And as Calvin had hoped, while Derbie described his novel worthy love for Lady Ban, he was absently picking between the rings. 
"And no matter how much time I spend with her, its never enough. I want to fall asleep with her, wake with her, eat with her, and spend the hours of my day with her. Is that terribly strange?" Derbie's hesitant tone made it a vulnerable question.
"I don't think it does," Alaric comforted, giving Calvin an almost amused look. "I've seen people in love that don't even realize it, but they display all the same traits. It's like you two seek each other out; I'm just glad you're aware you love Lady Ban and are taking steps to betroth and marry her."
"It does feel strange to be the first of us to get engaged and married," Derbie's admission wasn't a surprise to Calvin at all. "I always though I'd attend your wedding long before thinking about my own."
"Until you, only Gavin had an obvious lover," Calvin laughed, and Alaric nearly spat out the wine he was drinking. Maybe his brother was ready to admit the depth of affection he had for Lady Aayina after all, if that reaction was anything to go by. 
"Yes, well Gavin and his sweetheart are their own issue to deal with, for now it seems you've narrowed it down," Alaric's deflection brought Derbie's focus back to the two rings left, but Calvin was all too aware of what Alaric alluded to.
Gavin had been sneaking out to see Eniola Sikali for years, but then Fabrizio Lazzarini had snuck in where Gavin had snuck out, so no one could turn a blind eye any longer. Not that Calvin blamed Gavin for Fabrizio's transgressions; Gavin was young, dumb, and in love, all the blame lay on Fabrizio's shoulders. Though Calvin also knew that due to Celinia Lazzarini's unfortunate passing only months ago, Fabrizio's punishment was going to be amended from 10 lashes down to 5. And he'd been withdrawn from the cohort Hida was training in, at least letting Calvin's little sister continue her Knightage training in peace. 
"I could see her wearing either ring," Derbie's reflective tone pulled Calvin's focus, "this is an antique from when Briggs became and Countship, it's a star ruby and rare," red and gold and delicate, "but this is an original from the famous jewel smith known as Midas, and she'd love the nature of a one of a kind ring." Silver and gold and fire opal. 
"Which one can you see slipping on her finger?" Alaric's pragmatism still managed to be poetic. 
"This one," Derbie held the fire opal ring aloft.
"It's perfect," Calvin patted Derbie on the shoulder, happy for his younger brother.
"If she needs the ring resized, we can give her mother's jewel smith's information," Alaric once again had planned for all the details, "our parents had already given the go ahead to use any of their rings for our proposals, so you don't have to be concerned about that. Though I think we all sincerely hope their expedition will be over and their return have occurred before Hida could need to pick one."
Their parents were already into their second year of the Northern Island Expedition, and it made Calvin's heart sink to think of them being gone for another four or five years. He missed his parents, even if he was often overlooked by them.
"If I sent this tomorrow, do you think she'll accept?" Derbie hesitated.
"Yes," Alaric's response overlapped Calvin's "of course." Their confidence in Derbie was well placed. 
Calvin knew his brother had sent the Letter of Proposal to the Ruma family already, it was socially required to have the family's permission before the personal proposal could occur. Like the Letter of Intent, Calvin, Blair, and Alaric had battled over the perfect phrasing to get the interim Marchioness Ruma's approval for Derbie to propose. She'd enthusiastically granted it, and only Calvin knew it was due to Aoki Ruma loving her younger half-sister, but also resenting her existence. Like any good, sordid tale, Dowager Queen Ebina had married and produced Queen Akiyama as her Heir. But after her Prince Consort had died, and once Queen Akiyama had taken the crown, Dowager Queen had started an affair with the still married Marquis Ruma, leading to Lady Ban's conception, birth, and careful dissimulation. Aoki Ruma had been four at the time, and although the Marquis and Marchioness Ruma were still married to this day, they had not been in each other's presence on purpose ever since but had pretended that Ban was the Marchioness' child to hide her heritage.