Magdalyn stretched her arms high over her head and yawned hugely. Through the misty residue of sleep, she heard a chuckle next to her. Her eyes remained closed, and she smiled slowly. "I suspect that I am not in my bed, with Faunthra waking me."
"You suspect correctly." Nictolanus turned to his side and raised himself on his elbow to look down at her. When she only snuggled deeper into the robe and pillow he raised one eyebrow in surprise. "While I cannot find fault with your current disposition, it does make one wonder."
Opening her eyes, Magdalyn raised an eyebrow in imitation of him. "If you cannot find fault with it, why wonder?"
Moving to straddle her, Nictolanus brushed the hair back from her face. Her expression remained serene, if slightly mocking. "When one lives in a world of intrigue, one must wonder about everything."
"The only intrigue you must worry about is that planned against me by Helenia, and whatever I might plan against her." Magdalyn's eyes were steady and serious even as his narrowed slightly. "I will not seek to harm her if she does not seek to harm me."
"Understandable. And yet I feel like there is something you are still keeping from me." Despite his absence, Ikthyer was still able to reach Nictolanus. He had known the moment that Magdalyn had decided to embrace her new life, and was reasonably certain what Ikthyer and Cyrenia had told her to accomplish such a thing. Since the thought was not an entirely unpleasant one, he had decided to do nothing to disillusion her.
"Of course there is. If you knew everything about me, how much longer would you care to know these things?" Raising her hand to tentatively trace a finger over his jaw line, she smiled at him shyly. "Would you not rather always know that you would find something different with me than something always the same?"
Catching her hand with his, Nictolanus pressed a kiss to her open palm. "Come. The morning is still early. Let us steal a bit more of it before duties call."
* * * * *
They snuck through the manor like children sneaking away from chores, giggling and shushing each other whenever they heard the sound of servant's footsteps. Ushering her through the library door, he pulled her across the room to the double glass doors that opened out onto the first gardens. When she would have stopped and studied the blossoms, he tugged on her hand, giving her no choice but to follow.
Heading towards the first grove of willows, Nictolanus suddenly turned and stooped, hoisting her over his shoulder. When she squealed and swatted at his back, he only laughed. "If we were to continue at your pace, half the morning would be gone before we reached our destination."
"And I suppose that asking me to hurry would have been too simple." Turning her head, she managed to nip his ear with her teeth lightly. "Imagine the stories that would be told if the servants were to see you treating me thus."
"Since we are already out of sight, they would be poor stories indeed." Nictolanus lowered her to her feet, touching his finger to her nose. "Now your gratitude would be appreciated."
"My gratitude for...." Magdalyn trailed off as he gently turned her around. When she remained speechless, he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "You're quite welcome."
Before them was a small, intimate clearing, cleverly concealed by the triple ring of willows. A tiny pond, crystal clear, lay at the far edge of the clearing, surrounded by....
"Lilies. Similar to the type they once had on Earth, and what some of the colonies have now." Stroking a hand down her back, he played with the tips of her hair, fine as thistledown. "Our scientific team brought them back, and adapted them to our system."
"We didn't have any flowers." Magdalyn stepped forward, her feet silent on the thick grass. Kneeling, she bent her head, breathing in the sweet scent. "I've seen more flowers and plants in the time I've been here than in my whole life."
Sitting down beside her, he plucked a flower and handed it to her. "I could not imagine my life without such beauty. That is why the founders created this place. To preserve a simple way of life, a simple type of beauty."
Curious, Magdalyn sat as well, drawing her knees up to rest her chin on them. "And yet you go to war with other peoples, and send your people to study them and their ways of life."
"To keep them from coming here to war, and to keep our people from dying out." Nictolanus picked another flower, twirling it absently. "The knowledge we have is put to use in medicine, in productivity. The life the founders chose, what might have been called feudalism many years ago on Earth, is just that--choice. If we can accomplish so much while still living in such a simple way, why change it?"
Impulsively, Magdalyn leaned forward and brushed her lips over his, a bare whisper. Drawing back, she watched his study her. Slowly, she leaned into him again, letting her mouth connect with his fully. Her quiet sigh was answered with his as his hands wound into her long mass of hair.
Laying back, Nictolanus pulled Magdalyn until she lay sprawled over his chest. With his free hand, he pressed her body more firmly to his, her curves as soft and lush as her remembered. When he ran his tongue over her lips, they parted instantly, granting him access to the sweetness within. Stroking his hand down to cup her rounded bottom, he moaned low in his throat when her tongue slid over his, first shyly then more assuredly when he groaned again.
