Normally, he wasn’t so clueless, but that was my kid brother when he geeked out. “Otto was trying to keep me here an extra day so Cinaed and I could have the time.”
“Oh,” Bart said, then his eyes went wide. “Oh! Right. Sorry.”
“You don’t need to stick around.” Otto pointed to me and Cinaed. “We can fill you in tomorrow.”
I grabbed Cinaed’s hand before anyone could object. Cinaed didn’t resist, and we practically ran from the stuffy conference room.
“Where are we going?” Cinaed asked with an amused lilt.
I slowed, and he came up alongside me. “Away. Before they can change their minds.”
“Slow down, we’re safe now.” He tugged my hand. “We only have a few hours, let’s figure out what we want to do.”
He was right, we didn’t want to waste any of our time. “Show me things that are special to you.”
Cinaed held my hand as he led me through winding stone corridors. I felt a bit guilty that this was the freest and happiest I’d felt since learning of Ailpein’s prohibition. Cinaed’s spirit was also brighter. The cost of our improved moods was Ailpein’s abduction.
Like everyone else, I wanted to rescue him and bring him home safely. Unlike most others, I wasn’t sad he’d been abducted. Such thoughts made me a bad person, but it was hard to shed tears for a being that had caused me so much heartache because his ego had been wounded.
Some would say Blackstone brainwashed the king, but Ailpein couldn’t get off that easily. Any manipulation was made possible because of the king’s pre-existing prejudices and pride.
I pushed those negative thoughts from my mind, otherwise they would ruin my time with Cinaed. We were going to his favorite place in the castle, and I didn’t want anything to spoil the mood.
He paused at a pair of double doors and smiled. “I’ve wanted to bring you here since we met.”
Negative thoughts at being denied this little pleasure tried to steal my happiness, but seeing the joy on Cinaed’s face made it easy to keep them at bay. “I’ve envisioned you sitting here so many times. I’m glad to finally see your happy place.”
A wave of warmth greeted us as we entered his mother’s garden. Neat gravel paths wound between carefully tended beds. Blooming plants, in vibrant colors, stood in defiance of the harsh Scottish winter. It was easy to understand why this place meantso much to Cinaed. The love and energy it took to create such a marvel was everywhere.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“Come,” he tugged my hand gently. “I want to show you something.”
He led me to a stone bench in front of a group of beds filled with different colored roses, each heavy with blooms. “Father built this garden for Mother after they were married. The crimson roses were the first things she planted.”
His fingers brushed one of the flowers with a gentleness to match his soul. We moved to his right and stopped in front of a bed of royal purple roses. “Mom planted a different color for each of us when we were born. She said she chose the colors that matched the personalities she felt when she was pregnant. Lauch’s purple was for the stoic and steadfast heir, the gold for Elspeth’s nurturing spirit, bright yellow for Colum’s energetic soul, the pink for the fierce yet feminine Gwyneth.”
We reached a bush with flowers of deep copper. “And mine to match my hair.”
To me, the color matched his fiery spirit. “Your mother knew her children.”
“She still does.” He cupped his fingers under a bud and turned it toward the sky. “Mine was the hardest to plant, she said, because I was the last. After a thousand years, even a phoenix’s ability to create life fades.” He let the flower flop back down. “Mother says I was worth the wait.”
I understood why it was so hard. My parents said they knew Owen would be their last, and I saw how deeply it affected Mom’s mood for a few years. “I agree.”
“Of course you do.” Cinaed bent down in front of Gwyneth’s row of pink roses. “Whenever Father visits, he collects some of the fallen petals and gives them to my mother.”
The sweet gesture spoke to Malachy’s deep love for his family. This wasn’t just a garden, it was an extension of Cinaed’s parents’ love for each other and their children. It also explained why Cinaed had trouble defying his grandfather.
Cinaed slowly walked down the line toward his parents’ bush. While his back was turned, I collected some of his petals and put them in my pocket. When he sat on the bench, I joined him. “Is this where you called me from all those times?”
“What gave it away?” He smiled, but it dimmed quickly. “I wish you didn’t have to leave.” His voice caught slightly. “I know why – I understand the logic – but we’ve spent too many years apart already.”
He left unsaid the possibility we didn’t have many days left and each one was precious. “This time it’s different.” I kept my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. “We’re not hiding anymore.”
“Promise me something?”
He faced me, and he was so serious, I wondered if I could give him what he wanted. “Anything.”
