Private Tales Of Similar Cloth

[Tharu San'Seya]

He offered shy smile as she accepted his invitation. Obviously, there were some preconceptions that could be made about the two of them traveling to bathe together, but his motives were legitimate. There was an innate fear in the back of his mind that he would leave to wash and return to find her in an even worse state. Honestly, he wasn't sure he'd be able to forgive himself if such a thing occurred on his watch. She wasn't his responsibility, but... Well, he liked her.

Purehearted intent aside, he couldn't pretend that he wasn't nervous. It actually made him feel a bit better that she obviously was as well. Reaching out to carefully take the still unconscious crow, he smiled a bit. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on him. He won't run away from us if he awakes, no so long as he bears our mark."

Tharu looked down at the flower shaped marking on the Raven's underside as Shayleigh gathered some belongings and readied to leave. He handed it back to her, on request and followed her lead as they set off.

Tharu could feel the place before he heard it and heard it before he saw it. The waterfall cascading into a river bubbling with life gave off an energy very similar to Grovehaven itself, and the Prince found himself wearing a smile even before they'd broken through the tree line. "It's perfect. This place... it's special, can you feel it?"

Shayleigh had proven herself capable of tapping into powers once thought only gifted to his bloodline. Could she feel in her bones how much energy flowed through this river? "It almost feels like I'm back home..." It brought a shiver of nostalgia down his spine, and his head turned to face the lovely woman beside him. "Besides you?" He blurted in his euphoric state, not thinking too hard about things anymore. "Not much. It's incredible. How long have you known about this place?"

 

[Shayleigh]

When Tharu posed the question if she could feel it, Shay paused a moment and closed her eyes. She’d felt it once, however, that was with his help.. Even if he says it hadn’t been, they’d been connected in a way and she knew that had to have helped. Even so, she took a deep breath and tried to open herself in hopes she could feel even the slightest of what he could.

It sounded distant, a whimsical kind of melody.. Soft, nurturing, inviting, full of life.. Goosebumps visibly rose on her skin while her lips curled into that soft knowing smile. “I think…” Shay sighed “I think I can..but I’m not sure.”

Lids lifted as he mentioned this reminding him of his home and turned her head, lifting her chin some as she looked up at him. “This is what your home feels like?!” She asked, her tone one of surprise. “I’d never want to leave if that was that case.” She joked, letting her laughter join with the sound of their surroundings.

Besides you?

Shay bit at her lip, trying to keep herself from smiling at his admittance.. Instead of bringing attention to it, she continued forward. “Um, probably a few years after I made the wilds my home. I can’t say I’ve ever seen another visit this place, at least not when I do. It’s my little secret.” That smile finally slid free. “Which is now yours to keep as I trust you’ll not tell anyone you don’t think deserves to know.”

Shay stopped at a small clearing with lush grass, the softest she’d ever felt beneath her feet. It led off towards the water, shallow at first but the further out the deeper it got. The deepest point being right by and under the waterfall. Blankets were laid out on the grass, along with the raven, nestling it within the grass. Turning towards Tharu, unknowing why the beating of her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest.

“Mind turning around for a moment?!” She asked quietly and waited for him to do just that, knowing well that he would. Once he did, Shay would slip the soiled dress up and over her head, keeping hold of it in one hand. Bare feet moved down towards the water, slipping into it one foot at a time. Feeling the water move up her bare skin, inch by inch until it was just under her collarbone. The water was warm, a welcomed warmth to ease the tension in her bones.

“Okay, you can turn around now..” She was well covered by the water, nothing could be seen, that she knew of. The dress had been dragged into the water with her, a chance to clean it while they bathed as well. Then she could lay it out to dry in the sun and have something clean to wear after a while.

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

There was more than a small part of Tharu that wanted to invite her to come to stay with him at his own home for a little while, but being as his home was still in danger, and... well, surely she wouldn't want to be that close to him all the time anyways, right? Regardless, he could tell from the expression on her face, the soft shiver in her tone that she did indeed feel this place's power.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that the very energies he now called attention to had been what drew her to this crystalline lake in the first place. If she was as gifted as Tharu was beginning to expect, such clear waters and vibrant life would be practically dragging her by the heels. The Prince himself certainly felt renewed of spirit just standing before it. He tilted his head towards Shay, offering a sly wink. "It can be our secret now, so long as you're willing to share with me."

Shayleigh led him down to a grassy expanse just off the water, baked in sunlight and brimming with bright green beneath their feet. As they made their way down, Tharu spoke a bit more of home. "In Spring, My Father erects magical barriers around places like this, which he refers to as 'Groves'." Had Nairth seen a place like this in their court, it would have already been well defended, he'd no doubt. They are protected from any who would harm or disturb such pristine pictures of life, and only those with pure intent and a love for life can cross the barriers."

It actually served more than one purpose; not only did it protect the places within the barriers, The Spring also kept endangered plants and animals within those zones, giving them a chance to slowly rebuild their numbers before reintroducing them to the forest.

Shayleigh finally decides to break that looming ice, meekly requesting he turn around. Tharu stared at her with puzzlement only for a minute before it clicked. Right, they had come here to bathe, hadn't they? All of the sudden that extra bravado he was feeling faded as he nodded and turned his back to her. He could hear the shifting of her clothes as she pulled herself free of them, and then the movement of the water as she lowered herself into the clear lake below.

She called for him to turn around, but it would be far easier to do what came next without making eye contact with her. Straightening his back and taking a deep breath in, Tharu slid the robe he wore from his shoulders, letting it cascade down his lean, muscular form and fall to his feet in a pool before stepping out and collecting it. Just... had to pretend she wasn't there, watching him...

Obviously that only worked until he turned around, flushed and holding his robe in front of his intimates as he stepped into the lake with her.

 

[Shayleigh]

“Our secret.. I like the sound of that” Shay gave him a grin, one of those devious grins. Until she realized those words hadn’t been just thought of but said out loud. Clearing her throat while she tried to think of something quick to change the subject, for now.

Luck seemed to be on her side as he began talking about these spots, these Groves at his home. “You mean to tell me that you’ve many of these places, similar to this one, all over?” The thought of spending a day at a time at each of these places, letting the sun warm her skin and the water cool it when needed. That thought alone sounded divine. “I wish all places like this could be protected but I’m happy at least some are, Thank your father for me” Not that his father would know here from one fae to the next but what he was doing meant a lot to her and she wanted him to know such.

Shay had a brief moment of hesitation but didn’t give it much thought, otherwise she would have backed out of what she’d done. Bathing with clothes on just didn’t go over well, especially when the clothing itself was soiled too. What Shay had failed to realize was how clear the water was, even with the dark colored stones that lined the bottom of the water. It gave no camouflage to her bare skin. Arms drew in her dress once she realized everything could be seen and did what she could to hide certain parts of her body. Not that it worked all too well.

What she hadn’t expected to see once she looked back at him was a well toned, bare ass as he bent over to collect his robe. Her breath caught and she swore she stopped breathing and damn it, she knew she needed to look away.. She should look away and yet.. She couldn’t. She let her eyes drink him in, everything from his dirtied feet to the back of his head. Even watched the muscles in his legs contract and relax as he started to turn around, Shay looked as if she’d been caught doing something red handed and quickly lowered her eyes to the water as he began to step in.

“The water’s rather warm this time of day, thankfully. I’d sleep here if I could when it’s like this, however, I think my body would protest being in the water for too long.” Trying to lighten things up with some sort of odd, yet funny comment.. “I bet it sounds lovely here..” Shay added. Knowing well that Tharu could hear it. All the while, doing her best not to look up at him.

---

Tharu San'Seya

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Tharu slowly descended into the slightly chilled waters, just barely tinged with the warmth of the overhead sun as the soft ripples rose up his legs and over his midsection. The Prince had no qualms with nudity; It was common for Spring folk to forgo clothes in effort to deepen their bond with nature, but the thought of Shayleigh seeing... well, everything... It wasn't that he disliked it, Rather he liked it far more than perhaps he should.

It seemed to be a running theme, that everything about the strange young woman was far more attractive to him than it had any right to be after only a couple of days together. Still, the way her eyes were trained to the water, the soft blush on her cheeks, the slightly blurred shape of her body beneath the water's surface, that he was unable to stop his eyes from briefly combing over... Suffice it so say that Shayleigh wasn't the only one struggling.

"It's part of his job... Protecting life is Spring's mantra, and as its King, he takes that extremely seriously..." He sounded like a broken record, talking about his father, and the Spring mantra, Tharu shook his head, closing his eyes as he dunked himself beneath the water to thoroughly soak his silver locks. When he rose back up, he could feel the crystalline beads running down his form as he swept his hair to his back with his hands, looking over at the woman still avoiding his gaze. "We use them to protect endangered species and rare plants as well. Small sanctuaries, all across the land."

Gods, this was silly... Where they really going to let these... whatever these feelings were walk all over them?

"It does. It's like a symphony all around us, Shayleigh... It's absolutely divine."

Tharu sounded perhaps a bit stiff, but that was likely because he was swallowing down his own nerves, keeping himself as calm as possible as he slowly approached her, his sullied robes slung over his shoulder.

He reached out, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking down at her.

"Would you like to hear?"

 

[Shayleigh]

Had she been blindsided by these unexpected feelings, allowing herself to lower her guard that she’d spent hundreds of years building and securing. All for a man she barely knew at all, save for the little amount of time they’d spent together. A prince, a man of nobility that had a much higher rank in society then a recluse like herself. Someone who’d hidden herself away from most interactions with.. Well.. just about any living thing.

Yet, here she was sharing her most secretive location, her hideaway.. To him. Strangely, it just felt.. Right. He’d yet to give her a reason to not trust him or his actions and she had a feeling he never would. Perhaps this was what she’d needed all along, a reason to live again. A reassurance that not all were out to harm her and in order to let good things in, you have to go out on a limb and seek it.

“It should be the job of all Kings, Queens, within each court to make sure things like this are protected. So many sacred spaces are being torn up for just a brief amount of happiness and before you know it, it’ll all be gone..” Shay likely went to far with that statement and it obviously had more meaning to it then what was said, an underlying meaning well hidden.

It’s absolutely divine…

Those words tore her eyes off the water just as Tharu began closing the distance between them. Normally she’d start backing up or somehow keeping a good amount of space between them but the need to do so had dissipated. Sapphires locked with his gold as her chin tilted up just a bit.

The flurry of goosebumps ran across her skin, easily felt when his palms met her shoulders. “I.. Uh.. Yes, I’d love to hear it.” Without much thought, Shay let her dress go to float atop the water so she was free to lay her own hands upon his shoulders. Taking a deep breath in, trying to remember exactly what it was she was to do. Eye’s closed and she let her mind go, letting it open to everything around them.

It was as if the spring itself was waiting for her to do just that, the second she cleared her mind she heard it. It was the sounds of dreams, a melody of love and life, music that none could ever recreate with worldly instruments. Lips parted softly, breathing shallow so as to not drown out the symphony they were playing for her. What she didn’t know was the fact that tears were slowly running down her cheeks. Not because she was upset, far from it actually. It was happiness so pure one could not do anything but cry.

"It's... Beautiful.. No, more than that.. There are no words for it.."

 

[Tharu San'Seya]

Shayleigh had once again surprised him beyond what he'd imagined possible. Without prompt from Tharu, the Sidhe reached up and took his shoulders, causing Tharu's next words to catch in his throat as he felt her presence connect to his own almost flawlessly, leaving him devoid of speech, staring down at her in wonderment.

For any creature not of Spring lineage to connect with him was far-fetched, as he'd explained to her earlier. For Shayleigh to effortlessly connect with him once again at will, with no effort needed on his own part to share his power with her? It was... well, it was frankly unheard of. Such a thing simply didn't happen. The song that she heard was more than what came to Tharu's ears; it was joined by a different song now, one only she could perceive: The burst of life that echoed from The Prince's own heart at her presence.

In that singular moment, the woman he'd met only days prior had bonded to Tharu in a way not even his Father had experienced. No, more than that, it was a bond that only one San' Seya had ever formed with another, long, long ago: When Isa San'Seya found the mortal she was destined to be tied to for the rest of her life, before Tharu had even been born.

She came back to him now, tears streaking down her cheeks as the sound faded from her ears, the connection waning as her emotions broke her concentration. Immediately Tharu's hand went to her cheek, wiping the beads from her skin with a thumb. The blind look of wonderment had shifted now to a smile. A smile of more than friendship.

It was adoration that now lingered in his eyes, as he pulled her into a comforting embrace.

 

[Shayleigh]

Shay hadn’t given it much thought and truthfully only assumed that it would work much like it had last time. In her mind, all she had to do was touch him; connect with him and the rest would just follow. It happened so fast that her mind didn’t even have time to comprehend the emotions laced with the melody.

In the midst of the emotional confusion, Tharu took it upon himself to start wiping away those tears she’d not even realized had fallen. The silky touch of his skin caused her to gently lean into his touch while her eyes sought out his. “Is.. Is that how they all sound? The one’s at your home?” Voice just barely above a whisper.

Before that question could be answered, he pulled her in and for the first time ever, Shay gave it no thought at all. Flesh against flesh, a sensation that left her nearly trembling. This had been the closest she’d allowed anyone to get with her since she ran away. It wasn’t until this very moment that she realized just how much she’d missed it.

Cheek rested against his chest, arms snaked their way around him and held him so tight that she feared she may hurt him. “Thank you.. For everything Tharu.. I’m starting to think we were meant to meet, as if you were meant to be a part of my life.. Even if it’s just for this little bit of time we’ve shared, I’ll cherish it always..”