| The Antarian Chronicles |
| Memory Seven: �Uhh?� _______________________________ Zan 23 Rath 23 Eirya 24 Valondra 24 Lillyah 21 _______________________________ �They don�t seem to realize that there is more to his agenda than uniting the provinces.� I�m staring at my dinner and I realize I�m not really hungry. Lillyah is talking practically non stop about the meeting. That�s not very like her but I know how invested she is, and how much she doesn�t want us to know she is, in this whole Jannar thing. The meeting went really badly. I�m not sure if she completely understands exactly why or how it went badly. Then again, she knows those devious bastards for what they really are better than any of us. �I just wish I knew what my father would have done,� he seemed to pull these things off so effortlessly. I know that�s unfair, but I can�t help wish he were here to give me some advise. I just have this terrible feeling that I�m going to screw up and let his legacy down. I don�t want to talk or think about this anymore. I�m having dinner on a beautiful evening, alone, with Lilly. There are much happier things I could be thinking and doing, like watching her. She�s really graceful. She doesn�t know it and that�s what makes her so amazing to watch. �So, new dress?� I ask her. She smiles at me, she has an incredible smile, but this one inparticular, its special. A little brighter, a little wider, it makes her eyes sparkle just a touch more, making her even more radiant. I have to wonder why she�s so happy though. Lilly usually doesn�t care much for clothes and stuff like my sister. I find myself returning the smile because the way she�s smiling, I can almost let myself believe that she�s smiling that smile only for me. �You like it?� �I like this one,� I tell her. �Shades of blue have always been your best colors.� Its true. She looks like a goddess in blue. Yellow, it would speak well for the color to be seen on her, but blue complements everything about her that�s her. Dessert is placed in front of us but there�s something I just can�t place going on behind her eyes and that�s much more interesting than any sweets. I can�t help but watch her intently, not that that�s an unusual thing. She�s so beautiful and the way I can tell her mind is going a hundred miles a minute only makes me love her more. Her expression begins to change though and I ask her what she�s thinking about. She�s looking right at me, pinning my eyes with hers, but she didn�t seem to her me. I�m getting a little worried now. Maybe that meeting was a little harder on her than I thought. The color is draining out of her smooth skin and she�s making all these weird faces. �Woah!� She reached for her water glass like she was dying of thirst and almost knocked it over. �Are you ok Lilly? You look a little pale all of the sudden.� I take her hand and my concern compounds a hundred times over. �You�re shaking.� She�s shaking! Why is she shaking? She�s always so stable, that�s why I like her to come to those meetings with me. She has such a calming presence that it keeps things from getting too heated. She doesn�t answer me, only stares at our joined hands. Damn it! I knew I shouldn�t have involved her in the Jannarian negotiations. Not after what happened while she was there. She jerks her hand away from mine then and I�m momentarily stunned. I can�t remember her ever pulling away from me unless we were playing. This wasn�t play, she acted like she�d been burned. I�m sure it has nothing to do with me, but I can�t help but be a little hurt. My moment of self pity is short lived when she looks around widely, taking deep breaths as if she were trapped. I�ve only seen her look cagy a few times before and every time it nearly killed me. The thought of her in any kind of pain makes me miserable. �Lil?� I try again to get coherent response. At least I got her attention this time. Her eyes flit up to mine and she looks- panicked. I can handle this. I have to focus on her, I can have my own freak out later. Its been so long since she had any flash backs, this was the last thing I thought would happen if I involved her. Stupid me, I thought it actually might help some, confront her demons and all that. I get up and go kneel next to her. She looks down at me, her hair falling around her face, she looks scared. She couldn�t be scared of me, I can�t even contemplate the thought. Her head tilts to the side and I reach up to tuck her hair behind her ear. Its a familiar gesture, something I have always done, but for some reason my hand lingers, feeling the silky strands. Her eyes are locked on mine, I couldn�t look away if my life depended on it and not for the first time I have no idea what�s going on behind them. Of their own accord, my fingers slip a little farther down, barely skimming her smooth cheek. Her skin is so soft, like flower petals. She startles me when she lets out a small distressed sound. She moves her head at the same time, inadvertently giving me the chance to feel more of her soft skin fill my hand. I am so close, I can�t help but notice. If I try hard enough I can feel her agitated breathing against my wrist. If I only leaned forward a bit more... I could kiss her. The mere thought sends pangs of... something shooting through me and makes my stomach rumble. I find myself wondering if her lips are as soft as her cheek, if they taste anything like they�re cherry color? Suddenly, as if she was reading my impure thoughts, she jumps up and I nearly fall over backwards. She looks terrified and confused, like she doesn�t know where she is. I don�t want to startle her, so I move slowly forward taking her elbow. She trembles a little when I touch her and I feel doubly bad for thinking about kissing her when she�s having some kind of panic attack. A panic attack *I* inadvertently caused. �Let�s go for a walk,� I say to her, leading her out towards the pond. She nods a little, so at least I know she can hear me, but she doesn�t seem to be aware of much else. I switch my hands so one is resting on the small of her back, the other on her elbow. I guide her slowly, watching to make sure she doesn�t trip on anything. I�m taking her to a little bench by the pond. When she came back from Jannar she would spend hours out here sitting and reading or drawing. Eirya had a bench put in so her clothes wouldn�t get wet after the rain. We sit down and I take her her hand, keeping it safely tucked in mine. Lilly has such tiny hands. You�d be amazed at how capable these little hands are though, and creative too. She draws beautifully, I have a couple of her things in my chambers. I like having them there when I go to sleep. She always puts so much of herself into her work. You can always tell when something is her�s whether its signed or not. Its like she is somehow able to transmit a part of her personality, her soul, onto the paper. I like having that little bit of her near me at night. She�s been quiet for awhile now. Its starting to get late, it will be completely dark out soon and her dress is too light to be out in the chill night air. She doesn�t seem cold though, I really hope that�s because the dress is warmer than it looks and not because she isn�t feeling anything at all. I put an arm around her shoulders, more to fight off my own chill than hers. Thinking that I might have caused her to regress like this, brought up all those painful memories that lived deep inside her mind, leaves me chilled to the core. �How�re you doing now?� I ask her. She looks up at me but I can�t tell what she�s thinking. She doesn�t respond right away and I�m debating picking her up and taking her to bed, I mean her bed, get your mind out of the gutter, when her soft voice stops me and I know that now I�m the one having the break down. �I love you.� Aaaaaa whaaaw? That�s about all the thought I�m capable of at the moment. God knows how much time has passed when I find myself thinking in actual words as opposed to sounds, and the first thing I notice is that I can�t feel my body. My guess is that I�m in shock. Any second my heart will stop beating, I haven�t been breathing for a while so that�s taken care of, and I�ll drop over dead on the ground. I think that�s ok because nobody needs a King that�s gone insane, as I obviously have. �Uhhh?� Oh my goddess, please tell me that did not just come out of my own mouth. The girl you have been in love with since you were fifteen tells you she loves you and you say uh? Its not even a word! I grunted at her! Insane, see I told you. Oh, she�s gone all pale again. Say something, anything. Zan, think damn it! Time... wasting, can�t... breath. �I, I think its time for bed,� she says in barely a whisper, turning away from me. What? Bed? No, we�re having an epiphany here Lil, ya can�t just leave. She�s standing and shrinking away from me. No, no, no, no, no. I still haven't said anything. What is wrong with me?! Zan, come on buddy, seconds count here. I can here Rath coaching me in my head and am oddly disturbed that the voice that choses to help me with Lilly is her brother. Her brother who�ll willing face a death sentence if I let her get one step farther. Aha! There it is, feeling in my feet. I�m standing, good. That�s a start. Deep breath, another. Before I can talk myself into making the biggest mistake of my life I go after her. She�s only a few paces in front of me and I catch up easily. I can�t figure out why I�m breathing so hard though. �Lilly,� I say breathlessly, grabbing on to her arm. �Wait.� Memory Eight: Love Is A Many Splendored Thing _______________________________ Zan 23 Rath 23 Eirya 24 Valondra 24 Lillyah 21 _______________________________ Lilly was completely mortified. She had thought for an inkling of a moment that Zan might actually have returned the feeling but his resounding �Uhh� pretty much said it all. Of all the epiphanies to have blurted out, why did it have to be that one? She�d not only made a complete fool of herself but probably destroyed her friendship with Zan. It wasn�t like she was anymore familiar with the idea than he was. She fought to keep her tears at bay but it was no use. Before she had taken two steps they began coursing down her cheeks as though they would never stop. If she could just get back to her room everything would be fine. Rath was away on a mission so she could cry and he wouldn�t bother her. Tomorrow they could go on and pretend nothing had ever happened. Hearing Zan stand and begin walking towards her, she increased her own pace. He probably wanted to talk about it and comfort her all the while letting her down easy. She didn�t want to be let down easy. The best thing right now would be to leave her alone and tomorrow they could go on like normal. �Lilly,� she heard him call from right behind her. He always was fast. Laying a hand firmly on her arm, he tried to stop her. �Lilly, wait.� She stared at his hand on her arm, wishing away the warm, tingly feelings the simple touch shot through her entire body. She shook it off after a few seconds, not willing to let him get to her again, but she didn�t, couldn�t move from the spot. Zan felt her shake lose from his grip like a blow to the stomach. He wasn�t going to let her leave though, not until he got to say everything he had to say. Replacing his hand on her narrow shoulder, he tried to turn her to look at him but she resisted. She took a step forward, whether to get away from his hand or him altogether he wasn�t sure, he couldn't take a chance that it might be the latter. Stepping around in front of her, Zan could see the steady stream of tears on her cheeks glistening in the light of the moons and felt his heart constricting in response. Lilly�s head was ducked down and her eyes cast to the ground. She should be running away right now, she told herself, but couldn�t get her feet to work. Zan was always the first person she ran to when she was upset so what was she supposed to do now? �You�re crying,� Zan�s voice was like a whisper and she knew there was regret in it but that didn�t help her aching heart at the moment. �You told me once that you wouldn�t cry, remember? Are you going back on your promise?� he asked as he moved a hand up to wipe at her tears. Lilly turned her head before he could, wiping angrily at them herself and leaving his hand hanging in the air. �That was a long time ago,� she said simply, still refusing to meet his eyes. �That doesn�t mean I like seeing you cry anymore now,� he skimmed the backs of his knuckles over her wet cheek. Her hand raised, her delicate fingers brushing lightly over his racing pulse before removing his hand from her face. �Zan, I just want to go to bed. Please.� �No, not until you let me talk to you.� �There�s nothing to talk about,� she sighed bowing her head again. �I think there is. Lil, please, look at me.� �Tomorrow Zan, we can talk tomorrow,� she said, silently refusing his request. �No, not tomorrow.� He brought his hands up to flank her face, forcing her damp, troubled eyes to look into his. �Now.� With that he brought his mouth down on hers. The first feeling of her soft, supple lips under his sent shock waves through his system. He�d spent half his life dreaming of this moment and still, the reality didn�t begin to touch the dreams. This was a million times better, a million times sweeter, a million times more exhilarating than any flight of fantasy. She was so much softer and sweeter than he ever imagined. She smelled so good. Every nuance of her was seeping into him and like a drug, rendering him utterly helpless and completely addicted. It was the most blissful thing he�s ever experienced. After all too brief a time he forced himself to put a fraction of space between them. Dragging his heavy lids open, he waited with bated breath for her stunned features to reveal any kind of reaction. Lillyah stood perfectly still. Her mouth worked for a moment before she gained control of her faculties enough to voice the obvious. �You kissed me,� her wide eyes stared at him in astonishment. He answered without remorse or apology, a faint smile lifting his mouth. �Yeah, I did.� Zan continued to run his hands through her hair, brushing the sides of her neck and cheeks. He absolutely had to touch her right now. Lilly was quite for another minute, he watched as she licked her lips and her eyes slowly clouded over. Her own tiny hand reached up to tentatively finger the puffiness from his kiss. Pulling her hand back her hooded eyes met his. �Do it again.� A roguish smile bloomed on Zan�s lips and in his eyes, and he may have let out a sound close to a growl. That was an opinion that would later be disputed though. Capturing the sides of her face, he eagerly swooped down to clam her lips again. He didn�t need to be asked twice. Spinning. She was spinning. Her entire world was flying off its axis and she didn�t know which way was up or the moons from the stars. All she was able to grasp were the incredible sensations that were sweeping over her body, her soul, and elevating her to some other plain she knew she wasn�t worthy of. Strong arms held her tightly to a warm, hard body, while soft, capable hands ran the length of her back and sides eliciting shivers and gasps of pleasure. Nothing, nothing had ever felt this good, this perfect, this... right. How had she lived 21 cycles without being in his arms like this? How could she have never felt like she was the center of his world, and he her�s? Years, lifetimes of this would never give her enough time to feel like this. Still, if she died right now in his arms, which was a distinct possibility, it would be with a light and full heart. One with only the regret that she didn�t get to spend enough time retuning the sentiment he was so beneficently bestowing on her. When he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, he stroked the sides of her face and hair with his hands. They were both breathing hard, staring into each other�s sparkling eyes. �I love you Lilly,� he proclaimed raggedly. Finally letting the words be spoken after so many years of holding them in his throat. They were possibly the best sounding words to ever grace his lips. �Really?� she breathed out. Tears of an entirely different nature began to seep from the corners of her eyes at the thought. �I do, I love you so much. Sometimes- I feel like I can�t breath because you�re not in the same room, and sometimes I can�t because you are. And, and when you hurt, I hurt. And when you�re happy, I�m happy. If I had to choose between the crown and you, I�d give it up in a minute.� �Zan...� the whisper of awe was born from her lips without provocation and carried in its single syllable a tone of absolute adoration. He moaned softly from the back of his throat at the many sentiments his name had carried just then. If it was the only thing she ever said to him again he�d be happy. All he wanted was to hear her say his name like that, and a thousand other ways. �I just,� he continued, his hands still wandering over her silky hair, down the length of her delicate arms. Tangling his fingers with hers and bringing them to his lips. �I never thought you would feel the same way, or, or, even look twice at me.� �I don�t... I don�t know what to say.� Lilly shook her head a little. He watched her expressive eyes as the maraud of emotions ran through them. �Zan,� her hands disentangled from his and she raised one to caress his cheek. �I didn�t know, I�m so-� He cut her off with two fingers to her lips. �Shh, don�t say that. There�s no reason.� He felt her thumb run absently over the line of his jaw and he was momentarily distracted, covering her hand with hers and leaning into the caress. Her lips parted slightly at the gesture, blowing out a warm breath on his digits. He watched his fingers covetously where they lay on her soft mouth and remembered what he was saying. Bringing the hand that was on his cheek down to rest over his heart, he met her dark eyes again. �There�s only one thing I want to hear you say,� he prompted her smoothly. Watching his eyes steadily darken as he stared into hers, she felt the breathy words leave her tongue as though she�d been created to declare nothing but. �I love you Zan.� Lilly had to hold back a chuckle as his eyes widened in delayed surprise, then sparked brightly in utter relief and joy. He whooped loudly into the dark night as he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her effortlessly into the air. �This is the best day of my life!� He kissed her quickly before spinning her around again. Her sultry laughter filled the air as they spun round and round like children. �She loves me! Do you hear that Antar?!� he yelled giddily. �She loves me!� Caught up in the incredible feelings swirling through him Zan stumbled on the side of the hill, toppling over and bringing Lillyah down on top of him. Brushing his bangs off his forehead, Lilly smiled down at him, completely enchanted by the light in his eyes and his sudden exuberance. Studying his handsome features, she lightly traced the upward tilt of his mouth. �You should smile more often,� she commented. He kisses her fingers casually as they passed over the crease of his mouth, a complete contradiction the the rapid darkness of desire clouding his eyes. �Yeah?� �Mmm, you�re beautiful when you smile.� Her cheeks turned rosy the moment she realized that had been out loud. �I think that�s supposed to be my line,� he returned, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear. His hand stayed there, memorizing the silky texture of her tresses, the way the moon�s light glowed from behind her ethereally, how her skin was soft like a rose petal, the way her eyes closed when his fingers brushed over her cheek. He wanted to remember exactly what she looked like at this moment for as long as he lived. �You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,� he whispered reverently. �I think you�re biased.� �Me,� he furrowed his brows in innocence. �Never. And so what if I am? I�m the King, and what I say goes.� �Is that right?� she slid off him and onto her side, adopting the same mockingly righteous tone he was using. Following her movements, Zan turned on his side so he could look at her. His hand moved to rest possessively on her lower back, bringing them closer together. �Yes,� he nodded confidently. �I see. Then what, oh mighty one, is your decree? I am but your humble servant after all.� �Hmm.� He rubbed his chin, pretending to think very hard. �The King thinks,� he leaned in towards her, �that you are beautiful,� he kissed one eye lid sweetly. � And wonderful,� then the other, �and that he loves you beyond reason.� �Zan...� her hand found its way into his soft hair of its own volition, urging his lips to complete the journey to hers. He groaned again at the wonderfully husky way she sighed his name. �And,� he held back for one more second to finish his whispered thought, �he decrees that we will be together forever.� �Forever...� she repeated. Her sultry tone giving off the desired note of acceptance, he fused their lips together completing the vow. Forever. The only thing that would ever keep him away from her again was death. Maybe not even then. Memory Eight: Love Is A Many Slandered Thing _________________________________________ Zan 23 Rath 23 Eirya 24 Valondra 24 Lillyah 21 _________________________________________ Lilly was completely mortified. She had thought for an inkling of a moment that Zan might actually have returned the feeling but his resounding �Uhh� pretty much said it all. Of all the epiphanies to have blurted out, why did it have to be that one? She�d not only made a complete fool of herself but also probably destroyed her friendship with Zan. It wasn�t like she was anymore familiar with the idea than he was. She fought to keep her tears at bay but it was no use. Before she had taken two steps they began coursing down her cheeks as though they would never stop. If she could just get back to her room everything would be fine. Rath was away on a mission so she could cry and he wouldn�t bother her. Tomorrow they could go on and pretend nothing had ever happened. Hearing Zan stand and begin walking towards her, she increased her own pace. He probably wanted to talk about it and comfort her all the while letting her down easy. She didn�t want to be let down easy. The best thing right now would be to leave her alone and tomorrow they could go on like normal. �Lilly,� she heard him call from right behind her. He always was fast. Laying a hand firmly on her arm, he tried to stop her. �Lilly, wait.� She stared at his hand on her arm, wishing away the warm, tingly feelings the simple touch shot through her entire body. She shook it off after a few seconds, not willing to let him get to her again, but she didn�t, couldn�t move from the spot. Zan felt her shake lose from his grip like a blow to the stomach. He wasn�t going to let her leave though, not until he got to say everything he had to say. Replacing his hand on her narrow shoulder, he tried to turn her to look at him but she resisted. She took a step forward, whether to get away from his hand or him altogether he wasn�t sure, he couldn't take a chance that it might be the latter. Stepping around in front of her, Zan could see the steady stream of tears on her cheeks glistening in the light of the moons and felt his heart constricting in response. Lilly�s head was ducked down and her eyes cast to the ground. She should be running away right now, she told herself, but couldn�t get her feet to work. Zan was always the first person she ran to when she was upset so what was she supposed to do now? �You�re crying,� Zan�s voice was like a whisper and she knew there was regret in it but that didn�t help her aching heart at the moment. �You told me once that you wouldn�t cry, remember? Are you going back on your promise?� He asked as he moved a hand up to wipe at her tears. Lilly turned her head before he could, wiping angrily at them herself and leaving his hand hanging in the air. �That was a long time ago,� she said simply, still refusing to meet his eyes. �That doesn�t mean I like seeing you cry anymore now,� he skimmed the backs of his knuckles over her wet cheek. Her hand raised, her delicate fingers brushing lightly over his racing pulse before removing his hand from her face. �Zan, I just want to go to bed. Please.� �No, not until you let me talk to you.� �There�s nothing to talk about,� she sighed bowing her head again. �I think there is. Lil, please, look at me.� �Tomorrow Zan, we can talk tomorrow,� she said, silently refusing his request. �No, not tomorrow.� He brought his hands up to flank her face, forcing her damp, troubled eyes to look into his. �Now� With that he brought his mouth down on hers. The first feeling of her soft, supple lips under his sent shock waves through his system. He�d spent half his life dreaming of this moment and still, the reality didn�t begin to touch the dreams. This was a million times better, a million times sweeter, and a million times more exhilarating than any flight of fantasy. She was so much softer and sweeter than he ever imagined. She smelled so good. Every nuance of her was seeping into him and like a drug, rendering him utterly helpless and completely addicted. It was the most blissful thing he�s ever experienced. After all too brief a time he forced himself to put a fraction of space between them. Dragging his heavy lids open, he waited with bated breath for her stunned features to reveal any kind of reaction. Lillyah stood perfectly still. Her mouth worked for a moment before she gained control of her faculties enough to voice the obvious. �You kissed me,� her wide eyes stared at him in astonishment. He answered without remorse or apology, a faint smile lifting his mouth. �Yeah, I did.� Zan continued to run his hands through her hair, brushing the sides of her neck and cheeks. He absolutely had to touch her right now. Lilly was quite for another minute, he watched as she licked her lips and her eyes slowly clouded over. Her own tiny hand reached up to tentatively finger the puffiness from his kiss. Pulling her hand back her hooded eyes met his. �Do it again.� A roguish smile bloomed on Zan�s lips and in his eyes, and he may have let out a sound close to a growl. That was an opinion that would later be disputed though. Capturing the sides of her face, he eagerly swooped down to clam her lips again. He didn�t need to be asked twice. Spinning. She was spinning. Her entire world was flying off its axis and she didn�t know which way was up or the moons from the stars. All she was able to grasp were the incredible sensations that were sweeping over her body, her soul, and elevating her to some other plain she knew she wasn�t worthy of. Strong arms held her tightly to a warm, hard body, while soft, capable hands ran the length of her back and sides eliciting shivers and gasps of pleasure. Nothing, nothing had ever felt this good, this perfect, this... right. How had she lived 21 cycles without being in his arms like this? How could she have never felt like she was the center of his world, and he her�s? Years, lifetimes of this would never give her enough time to feel like this. Still, if she died right now in his arms, which was a distinct possibility, it would be with a light and full heart. One with only the regret that she didn�t get to spend enough time retuning the sentiment he was so beneficently bestowing on her. When he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, he stroked the sides of her face and hair with his hands. They were both breathing hard, staring into each other�s sparkling eyes. �I love you Lilly,� he proclaimed raggedly. Finally letting the words be spoken after so many years of holding them in his throat. They were possibly the best sounding words to ever grace his lips. �Really?� She breathed out. Tears of an entirely different nature began to seep from the corners of her eyes at the thought. �I do, I love you so much. Sometimes- I feel like I can�t breath because you�re not in the same room, and sometimes I can�t because you are. And, and when you hurt, I hurt. And when you�re happy, I�m happy. If I had to choose between the crown and you, I�d give it up in a minute.� �Zan...� the whisper of awe was born from her lips without provocation and carried in its single syllable a tone of absolute adoration. He moaned softly from the back of his throat at the many sentiments his name had carried just then. If it were the only thing she ever said to him again he�d be happy. All he wanted was to hear her say his name like that, and a thousand other ways. �I just,� he continued, his hands still wandering over her silky hair, down the length of her delicate arms. Tangling his fingers with hers and bringing them to his lips. �I never thought you would feel the same way, or, or, even look twice at me.� �I don�t... I don�t know what to say.� Lilly shook her head a little. He watched her expressive eyes as the maraud of emotions ran through them. �Zan,� her hands disentangled from his and she raised one to caress his cheek. �I didn�t know, I�m so-� He cut her off with two fingers to her lips. �Shh, don�t say that. There�s no reason.� He felt her thumb run absently over the line of his jaw and he was momentarily distracted, covering her hand with hers and leaning into the caress. Her lips parted slightly at the gesture, blowing out a warm breath on his digits. He watched his fingers covetously where they lay on her soft mouth and remembered what he was saying. Bringing the hand that was on his cheek down to rest over his heart, he met her dark eyes again. �There�s only one thing I want to hear you say,� he prompted her smoothly. Watching his eyes steadily darken as he stared into hers, she felt the breathy words leave her tongue as though she�d been created to declare nothing but. �I love you Zan.� Lilly had to hold back a chuckle as his eyes widened in delayed surprise, then sparked brightly in utter relief and joy. He whooped loudly into the dark night as he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her effortlessly into the air. �This is the best day of my life!� He kissed her quickly before spinning her around again. Her sultry laughter filled the air as they spun round and round like children. �She loves me! Do you hear that Antar?!� He yelled giddily. �She loves me!� Caught up in the incredible feelings swirling through him Zan stumbled on the side of the hill, toppling over and bringing Lillyah down on top of him. Brushing his bangs off his forehead, Lilly smiled down at him, completely enchanted by the light in his eyes and his sudden exuberance. Studying his handsome features, she lightly traced the upward tilt of his mouth. �You should smile more often,� she commented. He kisses her fingers casually as they passed over the crease of his mouth, a complete contradiction the rapid darkness of desire clouding his eyes. �Yeah?� �Mmm, you�re beautiful when you smile.� Her cheeks turned rosy the moment she realized that had been out loud. �I think that�s supposed to be my line,� he returned, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear. His hand stayed there, memorizing the silky texture of her tresses, the way the moon�s light glowed from behind her ethereally, how her skin was soft like a rose petal, the way her eyes closed when his fingers brushed over her cheek. He wanted to remember exactly what she looked like at this moment for as long as he lived. �You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,� he whispered reverently. �I think you�re biased.� �Me,� he furrowed his brows in innocence. �Never. And so what if I am? I�m the King, and what I say goes.� �Is that right?� She slid off him and onto her side, adopting the same mockingly righteous tone he was using. Following her movements, Zan turned on his side so he could look at her. His hand moved to rest possessively on her lower back, bringing them closer together. �Yes,� he nodded confidently. �I see. Then what, oh mighty one, is your decree? I am but your humble servant after all.� �Hmm.� He rubbed his chin, pretending to think very hard. �The King thinks,� he leaned in towards her, �that you are beautiful,� he kissed one eyelid sweetly. � And wonderful,� then the other, �and that he loves you beyond reason.� �Zan...� her hand found its way into his soft hair of its own volition, urging his lips to complete the journey to hers. He groaned again at the wonderfully husky way she sighed his name. �And,� he held back for one more second to finish his whispered thought, �he decrees that we will be together forever.� �Forever...� she repeated. Her sultry tone giving off the desired note of acceptance, he fused their lips together completing the vow. Forever. The only thing that would ever keep him away from her again was death. Maybe not even then. Back Next LizzyBell |