7TH OF PYRA, 1574
For the first time in their marriage, Evylin awoke before Deckard. She stared at him in the wan morning light, smiling softly to herself. In the heat of summer, they slept with the windows open and the curtains drawn back. A single sheet remained over their entangled limbs, aiding their cool temperature.
Impatient, Evylin wondered how Deckard could stand waking before her. He didn’t often linger in bed with her, but he must have gone mad with the boredom on the occasions that he did.
Still, she lay in his arms, studying his features. He looked older than when they’d first married. Not in any great way; he bore no more wrinkles or physical signs of aging than before. Rather, it was a weightiness to his features. A refinement that gave him a sense of responsibility.
It worried her. She was about to ask him to accept even more of that weight. Would he resent her for it?
Absentmindedly, Evylin began to trace the lines of freckles across his skin. They were soft, almost indistinct in places, dotting his pale flesh intermittently. There was one on his chestthat she’d always thought looked like a star. It made her smile, thinking he’d been marked by the Heavens from the start.
“Are you trying to tickle me?” Deckard muttered sleepily.
Evylin startled at his abrupt greeting. “No,” she said with amusement. His eyes were still closed, but the corner of his mouth was lifting in a grin. “I’m just bored, waiting for you to wake up.”
“I get the best sleep of my life,” he yawned, “and you decide to wake me because of your impatience?”
“Something like that.” Evylin leaned down, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She rolled farther on top of him, and he finally met her gaze. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” he said warmly.
His arms tightened around her waist, and Evylin leaned her forehead on his. “Happy birthday.”
A slow, playful smile appeared on Deckard’s face, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “You remembered.”
“Just barely,” she admitted. “I had to write it down and have Thom remind me too.”
Deckard cupped her face in his hands, kissed her softly, and then leaned back, his entire being flooded with joy. “As I told you before,” he said tenderly. “I don’t care if you remember these kinds of things.”
“You also told me not to get you a gift. And I didn’t listen to that either.”
He frowned lightly then, and she sensed that his reprimand wasn’t sincere. He appreciated her thoughtfulness.
“Don’t get too excited,” she warned. “It isn’t quite so tangible as your gift to me.”
Deckard’s eyes narrowed in interest. “Oh?”
She nodded. “But I think we should sit up. You may not be able to unwrap it, but our current position could be somewhat distracting.”
A sly glint appeared in Deckard’s eyes as his hands slid lower down her back. “I wouldn’t mind being distracted.”
Evylin laughed and pulled away. “Quit that,” she commanded, quickly escaping his grasp to roll off the bed. “Or I’ll just have to keep your gift.”
“I thought thatwasmy gift.”
Evylin rushed to their trunks with a huff and grabbed a tunic for each of them. Although she enjoyed his teasing and their flirtations, this situation required more sobriety than their previous state of undress. She tossed him the shirt and slipped on her own before climbing back onto the bed and crossing her legs.
Deckard didn’t argue; he simply followed her lead. Leaning against the pillows and headboard, his demeanor revealed his easy mood. The yellow morning light revealed more copper in his hair than usual, and his eyes sparkled with a bright blue. He fiddled with his moonstone ring, which she had observed becoming more of an unconscious habit rather than a sign of anxiety. His warm smile and cheerful demeanor were contagious.
Evylin grasped his hands. “Honestly,” she admitted, “I forgot to get you a gift.”
A soft, airy chuckle escaped Deckard.
“Now, I’m actually grateful I did. Because I believe this is the best option I could have discovered.”
He brought her hands to his lips, kissing the backs of them. “Whatever it is,” he vowed, “it will be the best gift I’ve ever received.”
“Well, let’s not put too much pressure on it,” she muttered.
