“I'm very sorry that Santa couldn't make it to your house this year.

Unfortunately it wasn't the usual delay of him getting stuck up a chimney. I'm afraid his girlfriend murdered him due to his inappropriate sense of humour." She mimed writing the letter as she spoke. "P.S. His girlfriend most certainly does not fart in her sleep, no matter what the jolly old elf might have told you to the contrary.”

With a bright chuckle, he rolled over to reach beneath the bed and began rummaging for something under the sheet.

“What are you looking for?" She leaned over to plant her hands on the side of his waist to prop herself upright as she peeked over to see what he was after.

"Your present. I was going to give it to you at dinner but I just decided I can't quite wait for that yet. Aha!“ He grabbed hold of something and pulled it out.

She couldn't quite see what it was at first. There had been a little flash of silver but then he'd shifted to lie on his back again and she'd been propelled back onto her bum. Blinking, she watched as he lifted a single festive Christmas cracker from under the bed and held onto one end whilst offering her the other. It was a beautifully decorated cracker made of red and silver material and imbued with a magical gift, as well as a party hat and a festive joke. Last year there had been thousands of them decorating the grand tables that had been raised in the great hall for the Christmas Day feast.

“A cracker?" She quirked a brow and leaned in to examine it a little closer. He fancied that she might have actually sniffed it at one point.

“Well pull it then!" he urged.

She quickly nodded and grabbed hold of her end with both hands before yanking it as hard as she could.

A bright flash was preceded by three small fireworks lighting up the air between them with festive colours. When she saw the items that fell out of it onto the bed she seemed momentarily confused before her mouth fell open.

An old necklace bearing a simple wooden peace symbol, a brand new silver bracelet freshly crafted from the workshops, a small golden thunderbolt with a little red cloth looping through it, and a bright blue Christmas party hat. The Last of the items then rolled out across the bedcovers from beneath the hat, and fell on its side directly in front of her.

It was a simple golden ring, upon which was set a large and beautifully glittering diamond.

"I really do love you very much, Callie. I was wondering if you might do me the honour of becoming the next Mrs. Claus?" he asked.

Her hands lifted to clap over her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears. It took her quite a while to tear her eyes away from the ring and look up at him again.

“I- I thought th-that-"

“Here," he saw how much she was having trouble getting the words out and moved to sit up and pull a few tissues from a box beside their bed to hand over to her.

“It's alright. Take a deep breath."

She nodded, blew her nose and then took a deep breath as advised.

“I thought that you didn't want to. I mean, after you raised the other high elves I thought it wasn't going to happen! I understood it. I wasn't a c-captain and it wasn't as if getting married was your thing after what happened with-"

“Ssshh." He reached over and settled his arms around her shoulders before hugging her to him as she carefully scooted around her gifts.