Gardener

Chapter 6

All In

                   

I woke to find Kalini gazing down at me with a large cup of my favorite tea steaming in her hand, the brew was dangerous to consume for most if made wrong, no plant mage had ever made it wrong.  "Now I know I said that you were fit for royalty, but that did not mean that I wanted you to break the Heir's innocence and be murdered or exiled in consequence."

I gazed at her brow furrowed in confusion shifting to find that her Highness' breasts were peeking through the vee formed by the loosely tied laces at the top of her tunic and that somewhere in the night she had curled against me slipping her hands beneath the fabric of my shirt causing it to ride up revealing part of a tattoo that near about spanned across every limb of my body. "Fully clothed no less she didn't even get the pleasure of breaking your innocence or seeing the rest of that tattoo that I don't think even Baem knows you have." Libeth stared at the vibrantly green stem covered in thorns curling across my ribs down towards the apex of my thighs. "Does that end where I think it ends?" She questioned softly taking a sip of her own drink.

I sat up slowly gently taking her Highness' hands from my body and placing them on my bed, pulling my tunic down before standing up and straightening my clothes. "That is none of your concern. As for the Princess..." I took in her now peaceful expression as she snuggled into the warmth my body had left behind. "She's had a rough night."

A knock sounded on the door before I could explain further, I swept the blanket up and over the Princess and Kalini stood beside me allowing us to cover the view of the bed as the door opened revealing Baem a little worse for wear. "Lyssa," he murmured voice still a bit rough from sleep, hair a rat's nest, telling me he'd forgotten to braid it last night. He rubbed his face trying to wake up a little more, Kalini went to offer him her tea before thinking better of it. He sighed softly before standing a little straighter, his shirt fell open; he'd forgotten to button it in his haste to answer the door. "There are royal guards standing at the door led by the Guard Captain himself, you are to report to the Queen's Study..." he glanced back and forth between us. "The both of you." He finished before stumbling away mumbling about how he hated mornings.

Kalini and I shared a look before she offered me my cup, I took it nodded my head gently in appreciation. "I have no idea what happened last night." She glanced at the bundle of blankets now hiding the Princess, "But I am sure we are about to find out."

I straightened my clothes thankful that I'd changed the night before into something decent, I unbraided my hair stroking my fingers through it gently before tying it up with a leather thong. "Why don't you just keep it braided all the time?" Kalini asked as we left my room.

I dropped a mint leaf in my tea taking a long drink as we approached the door behind which royal guards waited, "If I braided it, I would not know how to fight with it unbraided, I would trip and stumble and it would be my down fall and so I leave it free save to tie it back from my face. In the jungle not many children grow their hair, those that do grow into warriors because it is in all honesty a weakness an enemy can exploit, but they make it into a strength. My mother had but one request of me when I left, of course she knew I would choose to heal over all else, but she wanted me to be able to protect myself, to protect my brother if need be. And so I grew my hair and though I am a Gardener to the Queen, and sometimes a healer in her infirmary, I am also a warrior...for my mother." I finished opening the door before Kalini could speak again.

I tipped my head in respect to the Guard Captain Lee Neola, he tipped his head in turn, "I do not know what has transpired Gardeners, I simply know that the Queen wishes to hold a small council...without her Councilors." For the remainder of the journey to the Queen's Study all was silent, those that passed did not speak, instead bowing their heads solemnly and moving along more quickly. "Whatever comes, I wish you good fortune." Neola clapped us both on the back before turning to guard the door with his men.