Private Tales The Starling and the Bear

[Lynus Anireth]

Lynus chuckled, a deep, warm sound that vibrated through his chest as Isla teased him. He held her close when her arms wrapped around him, feeling the softness of her lips as she kissed along his jaw and down his neck. His hand rested at the small of her back, grounding them both in the moment.

When she released him and walked toward the swing, he followed, watching her with a soft smile. Her question made him laugh again, this time with a sheepish shrug. "Well, I didn’t exactly set it up myself," he admitted, walking over to join her at the swing. "I just asked a few people to help make it perfect..Being royalty does have its privileges."

He watched her as she took in the surroundings, the gentle breeze playing through her hair and rustling through the weeping leaves of the willows, and the soft glow of the sun dancing on the pond's surface.

"Yup." he agreed with a grin.

Lynus stepped closer, seating himself on the swing and walked himself forward, reaching around her waist to pull her into his lap, and lifting his feet to let them swing. His chin settled into the crook of her neck as he drew a breath of lavender and vanilla.

"It's nothing less than you deserve." he said, more quietly now, his arms tightening gently around her. "A place to breathe.."

It was a spot so entirely surrounded by tall trees that it blocked out the sight of the keep, of the walls, of the city around them. A little oasis of peace and tranquility. "This part of the gardens is off limits to the staff. My parents don't come here anymore, and my siblings.. I'm not sure if they even remember it." he sighed. "If you need to breathe, nobody will bother you here. Even me, if you wish it." he rumbled quietly.

 

[Isla]

"Please don't tell me you bought me a horse just to take me here..." She took a deep breath, savoring being outside, and not the outside of a courtyard. Here she was free. There was nothing but water, trees, flowers, beauty of a life she'd never had. The thought made her heart ache, just a little.

Isla was still looking toward the water when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her back against him. She giggled when he nestled his chin between her neck and shoulder. Had she never told him just how ticklish she was?

A place to breathe..

She wondered if she would ever stop thanking him. Probably not, she had determined. He seemed to never stop thinking she was deserving of anything. He had made it clear enough that if she wished for it, it would be done. Even if she did not think she deserved more than the place she had spent the past ten years of her life.

Isla was quiet while he spoke, that ache in her heart turning to guilt when he suggested that she might want to spend time without him. "Why would you...what have I done to be deserving of this?" She asked, her hands moving to the ropes that held the swing. "You give me so much and I have nothing to give you. I love it...but..." She had nothing to offer but her love. A phrase she once told Nathaniel when he had showered her with jewelry.

"I love it, but I don't think I would ever want to spend time alone here." One hand left the rope to hover over his own, still wrapped around her waist. "Thank you."

She fell quiet for a long while, listening to the swing creaking as they moved and the sound of his breathing in the crook of her neck. "Is the water clean enough to swim?" She wondered aloud, desperate to break her silence.