Hade's Rose

Chapter 30: Raptures

Five days.

It had been five days since I'd seen Hadrian in any meaningful way. He no longer slept in the temporary bed in his (our?) bedroom; but, now that our bond was complete, he was free to move down the hall into a guest bedroom. We passed each other in the corridors, or he would politely greet me in the evenings when I sat curled up in a chair with a book. But, there was a distance between us - an awkward strain.

I had spent most of my time in the rose garden: weeding and deadheading the blooms, sipping tea, reading and talking with Cleo. I had insisted to Leon that I must see her and check she is alright. Poor girl; she had been escorted by Daniel, but I could tell she was no worse for wear when she spouted a flood of questions and talk. I answered as best I could, but contentedly listened to her babble whilst trimming one of the bushes.

There was a lot of time to think. Lots of quiet moments for me to recall the past months and that evening with Hades: his confession that he loved me, loved me. My regret over my own stupid martyrdom. My fears over who might try to kill me and frame someone as innocent as Cleo.

Sighing, I pressed the fertiliser into the soil of the beds; a job the head gardener was only too pleased I took out of his hands. I thought the staff would oppose my attempts to keep busy, but no one had seemed particularly shocked at my request for gardening tools and the offer to help maintain this perfect little sanctuary.

"Now there's a big sigh," a mischievous voice sounded behind me.

Startled, I turned. "Henry?" 

Grinning cheekily as always, Henry walked towards me - looking much the same as I remember him. But, he seemed more relaxed than when I'd known him from before. There was a softness in his gait and the smile he gave had lost its wistfulness.

Standing up, I pulled my gloves off and tucked them beneath my arm. But, I didn't go to shake his hand; I'd learnt enough about Wolf culture by now not to do that. "Where have you been?" I asked, gesturing at the table and chairs. I made to sit down, and Henry did likewise: lounging his long Delta frame across the iron garden furniture.

 "Well... my indiscretions finally got me sent to the cold forests of Norn - a worthy punishment and most likely long overdue." Henry started, jumping straight in to what I wanted to know.

Wincing, I murmured my apologies. Norn was known for being on the very outskirts of the country's map: a cold, frigid woodland on the bottom of a range of mountains, where only the hardiest wolf clans dared live.

"Don't. I shouldn't have tried to provoke the King; I stretched the limits of our friendship too far and was justly punished." Henry said seriously, looking pensive as he thought back to the day he visited me.

"Hades sent you to Norn because you came to see me?" I was shocked; it seemed too extreme a reaction for my mate; although, what did I know? It seemed perfectly in keeping with the fierce King Hadrian of local legend.

Defensively, Henry quickly replied: "Not exactly. Some members of his... court have been wanting to see me face a harsher sentence for things I've done for a while. Alpha Hades couldn't shield me any longer without losing face, not after it became known that I broke protocol to visit the Alpha's unmarked mate. That might not seem a great crime to you, but in our culture it was rude of me and disrespectful." Henry spoke mournfully, with a tone of genuine regret and remorse.

I nodded, understanding some of what he said. I looked around sharply, "If... you don't mind me asking Henry, why are you here now? Does Hades know that you're here with me?" I could see my ever-present guards in the corner of quad, relaxed and unalarmed by Henry's presence. I was confused to say the least.