“Starving.” I grabbed the nearby shawl and wrapped it around my shoulders.
Tallis wiped the area near my hairline with a wet cloth. “I got a little on your skin, sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
He leaned over, taking my face within his hands and kissed me. “First, we eat, then we bathe.”
With a pat on my backside, he winked and walked out of the tent.
I laughed and followed.
So much had changed since we left the palace, and though the pain of that week still lingered, I’d found joy and peace in this little village and the life Tallis and I had built together.
He sat at the wooden table in front of our almost finished cottage. We were so close to finishing our home. The thatched roof was completed, the floor and walls painted and sanded, the only thing left was the furniture which the woodcutter said would be finished by the end of the week.
Tallis scooped out fresh bread from a bag and placed it on the table. “The shop next to the baker had this new dish . . . it’s a mix of rolled dough into tiny pieces with cheese cooked in the center.”
I sat, smiling as he handed me one. “It sounds wonderful.”
A fluffy tail rubbed up against my leg. “Hello.”
I picked up the red and black fox that had adopted us.
“He’s just here for the free food,” Tallis grumbled, but then scratched the critter’s head. “I have something else for you.”
He straddled the wooden bench, facing me, the afternoon breeze blowing his shoulder length hair. Thanks to all the work outside, the sun had bronzed his skin, almost making the golden runes impossible to notice.
Placing the fox back on the grass, I slid forward. “Is it edible?”
“Of course, your majesty.”
There were many comforts I missed from home; food had been one of them. I opened my mouth, waiting for whatever delectable treat Tallis had found. He’d done everything to appease me, and I’d never been more grateful.
Sticking his hand into the paper bag, he pulled out a brown square.
Please, tell me that’s chocolate.
Gently, he placed the treat in my mouth, and it melted on my tongue. I rolled my eyes, the exquisite fudge far better than I remembered. Before he could pull out another treat, I grabbed his face and kissed him. He groaned as I slid forward, climbing onto his lap.
His hands slid up my neck and right into my hair.
“Ugh,” he pulled back, having forgotten about the dye. His hands had streaks of red and he wiped them off on his pants.
Laughing, I kissed his ear, making him groan again.
“I think it’s time for a bath.” He scooped me up into his arms. “Hope the lake isn’t too cold today.”
Smiling, I laughed as he ran.
A portal opened, the glowing circle sliding him to a stop. Quickly, he placed me down and shoved me behind his back. “Go to the tent.”
The blurry image cleared, showing a lavish room and then a dark-haired pixie flew out.
“Olivia!” I ran to my friend.
“Moira!” She flew to my face and squeezed my cheeks. “You’ve gained weight!”
“That’s the first thing you have to say?” I held out my hand and she landed on top of it. “What news do you bring? How is Kane?”
