27: Ada’s POV

There weren’t many things I could do to occupy my time alone, since everywhere I went I was expected to have an escort. Now, it wasn’t like I had to take castle guards with me everywhere I went. Gwynn was enough to suffice, but every now and then I wanted a break from even her.

During those times, I occupied myself in my chamber. Sometimes I would draw or pain, but most days I read. It was as if I was obsessed with consuming every bit of knowledge I had been robbed of by being exiled at such a young age. I’d missed formative years of schooling— both educationally and in training to be a Lady or a wolf. The owners of the farm I was on had also worked tirelessly to ensure I was kept away from any news regarding the pack or the realm, so I’d missed quite a few major battles and even the loss of the lovely Luna Queen.

I poured over books about recent histories and advances in medicine or battle, doing my best to memorize and recall everything I could. Sometimes, I even scribbled notes down on nearby parchment and would return to them days later and test myself. While I wasn’t sure what my position would always be in the castle, I could at least ensure I was ready to do whatever was asked of me.

The only thing I couldn’t teach myself was people. Navigating the courts people — particularly Lady Elizabeth Jane— was foreign. I was trying my best, but it seemed I was always stepping in shit when I would speak to the Lords and Ladies of the Alpha Kings courts. The servants were easy, but perhaps it was because I understood them and had sympathy for them. There was no sympathy in my body for the lords and ladies who looked down on me and the servants within this castle, especially because I couldn’t trust a single one of them.

Every one of them would undermine each other to gain favor and hopefully power. That was something I had been removed from for long enough to no longer understand it.

While the books that further my knowledge of history, science and math couldn’t help me with them, I found there were some fictional pieces that were helpful. I was learning what to look for when it came to manipulation and discomfort or what love looked like through these made up characters.

I was in the middle of a tragic love story when a messenger arrived at my door. He bowed and held out a note. I took it and thanked him for delivering it.

As I read the scrawling letters, I smiled to myself and rang the bell to Gwynn’s quarters. Written in thick black letters was: *My dearest Ada, I have been thinking of you. Join me for an adventure at noon? We meet at the stables if you accept. Looking forward to seeing you, Darius*

Gwynn opened the door an entered, “What is it, Ada?”

I handed her the note and she squealed with delight. My heart was beating rapidly, “I think that slender blue dress we chose would be perfect for riding.”

“Not too bulky,” Gwynn nodded, beelining for the closet, “And it would pair well with those lace up riding boots you insisted on getting.”

‘And my hair?” I trailed after her, running my fingers through the now-thick locks, “I was thinking maybe a braid or two?”

Gwynn popped out of the closet and into the bathroom, nodding quickly, “Absolutely. No makeup. If you’re meeting at the stables, I cannot tell you if you will be going in a carriage or on horseback. I’d rather have you prepared for horseback.”

“Agreed,” I slid my robe off my shoulders and slid into a white satin slip.

She worked quickly with the gown. It went down to my ankles, so it was shorter than any other dress I owned. It was a light sky blue silk embroidered with gold lions and brass suns. The sleeves fit snugly at the shoulders and bicep, then flared out past my wrists. It was a darker blue chiffon that was slit so that the sleeve would stay in place on my upper arm and would hang when my arm was relaxed, but would fall away to allow my hands freedom.

I helped her lace up my riding boots— which were brown leather and laced up to my knee with a chunky heel on the bottom. She quickly completed my hair, parting it down the middle and skillfully forming two full French braids.

Gwynn glanced at the clock on the wall, “It’s nearly twelve. We need to start that way.”

She escorted me to the stables, where Darius was waiting with two horses already saddled up. Darius was dressed in standard riding pants and shoes with a loose white tunic tucked into the top of his pants. His hair was styled nicely, out of his face. There were dark circles under his eyes, but that didn’t stop them from crinkling in the corners when he saw me. His lips curved up into that warm smile of him and it was as if my heart skipped a beat.

He dismissed Gwynn with a simple nod and I watched my lady’s maid skitter away. Darius offered me his hand and I shook my head, setting my left foot in the stirrup and launching my other leg over the horse. I straddled it effortlessly.

He grinned, “Oh, good. I was hoping you had riding experience?”

“I bet you were,” I smirked. When he raised his eyebrows, I smacked a hand over my mouth, “Did I say that out loud?”

“Sure did,” he chuckled, getting on his own horse, “Follow closely.”

He took off at nearly a full gallop before I had even processed what he’d said. I grabbed the reins on my horse and lightly tapped him with my heels. My knees and thighs worked to grip onto the horse, keeping me locked in place. I followed him as he veered left the first time, but by the second veer left through the woods, I had caught up to him.

As I pulled up beside him, following every directional change he made, he grinned at me. After about fifteen minutes, he had started to slow down. I followed suit until our horses were simply walking through a dense part of the forest.

Darius stopped at a large rock outcropping that was covered in flowering ivy. He hopped off his horse and walked to me to help. This time I accepted his assistance graciously, letting him grip my waist tightly with his hands and lift me from the saddle. My legs and hips were sore and I stumbled slightly when he set me on my feet.

The Prince tied up the two horses to a nearby tree and then grabbed my hand, “It’s just beyond this rock.”

Logically, I assumed he meant around the rock— which as I looked at it, I wasn’t quite sure how. It was a rather expansive rock, going off as far as my eyes could see to both the left and right of us. But then he parted some of the ivy and motioned for me to walk through.

At first, I was surrounded by rock. There was a small point of light and I let my feet carry me toward it. It only took about fifteen to twenty paces, and the rock opened up onto a sandy shore. There was a large icy blue lake with a wall of rocks at least 25 feet high around it on all sides. This was the only space I could see with any sort of beach, and even then, part of the beach was large flat rocks. Every twenty paces or so, a misty hot spring was present. Everything was shrouded in beautiful rays of light with many birds and flowers present of all colors.

Quite frankly, it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on. It was almost ethereal, like an oasis I’d expect to find the Moon Goddess herself to be bathing in. All that could be heard was the chatter of the birds and the swirling air of a cool breeze.

I sucked in a deep breath, tasting the salt in the air. My voice seemed to echo against the distant rocks and come back to me, “Darius, this is beautiful. I’ve never—“

His hands grabbed my waist and spun me around as his lips cut me off. His arms wrapped around me as his lips worked with mine. My arms looped around his neck. He gripped me tightly and lifted me off the ground, spinning in a circle as our lips stayed together. As he set me back down, he flicked my bottom lip with his tongue. I parted my lips slightly, moaning as he slid his tongue into my mouth.

I ran my fingers through his styled hair, holding him close. His lips fit so perfectly against mine and I never wanted it to end. Darius broke away, gasping for air. As his thumb ran across my cheek, I looked down sheepishly. When he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, I felt something I hadn’t expected to feel in such a long time:

Happiness.