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I take the cup of tea in my hands. As it warms me, I am overwhelmed by joyous gratitude, and for a little while, I forget about the troubling thoughts that had been plaguing me the previous night.
“If my knowledge serves me correctly, then you are the first human to set foot in the gardens.”
“I guess that makes me pretty special then, doesn’t it?”
“I suppose it does,” Selliss replies. He takes his mug and raises it. “Cheers.”
“Cheers!”
I sip the tea, noticing how it seems to taste better outdoors. Closing my eyes, I breathe in the fresh morning air, filling my lungs as much as I can.
“Tell me something, Maya.”
“Yes?”
“If you weren’t here in Yadat, where would you go and what would you do?”
He looks at me full of wonder, and from that alone, I can tell that his question is serious. I decide to entertain him.
“Well, I think you know where I would go.”
“Lodra?”
“Obviously. As far as what I would do, I’d have a proper life.”
“A proper life? What do you mean?” he asks, tilting his head.
“Pretty much everything I don’t have here. You know, like a hobby, a job, things to do, that sort of thing. In other words, I would live.”
He slowly nods his head. We say nothing for a short while. I appreciate the silence. Being out here is healing for me and a reminder that there still could be a glimmer of hope in my future. I had lost sight of it for so long I hardly knew what to do.
I only wonder how I can get to Lodra. Maybe one day.
After a short while, Selliss rises to his feet, signaling the servants over to clean up after us.
“Unfortunately, duty calls,” he says to me. “I know our time out here was short.”
“Don’t worry about it. You are Captain of the Royal Guard, after all. Thank you for bringing me out here, anyway.”
He smiles as I stand and wrap my hand around his elbow.
“I’ll escort you back to the quarters then.”
As we leave, I take notice of nearby guards eyeballing me strangely as we pass them by. Oddly, they seem to direct their gaze at Selliss, too.
I don’t think about it for long, for soon, we are back in his room. As I step inside, my eye catches sight of a gift basket.
Inside it are candles, a blanket, and some sweet treats.
“You’re spoiling me today.”
“Please, don’t mention it. I’ll see you later.”
“Wait!” I exclaim.
I run up to him as he stands in the open doorway, planting a kiss on his cheek.
“Don’t be gone for long,” I whisper. For the first time, I feel like a real lover and not just some playtoy kept for his amusement. The idea might be childish, but it warms me.
