Two Thousand Years

by M. Dalto

  The way was steep, slippery, and a few times Alex found herself sliding to her knees as her boots lost their footing on the uneven ground beneath them. Even Treyan was having issues between keeping her up, himself in balance, and the saddlebags on his shoulder. But forward they proceeded as the winds gusted past and the rain pummeled their already soaked bodies.

  After a trek that felt as though it took forever, Treyan soon stopped at a flatter part of their path alongside a ledge with a sharp bend. He instructed her to stay where she was for the moment, and after handing her the saddlebags, which themselves weighed probably as much as Treyan, he hugged the wall of the cliff and disappeared around the corner.

  Every single worst-case scenario began to run through Alex's head the moment Treyan went out of sight. She'd never know if he fell because she couldn’t see him, and even if he tried to yell, it would never be heard over the wind, rain, and thunder.

  She was still debating the horrors that could happen to him when he reappeared around the corner, walking over to her as gently as though walking on eggshells.

  “It's all right,” he told her as he leaned close enough for her to hear, his warm breath a comfort on her chilled skin. “We'll stay here for the night.”

  “Where?” she asked over the din.

  He only smiled. After taking the saddlebags from her, he took her hand and led them back around the cliff side he just traveled.

  It was quite the cliff, Alex observed as she held herself against the wall of rock. She was never one to be afraid of heights, but with only a foot of ledge to support yourself upon while there's a hurricane blowing around you, anyone in their right mind would feel queasy. She took three deep breaths and followed Treyan closely until they came upon a cave within the rock, slightly hidden by the roaring falls tumbling before it. Her fears were assuaged as Treyan hiked into the cavern without delay, soon hidden underneath the falls.

  She wasn't pleased with the idea of purposely soaking herself via waterfall, but she didn't have much choice as she resigned herself to the ever-unpleasant shower of tumultuous rain water she was going to endure as she walked through the falls and into the dark cliff side opening.

  She peered into the dank cavern before her, already darker than the storm-ravaged daylight behind her.

  “Treyan?” she called out in a hushed whisper.

  “Over here.” His voice echoed from her right, and as she looked the sparks of stone on stone caught her attention, and she slowly followed the sound of his efforts.

  By the time she reached him, Treyan had a small fire started in what appeared to be a rock circle. The slightly blue tint of the flames hinted that, despite the dampness around them, the kindling was enough to get the flames to ignite when magic was involved.

  She crouched down next to the fire circle, holding her chilled hands to the flames to thaw. As she peered over the low conflagration, she noticed Treyan had begun to remove the bandages he packed for their first aid and was feeding them into the embers.

  “You don't think we'll need those?”

  “We'll be fine in here. These bandages will do nothing for us just sitting in a saddle bag,” he responded as he continued to feed the flames. “Our main goal right now is to build this fire up and get warm before the chill sets in.”

  “Too late for that.” She held herself to keep the shiver from escaping.

  “All the more reason,” he said as he finally looked up at her. “You should take your clothes off.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Treyan perked his brow.

  “We are in the middle of nowhere,” she protested. “Behind a waterfall, and it's storming outside!”

  “Even so.” He stood and began to remove the shirt that had plastered itself to his chest. He already removed his cloak, and Alex looked behind him to see a makeshift clothesline hammered into the stone wall. There was no way he could have done that during the short time he left her.

  “What is this place?”

  “This is what one would call a Ranger's cave,” he spoke as he hung his shirt on the line next to his cloak.

  “I assume it's pretty self-explanatory, then?” she remarked through clattering teeth.

  He turned to look at her from over his shoulder, his shadowed brows furrowed. “The rangers use this cave in their overnight travels. Should they fall ill, a storm come upon them, or some other unfortunate cause that keeps them from returning, this cavern is here to give them shelter and keep them safe through the night.”

  “Now it will keep us safe?” she inquired skeptically.

  “Only if you do what you're told and begin to remove your clothes.” He had finished taking off his boots and stood to face her in only his pants. As if they weren't tight on him already, the rain had caused the leather to suction itself to his skin, outlining every muscle below his waist.

  “Well, that's a hard invitation to resist.”

  “It’s meant in the most innocent of ways,” he said as he began to walk around the fire towards her. “I am your Prince, yes, but I’m also your main protector, and anything that could possibly compromise your health is my responsibility.”

  He made his way over to her and she stood to match his towering presence.

  “I ask you again, Empress: Will you begin removing your clothes, or should I begin removing them for you?”

  Her hand flew up and came across his face before she could consider the ramifications.

  His eyes were wide as his hand raised to his reddened cheek. “Alex—”

  “Don’t you ‘Alex’ me,” she hissed, standing on her toes to meet his gaze. “No one will be removing my clothes without my permission. Ever. Do you understand me?”

  Treyan looked here over for a moment as though weighing his options. There was no playfulness in his eyes, but only sincerity in his voice when he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply I would.”

  She held his stare as she felt her heartbeat race. It wasn’t Treyan’s fault she knew that, but the memory of being touched—the dream of being assaulted by Reylor…it still frightened her. Dream or not, it was real to her, and she wouldn’t let it happen again.

  A shiver down her spine from the chill forming within her bones made her realize Treyan was right about her needing to get warm. Despite his insistence, she was convinced that if she didn't begin removing her damp clothes on her own, he would begin to cut them from her body, if only to keep her from getting sick.

  Sighing, she reluctantly unclasped her cape from around her neck and immediately felt five pounds lighter. “You win.” She handed him her cloak to hang with the others. He bowed his head and returned to the clothesline while she proceeded to remove her boots, placing them close enough to the fire to attempt to dry them out. By the time she stood back up, Treyan had returned, watching her with a look that he expected her to have moved faster.

  “Your shirt, Alex.” He held out his hand.

  Grumbling, she removed her blouse, and though it was a relief to have the soaked garment off her skin, she was finding herself becoming very stubborn to his demands. She returned his stare as she handed him the shirt, crossing her arms across her bust in defiance.

  “Are you going out of your way to make this so difficult?”

  “Hey, your pants are on, too!”

  He blinked. “Will it make you feel better if I take mine off first?”

  “Yes. Yes, it would.”

  “As my Empress wishes.” He feigned a bow and walked back towards the clothes line, removing his pants one leg at a time and hanging them up once they were removed. Alex couldn't help but watch his firm buttocks hidden partially by the shadows of the fire, and once he turned around to face her, she found herself purposefully averting her eyes. Her body temperature was rising, of that she was certain, and he had a look of pure amusement on his lips as he walked back over to her.

  “Your turn, Empress, or would you prefer some privacy?” He smirked.

  She glared at him.

  “Fine
. I’ll be over on the sleeping pallet waiting for you.”

  “On the what?” she asked as he began walking towards the back of the cave.

  “I hope you weren't expecting to sleep on the rough stone, were you?”

  “I had hoped not,” she said as she tried to keep her balance while removing her leggings. She looked over to the wall where the other garments hung, and since Treyan had stepped away from his task of monitoring her every action, she walked over to hang the pants up herself.

  Turning around, however, she had lost sight of him.

  “Treyan?” she called into the darkness beyond the fire.

  “I’m back here,” he responded, his voice sounding more distant than she would have expected considering the size of the cave.

  “Shit,” she whispered as she slowly walked beyond the light of fire circle.

  She couldn't see anything within in the shadows. What if someone else had been hiding in the cave, waiting for them? Any of Reylor's minions could have seen them earlier and waited for them here.

  “Treyan?” she called again, feeling slightly more panicked now.

  She felt sick as she continued to edge her way into deeper into the shadows, her arms out in front of her to help feel her way as much as protect her.

  “Trey—?”

  But her inquiry as to his whereabouts was cut short as her body collided and fell along with something warm, sturdy, and…

  “Treyan?” she breathed, trying to regain her composure once she realized she was now sprawled flush upon him.

  “Right here,” he called out as though the wind had been knocked out from him, and she quickly moved to brace her hands against anything but his bare chest.

  “You could have said something,” she said, reprimanding him as he slowly came into focus within the darkness.

  “I tried, but your knee to my balls put a quick stop to that.”

  The realization of where her legs has landed had her shifting quickly as well. “For that, I’m sorry,” she apologized.

  A soft chuckle and his warm breath caressed the side of her face, and she looked down at him from her position, debating whether there would be room enough for two of them on the slab, even as his hands came up to rest on her bare hips.

  Right. She was naked, with her wet clothes hanging along the cave wall. Next to his.

  A shiver ran through her, but whether because of the dampness or his touch, she was unsure. Treyan, it seemed, assumed it was due to the former, for he blindly reached down and pulled a heavy fur over their bodies. "This should be enough to keep our body heat in and regulate our cores overnight."

  “You expect me to sleep like this?” Even though it was dark, they were still very naked, and very close. “There has to be another option.”

  “Not unless you want to catch a fever overnight. It will merely be an innocent endeavor to keep ourselves warm,” he assured her, but even in the dim light of the cavern she saw the glimmer in his eyes as he looked up to her.

  Another shudder came over her, and she found herself snuggling deeper into his chest while wrapping the fur closer under her chin. She hated to admit he was right, the thought of sleeping alone and naked in the damp cave more miserable than her current situation, and the comfort of him underneath her was already beginning to warm her.

  Wrapping his arms tighter around her, she was more than aware of every point their skin touched, of every breath she exhaled, of every beat of his heart. There was something about being this close to him, nakedness aside, that made her body respond in ways she never considered with another before.

  Treyan, too, seemed to feel the same, only his tell was a little more obvious.

  Alex’s cheeks flushed as she tried to shift away from him, and an uneasy chuckle escaped her.

  “I thought this was going to be an innocent endeavor?”

  Treyan sighed as he held her tighter to his chest. “This is true, but there is also a beautiful Empress lying naked upon my chest.”

  “Beautiful, hmm?” she asked softly, looking up to him

  “That was the most innocent of adjectives I could think of at the moment.”

  Another chuckle escaped her lips.

  “I mean it though,” he said more quietly as he brought a hand around and lightly caressed her jawline. “You are not only the most beautiful woman I have ever come to know, but also the most head-strong, most independent, most inspiring person I may ever come to meet.”

  “You don’t mean that,” she whispered, and was grateful for the lack of light to hide the flush on her cheeks.

  “I do,” he assured her, lifting her chin slightly.

  His lips touched hers gently at first, as if he was testing the waters before proceeding further. The scent of cloves and the taste of cinnamon wanted to engulf her yet against, and she willfully succumbed to his advances, leaning into him as she wrapped her arms around him, and returned his kiss.

  Where there may have been restraint before now was none.

  He kept one hand behind her head, lifting her to his lips. His other hand become more adventurous, tracing the lines of her cheek, down to her shoulders while his tongue continued to explore her mouth. His palm was cool against her skin, already warming against him, causing her to generate a light moan through their kiss.

  Where she expected such a sound to spur him on, instead he stopped, pulling back to look up at her.

  “What?” she asked breathlessly. “What’s wrong?”

  The feeling of disappointment as she looked down to him was almost overwhelming, as if she was reading the signals received all wrong. But he looked up at her, shaking his head even as she could still see the look of lust that remained in his eyes. He took her hand in his and lifted her fingers to her lips, kissing them gently before placing them on his chest.

  “Not here. Not like this.”

  “When then?”

  He swallowed. “When you decide if you’re going to stay, or not.”

  Her brows shot to her hairline at that. “You’re going to taunt me with sex?”

  “No,” he corrected her. “I’m not going to begin a relationship with you, physical or otherwise, if you’re just going to leave me the first moment you figure out how.”

  She opened her mouth to challenge his insinuation, but closed it before she could say anything more, because he wasn’t wrong. Perhaps he had seen her attention distracted by the different roadways they crossed, or the distance they had been from the next village, or the village beyond that. That her despondence about losing her horse wasn’t merely due to her concern for its well-being.

  “I don’t know what to do, Treyan,” she admitted. “I don’t know enough answers to even begin to ascertain why—why me, why here, why now?”

  He bent an arm behind his head as the other remained on her side. “You’re not the only one who asks, you know. A part of me has been wondering those same questions now for years.”

  “And what answers have you come up with?” she wondered as she folded her hands on his chest and leaned her chin down to look at him.

  He shrugged. “None, because I’m not supposed to question that which has been bestowed upon me by the Prophecy.”

  “So, you blindly allow an unknown magic book to run your life?”

  “For the good of my people, and the Empire? Yes.” He glanced up to the ceiling of the cave. “All I had was a dream, Alex—just a vision in my mind that you existed, and I needed to find you. Call it what you will: faith, conviction, whatever it was. When I finally found you, it all became real to me. And I didn’t feel like I needed to ask why anymore.”

  The inflection in his tone had her looking up at him, this Prince who went so far just to find her, on the assumption that she would somehow be able to help. And as Alex watched him, she wondered if it wasn’t just the Empire that would need her, should she decide to stay.

  Treyan lost a mother, and a brother, and had the pressure of the well-being of an entire realm on his shoulders. Blind devotion
or otherwise, a part of her understood the vehemence he possessed in his desire to protect her as he was.

  She wasn’t just a salvation of a people.

  She was a salvation to him.

  It was her turn to bring a hand to his face, and she felt the stubble of his facial hair tickle her palm. She felt him tense and shudder beneath her, as though her unexpected touch pulled him from his reverie.

  “I want to believe you,” she assured him softly. “I want to trust you, but—”

  “But?” he echoed with a slight tilt of his head.

  “I just need something…more.”

  “More what? Proof? Time?”

  “I don’t know,” Alex admitted.

  “How long do I have to find you this something more?”

  Again, she shook her head.

  Letting out a sigh, he lay back into the bedroll, looking up at the ceiling. But his arms returned around her, holding her close as if he was afraid she’d run off looking for that something else.

  She retuned her head to his chest and found herself asking her the same questions:

  Why?

  More what?

  And even when their core body temperatures returned to normal and the storm outside ceased in its downpour, they remained embraced in each other's arms throughout the night. Sleep greeted Treyan much sooner than it did Alex, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the ever-gnawing uncertainty of what waited for her once she closed her eyes, or because of the sleeping arrangements. Either way, the night eventually gave way to the dawn of the suns, and they quietly began their slow trek back to the palace.

  16

  The palace had just come into the sight when they spotted the figure racing towards them on horseback.

  “Treyan!”

  Jamison was practically standing in his saddle as he rode his horse hard, pulling back on the reins so tightly the horse reared and nearly threw his rider. The Captain didn’t seem to notice as he jumped down and approached them.

  “Where have you been?”

  “The storm kept us away longer than intended,” he explained to Jamison, though concern colored his face. “What’s this about?”