Chapter 8: The Palace Garden

Leila wondered if Thorn’s lips were generating a kind of magical power, making hers reluctant to part from them.

When she was little, Leila loved to collect cookie wrappers, as each one was inscribed with short tale. Among all the stories, her favorite had always been about the romance between the dragon queen and king. She often imagined what her own first kiss would be like, visualizing the circumstances, the emotions, and, most importantly, the person she would share it with. But she had never had the opportunity with anyone other than Arthur, the milk boy. Despite his decent looks, he would always only be a friend. Even if she had the choice, she would have turned him down.

But she has never expected for her first kiss to be stolen by Thorn, even if everything felt just right. The slight moisture, feathery softness, and his pristine, fresh breath enveloped the brief kiss. Furthermore, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity that caused Leila to linger there.

Thorn was also in utter shock, but he gave in to his guilty pleasure. He had been dying to kiss her cherry-colored lips since they encountered one another, a thought that was always at the back of his mind. Even if she was his fated mate, he knew he had to be patient and let her get used to his company; when the time was right, he would make his move. But he never expected her to do first, and so soon. It could certainly accelerate their relationship, which was exactly what he wanted.

Without notice, a white parrot landed on the terrace and fluttered its wings. It waddled along the ground and its loud cawing pulled the two of them back to their awkward reality.

“Er…” Leila straightened her upper body at once and tried to got up with the support of her arms, “Geez, I’m so sorry!”

Thorn felt a primal desire rise up within him when he laid eyes on her peachy cheeks. He supported his body with one hand on the bed and grabbed her arm with the other. “If you want to get intimate with me, just say so. I won’t refuse.”

“That was never my intention!” Leila blushed even more.

“If you say so…” Thorn teased.

“I tripped on this long robe of yours!”

Thorn lifted one brow. “So this is my fault, then?”

Leila sat uptight, not realizing she was still sitting across his lap. “Well…you’re the one who just destroyed my aunt’s house, so you’re not completely innocent.”

“Yes,” the corner of Thorn’s lips curved upwards, “I’m sorry about that. I’ll find a way to repay you.”

He looked deep into her eyes.

The parrot had flown away. Silence fell over them again. Leila could hear her heart pounding loudly.

Thorn broke the silence. “Could you please move your hand then? You’re making it very hard to refrain from what I would like to do to you. ”

Leila looked down and realized that her hand was resting right on the center of his loins. Beneath his thin pants, she felt an enormous, hard bulge. She immediately withdrew her hand and got off the bed. “Sorry… I didn’t realize...” The sensation of his erection still lingered on her hand.

Thorn stood up with a half-smile. He leaned close and whispered into her ear, “It’s late. Have a good rest.” Then, he walked out of the room and into another one across the hall.

Finally, Leila was on her own again. She closed the door and got in bed. She buried her face in the pillows, feeling like she could die from embarrassment. But the pillow smelled exactly like him—the earthy scent of burning wood. Their kiss had permanently inked itself onto her heart. A sense of amiable warmth spread across her. With the sound of the ocean waves crossing onto the beach, her eyelids drooped, then finally, she fell asleep.

Leila felt like a feather hovering in midair. A subtle, sweet breeze tickled her cheeks, the side of her legs, and the tip of her toes. It was a good night’s sleep indeed. A sense of longing pinned her to the comfortable bed. She could have laid there the entire day. Then, she suddenly realized that she was still in Thorn’s bedchamber.

She walked to the terrace. The sun gracefully embraced the crystal blue brine of the ocean. Clusters of seagulls rested on the nearby beach. His image invariably drifted into her mind. She bit her lower lip, as if the kiss still lingered there. She wondered whether Thorn had woken up yet. She had to talk to him about her aunt’s house; she knew she couldn’t stay at the palace forever.

Just as she was about to step outside, she heard a noise. Someone was talking outside the door, in the hallway. She put her ear to the cold, heavy door.

“Why did you come out of this room?” A man voiced.

“The prince slept in this room last night, Chamberlain.” A woman answered obediently.

“Oh? That’s odd.”

“Please don’t.” The woman seemingly stopped him from entering the bedchamber that Leila was in. “The prince has ordered us to stay away from this room while he is gone with the Royal Garrison.”

“Really?” the man drawled, “Well then, thank you for the heads up. Now, come on, the gardeners have arrived. Please distribute the overalls to them.”

Leila heard them leaving. It seemed that no one in this castle knew about her yet; she preferred it that way.

She opened the door slightly. Standing in the doorway behind them, Leila observed that the pair wore white robes with silver sashes. However, the woman wore fewer bracelets on her arms than the chamberlain.

The hallway had the same level of splendor as the room. The walls and ceilings were painted with mythical art of dragons and their descendants. The hallway branched off in three directions: left, right, and forward. Each one seemed endless.

A purple butterfly had suddenly appeared from nowhere and it danced in the air. Leila was intrigued by its unusual hue, stepping out of the room to get a clearer view. Then, a mixture of fresh grass and aromatic flowers wafted right through her nostrils.

She had never smelled such an exotic and intense flowery scent. She guessed that it must have come from the garden those two had just mentioned, and she was dying to take a peek. She walked in the shadows, as briskly and quietly as she could.

She quickly headed towards the smell and started to go down the stairs. Each step was long and wide, neatly stacked one after the other. Her bare feet felt a rough yet ticklish sensation against the sandstone. She climbed downwards for quite a while.

Then, a garden unfolded before her eyes. There were green bushes with wide leaves that were even taller than Leila herself. Yellow orchids and white lilies bloomed everywhere. Sleek pebble pathways snaked beautifully through the garden.

Leila was captivated. She saw the purple butterfly dancing on the white flower petals. Following it, she came to the other side of the garden. A huge, golden fountain was gracefully located at the center of a plaza, surrounded by green walls. A statue was placed on top of it. Leila continued forward and to look at it more carefully. She recognized it at once. It was the black dragon Thorn had shifted into.

“Attention!” The man from before shouted out somewhere behind the lush greens. Leila quickly hid herself.

“You were all lucky to be hired for work in the castle today. As you may know, stringent rules are in place here. No snooping. No chatting. No wandering around. Only focus the work you are being paid for in the garden. Food and water will be distributed at noon. Now, line up! Position yourselves at the nearby flowerbeds.”

All of the gardeners then followed their orders and stood by. They all looked incredibly serious, as if they were taking on a great, honorable job. The chamberlain then nodded over to the other servants. They pulled aside several large cloths, covering rows of carriages parked in the garden. Everyone exclaimed and marveled at what they saw. Lilacs, purple roses, hydrangeas, and numerous other flowers were presented before them, petals waving in the soft ocean breeze. The flowers themselves were a sea of floral fragrance.

“Plant them all. Get it done before sunset. Begin!” the chamberlain shouted. Everyone immediately started to work. Leila was thrilled to see flowers like this. She involuntarily went over to a pot placed nearest her and bent down. She put her nose to one of the blooms. The light, sweet scent traveled all the way from her nostrils into her bones. Her cheeks flushed with the same color.

Suddenly, Leila heard someone shout behind her. The voice belonged to the chamberlain. “Don’t move!”