Chapter 65

Even in Nordarm was already the Cold Season in Nordmar, and the day was warmed than usual. Rhobart took off his gloves and interlaced his fingers with Ayla.

"Is there something you want to see?" Rhobart asked while they left the Clan Hall behind.

Ayla looked around, but she didn't know what they could see or do.

She finally looked at Rhobart, "I don't know." She bit her lower lip, "I am still learning about things I can see and do."

Rhobart pulled her in for a kiss. Ayla tried to push him away, ashamed that people would see them, "Rhobart! People are looking at us!"

"Let them look, t'xoria. They will only see a man kissing the woman he loves," Rhobart said. And then he claimed her mouth and pushed his tongue deep inside her mouth. Ayla wanted to push him away, but instead, her hands grabbed his cloak, anchoring herself to Rhobart. Her worry about people looking at them faded away as she only thought about Rhobart and his mouth kissing her. She even felt her soul reach for his soul. Her heart beat faster and faster as if it was trying to tell her something.

Rhobart pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

"He is eating her!" Ayla suddenly heard one of the twins speaking.

Rhobart broke the kiss, and Ayla buried her face in his chest, ashamed that the Paladins saw them kissing. The King put his arms around her.

"Want to bet he is going to throw Ayla over his shoulder and run back to the Clan Hall and right up the stairs with her?" the other twin said, and Ayla felt her face burning.

"He would have just done that if you two would not have ruined the moment," Ayla heard Tizgar say.

"I think you three are forgetting with whom you are talking to!" Rhobart growled. "And you are making Ayla feel uncomfortable!"

The Paladins laughed.

"Us? Never!" the twins said. "We are very fond of the princess."

Ayla turned her head and looked at the twins. They appeared to be sincere.

"Me too," her reply came, and the twins smiled at her.

"We are going to drink. Do you want to join us?" Tizgar asked Rhobart.

"Drink where?" the King asked.

"The Three sisters!" Eude said.

"I am not taking Ayla there!" Rhobart growled.

"Why? Afraid she will see how other people fuck?" Eude asked. Tizgar smacked his head. "What did I say this time?" the Paladin complained.

"Are you sure you want to take these two with you to the Monastery?" Tizgar asked Rhobart, ignoring Eude.

"I am starting to think that I should take other Paladins with me," the King said.

"You already said we can come! We want to see the female novices!" Hudde complained.

Tizgar rolled his eyes, and Ayla giggled.

Rhobart shook his head in disapproval, "Sometimes you two don't act like adults at all!"

"You mean they never act like adults," Tizgar snorted. "Well, if you are not coming along, we will leave."

Rhobart looked at Ayla, "Today, I want to spend it only with Ayla."

Kerra, who up until then stood silent at the feet of Rhobart, growled.

Rhobart sighed, "With you too, Kerra!"

The Paladins left, and Rhobart once again interlaced his finger with Ayla.

"I have heard there's a puppet theater in the Clan today. Do you want to see it?" Rhobart asked once they started walking. Kerra trotted slowly after them.

When Ayla was a child and her mother still lived, she used to love seeing puppet theater. They would usually come to the castle and perform for the entire court.

"I would love to see it! When I was little, I used to enjoy seeing all kinds of plays in the puppet theater."

As Rhobart led Ayla to where the show was being held, she realized how little she knew about him. And she wanted to know everything about the man she loved.

"How were you like as a child?" Ayla asked.

"You want to know about me as a child? Well, I have always been serious. My father used to tell me that when I came into the world, I had a big scowl on my face," Rhobart told Ayla, and she giggled. "He was a good man, my father." Rhobart's throat bobbed. "He died too early. Same as my mother."

"How old were you when they died?"

"My father died during a big battle close to here. My mother got wounded badly in the same battle and died a few days later. I was only seventeen at the time."

Ayla squeezed his hand, "I am sorry that you lost them in such a tragic way, and I wished I could have met them."

Rhobart smiled and looked at the sky, "My father liked you, but my mother adored you. She was so happy when she first met y–" He stopped talking and clenched his jaw.

Ayla stopped walking, "I don't remember meeting your parents."

She tried to remember if she had ever met Rhobart's parents. Even him before. Could she have met him and just forgotten all about it? But then why hasn't Rhobart said anything about it?

"What I mean was that my father would have liked you for sure, but my mother would have adored you from the moment she would have seen you. She always wanted a daughter," Rhobart said, not looking at her.

"Oh! I thought we had met before, but somehow I had forgotten about it," Ayla said.

Rhobart looked at her then, with eyes full of pain. He cupped her cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb.

"Sometimes, I wish to tell you so many things."

"What things?" Ayla asked.

Rhobart shook his head, "It does not matter anymore, t'xoria. I am tired of being angry and bitter all the time, so I decided to leave the past in the past and move on. This is a new beginning for you and me. I just want to be happy with you, Ayla."

Ayla looked into Rhobart's eyes and spoke from the heart, "We will be happy. We will grow old together. Remember?"

Rhobart pulled her in for another kiss. He took his time, savoring her, tasting her.

When he fisted his hand in her braids and pulled gently, Ayla found herself staring into two pools of blackness.

"You are mine, Ayla! Now and forever!"

He kissed her again but gently, taking his time.

When Ayla's lips were swollen, Rhobart finally stopped and rested his forehead against hers.

"We better find that puppet theater. Otherwise, I will throw you over my shoulder and run back to the Clan Hall," he said in a deep voice.