sad.

"It was my mother's wedding ring."

Deryn froze and looked down at the ring. "No, Alek! I can't! Your mother..."

"Would have been very pleased for you to have it." Alek finished for her. He grabbed her hands in his own and pulled her into a standing position.

"I think that my parents would have loved you. And I think that they would have been very pleased that I found someone who makes me happy."

He looked her in the eye as he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him. "And you do Deryn. You make me very happy."

Deryn didn't have words to express how she felt at that moment, but she didn't have to. Her kiss did it for her.

"Come on." He said, taking her hand and leading her back to the carriage. "We should get back. Dr. Barlow asked me to inform her right away as to what your answer was."


Count Volger was with Dr. Barlow in her office, both of them looking over the maps spread across her desk and the telegram that told of the urgent need for action. He thought that the woman's plan was insane and tried to get her to see reason.

"I don't think they will be able to handle this task on their own." Volger said decisively, a hint of irritation in his voice. "Wouldn't it be wise for one of us to go with them?"

He couldn't help but think of the mischief that those two might get into; not to mention the possibility of real danger that they would be walking headlong into.

"No, I don't think one of us should go." Dr. Barlow said adamantly. She was very sure of the capability of Miss Sharp. Her quick wits and ability to improvise at a moment's notice would be well suited to this assignment. And Mr. Hohenburg's expert knowledge of multiple languages and training in diplomatic affairs would be a valuable asset to the mission.

"A couple traveling alone in the countryside is much less conspicuous than a couple with an entourage."

"But they are just children, Nora!" Volger said in exasperation.

"On the contrary, Ernst. They are very competent adults with good heads on their shoulders. They make an exceptional team and will do well on this assignment, I have no doubt." She said with sincerity, leaning over the desk to study the plans again.

Count Volger studied her for a moment and suddenly knew that there was something she was hiding.

"You are up to something, Nora. Aren't you?" He said suspiciously.

"Indeed I am, Ernst." Nora said, smiling pleasantly.

He stood there a moment looking at her.

"Well, are you going to tell me what it is? Or just leave me guessing?" Volger asked sarcastically, folding his arms and expecting her to tell him everything.

"Oh, but Ernst, why would I spoil the fun of making you figure it out for yourself?" She said, as though this were the most obvious option.

Volger couldn't help the dumbfounded look that crossed his face. He bit his lip to keep the smile from showing on his face.

This woman was truly fascinating to him and, unfortunately, she knew it.

"Indeed." Was his only reply.

His mind raced to try and piece this new puzzle together; to find his next move in this never-ending, intellectual game of chess they played with each other.


A short time later, Alek and Deryn found themselves at Dr. Barlow's office door. They had first stopped by Alek's flat to get Bovril—who was quick to forgive them for being left behind, especially when it received strawberries.

Shortly after knocking, a soft "Come in." came from the other side of the door in Dr. Barlow's voice. They entered the large office and Deryn shut the door behind them.

Tazza, Dr. Barlow's pet Thylacine, ran over to greet the couple, bouncing happily on his hind legs. Bovril chuckled softly from his perch on Deryn's shoulder.

The loris climbed down Deryn's arm and jumped to the floor, quickly scampering over to the Lady Boffin's own perspicacious loris. The creature was lying on a pillow in front of the large fireplace, enjoying the warmth it was putting into the room. The two lorises began to jabber softly to one another, occasionally chuckling.

The office walls, as well as the furniture in the room, were made of fabricated wood in a light shade of brown. Several tall bookcases lined the room and numerous books, many of them scientific in nature, filled the shelves.

A broad window was the central focus of the room, nearly floor to ceiling, and filled the room with an abundance of light. An elaborately carved desk was centered beneath the window, with two matching chairs to complement it.

Dr. Barlow and Count Volger were behind the desk, studying maps and various documents.

"Alek, Deryn, how nice to see you both." Dr. Barlow said politely, gesturing to the chairs with a wave of her hand. "Please make yourselves comfortable."

Volger eyed Alek and Deryn with a cool expression, as though he was irritated about something and choosing to direct it at them.

Alek sat on Deryn's left side and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. He enjoyed the feel of her hand in his, but missed the feeling of the ring on her hand. It was currently on a chain around her neck, hidden beneath her shirt and chest wraps, next to her heart.

This was necessary to protect her "Dylan" disguise. After all, it wouldn't do for "Dylan" to be walking around with an extravagant ring on his left hand.

Having seen both the Count's and the Doctor's eyes darting between them, Alek was not surprised that they suspected something. They were both very perceptive and clever.

"I can see you are both curious as to why we are here…" His mouth suddenly went dry under their intense gazes.

Alek swallowed and cleared his throat. "I have asked Deryn to marry me and she has accepted." He said quickly, worried he would not get it out correctly.

His heart raced as he waited for a response and he felt the pulse in Deryn's hand quicken as well. Alek suddenly wondered if he desired Count Volger's approval of his choices, and of Deryn, more than he had let himself believe.

Dr. Barlow gave them a broad smile and congratulated them heartily.

Count Volger was silent as he glanced between the two of them, an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment of awkward silence, he offered his own less-than-heartfelt congratulations.

The Count gave Dr. Barlow a long look, his expression odd—almost as though he was letting her know that he was onto some secret she was hiding. The woman simply smiled at him and crooked one eyebrow.

Alek and Deryn looked at each other, a bit confused by the cryptic interaction.

Count Volger looked back at the young couple to ask, "I suppose you have a date selected?"

"Not yet. We wanted to discuss something with you both first." Alek replied.

"Aye, we thought it would be a bit daft to have an actual wedding where people from the Zoological Society, the public, and undoubtedly some reporters, might recognize me as being Dylan. So we crafted the idea that…" Deryn stopped and looked at Alek, letting him relay the rest. She knew it might be better received by Count Volger, if it came from him.

"Deryn and I would like to request for the two of you to stand with us as witnesses at a private ceremony."

"Well, I must say, that a private wedding sounds like a wise idea, so as not to give away your secret identity." The Lady Boffin stated primly before continuing, "Precisely when did you want this to be held?"

Deryn and Alek looked at each other, their fingers tightening slightly and Deryn said, "The earliest everything can be arranged."

Alek's gaze moved to the Count, noticing the same unreadable expression masking his face that he had displayed a few moments ago. He began to feel unnerved, his heart-rate increasing, a heavy feeling of dread in his chest.

He feared that Volger would not want to stand with Deryn and himself, that he would not accept Deryn as his bride-to-be.

It made sense to Alek, after all, Deryn was the reason the now ex-heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne had given up his chance to become emperor.

Alek decided that he had to know what the man was thinking in order to know how to proceed, or how to feel for that matter.

He steeled himself, taking a deep breath as he squared his shoulders and said "Count Volger, I would like to know what your thoughts are about this."

The man was silent for an excruciatingly long moment.

"I was considering how alike you and your father are." Was Volger's perplexing reply.

Alek was unsure of how to feel about the man's statement. He wondered if the Count might be making a slight toward Deryn and her commoner status—just as he did three years ago, when Alek had informed Volger that he gave up his chance to become emperor.

"You want to marry a commoner and gave up the throne to do so." Alek felt Deryn stiffen beside him and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

The man continued, "I cannot help but think that your father might have done the same thing, if he had it to do over again."

Alek was rendered speechless.

He thought of his father's love for his mother, who hadn't necessarily been a commoner like Deryn, but had not been proper royalty either. He had loved Sophie enough to marry her even against the emperor's vehement refusal of their betrothal.

It had been one of the many triggers as to why his mother and father were dead and the Great War had begun. It was also a contributing factor to Alek being forced to run for his life in the middle of the night, what seemed like a lifetime ago.

To think that his father might have done the same thing as him—simply to be with the woman he loved—filled the young man with a feeling of peace. At that moment, he knew without a doubt that he had chosen the right course.

It also reassured him that the Count was giving his approval of Deryn, and of his decisions.

"Thank you Count." Alek said softly, to which Volger gave a slight nod of his head.

"Well, this is indeed wonderful news and there is much planning to be done." The Lady Boffin stated. "This announcement does come at a most opportune time, I might add."

The young couple looked at each other, then back at her.

"What do you mean, Dr. Barlow?" Alek asked.

"It would seem that we have a potential crisis on our hands and having you two marry would only aid in the mission that I have for you." She replied.

Alek, Deryn, and even Count Volger, looked at the woman with surprised expressions.

"What in blazes are you blethering about, Dr. Barlow?" Deryn demanded.

"The two of you, if you choose to accept the assignment of course, have the opportunity to stop the Clanker Powers from reigniting the Great War." Dr. Barlow stated matter-of-factly.

Deryn and Alek looked at her with disbelief, their mouths slightly gaping.

However, her face told them that she was indeed, very serious.


Note: I hope this chapter was enjoyable!

All credit goes to the amazing Scott Westerfeld!