Chapter 46

Over the last week or so, it had become their nightly ritual. Ayla would always make tea for him, and he would always ask what plant she added this time. Sometimes he would drink and try to guess.

Ayla drank from her cup of tea and then grinned at him, "Worm-rue."

Rhobart got pale, "You didn't! Milton took it all from you!"

Ayla drank some more tea, "Daya gave some to me!"

And then she was laughing so hard. She looked at Rhobart and laughed some more.

"You should have seen your face!" Ayla said when she finally calmed down.

"You didn't put worm-rue in the tea," Rhobart said.

"No," Ayla said and laughed some more.

"I am so going to spank you!" Rhobart said and laughed.

Ayla stopped laughing, put her cup of tea next to her rock, stood fast, and ran.

"Only if you can catch me!" she yelled.

Rhobart ran after her, and when he caught up with her, they both fell to the ground, and Rhobart started tickling her.

"You are a naughty princess!" Rhobart said while he kept tickling her.

"Stop!" Ayla said while she laughed so much her cheeks hurt.

"Only if you promise to behave!"

"I promise! I promise! Please stop!"

Rhobart stopped, and then both of them were breathing hard. His leg was across her legs, pinning her to the ground, and their chests were so close, they almost touched when they breathed.

He looked into her eyes, and he cupped her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. He lowered his gaze until he was staring at her lips.

Ayla's heart beat so fast, she was afraid Rhobart would hear it. He was going to kiss her. And she wanted it. She had never been kissed before, and she was glad that her first kiss would be with the King.

'Gods! Is it true that I am falling for him?' she thought in a moment of panic.

"You are so beautiful," Rhobart murmured, and Ayla let go of her rising panic. It did not matter if she was falling for him or not. Nothing mattered to Ayla except for this moment.

Rhobart dipped his head until their lips almost touched. She felt his breath on her skin, and she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to be kissed by the King. By him. Only by him. Her heart was hammering in her chest as he stared into his eyes.

Rhobart kept stroking her cheek with his thumb. Suddenly, he stopped, he closed his eyes, and he shuddered.

Moments later, he lifted his head, opened his eyes, and looked into her eyes, "Why, Ayla? Why did you do it?"

"What did I do?" she asked in a confused voice.

"Duut m'xaitche a'ske b'nak zek h'xtsi duut cx'hoza," Rhobart said with a voice so sad it made Ayla want to cry.

He stood and started walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Ayla asked while she was getting up.

She did not know what had just happened. He was about to kiss her, and then he looked at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen.

"To remind my dead heart why it can never live again," Rhobart said as he kept walking.

Ayla did not know what she was supposed to do, but a soft breeze pushed her from behind, and then she was running after him.

'Who broke your heart so badly?' Ayla thought as she caught up with him.

She hugged him from behind, wrapping her hands around his waist, and pressed her cheek against his back. He stopped walking.

"Let go of me, Ayla. I need some fresh air."

"No!" she said stubbornly.

"Please!" he said and sounded as if he was crying.

Him, a King, was crying? She must be mistaken. But then she felt tears falling on her hands, and she knew that even kings cried.

"Oh, Rhobart," she said.

They stood like that for a long time, her listening to his soft cry. Eventually, Rhobart stopped crying and put a hand on top of hers.

"I am sorry," Ayla said.

"For what?"

"That someone hurt you this bad."

"Ayla, Ayla. What am I going to do with you?"

'Anything. Everything,' she wanted to say but kept quiet.

Rhobart turned and looked into her eyes, "Thank you. I am better now."

Ayla nodded. She was glad that he was feeling better and hoped that one day he could tell her about his past.

"Are you going to kiss her anytime soon?" Daya's voice sounded next to them.

Ayla blushed, and Rhobart groaned.

"Go away, Daya!" he growled.

"Look at her, Rhobart. She wants you to kiss her!"

"Daya!" Ayla said in a scandalized voice.

"But it's true, isn't it?" the tree spirit asked. "And you are dying to kiss her."

"Of course not!" Rhobart denied.

Ayla felt a sharp pain in her heart. She thought that he also wanted to kiss her. How stupid she was.

"I am going to bed," she said.

Ayla turned on her heels and left.

"You are a fool, Rhobart Braveheart!" Daya said.

Ayla went to her blanket and got under it.

Rhobart came to her sleeping spot, "Ayla."

"Go away, Rhobart! I want to sleep."

"I want to tell you something, and I want to look at you when I talk to you."

Ayla hesitated for a long minute before she decided to sit on the blanket.

She looked at Rhobart, "I am listening."

"I –" he swallowed hard and looked away for a few moments. Then he looked back at her, "Tomorrow we have to leave. We already stayed here too long."

Even if she wanted to stay forever in the cave, she knew she had to talk to Milton. And to find Uzriel if she wanted to save Rhobart and the others.

"I understand," Ayla said.

"Ayla–" Rhobart said and looked at her lips.

"Yes?" Ayla asked and bit her lower lip.

"Good night!" he said in a soft voice and went to his blankets.

Sleep came hard that night, and Ayla dreamed about Rhobart kissing her.