The Cadre of Embers

Chapter 12

 That evening, after dinner, Althea and Jasper took a walk through the garden together. The air was warmer than it had been the past week as they strode together through the candlelit pathways. While most of the summer flowers had grown brown and shrivelled, the beautiful fall mums had sprung up from the ground in an array of blazing autumn colours. From deep maroons, to burnt oranges and fiery yellows, they weaved in clusters through the long wavy grasses that blew in the light, warm breeze.

September was only a few days away, bringing them closer to the bitter cold days of winter. She wondered if she and Arsalan would still train outside? Surely not if the air was frigid and it was snowing right? She wouldn't put it past him to make her train out there and call it a learning exercise.

She leaned into Jasper, yawning sleepily. Her training today had worn her out tremendously. The heat hadn't helped either.

"Are you tired my love?" Jasper asked, brushing a hand through her hair as they stood together. She was, but she didn't want their time together to come to a close. Her favourite time of the day was spent with him holding her and tracing her skin with his fingers as they sat together.

She shook her head quickly. "No, no, I'm just..." she looked for the words to build a lie but alas they eluded her.

Jasper chuckled and sat down on a grassy patch near a cluster of freshly bloomed asters. He had worn a grey herringbone suit to dinner that evening and his long brown hair was tied back using a grey ribbon.

"Here, lie down in my lap and relax," he instructed, patting his palm down on his thigh. Smiling down at him warmly, she obeyed. He really was such a gentleman.

Althea's mind hopped to Arsalans words from earlier, deeming her jealous of the woman he'd bedded. She rolled her eyes, what could she possibly have to be jealous of when she had a kind and loving person like Jasper by her side. She could hardly imagine herself with a man like Arsalan. He was cold and harsh and the complete opposite of what she wanted and what she was. But still, she thought of the feeling that rose up in her at his words of bedding a woman. Why had they made her feel so... uncomfortable? She was not jealous. Maybe it was just hearing someone speak so openly about it that made her feel that way. After all, in modern society speaking of intercourse was considered a taboo, especially when bedding someone who you weren't married to.

"I hope your new trainer didn't wear you out too hard today," Jasper said, rubbing her scalp with his fingers as he brushed them though her curls. She had opted to let her hair dry naturally after her bath, and kept it down for this exact reason. She loved the way his fingers felt as they combed through her brown locks.

"No, it's not too much, I've just never used my body like this before, so it will take some getting used to," she said.

Laying in his lap, she looked up at him. He stared up at the stars, not noticing her as she gazed at him. Her eyes fell on the curve of his jaw and the way his long neck craned up at the sky above them.

His features were soft, unlike that of Arsalan, he did not have that rugged look about him. He glanced down at her, noticing the way she stared at him. A blush spread over his pale cheeks.

"What?" he laughed. She loved the way his cheeks dipped in slightly when he grinned.

"Just admiring you," she said honestly. He closed his mouth, still smiling to the side. Craning his neck, he bent down to lay a smooth kiss on her lips. She tilted her head up to kiss him back, reaching her hand to touch his jaw. It was a brief kiss but any warm touch of his lips against hers was always welcomed by her, no matter how fleeting.

When they pulled away she opened her eyes again to see his hazel ones gleaming at her. He was truly angelic. He reminded her of the murals she'd seen painted of angels flying high through the clouds. She imagined them looking down upon those they loved on the ground below.