Angua could smell the fear on him a mile off.

She approached cautiously, not wanting to push him over the line between, gut wrenching, drawer dampening fear and the point where jumping out the window, or spending an hour in the drum looked appealing.

She didn't understand why she was so frightening. It wasn't like she actedon the urge to tear out peoples jugulars.

She scanned her memory. Nope, she couldn't find any trace of meals that she might regret, or chasing more than chickens.

So why was she so afraid of her?

"It's no good hiding. I know you're in here. Why don't you make this easy and come out?" she pursed her lips. "Honestly Carrot, I'm not that scary."

Carrot poked his head round the corner. Sweat was beading on his forehead and terror was in his eyes.

"N-n-n-no. Not you...just" She frowned. Carrot was never lost for words.

"Just...?"

"I, I, I, was, well, w-w-wondering if ah maybe..." his voice trailed off. She took action

"What does policeman mean? What does Mr Vimes always say? Who passed the Calendar picture size act of 1672?"

"Man of the city! Always act stupid! King Fonzo the mightier-than-the-other-king-fonzo-the-mighty (1)!

(1)Ankh Morepork's Criminals and Kings named themselves in the same way. Certain Republicans had something to say about this...

That was better. He had sprung to attention and looked calmer now he had easier questions to answer.

"So what were you trying to say?"

Carrot looked at her. Then he looked at his pocket.

What if this drove her away? Surely she would leave when he said this...

Then again they cared about each other enough to try didn't they? This was awful...

Right now he was tempted to attend a bar brawl without his protector just to get away from this impending doom.

He screwed up every ounce of courage he had and...

Dropped to one knee.

Angua's mouth dropped with him.

"No Carrot no...I can't"

"Just hear me out." She nodded tersely. It would give her more time to plan her escape after all.

"Angua I...well I care about you. And I want you to be with me more than anything. Except maybe an end to crime in the city. But even then. I want people to recognise us as more than just..y'know...erm..." A blush crawled across his forehead "Back in the mine we had a tradition. I was going to marry the first girl who could bake a loaf of bread hard enough to smash rock at fifty paces..."

Angua stopped listening. She knew what her answer would be. It couldn't be anything else. How was it that he didn't see that?

"...It showed that they had the strengnth to hold a marriage and a family together. I never really understood it. You don't bake but I'm sure you could if you wanted to..."

It was impossible, didn't he see? There was no way they could...

One treacherous thought stole across her imagination. Her in some white mountain of meringue, with Cheery and Sally standing beside her in frilly pink monstrosities.

Ye Gods! She'd already picked out her bridesmaids!

"...Your determination, your resolve, everything about you could break through the surface of the Ankh, forget the rock."

She faught to strengthen said resolve. Right now it wouldn't break through tissue.

"...You don't s'fdugh your garzahk(1) or revere da'zkh an(2). I don't even know if you Can sing gu'stak farz e'khi'nee(3)but I really do want to be with you. Forever." He took a deep breath "Unless you don't want to of course"

(1)Dig your wealth

(2)Gold

(3)Gold Gold Gold(4)

Dwarfs know what they want out of a wife

Angua stared at him. It was the most romantic thing she had ever heard.

This was quite sad when you thought about it.

But underneath the tough exterior the inner girlie-girl was wheedling at her resolve. She did l, lo, lov, likeCarrot after all...

Maybe they could try. Just try.

"Carrot..." she closed her eyes so she didn't have to see the look on his face. "I can't. Or at least, I shouldn't. But I don't know why, I have to say yes..."

She was cut off when he picked her up and spun her round whispering three words in her ear

Then she was happy.