The Tryst
Year of the Roses
Floral Season
The Gardens, Palace
Altsas
Lyza
I DON'T WANT TO KNOW what Isla is thinking as I push and elbow my way through the crowd, not minding what the guests will think of the Princess running across the dancefloor and I suck in air as I make my way into the dark gardens.
I can still hear the noise of the party as if I am still the hall. The only difference is the balmy air instead of the scorching heat and the faint scents of flowers and dew. I can hear crickets and distant hoots of owls. The moon is a glowing ball of light, it bathes everything under it — including me in it's ethereal shower.
I know he'll be here.
The DealYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe Gardens, the PalaceAltsasLyzaMY MOANS ARE THROATY and deep. They erupt from my mouth in pants. He kisses a trail down my throat, nibbling and licking as he goes.One of his hands are fondling my breast through my dress and the other is playing with my braid. He stops his trail at my cleavage and raises his head to look at me.I cup his face in my hands, pulling him down with me and I kiss his lips gently, teasing him with small bites as the kiss progresses. One of his hand finds my zip and he zips the dress down. He pushes the straps off my shoulders and I'm revealed to him.&
The RequestYear of the RosesFloral SeasonIsla's bedroomAltsasIslaMY EYES FLUTTER OPEN and I stare at the unfamiliar ceiling of white satin curtains. I blink.Jolting upright, I try to take in my surroundings. Stony walls, dresser, silver chandelier, wooden closet and the bed I'm lying on.Then all the events of the last few days comes crashing down on me. Sighing, I stretch and release an involuntary yawn.After the princess had pushed her empty cup into my hand and made a dash for the exit, I had also followed suit and retired for the night. The Duchess had given me a room just next t
The BridgeYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe Dining RoomAltsas.IslaLYSIA'S BLUE EYES ARE PIERCING from across the table. Apparently, we were late for breakfast and the rest of the royal family had had theirs an hour ago.She is expertly stoic and her features are blank. I try not to let my eyes linger on her face for too long and busy myself with chewing my food.Before us are platters of boiled fish, brown rice, salad made up of dices of carrots and slices of lettuce, baskets of bread rolls, jugs of milk and mead. The array of food overwhelms me. I try not to seem greedy and limit my plate to two bread rolls, pieces of spicy fish and the salad.
The KissYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe OrchardAltsasIslaI'M WARY OF LYSIA. Ever since she told me that she was in love, she has been acting like nothing happened. I wonder who are love interest was, a Prince? A duke? A Sire? A commoner perhaps? She leads me deeper into the orchard and we sit under the shade of trees. She doesn't even loosely resemble the girl who was crying just minutes ago. She sits beside me biting into a mango. She sinks her teeth into the fleshy yellow fruit and chews with a hum."Are you sure you won't eat some mango?" She stretches a small mango to me. I shake my head. Her countenance falls but she recovers fairly quickly. "Suit yourself," she says with a shrug.
The TowelettesYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe Bathroom, the PalaceAltsasIslaI DIDN'T BREAK HIS NOSE. I didn't break Rakar's nose I muse as I run the washcloth over my arms, I want to scrub away the traces of Rakar on me.I asked Lyza to wait for me while I take a quick bath and see climbed onto the four-poster bed and has been silent since. Maybe she's sleeping.I asked her about Rakar; why she seems to hate him so much, why he acts like a rabbit on heat. I didn't ask the latter though, I do not want anyone to know what transpired between us in the orchard.I'm done bathing and I stretch to reach the
The GrapesYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe OrchardAltsasIslaRAKAR LEADS ME TO THE ORCHARD. He doesn't even glance at me through out our walk there. He halts in front of the white bridge and a strong wave of de ja vu hits me. But I quickly recover. The orchard hasn't changed much since I left here with Rakar.My eyes catch glimpses of changes and I gulp. Just beside the river is a table dressed with white linen and it's matching chairs. On the table is a tray of grapes, a jug and two goblets. A table for two.A lean and tall stoic figure stands rigidly on the bridge and stares into the river. I turn on my heels and will my legs to run.
The StablesYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe OrchardAltsasIslaWHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS STATUE-LIKE PRINCE that gets me? We cross the bridge together and walk in the same direction Lyza and I had earlier. He leads me deeper and deeper till he halts in his tracks. I stop too and stare at the sight in front of me.I blink and blink again but the pavilion is still standing right in front of me."H-How?" I whisper with awe, "it wasn't here a few hours ago.""It wasn't?" Kyan asks though his unmoved expression says he knows about this."Yes..
The WineYear of the RosesFloral SeasonThe Dining RoomAltsasIslaKYAN STEERS ME OUT OF THE STABLES. We walk towards the Palace together with him a few paces in front of me.I want to go back to my room and lie down for a bit, spending a few hours in the Prince's company is exhausting."So, at the end of the day I succeed to learn a couple facts about you," he says."That's all you will be learning," I reply to him.He chuckles but it is so low that I might be mistaken. "Are you really that heartless, Isla?""What do you mean," I a