Right now, in this very moment, life was exactly how it should be—beautiful and serene.
Not even the abrupt splash of cold water upon her body could ruin her mood. With a glare, she stared her brother down. He broke into wild laughter, so much so he had to stop rowing to clutch his stomach.
“Oh, you don’t know what you’ve just done, Nik. There will be payback and it will be when you least expect it.” Adalia grinned as she wiped some droplets from her skin.
“Bring it on, sunshine,” Nikolas teased.
Flicking her gaze towards Matthias, she saw he was struggling not to laugh. Adalia smiled at him and turned to attention to the water once more.
The boat pulled into a small wooden jetty by the side of the river Somewhere and Nikolas tied it off before they all exited. Matthias held out his hand and helped Adalia to her feet, his fingers lingering in her grasp as she stood.
Lush, green trees swayed in the breeze that danced along the floor of the glade. They had walked from the river’s edge to a small stream that trickled into it. The perfect place for fly-fishing.
Adalia placed the picnic basket down underneath the bows of a beech tree and pulled the picnic blanket from its bindings. Tucking the ties into her skirt pocket, she shook the blanket and lay it down. She busied herself with the food and beverage inside the basket while Nikolas showed Matthias how to attach a fly to the end of his fishing line.
And for the next few hours, they simply existed in the serenity.
Nikolas taught Matthias how to fly fish and, to her surprise, it didn’t take him long to catch the drift of it. In between reading the book she’d brought with her or snacking on fresh plums, dried apricots, blueberry and cream cheese muffins, Adalia fished alongside Matthias and her brother. By the second hour, they had collected eight fish between the three of them.
“We’d better be having fresh fish for dinner tonight.” Nikolas beamed as he pulled another from the water.
“As long as you clean and fillet them. I will cook them,” Adalia replied while biting into a juicy plum. The juice of it escaped her mouth and trickled down her chin. Adalia quickly wiped it with the back of her hand as she glanced at the prince who was lounging on the blanket beside her.
Matthias grinned, and she blushed under his steady gaze. Every time he looked at her, butterflies erupted inside her body. She was relieved and annoyed that Nikolas was with them, because all she wanted to do was kiss every inch of the prince’s body–without clothes on.
As her eyes travelled over his frame, she wasn’t sure if it was her eyes playing a trick on her, but she swore his wings weren’t black anymore, rather a deep-blue.
The sun started its descent, and all three agreed they should head towards home, promising to return to the glade for another fishing adventure with haste.
After placing the bucket of fish, picnic basket, and rods into the boat, the trio set off down the river, making it to the bay as the sun’s glow turned orange across the sea.
Nikolas moored their small wooden rowboat, and they collected all their belongings. As the sun set, villagers scattered along the shoreline, gathering shells, swimming, and hunting for mussels and crabs. Adalia had just finished telling her brother and Matthias the few things she needed to purchase from the grocers for dinner when she bumped into a female who was bent over collecting shells from the sand.
“I am so sorry, ma’am,” she exclaimed as she reached for the female to steady her.
The woman smiled sweetly at Adalia as she brushed off her skirts. “There is nothing to be sorry for! I was in the way.”
The woman’s pale-blue eyes searched hers with joy, and Adalia couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, with a few loose tendrils framing her beautiful face.
“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you?” Adalia asked with urgency.
“Not at all, love. I am perfectly fine,” the woman replied.
Adalia was relieved. “My name is Adalia, this is my brother Nikolas and my . . . friend Matthias,” she motioned to the males standing beside her.
The woman smiled at Nikolas first and turned to face Matthias, her complexion changing from joy to shock in a matter of seconds. “I’m Hadassah,” she whispered quietly, not taking her eyes from the prince’s face.
Adalia saw Matthias shift under the intensity of the woman’s stare—as if he was uncomfortable.
Hadassah? Where had she heard that name before?
“May I?” Hadassah asked as she pointed towards the side of his head.
Matthias looked at her warily, but turned his face further to the left. Hadassah slowly reached up and brushed the hair aside behind his ear, and her breath caught in her throat. Stifling a cry, she covered her mouth with a hand and took a step back, tears springing to her eyes.
“You don’t live here in Lucius, do you?” Hadassah questioned, her voice trembling.
Matthias slowly shook his head. “Not usually.”
