Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 96(@200wpm)___ 77(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 96(@200wpm)___ 77(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
“Shall I bring these in?” he offered, probably wanting more coins for delivery, but I shook my head.
“No, I’ll take them.” I took the items from him and said, “You have my thanks,” before closing the door again. Leo hustled over to latch the lock again while I settled our items on one of the beds.
I stripped naked once more, and Leo and I climbed onto the bed together. We fed each other bread and fruit while we talked until our eyes grew too heavy to continue.
When Leo and I were tangled up together beneath the thin wool blanket, my prince gave me a sleepy smile and said, “It’s alright that our love is a secret for now. I have you, and that is all that is important to me.”
“To me as well,” I replied before placing a soft kiss on his forehead. When I pulled back, he was already deep in sleep, and I wasn’t far behind.
Chapter Six
Ansel
When Leo and I woke up from our slumber, we ate more of the food from the night before and dressed in the clothes that the innkeeper delivered to us. Mine were a bit snug and Leo’s were a bit loose, but they were clean and we were grateful. I folded up our dirty clothes and stored them in a deep pocket within my cloak. I would wash them if we crossed a stream on our journey. I also placed the remaining rations in another pocket.
Since going home was not an option as long as the king's guards and Maldor's followers were still on our tail, I had a destination in mind; a very important place from my past.
But it was too far to walk; especially for my sweet Leo. So, I bartered with another patron of the inn, trading a stack of shillings for his horse. Leo was so excited to own the black and white spotted beauty; especially when I told him that the animal would make our days of exploring and adventures easier.
I knelt on one knee so that Leo could step onto the other one. He swung his leg over the horse's back until he straddled the animal and positioned himself comfortably. I placed my hand on the horse’s back and leapt, managing to lift myself onto its back, settling in behind Leo.
I wrapped my arms around him to both keep him secure and grab the reins. We received a strange look from the man who sold us the horse, but he didn’t say anything; most likely because I overpaid for the animal, but I did not care.
I bumped my heel into the horse’s side, and it began a steady trot across the open field. At first, Leo bounced and slid around the animal’s back, since he was unaccustomed to riding. But I steadied his hips in my hold, keeping my arms tightly around him, and soon he looked like he was born to be on that horse.
“Can I ask you a question?” Leo spoke once we had been riding for a short while.
“Of course, my prince. Please ask me anything.”
“I don’t wish to sound rude, but…how do you have the money for the inn, our clothing, and the horse?”
I smiled even though he couldn’t see my face. He was so gentle and sweet in his questions, but my life was an open book for him; we were intertwined in every way, and I had no secrets from him.
“I have lived a very long time. Throughout the years, I’ve worked many jobs, traded, and saved. I’ve been preparing for the day when I would meet you, to make sure that all of your needs are taken care of.”
“You are my every need.” Leo rested back against me and I kissed the top of his head. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to a very special place; the battlefield where my life would have ended so long ago, had I not met Thayla for the first time. It was a new beginning for me. Since that day, I’ve visited the area often. It helps me to feel close to the goddess. Sometimes she visits me there, to give me encouragement and advice. But even if I am there alone, it brings me peace.”
“Thank you for sharing it with me. Everything which is important to you, is also important to me. And I want to know more about Thayla; I am ashamed that I know so little about a being which has made my life so wonderful.”
“There’s no need to be ashamed; it is not your fault,” I assured him. “Your parents kept you blind toward much of the world. They did not want you to know of the goodness and light, because they were so wrapped up in the dark. But I will tell you everything I know.”
As the day stretched on, I told Leo all about the goddess who had shaped my future; how she herself had crafted humans to care for her land and each other, and how we were meant to live in harmony. He listened intently to every word, asking many questions and thanking me for the information and conversation. It was unnecessary; I enjoyed talking to my fated one more than anything else in life.