“This place is overwhelming,” she admits. “But for all the right reasons,” she adds just as Agatha approaches us.
She’s one of the locals, an elderly woman with a twinkle in her eyes. “My King,” she nods, handing me a basket full of food and a blanket. “You should take your queen to visit Serenity, I hear it’s warm at the moment.”
“I will think about it, Aggy,” I tell her. Serenity is our best-kept local secret. It’s a serene waterfall that has been the source of leisure and joy for my people since we discovered it. It is in the mountain behind the castle, but the water is always unusually warm, like a hot spring.
Zirah turns to me, her eyes filled with an eagerness I can’t deny. “What’s Serenity, Lyon?”
The woman smiles fondly and I chuckle. “I guess I better show you then,” I tell her.
My kingdom may not be grand, but we’ve thrived on our ability to live with the essentials and nothing more. Everyone has a place, a role, and no one goes without. I hope Zirah understands the essence of what I am trying to build here.
This is my redemption for my sins, the only way I knew how.
Grabbing her hand, I pull her toward the forest. The sun shines brightly overhead, and a gentle breeze ruffles through the leaves as we walk through the forest. I can feel Zirah’s excitement growing with every step we take. Her hand is warm in mine, and I find myself staring at her fingers, admiring their delicate beauty.
When we reach the base of the mountain, we begin our climb up rocky terrain. Zirah is athletic and nimble on her feet, and she climbs with ease, which makes me want to ask her what it was like to grow up in a cave. I try to keep up with her, but she moves too quickly for me sometimes.
As we climb higher and higher, the forest becomes denser, and the canopy above thickens. Eventually, we reach a clearing where sunlight filters sparingly through the tree branches, casting shadows on the ground.
That’s when we see it—Serenity. A huge waterfall in all its glory. The waterfall is fed by a hot spring located deep within the mountain, which keeps the water at an even temperature all year, even when the mountain is covered in snow. As we approach it, I can hear water crashing against the rocks.
Zirah comes to a sudden stop and gasps as she takes in the sight before her. Water cascades down the jagged mountain edges into a pool of crystal clear water. Lush greenery and rocks covered in moss surround us.
“It’s so beautiful,” she says, her voice filled with wonder.
I smile at her reaction. We stand at the edge of the waterfall, feeling the mist on our faces. As promised, it’s warm, almost hot to the touch. Shadow jumps straight in, followed by Hunter. However, Gnash lies on a giant rock watching them.
“Do you want to go in?” I ask, gesturing toward the water. Zirah glances around.
“No one will come up here. Agatha loves to gossip, but she also loves to mother everyone. I’m sure the whole kingdom knows we are here.” I laugh.
She nods eagerly, and I can see the excitement in her eyes as she strips off her clothes with no fear. I can’t help but stare at her. The runes running down the center of her body are mesmerizing.
She dips her toe into the water, and her eyes light up. “It is warm!” She giggles before diving in.
She’s magnificent, but I can’t take my eyes off the flickering tattoos on her arms as they glimmer under the water. I stare unabashedly at the outline of her slender body and the curve of her full breasts.
Moving closer, I strip my clothes off, tossing them on the rock beside Gnash. The crystal clear water is inviting. You can see the rocky bottom, fish that can handle the warmer water swim past, and little bubbles rise to the surface. I follow suit, jumping in and letting the warm water envelop me.
As we spend the day together, Zirah asks about Zeke. “Is Zeke’s kingdom like this?” I feel a pang in my chest. Zeke, with all his flaws, does have a kingdom that boasts more luxuries than mine. I can’t deny the sting of jealousy—a feeling that I swiftly push down.
“No, opposite, actually,” I tell her, and she nods. Reaching into the basket, I grab the containers that Agatha packed for us. Lying naked on our picnic mat, we eat.
“Why do you live like this, Lyon?” she asks, her voice soft but filled with curiosity.
I look at her, the question stirring up old memories and emotions that I’ve spent a long time burying.
“I wanted to atone for my past mistakes . . . make up for what I did to Litha. I thought that if I could just prove I was capable of good, the curse would break,” I confess. “I thought I killed my mate, and I betrayed my brothers for this place. I owed it to you and Litha to make sure I took care of it.” My voice breaks a little, guilt seeping into every word. I can still feel the raw pain I felt when I thought I killed our mate. “I’ve always felt guilty. Living this way is my attempt to make up for it. It’s the least I can do for my people, for my brothers.”
The weight of my confession becomes too much, and I cast my eyes down, unable to meet her gaze. I only hope that she can see the man I’ve become instead of the one I used to be, that she can look past my mistakes and understand the effort I’ve made to better myself for my kingdom and her.
Chapter Seventeen
After spending the majority of the day at Serenity, swimming, eating, and lazing around, we head back to the castle. As we emerge from the tree line, Agatha is waiting for us.
“Aggy?” Lyon smiles, moving toward her.
As the old woman grins, her face is a maze of wrinkles and creases, and her vibrant blue eyes glisten. “Lyon. My Queen. We were wondering if you’d be joining the rest of us for dinner tonight?” she asks, and I glance at Lyon.
