I know he is worried about me.
With me being gone this long, he’s surely thinking the worst. Once I return, he will see I’m alright. I’ll tell him of Rhydian, and he will welcome him into our home.
Rhydian has been quiet as I work on breakfast. Ensuring each pancake is perfectly golden, I turn off the flame. My mouth waters and my stomach growls anew.
Selecting two plates, I pile them high with the pancakes and spoon over the whipped topping. Tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, I turn towards Rhydian.
He is transfixed by me as I set down his plate.
I settle into the chair across from him and pour us each a glass of milk. Using my fork, I cut into the spongy pancake. It melts on my tongue. The whipped topping and fresh berries provide the perfect tartness to accompany the sweet batter.
Rhydian watches me eat with heavy-lidded eyes.
The fork looks comically small in his hand as he slices off a piece of pancake. I watch him chew thoughtfully. Licking cream from my lips, I nod towards his place.
“What do you think?” I ask.
“Delicious.” A wicked grin spread across his face. “Almost as delicious as?—”
“Me. I get it.” I preen under his compliment all the same. “If you come back with me, you can enjoy both my cooking and my body.”
“An enticing offer.”
While his words are teasing, there is a tightness to them.
Looking around the cottage, there are signs of this being a family home. The plates and cutlery are for someone my size. A small frame holds a crude painting of a young woman. Her hair is the color of wheat while her eyes are the vibrant green of fresh grass. Rhydian’s mother.
My heart aches at the portrait.
There are many secrets he harbors, and I wish for him to share them with me. This burden he no longer needs to shoulder alone.
Once both our plates are empty, Rhydian takes them towards the basin. As he scrubs, I delight in the straining of his muscles. Biting my lip, I delay my own wanton desires in favor of discovering more about him.
“Will you tell me about your parents? Your father?”
The dish clatters against the tub as Rhydian’s spine snaps straight.
Turning towards me, fear and sadness cloud his eyes. I don’t miss the slight tremble in his hand as he wipes them on a cotton towel.
“What do you wish to know?”
“Whatever you’re willing to share.”
With a sigh, Rhydian trudges back towards his chair. I suddenly feel like he’s too far away. I need to show him that whatever he’s about to tell me won’t change anything. I want him just as much as I always have.
Rounding the table, I settle atop his lap.
His strong thighs press into my bottom as my fingers rub gentle circles along his neck. His hands fall to my waist, squeezing gently.
“My mother was beautiful. She was born in Dew Hollow, but her family moved intothe Woodswhen she was a girl. My father found her lost amongst the trees one day. It was love at first sight, they told me. I didn’t understand what they meant until now.”
My smile makes my cheek ache.
Love. The emotion I’ve been tiptoeing around voicing. My heart hammers against my ribs as I stare into his eyes. Communicating without words the feeling we both share.
Rhydian’s fingers trace my cheek.
“She passed away when I was five. Illness took her. My father took her death especially hard. He was a good male, honorable. I don’t know the origins of our family’s curse. My father refused to see it as that. He said we had a duty to protect Dew Hollow. He was a true lord.”
