Destroyers and the Dragons

Page 26

      "What have I missed?" he asks gracing us with a smile.

     "Your friend here can embroider," Rose says holding up the cloth. Evergreen grabs it and studies it carefully.

     "I've seen this style only one other time in my life and the woman was blind," he says watching me. I look away and study the wood grain pattern on the arm of the chair. "I missed you two when you left." I ignore the remark and wait for Rose to make some appropriate comment, but the air is silent. I look up and realize she's left us alone in the garden. Panic begins to set in as I realize he's very close to me.

     "I am sorry for my less than perfect behavior earlier," I say stiffly. "I should not have attempted to do something so rash."

     "I wish you would have done it sooner," he says with such intensity that my insides begin to vibrate and my stomach tightens.

     "I have no right to kiss a king, I am nothing to you or your people but a heathen," I say trying to stand. He gently restrains me. "I have legs and I'd like to use them before they forget why they are attached to me."

     "Then allow me to help you," he says holding out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion; I sigh and then grab his arm to help steady myself as I hobble around the garden. Finally I sit down and lean against the trees trunk and sigh.

     "I could stay here forever," I sigh in pleasure feeling the cool ground beneath my hands and the firm tree against my back. To my surprise Evergreen sits down next to me, ruining his cream colored breeches.

     "You seem most at home outside," he says.

     "I grew up under the stars, with a knife under my pillow and the snores of my companions to serenade me to sleep."

     "You paint a strange picture of your life. Do you distrust good stone walls?"

     "No the library was all stone and I spent much time in it."

     "So you just prefer this," he says gesturing to the garden.

     "If you gave me a bedroll I'd sleep right here every night," I retort; I'm rewarded with a smile.

     "I might just do that for you," he teases.

     "What would I have to do?" I ask.

    "I don't know, maybe kiss me again." I turn away from him as my stomach tightens and my palms start to sweat.

     "I'm not sure that would be a fair trade," I retort refusing to meet his eyes.

     "I think it is more than fair," he says as Rose returns with something tucked under her arm.

     "What would be more than fair?" she asks studying us.

     "Nothing," I blurt out. "I think I need to sleep."

     "Then close your eyes," Rose retorts opening a book.

     "Here?" I ask looking at her.

     "Yup, I'm hiding here until all the women folk are calmed down," she says and begins to read.

     "Okay," I say and pull the blanket up around me that they'd used to cover my legs and pillow my head on my arms. "Wake me for the evening meal." I close my eyes and hope that Evergreen will go away. Instead I feel him playing with a few of my braids.