25. Chapter 25
Chapter twenty-five
Leena
I woke to the soothing motion of Bratan’s fingers combing through my hair. I looked up, still bleary-eyed from sleep, and his eyes instantly flicked to mine.
He smiled. “Good morning, beautiful.”
I stretched my arms above my head. “Did you get everything taken care of last night?”
His smile dropped. “What do you mean?”
“What you had to do last night; did you get it done?”
His hand stilled for a moment, and then it continued running through my hair. His eyes followed the movement of his fingers.
“You could say that.” Silence thickened between us. I tried searching for something to say—maybe something to ask—but he smiled at me and said, “I want to take you somewhere special today.”
“Oh? ”
“We haven’t had much time to ourselves since our wedding. I’d like to connect with you and get you the scone you like so much.”
“How did you know about that?” I said, acutely aware of my warming cheeks.
“I could smell it on your fingers when you confronted me so adorably in the woods the other day.” I threw him a faux glare, and he laughed. “Come on, Your Majesty . Let’s get going.” He kissed a lock of my hair and looked at me in a way that made my mind go foggy.
“I like it when you call me that, too.” I leaned forward and kissed him, opening my mouth to welcome his tongue.
He pulled away, placing his hand on my face. “As much as I want this, and it kills me not to take you right here and now, but I have somewhere special to take you. Can we wait?”
I could hardly believe my ears. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to say those words.”
“Neither did I.” He kissed me on the forehead and pulled me out of bed. “Come on,” he said, patting my bottom. “Let’s get going.” I squealed as he pinched it, skipping playfully away while covering the spots he touched.
“What should I wear?” I gave him a coy look over my shoulder.
“Something casual. Maybe Theodora can help you. If you’re willing to wait for that scone.” He winked, which warranted a playful shove to his arm.
“I’m not that obsessed with food. ”
“I wouldn’t mind if you were.” He kissed my cheek and gave me one last spank. I let out a small yelp. “That was a very satisfying sound.” I tried leaping on him, but he evaded me, and we did that, laughing and chasing each other around the room until he finally caught me in an embrace and then a kiss. I loved the way he kissed me like he wanted to eat me up. He pulled away and stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, gazing down at me. “Wait here. I’ll be back when Theodora fetches me.” He kissed me one last time and let me slide from his grasp.
“All right,” I grumbled. “I’ll see you soon then.”
“It will be worth the wait. Trust me.”
“If you say so.”
***
Theodora and Ani came over in impressive time. The former had brought a trunk full of trinkets and casual, yet extremely fine outdoor wear, as well as a vanity set. She sorted through it, searching for the perfect piece. When she pulled out a sheet of teal fabric, she cast me a smile. “I’ve never seen His Majesty so happy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like he did when he was in the village with you, let alone for an entire day.”
“I’m happy, too,” I said, biting back a smile of my own. She pulled out another piece of fabric—this one was teal and consisted of matching trousers, which I’d never worn before. It was beyond scandalous in Woodsmeadow to wear anything other than a dress, so the thought of wearing trousers was liberating. Like I was slowly gaining more freedom than losing it, rather than what I’d thought would happen upon my arrival here. I was finally free of my old life.
The thought left a slight twinge in my side. All I was missing now was my grandmother. I’d always wished I could whisk her away and give her a new life. To show her that love didn’t need to be sharp and broken. She deserved so much more than the life she’d lived. She was being fed now and was hopefully safe since Vasska was being fed too, but life should be about more than surviving.
I’d have to follow up with Bratan about how she was doing, and maybe I could ask if there was a way to bring her here. The thought of my husband left butterflies springing in my chest. He’d infected me in the best possible way with the smile that reached his eyes, the smooth, darkly rich cadence of his voice, and the way he touched me. Just thinking about it made me weak.
“You’re blushing, Your Majesty,” Theodora teased. I absently ran my fingers over my collarbone in giddy bliss, making my way to the newly set up vanity the two maids had brought upon their arrival. But when I sat down and glanced in the mirror, I caught Ani’s disapproving glare. I chose to ignore her; she wasn’t worth souring the mood.
“Bratan said to wear something comfortable,” I said to Theodora, “so I think the teal frock with matching pants is the perfect choice.”
“I agree,” she said, laying the silk ensemble across my lap. “It’s beautiful and will bring out the pins I’ll put in your hair.
“I actually think I want my hair down today if that’s all right. I want to feel as free as possible.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” She turned to get something out of her chest of jewels, and my eyes once again found the blue-green outfit on my lap. It truly was a lovely ensemble. The color was like a still lake on a clear day. Small, clear gems—possibly diamonds—encrusted the low neckline. The top flared out and had wide, mesh sleeves that would barely cover my shoulders. The bottoms were the same color and appeared to have a waistband meant to land low on my hips, and the legs puffed out until they cinched at the ankles.
I’d never seen anything like it.
It was perfect.
***
I awaited Bratan’s return in a cloud of excitement, swinging my legs over the bed in eager anticipation. But when time stretched on since the maids left to fetch him, I decided to pass the time through distraction.
I went to the window and watched crows and multi-colored birds flit from branch to branch on a sun-bathed path along the treetops. The lush green canopies were perfect—not a leaf out of place—and the sky embracing them was a protective coating of perfect blue. Inspecting the branches yielded the detection of bright wildlife that couldn’t be in the human realm, such as the shockingly pink and green bird with a puff of a body and a third wing upon its back. As if knowing I was watching it, it flew away, deep into the woods where I could no longer spot it.
More wildlife in similar shades continued to pass, only bringing more awe to this new world I called home. It was amazing that such a place existed. Things had been a whirlwind since I arrived here; I hadn’t been able to appreciate the beauty of the forest’s creatures. It was a sight unlike any I could have imagined.
My hands sprawled out on the glass; it was surprisingly warm from the afternoon sun instead of cold like the wind on the other side. I wondered when winter would come and if time passed the same way here as back in Woodsmeadow. Here, the weather had been inconsistent and erratic; on the human side, it grew more frigid by the day. Had Bratan caused the sudden change in seasons on the other side, or did humans’ presence affect the woods? I would assume the former; perhaps it’d been one of Bratan’s tactics to drive the humans out of the woods. I wondered what Woodsmeadow was like these days.
The front door creaked open, and my stomach flipped. Grateful I didn’t have to grab thick skirts to avoid tripping, I sped down the stairs. My hair fell around me when I made an abrupt stop. Bratan was raking his hand through his thick black-brown hair, his bicep flexing beneath the thin white tunic that was unlaced at the front. My heart leapt up my throat at the sight of him. The contrast of the white tunic with his form-fitted black pants stirred something in me that I couldn’t wait to satiate.
He halted, his eyes wide. They went straight to my body and the new clothes I proudly wore, dragging slowly from my neck to my feet and then back up to my face. In a sudden rush, he grabbed me, pulling me in by the hips. His thumbs grazed the tops of my hipbones, which were visible from the low-fitting trousers. He grabbed hold of them as he kissed me, and I melted at the feel of his hands on my bare skin, especially as they slid beneath the back of my shirt. I felt near-nude without a slip and underthings, which added extra heat to his touch.
“You look incredible,” he murmured against my lips.
“Thank you.”
He kissed me again, took my hand, and led me to the open doorway. “Are you ready for some fun?”
“No Leshy duties today? Don’t I have a lot to learn?”
“Eternity is a long time. I want to make sure you enjoy yourself, too.” The way he said it wasn’t coy or flirtatious. It was warm and caring.
“Okay,” I said with a soft smile.
“Now, let’s get you that scone. Then I have somewhere special to take you.” He leaned down and kissed me again. The rush of blood was starting to intensify when he pulled back with a chuckle. “We’ll never get anything done if we let our passions take us away all the time. ”
“We’re immortal. We have the rest of time to get things done.” We kissed again, but when I started pulling him toward the stairs, he stopped.
“I want to take you somewhere, little dove. We should go before the sun sets.”
I grumbled in mild disappointment. “All right. But it better be good.”
He grabbed my hand again, drawing circles on the back of it with his thumb.
“Believe me, it is.”
***
Bratan covered my eyes for the last half of the journey to wherever it was he was taking me, though we did, of course, stop to eat scones before the adventure began. It wasn’t until the cool wind of the wood shifted with a strange sensation and a change of sound that we stopped. Suddenly, the sun was warm on my face.
“Are you ready for your surprise?”
I laughed giddily. “I am.”
When his hands moved from my eyes, my jaw dropped. We were at the edge of a clifftop overlooking a clearing that stretched to the horizon. Infinite blades of grass danced in perfect disarray at the foot of everything. Stretched in a c-shape, with us in the middle, tall walls of rock and trees protected the grassy plains below—like they were holding up the rest of the world to keep it at bay. And in the middle of everything was a glittering lake, a perfect oval in a field of green.
“Wow. I’d have never guessed that a place like this existed so close to the woods, or at all for that matter.” I turned to him. “ Are we still in the woods?”
“We’re in a special pocket of it, and there’s so much more. You haven’t seen the beginning.” He slid his arm around my waist and offered me his other hand. “Would you like to get a closer look?”
“Definitely.” I slid my hand in his, and before I could prepare myself, his body stretched, his features shifting, and he was as enormous as the trees behind us and looked like a part of the woods himself. I was still gaping at him when he leapt off the edge of the cliff. My stomach jumped to my throat, but I still managed to scream all the way down. I was still screaming when we landed on the cushioned earth. Bratan roared with laughter as he returned to his typical form. “That wasn’t funny! I thought I was going to die!”
“Oh, little dove,” he said, brushing his knuckles down the side of my face. “It would take much more than that to kill the wife of the Leshy.” My face heated as he set me down. He took my hand again and led me to the water. The breeze was warm and sweet—the whisper of an imagined summer.
Bratan crouched by the lake, dipping his fingers in the shimmering water. A glitter of fish glided by, their colors an enigmatic rainbow brought to life. But as Bratan moved his hand, the creatures swam away, making the lake look like a glass canvas of moving paint.
“This place is amazing.” The water was warm as it ran through my fingers. I dipped my hand deeper until a curious fish stared up at me in an almost human way.
“Would you like to see more?” he asked softly. I nodded.
He looked to our side, crouched, and swept his fingers along the grass. Wherever he touched bloomed flowers of a deep cobalt blue. His gaze shifted as he swiveled, and without touching the grass, flowers flourished all around us.
The plants reflected exactly how I felt: unbelievably free. I followed the trail of blue, spinning until I fell on the grass. I swore they hugged me on my way down. I breathed it all in, intermittently laughing and catching my breath. Bratan lay beside me with his face propped on his knuckles.
“I can’t believe this. It’s so fantastical.” I turned to see him studying me, the trace of a smile on his lips. A gentleness in his eyes matched the way this place felt.
“I’d do anything for you. You know that, right?”
He was so close I could feel each of his words against my bare shoulder. I didn’t notice that my shirt had shifted until then, but it added to the heat that sprouted in my belly. I nodded, and that familiar spark ignited between us.
“I do.” I couldn’t tear my eyes from his or stop the boiling heat in my blood. “Kiss me slowly,” I whispered.
For a moment, he studied me, desire kindling in his gaze, and then he leaned down and softly kissed me—a good, deep kiss. My body burned in longing with every swipe of his tongue. He didn’t do it in a feverish rush. It was slow. Sensual. His breath was warm in my mouth as he licked my tongue, slow and deliberate. My body shivered, and a great yearning gnawed at every nerve with every touch. His teeth carefully scraped down to the tip of my tongue before he sucked on it.
I was ready for him to take me, but he slowed, teasing me with those careful kisses. His hands made their way to my face, sliding into my hair, fingers curling into my mess of blonde waves. My mouth stayed open as he leaned back. I opened my eyes to him staring down at me, the muscles of his arms still tight as he held himself above me.
“Like that?”
The heat was thunderous as it pulsed through my blood and pooled down my legs. My arms were splayed out, leaving my body vulnerably open to his touch. Desperate to be taken over and driven mad.
All I had to do was lean forward, my eyes falling to his mouth, for him to grab me by the back of the neck and kiss me again. But this time, he was unleashed.
He kissed me deeply. First on my lips, then my neck and shoulders. He grasped onto one of my hips and pressed me against him.
He made love to my mouth, kissing me feverishly in that field of flowers, among the sweet aroma of fresh earth and dewy grass. The air was warm, but the breeze that swept over us was cool enough to create the perfect temperature. It enhanced the feel of his body and hands, of his kisses, and of his taste. I loved the way he moved with me like he knew my body more than I knew it myself.
He tore off his shirt, then pulled mine over my head, continuing to kiss every inch of me. We shed off every inch of clothing—anything that stood in the way of us being one. I needed nothing there. To feel nothing but him. I ached at the forceful firmness of his grip, the masculine way he pressed his thumbs into the hollows of my hips and the meat of my thighs. He growled low into my neck, and it sucked the air from my lungs. He pulled me lower by the hips until he could take full advantage of his position above me—of the tangle of our bodies and the bareness of our flesh. Licking up my neck, he wove his body with mine, moving with me and touching me as I cried— begged —for him.
He knew all the right places to touch and kiss. Involuntary noises spilled from my lips as he claimed me. He squeezed my legs, moving deeper, and I ached for him to possess every part of me, body and soul. My legs wrapped around his waist, and I drowned in him. He did everything I could ever want until a crescendo of pleasure shot through me, and I shivered in blind ecstasy.
We were thunder and lightning, trembling beneath the gentle heat of the sun.
He gathered me in his arms and held me. We lay there together in perfect bliss, our chests ebbing and flowing with the rise and fall accompanied by that now-familiar afterglow I found myself longing for.
“Do you want to take a dip with me?” He bit at my earlobe as he said it. My arm fell on my forehead as I caught my breath.
“I’d love that.” Scooping me up, he carried me to the lake and, without hesitation, jumped inside. I squealed in surprised delight as we fell beneath the surface. I rolled from his arms but quickly found my bearings in the water. Just like the breeze outside the lake, it felt perfect—like bath water—and it was so clear I could see every feature of his face. He glided to me and gripping me and kissing me deeply before swimming away. I chased after him, gliding until he caught hold of me and kissed me again.
I wrapped all my limbs around him, diving into his mouth as we surfaced. Our bodies were slick, our hair soaked, but we kept kissing. He tasted of salt and life and a sweetness unique only to him.
“You won’t catch me this time,” I teased, then sank back into the water, swimming away as fast as I could. Of course, he had centuries of practice building up his strength and muscles, while I had very few opportunities to steal a swim in small ponds and hidden lakes, so he caught hold of me from behind and brought me back to the surface.
My head fell back in laughter, and he joined me. We swam for what must have been hours before he dragged me to the ring of sand surrounding the lake, fell on his back, and pulled me on top of him. My hair fell in wet tendrils around him, and we smiled together in incandescent bliss.
He kissed me, then looked into my eyes. “I love you, Leena. I think I’ve always loved you.”
The breath snagged in my throat. “I love you too. So much that it doesn’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”He grabbed the back of my neck and sunk into my lips. We lay like that until the sun set in our perfect corner of the world, and the cool air beckoned us home.
After we dressed, we walked back to the cliff and the wall of trees that led us home.
“Let’s warm up by the fire,” I said.
He wrapped me into another embrace and kissed the top of my head.
“I like the sound of that.” We pulled away slowly, and his thumbs stroked either side of my face. That sweet smile looked good on him. It brightened his eyes and chased away the shadows. He pulled me in, holding me tight, one hand running up my back. “I’ll always protect you, Leena.” His grip on me tightened. “I want you to know that.”
My lips tugged into a smile. “I know. I trust you.”