Rowan stood in front of Alyssa's door, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. Should he have brought flowers or something for her, a small token of his esteem for her? But if he did that, he wouldn't have time to spend with her before they were expected at brunch with Father. He had come early so that he could have time to speak with her and take her on a short tour, show her a little bit of the place that she would call home from now on.
He raised his hand to knock, only to freeze, then allow his hand to drop. What if she didn't want to remain in the palace after the assassination attempt the night before? She had appeared calm when he'd left her, but she'd had time since then to reflect and react. What if she wanted nothing to do with the palace and him because of that? What if she wanted to depart immediately?
Hurt and pain washed through him at that thought. They had only just met and things had already gone off track so badly. None of his lessons had ever taught him how to deal with a situation like this. He was heir to the throne, he should know how to deal with something like this. He shoved his hand through his hair agitatedly. But then again, a situation like this had never happened before. The mate bond was sacred, especially right after discovery.
Rage flared through him and he had to keep his wings from flaring out. Whatever filth was behind this, he was going to find them and make such an example of them that never again would such a thing be attempted.
Finally registering the guard outside her room watching him from the corner of his eye, Rowan reigned in his emotions. It was no good trying to make plans when he didn't have all the information. The first order of business would be checking on Alyssa and seeing how she was this morning. Everything else could come after that.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand again and knocked firmly. He heard quiet footsteps and braced himself for what would be laying on the other side of the day.
However, when the door opened, he felt his breath whoosh out of him even as he couldn't help staring. It was Alyssa that had opened the door and she looked... Well, there was no other word for it beyond magnificent. She was dressed very plainly by court standards, but she could outshine all of them without even trying. Her simple yet elegant style drew him more than the overly ornamented court fashions. The turquoise dress accented her fair skin and reddish hair, as well as highlighted the turquoise in her eyes and hair. Not only that, but the flowers woven in her hair shone better than the richest jewels.
She was breathtaking and she was his mate.
X
Alyssa took a deep breath to calm her suddenly racing heart before plucking up all of her courage and opening the door. Rowan was standing on the other side, a serious expression on his face. Had something else happened? Or was he still concerned about what had happened the day before?
Before she could speak, his eyes widened and he seemed surprised by her appearance. It took a great amount of will power not to bite her lip uncertainly, nervousness flooding through her as she second guessed herself. Had her choice to dress simply been a bad one and he was trying to find a way to tell her that without hurting her feelings?
When the silence lengthened between them, she ventured softly, "Rowan? Would you like to come in?"
He pulled himself from his daze, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it. He cleared his throat and said, "Lady Alyssa, I was wondering if you would care to take a stroll with me before brunch?"
Nodding, she called over her shoulder, "I'm leaving now, Risa. Thank you."
Stepping out, she shut the door quietly behind her. Rowan offered her his arm and she took it, resting her hand lightly on his arm. She waited until they had left the corridor and were out of the guard's earshot before asking quietly, "Did something happen? You seemed, concerned, when I answered the door."
He offered her a small smile, carefully guiding her through the halls, "I was concerned that you would be upset this morning over yesterday's incident, now that you have had time to process everything. However, it appears that I was mistaken, my apologies."
She felt her heart warm a little at this sign of concern on her behalf. She returned his smile with a small one of her own, "I appreciate the concern and it is only natural that one would be at least a little distraught over an incident such as occurred. It goes against all of our laws and traditions that such a thing happened. I imagine that you feel anger that such a crime happened in your palace and to your potential mate."
He seemed to wince slightly at the term potential, but she didn't retract it or soften it. Better that things were clear cut and in the open from the start. Deception never benefited a relationship, but open and honest communication was the key to a health one. His voice was steel, cold and uncompromising, when he answered, "They are dead men, they just don't realize it yet."
She nodded, pleased at the resolve she heard, "Good, it's only right. This way, all mate pairs will be safe. Because if they thought that it was all right to mess with a royal pairing, then pretty soon no one in the country would be safe."
They walked in silence for a few minutes after her words, the silence between them comfortable. Still, when she returned home in a few days, her family would want to know all about her mate. She'd better have some answers for them or they were liable to come to the palace and raise a ruckus until they got the answers to what they wanted to know.
She cleared her voice softly to catch his attention and said lightly, "I hope you had a restful night. I did not expect to see you until it was time for brunch."
He nodded, "I slept well, my thanks. And you, my lady?"
She said firmly, "I told you to call me Lyss. If we want to make this work between us, let's limit the formalities when it's just the pair of us. And yes, I slept very well. Yesterday was a very long and somewhat unexpected day, I was exhausted. I'm afraid that I didn't show myself off to my best advantage."
He frowned at that. "La, um, Lyssa, you comported yourself excellently last night. I was amazed by your poise in the face of unexpected events. As for why I'm here so early, I thought that I would show you around a little, allow you to get better acquainted with your new home."
She tilted her head slightly, intrigued by his words. Lyssa hadn't been what she had offered him, but it has sounded nice coming from him. He also seemed to have a bit of a stubborn streak, the way he put a slight emphasis on the word home indicated that he thought of her as his true mate. Either that or he was putting forward that appearance to try and deceive her. Time would tell, because a deception of that depth would be impossible to maintain for any length of time.
However, she settled for replying simply, "It would be nice to get a feel for the layout of the palace. It is magnificent but rather larger than I'm used to navigating. Is there anything in particular that you would recommend?"
He looked down and studied her as he guided them around another corner, "I wanted to show you a few of the gardens near your quarters. They contain some of my happiest memories from my childhood."
She nodded happily, "I love flowers and gardens. There is just something so peaceful and restoring when one is surrounded by nature. It fills the soul."
He smiled and steered her out into a sun-drenched garden. "I'm glad to hear that. Also, may I add, the flowers in your hair are quite fetching. I apologize for my tardiness in telling you this, but you look lovely today."
She felt her cheeks heat fractionally and knew that she was most likely blushing. Maybe she could blame it on the sun? But the way her heart had skipped a beat at his words indicated that it was the bond at play. Releasing his arm, she turned away so that she could hide her expression and pretended to examine a flower closer, "Thank you, your highness. I was afraid that it might be too plain for the palace but it is one of my favorite dresses and it gives me courage to step forth on a new journey."
Once she was certain that her expression was under control, she straightened and turned back to him. To her surprise, he had moved a few steps away while she'd been occupied, his hands moving deftly as he cut a flower, even as he blocked her view of which one it was. He chided quietly, humor lacing his voice, "Highness? It's Rowan. Didn't you say that we should be less formal when it's just the two of us?"
She sighed before laughing quietly, "That I did. However, it's a little harder to wrap my head around the fact that my mate is royalty then for you to drop lady from my name, don't you think?"
He shrugged, turning back to her, "Titles aren't important when it comes to mates. However, I'll concede that it is a little sudden and forgive you this one slip. But the next one, I will tease you or respond in kind."
She snorted at that, "Is that a threat?"
He smiled broadly at her, "No, a promise."
He held out the rose that he was holding to her. She studied the gorgeous orange bloom, wondering if he knew the symbolism of an orange roses or if he had chosen it because it was pretty. Meeting his eyes, she saw the confidence shining there and knew instantly that he knew exactly what an orange rose meant. Proud to know her, hope, fascination, new beginnings, and the meeting place of friendship and love.
However, he didn't pressure her, just held the bloom out and waited for her to make a choice, whether to take it or leave it. She nibbled on her lip, indecision warring in her. It was a sweet offer and a highly tempting one at that. But was she really ready for everything that offer entailed, the weight that it carried?
Still, she had never been a coward and this offer held a wealth of promise to it.
Feeling inexplicably shy, she reached out and accepted the flower, surprised by the warmth of his hand when they brushed while she took the bloom. Bringing it up to her nose, she noticed distantly that he had removed the thorns as well. Knowing that her cheeks were most likely bright red, she met his eyes above the rose and offered him a tiny smile.
He offered her his arm again, looking like he'd won an amazing prize.
She took his arm, carefully holding the rose in her other hand. It was always scary, to start a new journey. But maybe, just maybe, this one would be a life changing one in the right way.
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