*Aurthur rose before the sun again, his usual habit. But today was different. He had made a promise, and he would keep it. He nuzzled into his beloved's elegant neck gently, leaning to whisper into her ear.*

Wake my love, today is the day. It's time to show you my secret project. Meet me out on the lake's shore when you are ready.

*Another tender nuzzle, and he slipped out of the bed, heading quietly out of the lair so as to not wake anyone else with his passage.*

*He was sitting on his haunches on a rock that hung over the lake, watching the sun begin to peek over the mountains on the horizon, bringing light to their valley. Hearing his mate's wing beats, he smiled and spread his own appendages, taking to the air.

Circling up to meet her, he flew a quick circle around her, brushing his tail along her side, before he angled his wings and turned for the forest nearby. The flight didn't last long only about five minutes before Aurthur dropped down into a small clearing that barely admitted him, where he would wait for his mate. There was a path here, recently made, most likely by Aurthur himself. He started up this path so his mate could land and follow.*

*The small path led to a veritable wall of thorns and tangle brushes, some of the needles thick and long enough that they could do real damage even to dragons, should they become tangled in it.*

These bushes and tangle thorns encompass the entire area, dear. No one can get in our out without a lot of difficulty and injury. I cleared a place we could go in, but placed a powerful illusion spell to make it seem as though the bushes and vines are still there. I even have dragonsbane planted at intervals. But I'm sure you want to see what?s inside, don't you? Here.....

*Now he paced around behind her and put his claws over her eyes, and walked her through the illusion. The sweet perfume of roses would instantly fill her nostrils as they crossed the threshold, and he uncovered her eyes. There were roses by the hundreds, maybe thousands! All carefully planted in neat displays, the roses were of many hues and colors, from a deep, robust crimson to a deep shade of purple that nearly looked black.

In the very center was a very large circular pool that was deep enough for a full grown dragon to swim in. In the center of the pool upon a pedestal was a stone dragon sitting on it's haunches with it's tail in the water.*

I made this pool for the children to swim in, while we are here relaxing. The stone dragon will move a full three hundred and sixty degrees, and it even spits water at anyone swimming in the pool! *It was clear that he was very proud of his creation, his chest thrust out. It certainly explained why he smelled so heavily of roses all the time!*

And I was even able to create a very special rose......*He motioned with his snout to a display of roses that were tightly closed up, yet to bloom.* They only open when the moonlight hits them.