King of Kings- Book 4 The Council of the Light Series.

Part 20

Tamlin gave Grendal a seven-hundred-gold-piece bottle of wine as a thank you for keeping Clarence occupied. He watched in satisfaction as the Steward salivated over it. Muttering that Tamlin had been holding out on him. If Grendal of Innis had one weakness it was an expensive red.

"What will you do?" Tamlin asked.

"It's very easy, actually, I'm hosting a private dinner. Lena and Otto will be there, as will Clarence and his son. It will go on late into the night. He'll not notice your absence." Grendal held the wine up again. "You say it's only important to you, Tamlin, but this bottle is saying something else."

"It's about a woman," Tamlin sighed again. "You are being a good sport about all this Grendal. I do appreciate it."

"If I find out she's a serving girl you've got pregnant..."

Tamlin laughed too quickly, the idea of Elisa as a servant tickled him. Grendal seemed to take it that he'd hit the nail on the head and he smirked. "Have a lovely evening, do try not to be seen."

~

Tamlin left Grendal to nurse his new bottle and went back to his chambers, he donned his best coat and cloak and when the bells chimed seven he practically skipped down to the stables to collect his horse. A quick look around, the other horses all calm and snuggling in their blankets. Elisa's horse was still in its box- sensible of her to take somebody else's. He looked about and saw an empty stable. She must have used that one. Always thinking ahead. Tamlin got the stable boy to saddle his horse for him, talking loudly about how he was looking forward to meeting his friends in the city for a drink. As soon as his horse was ready he galloped down towards the city, then took the road north to the Druid Temple.

It used to annoy him that the Druids called their official buildings 'Temples'. Sure they opened up parts of them as a spa to heal the walking wounded once every few months as a kindness, but it gave the impression people worshiped magic. Leprechauns didn't bend to their powers; they mastered them. Temples were counting houses, banks and official halls of ceremony for the most part, nothing more enchanting than a check and balance.

He rode his horse directly into the stables, pulled off his hood and gave his horse to a servant, then grinning he clapped his hands to get the warmth back into them. "Lead the way," he called to nobody.

A man, one of Elisa's guards, emerged from the shadows and put their finger to their lips. "I beg to remind you 'highness, that this is a secret affair."

"Can't stop a chap being happy about it, ahy?" He skipped after the guard. "Damn shame we have to do this in secret."

"It won't be secret for much longer if you keep shouting about it," Elisa's voice echoed from the internal hall. "I was about to give up and go."

He was sure she was joking, he wasn't late. "I had to make sure I wasn't following my love," he moved next to her and offered her his arm. She slipped her hand into it and looked up at him.

"Your caution is admirable."

"It is, isn't it? What do you want to do after we're married, Elisa? We should go on holiday.

"You know exactly what I intend to do."

Tamlin rolled his eyes, "Can't we have one night off, sweetest?"

A Druid dressed in an ornate marriage robe of Silver and Purple moved towards them holding two sprigs of lavender and a purple ribbon. He started to chant in a language that Tamlin didn't know. The ribbon glowed as it twisted in the air. Elisa held out her slender hand to Tamlin who slid his into hers. The Druid raised his hands and the ribbon began to wind around their wrists like a snake. He then offered them two sprigs of lavender, which they each took with their free hand and slid behind each other's ear.