Asra One Shots

One Shot: Return to the Palace

Author's Note: I hope you all are enjoying the new update! I wrote most of this before it came out as way to deal with the wait. This is the return to the palace from the desert trip. There is mention of a dance in the rain and that comes from my Desert Dance story. Enjoy!

As the palace gates come into view, I feel that sinking feeling of the first day of work following a blissful vacation. Asra notices my shift and takes my hand smiling. I look up at him and return the smile. That's right; it's completely different now because Asra will be here with me. Sure, in the desert it felt like we were away from it all even while helping that village but palace life promises to be much better with Asra here.

As we approach the gate, the guards become extremely defensive as usual. They don't allow us to enter even though I recognize one of them myself. "I sent word that we would be arriving this evening," Asra says rolling his eyes. He's clearly been in this position before.

"Let them in," an annoyed voice calls. I look to see Portia hustling towards the gate from the palace side. "Goodness, do you not read any of the messages we send to you here?" she asks them, starting to pull the gate open herself. The guards rush to help her and we are inside the palace's grounds.

"The Countess is getting very frustrated with the strange occurrences of the castle, but it will please her that you are back and with your master no less!" she smiles and bustles along the cobble road to the main entrance doors. We follow in her wake.

"Strange how?" Asra asks, looking up at the palace. We are not keeping pace with the approaching storm that we were trying to outrun. It will probably overtake us any minute now. Light rain begins to drop around us but the winds promise it will get much worse soon.

Portia looks to me saying, "You know that story I told about that old wing?" and I nod. "Well now servants all over the household are telling us that there's some kind of demon wandering the halls," she affects a dramatically spooky voice and makes a vague gesture with her hand which shows me how much she believes these stories. I see Asra's eyes darken as he looks back down at the road. He starts walking closer to me as if by instinct. My heart strikes an erratic beat at the gesture. Get a grip and focus I scold myself, but all my body wants to do is take his hand.

As we reach the gardens, the wind really begins and I feel the energy rising. That natural buzzing before a storm. "We'll have to hurry through this maze," Portia glances back at the darkening clouds.

"We won't make it, but storms can be nice," Asra takes a sidelong glance at my reddening face. The desert is back in my mind, his body against mine in that pouring rain. He moves just a hair closer and I feel a magnetic pull to him. Focus. I try to keep my smile innocent.

"Maybe for you," Portia looks down at her white linen shirt. I laugh a little as her step quickens. Wow this maze is pretty amazing. I would be lost without her. I think of the way I found my way through the cave of the water lily and wondered if the same magic would get me through this.

That's when I hear the distant noise, louder than the wind whipping through the leaves of the maze. It's the approaching rain. We look back simultaneously and see the solid wall of rain approaching us. "Noooo," Portia moans.

Asra smiles at her anxiety, "Uh oh, better run," he sings and she does. I'm about to follow when Asra tugs on my wrist. "No, no," he whispers conspiratorially.

"Asra," I laugh turning to him and see the approaching wave of water.

"I know my way," he purrs and walks me up against what I had mistaken for hedge bushes groomed into walls. Instead, as my back passes through some of the leaves I find cool, uneven stone pressed against my back. One of his hands cradles the back of my head before it connects with stone and his lips crash into mine. At once my hands are on him running up from his collarbones up along his neck and jaw to entwine in his dampening hair holding him to me. I hear that the wall of rain has reached us as he moans against my lips.