Surprise for Sinthia PSL for Sist3r_sin

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Illya had arranged everything. He'd gone to Sinthia's work, the Christie's auction house in Paris. Carefully avoiding her office and work area, he made his way to her supervisor's office. Once he told her department's supervisor, Pierre Amrouche, what he had in mind, he was more than happy to be a co-conspirator in this scheme.

Pierre showed him where he could wait and not be seen as Sinthia examined the 'artifact' that he had brought. After Illya had opened the box and set it's contents on the well lighted work table. It looked very much like a cobalt blue and white enamel Faberge egg box. Illya would not blame her if she thought it was a reproduction. It was a modern box after all. But the box was not what was important. It was just there to present the object inside. Which was indeed, Faberge, and antique. As soon as he'd seen the ring at the Faberge store, he'd known it would be Sinthia's. It was made of cobalt blue enameled gold and set with three exquisitely cut diamonds. A little elaborate for an engagement ring, Illya knew, but it brought back pleasant memories of their first date at the Metropolitan Museum's exhibit of Faberge eggs. He took up his position in an A/V closet across from the work room and Pierre went to her office to get her.

Amrouche knocked on the open door gently to get her attention. "Sinthia, I have a piece that needs your expertise. The owner wants it appraised right away."

Comments

[abyssum_invocat]

"Pierre, I'm almost off the clock," Sinthia replied, sliding the jeweler's loupe off her fingers as she looked up at her supervisor.

When he insisted, she only sighed and stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of her trousers as she followed him towards her workroom, picking up her gloves and slipping them on before she took a loot at what was on the table. It was an egg, which took her aback: it didn't look like any Fabergé egg she knew about. "It's an exquisite piece," she says slowly. "Record on."

She recorded her observations on things she was appraising. "It looks like a copy of the Tsarevitch Egg," Sinthia murmured, "Beautiful sapphires and even enameling." She carefully turned it over, noting the hinges and latch before she opened it.

And stared.

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Illya slipped out of the closet and moved carefully to the door of the examination room. It was open a little and he avoided touching it and leaned near to watch. He watched as she examined the box and then opened it. Unfortunately, her back was to him. Illya wished that he could see her face.

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Sinthia was curious, but she had no idea what was going on with the very modern box and the very antique ring it contained, but now she was going to find out. As she spoke into the recorder that sat at the corner of the table and documented her findings on the jewelry, she carefully removed the ring and inspected it, all the while making notes about the possible value of the two things combined. She eventually turned her attention to the jeweler's mark on the interior of the band.

It was either a remarkable reproduction, or real, and she wasn't sure which. She cocked her head at the egg, turning the ring around the tip of her finger as she spoke.

"Whoever ends up with this will be a very lucky woman," she murmurs.

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Illya smiled to himself listening as she evaluated the ring and the box and her curiosity about the two being odd together. Pierre stood at the end of the hall, giving him a thumb's up and smiling.

While she was distracted with the ring, he opened the door a little more and slipped inside the small room behind her. "So, you think I got my money's worth?" he said once he was closer to her. "Hello, lucky woman."

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At the sound a voice behind her Sinthia jumped and climbed off the high stool she was sitting on, hand pressed to her chest as she saw Illya.

"Illya! How did you get in here?" she asks, setting down the ring quickly and enveloping him in an embrace. "I'm working, shouldn't you be?"

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He laughed and hugged her back, "That is advantage of being my own boss."

Illya reached behind her to the table and picked up the ring. It looked very tiny in his hand. He looked at it curiously for a moment then at her, before sinking to one knee in front of her. "Sinthia, would you marry me?"

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Shed been vaguely smiling at him, wondering what kind of gesture this was until he sank to one knee, and she found herself utterly surprised, lips parting in a slow gasp. "Illya, oh my god," she murmured.

"I don't know what to say," she managed. "Of course, yes! I love you, of course I'll marry you."

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"I love you too," He stood up and scooped her in his arms and kissed her. That's when they heard the excited clapping and cheers. Illya smiled as her co-workers pushed into the small room, Adrian snapping pictures on her cell phone.

"Hold out your hand before I lose this," it was so small in his fingers. And his hands were shaking a little. When she did, he took her hand gently and slid the Faberge ring onto her finger and kissed her again.

"Congratulations!" Pierre came forward opening a bottle of champagne that he saved in the lunch room fridge for special occasions. Someone handed him plastic glasses and he filled them and handed them to Illya and Sinthia before pouring a little in one for himself and then passed it on.

"Thank you," Illya said to him. "For your help, Pierre."
Once everyone had a glass they raised their glasses and toasted them.

Adrian came forward. "Hold your hand out and I'll get a picture of the two of you with the ring!" She clicked a couple of pictures with their hands together showing off the ring. "I'll text them to you," she promised.

That done, Pierre ushered the rest of them out of the room.

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Sinthia laughed as he lifted her up and turned to see all of her coworkers crowding into the room: she couldn't have stopped smiling if she'd tried, taking the champagne glass and leaning into Illya.

"Did they all know?" she asked, once everyone but Pierre had left. "This...this was quite a surprise. I had no idea," Sinthia confessed, looking at the ring Illya had given her: sure, it wasn't the classic diamond solitaire engagement ring, but it was so much more perfect for them. It made her think of Illya, and their first date to see the Fabergé collection in New York. "It must have cost a fortune. This ring is really Fabergé, and antique if the mark on the inside of the band is real."

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"No. Illya came to me just an hour ago," Pierre confessed. "How could I not tell them?"

"Thank you, Pierre," Illya shook his hand. "You're welcome." He kissed Sinthia on the cheek. Then he too left the room.

"It's real," he said. "I bought it from the Faberge store. It looks like it belongs on you, doesn't it?" He couldn't stop smiling either.

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"It looks perfect," she said, looking between the ring and her boyfriend, now husband-to-be. "I can't believe you did all this," she laughed, winding her arms around his waist and tugging Illya closer, head tilted back to look at him.

"I get to be your wife," Sinthia murmured. "This is perfect."

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"It is perfect," he bent down a little to kiss her. "I am so happy. I get to be your husband. I love this. Are you going to let me make your wedding dress?"

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"I don't think I could stop you," she says, still smiling as he kissed her, brushing her nose against his. "As long as I get to buy your wedding band."

She couldn't believe this was all happening, overjoyed with her lover and her life with him.

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"Probably not," he laughed. "Of course. Since you are off work, do you want to go out and celebrate? Or home and celebrate? I am open to either." Illya grinned.

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"Lets go out," she said. "I want to celebrate with you and go show off a little."

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"Okay, where would you like to go? Your choice," he said. Illya wasn't sure where she would choose, there were several places to choose from and many he knew she liked.

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"Seb'on?" she suggested, dropping her hand to his and lacing their fingers together. "I've heard it's good, Pierre went with his husband last month when they opened."

Sinthia was happy to go out with Illya on a low-key night, not expecting overmuch but dinner. She'd already had her entire month gilded with him proposing.

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"It is supposed to be very good. Did Pierre and Armand like it?" he asked raising her hand to kiss it. "Let's go there."

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"From what Pierre told me, Armand was thrilled with it," she said, enchanted with her boyfriend's affection.

"I still can't believe you really planned this. You know just what to do."

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Illya grinned offering his arm to her, "It was somewhat spontaneous. I saw the ring in the shop last week. I waited to buy it until today so I could surprise you." They stopped by her office to pick up her purse.

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"You did an admirable job of it," she confessed. "I didn't know anything about what you were planning, or even that you'd been thinking about it."

Once they were on their way to the restaurant and a sort of happy calm had settled over Sinthia she nudged Illya. "Do you want a big wedding? Or did you think about it?"

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"Thank you," he was fairly proud of himself for managing it. Illya had been so nervous and excited, he was afraid he'd give himself away if he bought the ring when he first saw it. He did have the shop hold it for him though. "I did not think of it. I do not have many people to invite."