by S. L. Morgan
A bouquet of freshly cut flowers was arranged neatly next to a large basket overflowing with food from the palace’s kitchen. Levi halted Areion a few feet from their picnic area, and his heart beat erratically when Reece squeezed him tightly and unexpectedly placed her soft lips on the back of his neck.
“You will never cease to amaze me!” she said cheerfully.
“I was sure that this would be a perfect day to make up for the picnic that I had planned when I first brought you to our home.”
After Levi dismounted, he turned to help Reece off of the horse. When she was on the ground, she gazed up into his eyes. “It’s perfect!” she said with a beaming smile.
Levi grinned. “Give me a few moments to unsaddle Areion.”
Levi turned to remove Areion’s bridle and saddle, while Reece walked over to where Arrow had busied himself grazing on the lush, green grass. He watched discretely as the young colt happily welcomed Reece’s attention; it still astounded him how the young Guardian horse had taken to her in such a way.
After the tack was removed from the horse, Levi strolled over to the picnic blanket and dropped the saddle next to it. As he knelt down and reached for the basket of food, he was instantly enraptured by the scene in front of him.
It was an exquisite portrait of serenity, and Levi would never allow the images of this particular moment to leave his mind. Their future together was laid out before his eyes; their home across the small lake was set magnificently in the background, and the woman he would spend the rest of his life with was standing right before his eyes.
When Reece turned around to walk over to where Levi sat, she was unbuttoning her riding coat. Once she had unfastened the last button, she glanced up and laughed softly when she became aware that Levi had been watching her every move. He grinned when her demeanor changed, and at that moment, she smiled at him provocatively. She strolled over to him slowly, gradually removing her coat in a playful, yet seductive manner. Levi dropped his chin and arched his eyebrow as she slowly shrugged off the coat, revealing her ivory silk shirt tucked neatly into her fitted riding pants. He watched with absolute pleasure as she continued to tease him while gracefully running her fingers through her long, golden hair.
Reece gently laid her riding jacket on the blanket; and before she could say a word, Levi gripped her waist and pulled her onto his lap, facing him. He ran his hands along her firm thighs, and gazed into her brilliant blue eyes. “You probably shouldn’t tease me like that,” he said in a low voice.
“Tease you?” she said with laughter. “All I was doing was taking off my jacket.” She lightly kissed his nose. “I was starting to get hot.”
Levi placed a soft kiss to her lips. “Is that so?” he answered, while he brought his hand up to the silk cravat that concealed her neck. “Well, we must not have you uncomfortable in any way. We should probably remove this as well.”
Levi loosened the cravat, exposing her delicate neck to him, he relaxed against the saddle, and traced his fingers down her enticing skin. “Would you care for lunch?” he asked softly, as he twisted his fingers in the silk cravat that now hung loosely around her neck.
Reece bit her bottom lip as her eyes roamed over his face. A rush of energy jolted through him as he saw the hunger in her eyes. He grinned in satisfaction, knowing what her answer would be.
“I think lunch can wait, don’t you?” she answered with a lively grin.
“Indeed it can.” was all Levi said before the couple lost themselves in a passionate kiss.
After some time, and with great effort, they both withdrew. As Reece sat across from him, Levi began setting out the food prepared for their lunch.
After placing three small sandwich squares, a variety of fruit, and fresh vegetables in an orderly fashion on her plate, Levi handed it to her. As he started preparing his own plate, he watched Reece subtly as she picked through the food on her plate. When Levi instructed the kitchen staff on the foods he desired for their picnic, he specifically requested a particular fruit, wanting to see Reece’s reaction when she tasted it for the first time.
Reece examined the unique fruit; and without questioning Levi about it, she popped it in her mouth. Levi’s lips tightened as he restrained himself from laughter while he watched her try to keep her composure. After a violent shiver, her brow furrowed and her nose crinkled, as she forced herself to chew on the fruit.
She glared over at Levi with the most adorable look of disgust he had ever seen. “What is this?” she muttered through her teeth. She took the fruit out of her mouth, and placed it a cloth napkin. “I’m sorry, but that was the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten,” she said with another shiver, as she bit into her sandwich, endeavoring to erase the flavor of the fruit from her mouth.
Levi laughed aloud, took the wadded-up napkin from her, and set it aside while he continued to watch her in amusement. “That was a helion fruit; they are quite a delicacy in Pemdas,” he answered, while pouring her a glass of wine.
Reece accepted the glass he offered, and gulped down a large mouthful. “Delicacy?” she said with disbelief. “There are people who like to eat that?”
Levi placed his plate on the blanket in front of him and lazily reclined on his side, facing her. He grinned widely. “I believe you have to develop a taste for them. I’m quite fond of its flavor.”
Reece’s eyebrows rose up. “I don’t think it’s possible to develop a taste for something like that.” She picked up the other helion fruit on her plate and brought it to his lips. “Here you go, crazy guy. I don’t understand how you could like something that sour.”
Levi accepted the fruit she placed in his mouth and gently pressed his lips against her delicate fingers in appreciation. He laughed while Reece watched him with a look of disgust as he chewed and swallowed the small piece of fruit.
“So,” Levi started, as he reached for a sandwich square on his plate. “Did you enjoy the rest of your visit in Sandari?”
Reece’s expression brightened. “I did,” she said with excitement. “I met with the seamstress that will be designing my wedding dress.”
“And will you be holding to the traditions of Earth and keeping the gown concealed from me until our wedding day?” Levi teased.
Reece nodded, “Of course!” she playfully added. “By the way, your mother has all of the decorations picked out for the engagement party. She’s absolutely unstoppable when it comes to planning stuff like that.”
Levi laughed. “I am not surprised.”
As Levi continued to eat, Reece proceeded to inform him about all of the details of their intended engagement party. Her many expressions had him laughing and greatly intrigued by the information she was giving him.
“So now I guess we’ll be spending the next few weeks decorating the palace,” she concluded.
“Sounds intriguing,” Levi answered with a laugh.
Reece smirked playfully. “You can help, you know.”
Levi sipped his wine. “I think I’ll pass.” He gently took her hand in his. “It sounds like you ladies had an excellent time. Now all we have to do is get this engagement party out of the way so that we can focus on a more important event.” He brought her hand to his lips. “And that is, the day you become Mrs. Reece Oxley,” he said proudly.
The smile on her face ignited every nerve in his body. “I like the sound of that.” She angled herself to face the lake in front of them. She quietly gazed at their home, bringing Levi to do the same. Areion and Arrow were peacefully grazing, and the harmonic sounds of the birds flying throughout the sky added to the serenity of the moment.
She sighed softly. “I love everything about this place. I wish we didn’t have to leave.”
Levi sat up and pulled her into his arms. She reclined back into his embrace, and continued to stare out at their house. Levi brushed his lips on her cheek. “I hadn’t planned on returning to the palace anytime soon. I understand exactly how you feel; I look at this home and all of the surroundings, and can
’t help but to envision our future here together. This place gives me more peace than I ever imagined it would.”
Reece stroked the back of his hand. “I hadn’t thought about this until now, but when you go to Earth, that big house is going to get lonely.”
Levi inhaled deeply as the thought of not being able to serve on Earth again came rushing back to him.
“Well, I might be able to ease your concerns about that,” he said reassuringly to her. “There is a possibility that I may not be guarding on Earth anymore.”
Reece twisted in his arms. “What?”
Levi smiled at her concerned expression. “A strange event took place on our assignment. We encountered a woman who seemed very interested in you. She not only revealed to us that Michael is living in Armedias, but she found a way to read my thoughts.” Levi shuddered absently at the memory of what the woman had done to him.
Her forehead crinkled in disillusionment. “I didn’t think anyone could read your mind unless you allowed them to.”
“You are correct; however, something strange occurred with this woman, and not only was she able to read into my thoughts, she found a way to debilitate the way my mind naturally remains guarded from those who can read minds.”
Levi proceeded to inform Reece about the events that took place on Earth. Understanding his passion for guarding on Earth, she encouraged him to do the training with Queen Galleta. To have her support and reassurance meant more to Levi than she could ever understand.
As their conversation shifted back to talking about their future together, Reece grabbed the picnic basket and smiled mischievously at him.
Levi laughed in response. “I had the kitchen staff pack a few apples, as I know they’re Arrow’s favorite treat.”
Reece gave him a quick kiss, and then jumped to her feet. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Levi reclined against the saddle. “Take your time.”
When Reece approached Arrow, Levi laughed when Areion’s head darted up and he promptly trotted over to her. Levi’s forehead crinkled in disbelief as Areion rudely nudged Reece’s arm that held the basket. Really, Areion? he thought, while Reece tried to ignore his horse and discreetly give Arrow an apple. She glanced back at Levi and smiled innocently at him. It was obvious she wanted to give Areion a treat, but most likely out of fear for what Levi would think, she tried to ignore his horse’s begging. Instead of giving Areion an apple, she tried to appease him with a sturdy pat on his neck. Levi watched the entire scene with amusement. Areion would glance over at Arrow, and then bring his attention back to Reece, obviously devastated that she wouldn’t offer him a treat as well.
“It appears that Areion’s feelings are hurt by your lack of interest in him.”
Reece turned back to Levi and smiled innocently again. “I’m petting him; he’s fine.”
Levi chuckled. “I believe he would appreciate an apple also.”
A broad smile stretched across her face. “You won’t give me a hard time about it?”
“I will always give you a hard time about spoiling those creatures; however, at least Areion will be appreciative.”
Reece turned to the stallion, and handed him an apple. As Reece continued to appease the two horses, Levi let the serenity of the moment relax every nerve in his body. He sank back against the saddle, crossed his long, outstretched legs, and let his eyes slip closed.
After the horses lost interest in Reece, she turned back and saw that Levi had drifted off to sleep. She smiled at how handsome he was as he slept peacefully. After everything he had explained to her, she was surprised he’d had the energy to venture out with her today.
She strolled leisurely along the bank of the lake, admiring the beautiful surroundings that would soon be their home, before she returned to where he lay on the blanket. She slowly crawled onto the blanket and nestled into his side.
She gazed contentedly out where Areion and Arrow were grazing along the banks of the pond. She snuggled in closer to Levi’s side, and watched the wind whip through the long grass as the colorful birds lazily circled above their heads in the vibrant blue skies.
She had no idea how long she had lain there staring at everything, soothed by the rhythmic breathing of Levi resting at her side. The afternoon seemed to have passed rapidly, and Reece thought she should probably try waking Levi. They had been out for the entire afternoon, and she believed that preparations for dinner would soon be underway.
She reached up and lightly brushed the side of his face, and he moaned quietly in return. She carefully twisted out of his arm, which he had absently wrapped around her in his sleep, and positioned herself to place light kisses all over his face. As she did, his eyes remained closed, but she could tell he was starting to rouse when she saw his lips turn up slightly. She brought her mouth to his, and before she could calculate what had taken place, she was on her back, and Levi was pinning her down aggressively beneath him.
She gasped when she felt a sharp object pressing against her throat. She could hardly take a breath, and therefore, couldn’t call out to him. His eyes were dark and perilous, and her heart hammered against her chest as Levi glared viciously down at her. She tried to swallow, but the pain at her throat would not allow it. She feared for her life as she stared into Levi’s desolate eyes.
“How could you do this to me?” he growled.
She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t think. She closed her eyes, hoping he would snap out of whatever had come over him.
“Answer me, now!” Levi snarled.
In the darkness of her mind, with her eyes closed, Reece knew she had to remain calm and find a way out of this dangerous situation.
She was grateful when she was able to answer him in a whisper.
“Levi…it’s me. It’s Reece. Please…don’t.” She pleaded with him.
Instantly, Levi was gone. Her eyes flew open and as she sat up, she was shocked at her surroundings.
The day hadn’t passed as quickly as she had presumed. The radiant sun was still high in the sky over them. Perplexed, she looked over to where Levi had been lying next to her, and discovered he was no longer there. Panic started to grip her as she tried to figure out what just happened. It was a dream.
She looked out toward the horses, and saw Levi saddling Areion. Arrow was next to him, and Levi seemed to be perfectly fine. The basket from their lunch had been packed up, and it was obvious Levi had been awake for a while, making preparations for them to leave.
She exhaled with relief, but was frightened about her dream. She called softly for Levi, and he turned quickly. He had a brilliant smile on his face as he walked back over to her. As he approached her, his expression changed to one of concern. “Are you okay?”
He knelt down next to where she sat, trying to pull herself together.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, rubbing her mildly aching forehead. Still trying to come to her senses, she recalled what Levi said to her in the strange dream. “This woman who read your mind; you don’t think it’s because of what happened between you and me? You know, how my mind transferred the imprint of the map to the stone into yours?”
Levi ran his fingers tenderly through her hair. “No, this woman has very strong abilities. Do not worry over this; I will find a way around it. Why would you consider such a thing?” he said, as he gazed somberly into her eyes.
She didn’t want to tell him about this dream; she had a feeling he would feel guilty about telling her what had happened to him on earth. She decided to dismiss the question with a light-hearted laugh. “Who knows…maybe just trying to over-analyze what happened. I feel pretty bad this has happened to you.”
She slowly stretched her arms out and stood to her feet, with Levi following her. “This was afternoon was really nice, we’ll have to find a way to do this more often.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Levi said as he escorted her over to the horses.
Reece and Levi were back at the palace with a few hours to spare before dinner. Afte
r leaving the horses in Javian’s care, they made their way up to the palace. As they walked through the corridors that led to her room, Reece felt a sudden wave of exhaustion come over her.
“Ugh,” she softly groaned in frustration, forcing Levi to glance down at her.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Are you that upset that we left our home?” he asked in humor.
Reece laughed softly. “Sorry, I’m suddenly feeling really exhausted and irritable. I don’t know where that came from.”
Levi’s grip on her shoulder tightened. “We’ve been out most of the day. You’ll feel much better after you have freshened up.”
Let’s hope so, Reece thought. Her eyes were burning, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep them open. Her head was pounding, and Levi’s arm around her was starting to annoy her. She discreetly tried to shrug it off, hoping he wouldn’t take offense.
Fortunately, Levi removed his arm from her shoulders, and took her hand instead. Reece felt compelled to get to her room; a nice, hot bath sounded so enticing. She clasped Levi’s hand tightly, forcing them into a faster pace up the steps to her room. Once at her doors, she turned to face Levi, hoping to make this farewell quick.
“Reece?” he said, as he brushed his thumb underneath her eyes. “You look exhausted. Maybe you should take this time to lie down.”
Her heavy lids closed with the soothing feeling of him tenderly caressing underneath her eyes. “That feels nice,” she said with a smile. When her eyes reopened, Levi was still watching her with concern. “I’ll be fine.”
Levi’s expression softened. “There is a tea that Jasmeen can make for you; it will help to rejuvenate you.”
“That sounds great.”
Levi bent to kiss her. “I probably won’t be at dinner this evening,” he said, as he ran a hand through her hair. “I have much to discuss with Samuel and my father about the events that occurred on Earth.”