Luc was with the guardsmen, on the other side of the tall hedges. Only Lilly stood within the meeting space, and she would leave, as well, when Zallra gave her the signal. This first meeting had to be as private as possible, but the Jinn had agreed to the dragon’s presence, and Zallra would be there, as well. Lilly wanted to stay, but Alric had assured her that he would be all right. Whether that was just wishful thinking on his part or a true vision of the future, she wasn’t sure. She hoped it was the latter, of course.
When Zallra entered the area of the garden chosen for this meeting, she caught Lilly’s eye and nodded. Lilly knew she had to go, but she spared a moment to alert Alric to her departure.
“My Liege, Lady Zallra is returned and has given me the signal. I will retreat to stand behind the bushes. All you have to do is call out, and we will come running. And you can communicate with Shilayla silently, should you have need. She is reclining within the bower to your left.” The Jinn had offered no objection to a dragon learning the identity of the spymaster, oddly enough.
Alric reached for Lilly’s hand and squeezed her fingers gently. “I know, Lilly. And I thank you for your concern, but all will be well. Go now, and do not fear.”
He let go of her hand, and she left, her heart heavy. She didn’t like leaving him so vulnerable. He was more than her King. He was her friend. He had been her friend from childhood, and it was hard for her to allow him to put himself in danger of any kind, but she respected him too much to go against his wishes. She retreated to the opening in the hedge and ducked around the edge of the dense shrubbery.
Luc was waiting there for her, and she went to stand next to him, facing away from where the meeting would take place, as agreed. Although she strained her ears to hear what transpired, she could not hear much. There were only low murmurs of voices that she could not identify—not even to say if the speakers were male or female.
Minutes went by as Lilly practically held her breath, but eventually, Alric raised his voice—not in alarm, but in request. He commanded Jimnel to join them and the Captain of the Guard went, as ordered. More murmuring and words Lilly could not hear passed, and then, it was over.
Alric summoned Lilly to tell her to dismiss the Guard. She found neither Jimnel nor the spymaster still present when she attended her King. Only Zallra remained, and Shilayla hadn’t moved and looked as if she was truly asleep. Alric told Lilly that Zallra and he would go in together and that the Guard need not remain any longer.
Lilly watched the dragon-woman and her King walk away together and then shook her head and went to do Alric’s bidding. Apparently, the meeting had been a success, but he was playing his cards close to his vest, for now. That was his prerogative, of course. He was the King, after all.
She dismissed the rest of the guards and found Luc had followed her. She wasn’t displeased by his presence at all. Far from it. She liked that he had sought her out and stayed to see her safely returned to the castle.
“How do you feel about taking a stroll through the dark gardens with me?” he asked, his eyes gleaming playfully in the dusky night.
“I believe I would enjoy that,” she replied, feeling like a coquette for the first time in her life. There was something about Luc that brought out her flirtatious side.
“Shilayla told me the meeting was a success, but more than that, she will not disclose,” Luc spoke softly as they began their stroll around the deserted gardens.
The last of the guardsmen had taken the lanterns with them, but the moon was out, and there was enough light to see where they were going. The hedges stood tall around them, making sharp angles with the paving that had been put in for Alric’s safety. The walkways were kept meticulously flat, with no protruding stones that could trip up the Blind King. Likewise, any dirt, leaves or other obstacles were kept clear of the pathways by a team of gardeners who checked every path twice a day—more often when seeds, nuts or leaves fell from the trees onto the paths.
“I confess I was surprised when Lady Zallra allowed your heartmate to witness the meeting, but I suspect the dragons know how to keep secrets better than most people,” Lilly mused.
“You can say that again,” Luc agreed. “Our heartmates are dear to us, but we all know that there are things they will not share with us. The elders say that is probably for the best and trust the wisdom of the dragons to know what to tell us, and when.”
They passed one of the bakers coming from the kitchen garden, who had a basket full of rosemary in his arms. Lilly knew there would be rosemary loaves at breakfast, which were among her favorites. She smiled at the baker, and he nodded back as he went on his way. Luc turned them away from the castle, toward the deeper parts of the garden, where Lilly knew they wouldn’t be disturbed at this time of night.
In fact, she gently steered them toward a particular section of the garden that could not be overlooked from the castle wall. She had often gone to the grotto to think, but tonight, she hoped it would live up to its ancient reputation as a trysting place. It was said the old King and his young bride had spent many hours in the grotto when they were first married, but nobody had paid much attention to it in years.
The gardeners kept it clear, of course, but it was not one of Alric’s favorite spots, and he seldom went there. Since this section of the gardens was kept private, only for use by Alric or his trusted retainers, it had remained unused by all but Lilly the past several years.
“This is lovely,” Luc said, stopping short at the entrance to the hidden grotto.
Lilly rounded on him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Lovely and private,” she agreed, tugging him deeper into the hidden nook.
The grotto had a small stone bench inside its sheltered cove. There was a small pool of water fed by a little cascade that had been there as long as the castle had. Nobody knew now whether some clever gardener had designed the pool or had simply taken advantage of a natural occurrence and planted around it. Either way, it was a beautiful spot, perfect for quiet reflection…or seduction.
Lilly guided Luc to the bench, even as she kissed him, pushing on his shoulders to make him sit. She came down over him, straddling his lap and lavishing kisses on him. He began undressing her, with her wholehearted participation, and before too much longer, she was bare against him. He had only his pants left on, and she made short work of those, not bothering to take them off completely but just pushing them down so that the part she wanted was free.
She gripped him, and he groaned. Not wanting to wait a second longer, she positioned herself over him and sank slowly down, unable to hold in the moan of pleasure that escaped her lips. Luc groaned when she sheathed him fully, and then, she looked deep into his eyes, and they both smiled.
She was complete. They were whole. Together. As it should be.
They began to move, rocking in a gentle rhythm, at first. The pleasure began to spin around them as their desire met and danced together in that secret place. The whirlwind caught them both and spun them upwards, toward a greater pleasure, and they went, willingly. Time seemed to stand still as their pace increased, their motions pushing them onwards, upwards, into a blissful place that they could only find together.
When their climax hit, it was mutual and intense. Lilly clenched around him, hugging his shoulders tight as she clung to him, her touchstone in a tempest of delight. Luc cried out her name as he came, which touched her deeply in that part of her heart that was forever his and his alone.