Page 43 of His Dark Delights
“You have free rein of the entire castle, Lilly. Go wherever you like. Though I have a surprise waiting for you in the garden. I figured you’d go there first, anyway.”
“A surprise in the garden?” My heart thrilled, and I mentally reprimanded myself. Don’t let him see any excitement. He’ll take it as a win.
“Yes, of course. I have business to attend to, but Mrs. Gibbons can show you the way after you’ve had breakfast.” Joy shone in his eyes. An echoing light gleamed through me in response.
“Right, breakfast.”
“I wish I could be there to see the look on your face—” he cut himself off with a sigh. Then he swooped down and placed a brief kiss on my lips. “I’ll see you later, Lilly.”
Half stunned and vibrating with excitement, I watched Ren dip beneath the tapestry, then vanish through the hidden door into the King’s room. As if hisdeparture had summoned her, Mrs. Gibbons knocked on the door a few seconds later.
I shot to my feet before she swept into the room. Her eyes widened at the state of me, but she tried to pretend as if she wasn’t scandalized. Instead of focusing on my shredded nightgown on the floor, she bundled me in a robe, then sat me down with a tray of food. She insisted I eat while she readied a hot bath.
While eating, my thoughts raced, wondering what surprise a king would have. What was in the garden? Where was the garden? How fast could I get there?
Giddiness tingled under my skin and sparked along my nerves, carrying me through a quick meal and an even faster bath. Mrs. Gibbons noted my rush, moving in a hurry to lace up my pastel pink dress for the day. I was so elated at the prospect of going outside, feeling the sun on my skin, seeing the palace garden, and finding a surprise, I didn’t stop to think about anything else. Not Soren’s words or actions, or why he’d arranged any surprise for me at all.
The last time in my life someone had surprised me was when Mr. Tatum showed up with honey cake… the day I’d found the king nearly dead in the woods.
Mrs. Gibbons led me through the blue maze of palatial walls. I didn’t stick out like a dirty peasant compared to my first day herded through the halls. The tulle layers of my dress, flowing sleeves, and silk slippers allowed me to blend in with any of the court ladies tending to their duties or meandering around.
Through towering stained glass double doors, Mrs. Gibbons led me outside. Perfectly warm and breezy spring air ruffled the ends of my hair, and the glorious scent of blooming florals swept into my nose. I didn’tneed a guide from there. The lush garden was a spectacle of serene beauty.
Rows upon rows of hedges walled in the garden. Shrubs in outlandish shapes lined the path; leaping fish, standing horses, and swans with their heads bowed together. Pastel wisteria hung from arches over the cobblestone paths. Crimson roses clung to trellises two stories tall. Gilded marigolds reflected the sunlight on their dewy petals. Purple foxgloves hung in vertical columns at every turn.
For the first time in days, my world came alive with the song of nature. Flower petals rustled together in the wind. Bees buzzed in the distance. Roots twisted and churned in the soil, and an elaborate three-tiered fountain splashed at the heart of it all.
The flowers called to me, enchanting me, singing a song only I could hear. And I followed, entranced by that pull. Without pause, I kicked off my slippers and bound through the endless twists and turns of the palace garden. I surged into a sprint, running under golden rays of light, twisting through flowers, and spinning barefoot around the towering, gushing fountain.
I ran, and I laughed, soaking in the sun and sucking in the sweetly scented air.
A familiar metal clinking echoed nearby. Shock bolted through me, followed by an erratic skip in my heart. I followed my feet, ambling toward the back end of the garden.
A white figure with beautiful black spots swayed into my line of sight. She heard my rapid steps swishing through the grass and swung her head in my direction. Two large brown eyes lit up, and she bellowed softly.
“Millie-Moo!” I flung my arms over her neck and buried my face in hers. A sudden unforeseen sob wracked my body, and prickling tears escaped the corners of my eyes.
Clucking and the scratching of claws on the grass interrupted the reunion. Sniffling, I glanced over my shoulder at the chickens pecking at seeds in the garden lawn.
“Oh gods, you’re all here. You’re all alright.” I sank to my knees with my fingers curled in the rope around Millie’s neck. She lowered her nose, sniffing at the top of my head. She licked the side of my face, interrupting my crying, and my quiet sniffles turned into laughter.
Soren had listened to me in the study. He’d heard the plea in my voice. Not only had he ensured my animals were tended to, but the king had them transported to me.Would I have preferred him to send me home to be with them? Perhaps. That was what the louder voice in my mind demanded.
But this gesture was magnificent, too. It meant something that he listened to me and acted. It meant something that His Majesty had done something so outlandish as having farm animals from a border village brought to the palace gardens.
“A surprise, indeed,” I laughed breathlessly.
Ren did this knowing it would get looks and tongues would wag. It was silly and insane, but he did this for me when he didn’t have to. And it meant more than I wanted to admit.
Mrs. Gibbons delivered lunch shortly after noon.I sat on a bench, surrounded by my animals, while nibbling on slices of roasted chicken, warm buttered bread, and assorted berries. Millie wandered, chewing on grass and resting after half a day of running wild in the castle gardens.
A pleasant ache hummed in my muscles from chasing chickens and seeking a cow hiding in the hedges. My lungs eased from my strained breath and laughter. Alone as I preferred, and overly at ease in a place where I shouldn’t have been.
Surrounded by enemies and butchers and yet a small haven had been afforded to me. The same hand that I should bite was the one that fed me, touched me, and pleasured me. I should bite and bite hard, but I didn’t have the craving for violence required.
A jostling in the shrubs and the heavy scuff of leather boots on stone tugged me from my treasonous musings. I dropped the strawberry hovering near my lips when a figure strode into the clearing at the back of the garden.
“Rhydan,” I perked up upon seeing a friendly face.
