The shadows of early afternoon were reaching across the green grass and waving foliage when Rhys emerged from the Temple and his meeting with the Lady herself. His guide, the girl-child Helene, led him once more through the simple beauty of the wider Temple gardens, back to the thick brush and treeline that surrounded the small hillock in which his guest room awaited. She smiled to him, touching her clasped hands to her breast as she bowed, and turned to retrace her steps, leaving him to wend his way up through the thick greenery to the open-air bedroom set into the upper curve of the hill where Natalya waited.
Though the time to him must have felt less than an hour, it had been several since he had left the little hilltop room. Nat had known it would be a while, and had spent the first hour or two in a brief visit with the Handmaidens and their knights, finding out through talk and exchange what had been happening on the Isle since her last visit here. When the third hour had come by, she had retreated back to the room they had been assigned, and there she had stayed, finally drifting into a patient sleep curled on her side on the bed, her face turned toward the path that would bring Rhys back to her.
Rhys didn't even bother trying to make conversation with the girl who had come to lead him from the Temple, not only because he was lost in thought, but because he simply didn't know what to say. What did you say to a girl who looked half your age but was probably old enough to be your grandmother" It wasn't like he'd never encountered immortals before. Gods, angels, demons, beings of myth and legend - he'd run into a smattering of them all over the course of his life, but never anything quite like this. Usually, they came to him, not the other way around, and to be told he was not only chosen, but precious, was more than he'd ever expected.
He made his way back up the hill to the room he and Natalya had been given, almost unaware of how long he'd been away, too lost in contemplation. He had to smile a little at what the Lady had told him, as confusing and astonishing as it all was. Under any other circumstances, he might have made a pass at her. As lovely as she was, there was a certain sadness about her, a loneliness, a feeling of isolation. He knew what it was like to feel different - he'd felt different most of his life - and though his heart belonged to Natalya, he hoped perhaps he could ease some of the Lady's loneliness by befriending her. Perhaps it was the angel in him to think first of her loneliness, but he knew what that felt like firsthand and felt a swell of sympathy, along with respect and reverence and even burgeoning loyalty and love. More than anyone he'd ever met before, she was one to be revered, and he felt honored to have been chosen.
When he finally found himself back at the room at the top of the hill, he found Natalya resting peacefully, awaiting his arrival. He paused at the opening to the small open-aired room, watching her quietly, his heart swelling with love and hope, overcome with emotion for a moment at all that the Lady had told him. He had seen the future with his own eyes - they would have a family together, and from their union would emerge the next Lady of Avalon. It was almost too much to absorb all at once.
Under his gaze, she stirred lightly, aware even in her sleep of his presence. The tension of her body relaxed fully, rolling her onto her back with a soft sighing breath. She was innocent of everything that stirred in his mind, of the promise that had been made, the hopes for the future, but even had she known it all in that instant, nothing could have prevented the true delight in her smile as her eyes opened to find him looking at her. "Rhys ..." His name was always soft and loving on her lips, and this time was no different, her hand reaching toward him as she sat up.
"Nat..." he returned, her name on his lips as soft and loving as his was on hers, that same look of loving adoration softening his features, a hint of tears glittering in his eyes. Suddenly overwhelmed with the tumult of burgeoning emotions that were welling up inside him, he closed the distance between them, dropping once again to his knees, but this time not in worship or reverence but in loving affection. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, needing to feel her near him, teetering on the brink of tears now that he was with her again.
Any other time, his greeting might have alarmed her, unnerving in the sheer force of vulnerability that flowed from him as he drew her down onto the floor with him. But Nat had met the Lady herself; she knew how deeply just one encounter could touch a heart. She had no idea what he had been shown or told, but she had expected her strong, brave lover to come apart just a little at the seams in the face of the Lady's wisdom and love. Wrapping her own arms around him, Natalya let her lips brush his jaw before laying her cheek to his, nestling close. "Easy, dusha moya," she whispered to him tenderly. "We are together."
He breathed a soft sigh both of relief and of contentment as he folded her and was enfolded in her embrace. This place, he realized, served as more than just a place to keep magical artifacts out of the hands of those who would use them for their own devices, but as a safe refuge for those who served both the Knights and the Lady. He knew in his heart that here they were safe from any who might do them harm, here they could truly be at peace, but it was dangerous to remain here too long. Too much time spent here, and one might never wish to go back to the world of from whence they came. Tears broke free once again at the flood of emotions that followed his visit with the Lady, but this time, there was no sorrow in those tears, only happiness.
After a while, he found his voice and lifted his head from her shoulder, tears shining in his eyes, but a smile on his face. There was so much he wanted to tell her, he wasn't even sure where to begin. "Oh, Nat....She's so beautiful....Sad but beautiful."
There was no jealousy in the eyes that met his as she, too, leaned back, cupping her palm to his cheek, chasing away the salt of his tears with kisses until finally she sat with him in quiet stillness, gathered close in tender affection. "Nothing could ever compare with her," Natalya agreed, proud of him for seeing more than the woman who had welcomed him. She held his gaze for a long moment, needing just a little reassurance from him before he went on. "Was I right, to bring you to her" Has she set your heart at ease?"
"Unless she's lying, and I don't think she's capable," he replied, wiping what remained of the tears from his face with the palm of a hand, unashamed of his tears, but needing to regain control of his emotions so that he could share with her what had been foretold to him. He knew he could easily fall in love with the Lady, but not in the same way that he had fallen in love with Natalya. It was more like the kind of love one bestowed on a god or goddess, and he understood now why men and women chose to devote their lives in her service. He had been profoundly touched by the experience, in such a way that it had changed the very foundation of his own beliefs and understanding of the world around him.
"She would not be the Lady if lies and untruth were her currency," Nat agreed softly, impatient to know what has passed while he was out of her sight but understanding enough of what he might be feeling not to push too hard. She knew he would tell her, eventually. A gentle chime rang through the small space around them; a moment later, the table nearby was suddenly filled, bearing a silver tureen of creamy soup that smelled deliciously of chicken and mushroom, a small loaf of warm, crusty bread, a beautiful glass jug of cool spring water, and the implements they would need to partake of the meal.
Nat's smile warmed as she recognised the simple fare, looking back to Rhys with a faintly amused gaze. "It would seem that the Handmaidens are concerned that we missed the noon meal."
Though the time to him must have felt less than an hour, it had been several since he had left the little hilltop room. Nat had known it would be a while, and had spent the first hour or two in a brief visit with the Handmaidens and their knights, finding out through talk and exchange what had been happening on the Isle since her last visit here. When the third hour had come by, she had retreated back to the room they had been assigned, and there she had stayed, finally drifting into a patient sleep curled on her side on the bed, her face turned toward the path that would bring Rhys back to her.
Rhys didn't even bother trying to make conversation with the girl who had come to lead him from the Temple, not only because he was lost in thought, but because he simply didn't know what to say. What did you say to a girl who looked half your age but was probably old enough to be your grandmother" It wasn't like he'd never encountered immortals before. Gods, angels, demons, beings of myth and legend - he'd run into a smattering of them all over the course of his life, but never anything quite like this. Usually, they came to him, not the other way around, and to be told he was not only chosen, but precious, was more than he'd ever expected.
He made his way back up the hill to the room he and Natalya had been given, almost unaware of how long he'd been away, too lost in contemplation. He had to smile a little at what the Lady had told him, as confusing and astonishing as it all was. Under any other circumstances, he might have made a pass at her. As lovely as she was, there was a certain sadness about her, a loneliness, a feeling of isolation. He knew what it was like to feel different - he'd felt different most of his life - and though his heart belonged to Natalya, he hoped perhaps he could ease some of the Lady's loneliness by befriending her. Perhaps it was the angel in him to think first of her loneliness, but he knew what that felt like firsthand and felt a swell of sympathy, along with respect and reverence and even burgeoning loyalty and love. More than anyone he'd ever met before, she was one to be revered, and he felt honored to have been chosen.
When he finally found himself back at the room at the top of the hill, he found Natalya resting peacefully, awaiting his arrival. He paused at the opening to the small open-aired room, watching her quietly, his heart swelling with love and hope, overcome with emotion for a moment at all that the Lady had told him. He had seen the future with his own eyes - they would have a family together, and from their union would emerge the next Lady of Avalon. It was almost too much to absorb all at once.
Under his gaze, she stirred lightly, aware even in her sleep of his presence. The tension of her body relaxed fully, rolling her onto her back with a soft sighing breath. She was innocent of everything that stirred in his mind, of the promise that had been made, the hopes for the future, but even had she known it all in that instant, nothing could have prevented the true delight in her smile as her eyes opened to find him looking at her. "Rhys ..." His name was always soft and loving on her lips, and this time was no different, her hand reaching toward him as she sat up.
"Nat..." he returned, her name on his lips as soft and loving as his was on hers, that same look of loving adoration softening his features, a hint of tears glittering in his eyes. Suddenly overwhelmed with the tumult of burgeoning emotions that were welling up inside him, he closed the distance between them, dropping once again to his knees, but this time not in worship or reverence but in loving affection. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, needing to feel her near him, teetering on the brink of tears now that he was with her again.
Any other time, his greeting might have alarmed her, unnerving in the sheer force of vulnerability that flowed from him as he drew her down onto the floor with him. But Nat had met the Lady herself; she knew how deeply just one encounter could touch a heart. She had no idea what he had been shown or told, but she had expected her strong, brave lover to come apart just a little at the seams in the face of the Lady's wisdom and love. Wrapping her own arms around him, Natalya let her lips brush his jaw before laying her cheek to his, nestling close. "Easy, dusha moya," she whispered to him tenderly. "We are together."
He breathed a soft sigh both of relief and of contentment as he folded her and was enfolded in her embrace. This place, he realized, served as more than just a place to keep magical artifacts out of the hands of those who would use them for their own devices, but as a safe refuge for those who served both the Knights and the Lady. He knew in his heart that here they were safe from any who might do them harm, here they could truly be at peace, but it was dangerous to remain here too long. Too much time spent here, and one might never wish to go back to the world of from whence they came. Tears broke free once again at the flood of emotions that followed his visit with the Lady, but this time, there was no sorrow in those tears, only happiness.
After a while, he found his voice and lifted his head from her shoulder, tears shining in his eyes, but a smile on his face. There was so much he wanted to tell her, he wasn't even sure where to begin. "Oh, Nat....She's so beautiful....Sad but beautiful."
There was no jealousy in the eyes that met his as she, too, leaned back, cupping her palm to his cheek, chasing away the salt of his tears with kisses until finally she sat with him in quiet stillness, gathered close in tender affection. "Nothing could ever compare with her," Natalya agreed, proud of him for seeing more than the woman who had welcomed him. She held his gaze for a long moment, needing just a little reassurance from him before he went on. "Was I right, to bring you to her" Has she set your heart at ease?"
"Unless she's lying, and I don't think she's capable," he replied, wiping what remained of the tears from his face with the palm of a hand, unashamed of his tears, but needing to regain control of his emotions so that he could share with her what had been foretold to him. He knew he could easily fall in love with the Lady, but not in the same way that he had fallen in love with Natalya. It was more like the kind of love one bestowed on a god or goddess, and he understood now why men and women chose to devote their lives in her service. He had been profoundly touched by the experience, in such a way that it had changed the very foundation of his own beliefs and understanding of the world around him.
"She would not be the Lady if lies and untruth were her currency," Nat agreed softly, impatient to know what has passed while he was out of her sight but understanding enough of what he might be feeling not to push too hard. She knew he would tell her, eventually. A gentle chime rang through the small space around them; a moment later, the table nearby was suddenly filled, bearing a silver tureen of creamy soup that smelled deliciously of chicken and mushroom, a small loaf of warm, crusty bread, a beautiful glass jug of cool spring water, and the implements they would need to partake of the meal.
Nat's smile warmed as she recognised the simple fare, looking back to Rhys with a faintly amused gaze. "It would seem that the Handmaidens are concerned that we missed the noon meal."