by S. L. Morgan
Reece laughed, but didn’t feel sorry for the woman. Her opinion of her hadn’t changed, as she recalled how Lillian had treated her when she first arrived in Pemdas. “Well, now I know why she grew up to be such a bi—” Reece stopped herself, prompting Levi to glance back with a wide smile.
“Yes?” he questioned in an encouraging voice.
“A real piece of work,” she finished with a smug grin.
Levi smiled and brought his arm around her. “You could have used the other term, love. I will admit, it wouldn’t be the first time anyone as referred to her or Simone in such a way.”
“And you?”
“I’ve been known to agree with Harrison on more than one occasion about those women.”
The stairs ended on a stone floor, and the fragrances of fresh herbs filled the area. She looked around, and saw that this was the area where the kitchen staff brought in the fresh produce and food for the Oxley family. Levi guided her through two doors, which led to an outdoor garden. The herb fragrances became more potent as Levi led Reece past numerous, vividly glowing plant life. Lime-greens, yellows, and reds colored the leaves all around them. They stopped at the end of the long pathway, and Reece stood in wonder at the numerous vibrant blue rose blooms climbing archways that lined the entire length of the garden. They sparkled and glistened unlike any other bloom she had seen in Pemdas thus far.
The aroma of the unique blue roses was like a rich gardenia flower, and its color shimmered like a blue sapphire reflecting the light of the sun.
“If there is anything that could be comparable to the beauty of your eyes, it would be these roses,” Levi said, as he plucked a bloom from the vine and handed to her. “These roses only grow near the seaside; I thought you would like them.”
“This shade of blue is so fascinating.” Reece brought it to her nose and smiled as she looked into his radiant eyes. “But I have to argue with you, I’ve actually witnessed your eyes glow like this.”
Levi smiled faintly. “That’s simply a little quirk that I have when I am reading someone’s thoughts.”
Reece was reminded about her concerns from earlier. She quickly diverted her attention from Levi, and stepped toward the flowering bushes. She sighed softly, knowing she needed to talk about this with him, but not knowing where to start. “Reece,” Levi said in a low voice. He reached for her arm, turning her to face him. “What happened tonight?”
Reece gazed past him, striving to gather her thoughts.
“Reece,” he persisted.
Just come out and say it! she ordered herself. She mirrored his somber expression. “I know that you and I have already talked about the,” she inhaled, “complications of our relationship.”
Levi tilted his head to the side. “Yes, and?”
“Levi, I don’t know how to say any of this, because I know you’re already aware of what people might say—”
“I am,” Levi simply stated. “Reece, I care nothing of what they think. All I care about now is who offended you outside of my presence.”
She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear nervously. “I wasn’t offended; I was actually enlightened.”
“What happened? Please, be straightforward with me.”
“I overheard Mr. Prather and a group of men talking in one of the sitting rooms while I was waiting for Angeline and Elizabeth to leave the powder room. I was in the hall, looking at the artwork on the wall when I heard a group of men speaking about how a foreigner from Earth would never be accepted as their empress. That you and your father have disgraced Pemdas by allowing such an abomination to take place.”
Levi encircled her with his arms. “I do hope you will trust me when I tell you that those men’s opinions are of absolutely no consequence, and you shouldn’t let them affect your opinions about our relationship.”
“Mr. Prather—”
“Mr. Prather has put himself in quite the complicated position with his emperor tonight.”
Reece stepped back and looked up into a grave face. “What are you talking about?”
Levi’s expression recovered some. “It appears as though Mr. Prather is quite the power hungry individual these days. My father believes he is part of a plot to destroy his uncle, King Prather, and has been trying to manipulate his way into reigning over Brunack Kingdom. Without going into detail that will only bore you, I can safely say that after my father has finished visiting the kingdom, Mr. Prather and his friends will never be a concern to anyone.” He stared at her purposefully.
Reece turned away from him. “Levi, this isn’t right. These men may not be a problem; but what about everyone else? What made me so ignorant to think I could take up residence in your world and think everyone would be perfectly fine with some foreigner marrying the intended emperor?”
“Foreigner?” Levi said with humor in his voice. “Reece, look at me.”
She turned. “We could go on and on about this, Levi, but it doesn’t change the fact that not only will people disagree with me as your wife, it could ruin the peace you have in Pemdas.”
“Peace?” Levi looked at Reece as if she’d lost her mind. “Reece, my father is dispatching a group to investigate the fact that one of his kings is most likely being slowly murdered by a group of men, and you believe that there is harmony in Pemdas? Hardly; and without burdening you with what my father deals with on a continual basis, I will say that he is constantly involved with localized governments, ensuring that Pemdas will not encounter any unnecessary uproars.”
She shook her head. “Has he considered what could happen if the majority of Pemdas opposes my marrying you?”
Levi inhaled deeply and took her hand. “Come with me,” he said in a low voice, while reaching for her hand. When they were out of the garden area, Levi led her on a path that followed a stone fence line. The path led up a small hill, where three large buildings stood, detached and isolated from the main house.
“Where are we going?” Reece asked; a little confused as to where Levi was dragging her off to. She was slightly hesitant, given the outfit she was wearing.
“We’re going to answer your question,” was all he said in response.
Horse stables? she thought, as they walked in through a side door. They walked down the wooden floors in between the stables where the horses were being held. Some horses took notice of them, holding their heads over their stable door and watching in silence as Levi and Reece passed them. A deep whinny from their left alerted Reece to Areion, who seemed interested that they were in the stable building. Areion began nodding his head up and down, and softly pawed the ground.
“Areion, settle,” Levi said, as he took the horse’s reins off a hook. “Give me a moment,” he told Reece, as he walked into Areion’s stall.
As soon as Levi entered the stall, Areion began stamping his feet impatiently. “Settle,” Levi firmly ordered the horse again as he brought a navy-blue, padded blanket over Areion’s back.
Levi took the reins he held over his shoulder and brought them up over his head. She watched with apprehension as Levi’s fingers encouraged the bit into Areion’s mouth, and cringed when Areion bit down hard on the mouthpiece. Levi had the horse saddled and ready to ride within minutes of entering the stable. He tossed the reins up and over Areion’s head, gripped the loose ends under the horse’s chin, and led him out of the stall.
As Levi approached Reece, he reached out for her hand and walked toward the back exit of the stables. He said nothing, and neither did Reece; the only sound was the clicking of Areion’s heavy hooves against the hard wood surface of the building. Once outside, they made their way along another path that led down toward the shore.
“Seriously, Levi,” Reece finally spoke out. “What are you doing?”
“You’re about to find out.”
Reece pressed her lips together, wondering how a horseback ride was going to solve any of their problems. Maybe this was Levi’s therapy, but it was hardly hers. Even if they had an excellent ride, they would still en
d up where they started, facing a serious issue in their relationship.
The moonlight glistened on the water’s surface, and the white sand illuminated like glitter. The view of the ocean from where they stood was absolutely astounding. A soft breeze blew the salty air onto her face and through her hair, and Reece’s irritability started to fade away.
Levi softly called out to Areion, halting him. He turned to Reece and smiled warmly at her. “You questioned whether or not our relationship would bring problems however, after this night, you should be assured that our marriage will be accepted in Pemdas.”
Reece’s eyebrows knit together in absolute confusion. “Sorry, Levi, but you lost me somewhere between ending our conversation in the garden, and showing up at the horse stables.” She laughed in disbelief at how their serious conversation somehow became a moonlit horseback ride on the beach. “I don’t think riding the horse is going to help solve anything.”
Areion grunted, and Levi smiled in response. “Do you remember what I told you about this particular breed of horse in Pemdas?”
“They’re the only horses that can cross the protective barriers of this dimension,” she answered.
Levi nodded. “And they have a unique way of reading whether or not anyone will bring us trouble.”
She looked over at Areion, whose golden eyes seemed to bore through her.
“Areion can decipher emotions and people’s mental states very easily. This breed will not allow anyone or anything upon his back that would cause his land or master,” he paused and grinned, “complications,” he said slowly, using her word from earlier. “I trust this horse completely when it comes to his intuitive abilities.”
Reece looked at him in confusion, “What are you trying to say?”
“You’re going to ride my horse.” He stated. “Now, if you’ll allow me.” He firmly gripped her waist and hoisted her effortlessly up into the saddle. “Swing your leg over the other side,” he said, as he adjusted the stirrup to match her height.
“Levi! NO!” she said in a panicky voice, resulting in Areion grunting and shifting his weight from underneath her. “Please. We’ll figure this out some other way.”
Levi looked up at Reece with a smug grin. “No, we can’t; now, relax,” he said in a firm voice, and then observed Areion, who seemed as agitated as Reece was about this. “Areion, settle.”
“I’m not riding this horse by myself.” Reece said in a firm voice.
Levi didn’t respond. Instead, he mounted the horse and sat behind her, alleviating Reece’s fears. Areion seemed to calm down in the same moment she did. Levi reached around her and grabbed the reins that were hanging loosely around Areion’s neck.
He carefully pried Reece’s hands from where she held tightly to the saddle. “Take the reins,” he said.
“Levi—” she said through clenched teeth.
“You have no reason to fear. Areion has already accepted that you will master him. Now, he is feeling every emotion you are experiencing. He senses your fears, and therefore, will not budge until you are prepared to ride. Your anxiousness is making him uneasy as well, which is why he is fighting you some.”
Reece let out her breath, fighting to calm down and trust that Areion wasn’t going to run wildly out of control. She may not have been around this horse much, but she had witnessed his personality enough to understand that he was a fierce horse, and she still couldn’t understand how Levi mastered his high spirit so effortlessly. Areion began stamping his feet, and Reece shivered at the raw power coming to life beneath her.
“Settle,” Levi ordered the horse. “Clear your thoughts, and encourage him to go,” Levi said with a laugh.
Fine! She bit her bottom lip. “Let’s go, boy,” she said nervously.
Areion stepped out and began trotting down the beach. Reece tightened the reins, thinking that Areion was going to explode into his usual speed at any second. He didn’t. Instead, his nose was pulled tightly into his chest as Reece fought to stay in the saddle and not bounce off his back.
“Give him his head,” Levi instructed.
“What?” Reece responded in frustration, while pulling in hard on the reins.
“Loosen the reins, love.”
She did, and Areion sprang into a gentle gallop. It took her a moment to adjust to the magnificent feeling of the powerful horse beneath her. Areion galloped gallantly along the oceanfront, and the liberation Reece felt was inexplicable. Levi’s hands latched onto her waist as Reece began imagining the excitement of Areion moving at a faster speed. In the moment she desired it, the horse responded, gaining even more speed as he dug heavy hooves into the wet sands of the shore.
Reece squealed in delight, and then guided Areion toward the shallow waves rolling into the shore. The horse responded, spraying water up with every lift of his hooves. Levi buried his face in her neck, trying to avoid getting wet. Areion kept at a steady pace through the water, soaking them. Finally, she guided him out of the water, and pulled back on the reins. Areion halted, and Levi dismounted before pulling Reece down with him. He gently kissed her forehead and pulled her close.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” he teased.
Reece looked up into his brilliant eyes, dancing with humor. Levi was completely soaked; his dark, wavy hair dripping wet. She reached up, ran her hands through his thick hair, and smiled in relief.
“Sorry I got you wet,” she said with a laugh. “But you look adorable.”
Levi arched an eyebrow as he clasped her waist and lowered her to the ground beneath him. Reece laughed in amusement as the dry sand of the beach coated her wet clothes. She giggled at her sudden discomfort, yet became entrapped by Levi’s humored expression. Before she could say anything, his lips nuzzled her chin while he framed her face with his hands. “I believe the last time someone referred to me as adorable was when I was five years of age.”
“Well, you looked adorable. And now,” Reece squinted at him, “I have sand all over my back.” She tried to squirm out from underneath him, but it was pointless.
“You’re not going anywhere, Miss Bryant,” he said in a lower voice. His eyes roamed over her face, and then he brought his lips down onto hers.
The discomfort of the sand clinging to her skin and her clothes faded as she wholeheartedly accepted his affectionate kiss. Everything disappeared; her concerns, her discomforts, and all of her anxieties. All that mattered was savoring Levi’s always-tasteful kiss and passionate touch. She shivered with the knowledge of how safe she felt with him, how his love and affection made her feel complete, regardless of what anyone thought about their relationship. Her fears subsided, and her emotions became more powerful in response. She gripped his shoulders, rolling Levi onto his back. He moaned softly as his hands grazed her sides and rubbed along her hips. Her kiss became more possessive and fierce with desire for him.
They stayed this way for a long while, taking time to appreciate their strong love for each other. The waves crashed into the shore, while the leaves in the trees rustled in the soft breeze. As awkward as a moment like this was, both coated in sand in their wet clothes, it was also surprisingly pleasurable.
Reece slowly withdrew from him and stared deeply into his eyes. Levi smiled sluggishly, his brilliant eyes glazed. She smiled when she saw the clumps of sand in his hair, and traces of it throughout his face.
She started picking it out of his hair. “You’re a mess,” she teased.
Levi tilted his head to the side, running his hands through her matted hair. “You’re beautiful.”
Reece sighed, while continuing to pluck sand from his onyx hair. “What am I going to do with you?”
Levi grabbed her hand, and raised it to his lips. “Do you realize how fascinating it was to watch that horse respond to you as he did?”
She kissed his nose. “That was really incredible.”
Levi sat up, bringing her to sit in front of him, facing the ocean. He wrapped his arms around her, and she happily relaxed back into his chest. �
��Reece, you are the only other person that horse has ever allowed to master him in such a way. Areion is extremely particular of anyone, and at times, he will even fight my will.” He kissed her on the side of her face. “But tonight, he happily adhered to your riding him. If you cannot trust my word that our love will not cause our lands problems, trust the stubborn horse you recently rode. His intuition goes farther than you might understand.”
Reece ran her fingers over his hands at her waist. “I’m not trying to insult Areion here, but how can a horse know if Pemdas will have problems because of you marrying a woman from outside of your world?” She twisted in his arms to face him. “How can he know if half of your world, or your entire world, will or will not rebel over my becoming your wife?”
Levi looked over at Areion. “Simple. He senses your spirit, your heart, and your enthusiasm.”
“Levi?” Reece interrupted him. “I’m serious.”
Levi became serious as his eyes intently stared into hers. “I am serious, too. However, it would bring Pemdas greater trouble if I were to renounce my leadership as their emperor.”
“You wouldn’t…would you?”
“What did I tell you the day I professed my love to you?” Levi gazed out toward the ocean. “Reece, if the kingdoms went to the extreme of voicing their disapproval of my choice in a wife, I would not hesitate for a moment to abdicate my throne.” He laughed softly. “Believe me, they would not desire me as their emperor should I lose the only woman I could ever love over their ignorant opinions of you.”
“You can’t do that,” she firmly ordered him.
“I will do just that, my love.” He said resolutely. “When I courted Isabelle Hamilton I realized I would not be able to tolerate a marriage out of duty. After I ended that relationship, and before I fell in love with you, I was certain I would be a lonely man for the rest of my life.”
