Mina tried to grab Jayden's hand, but he put an arm behind her knees and the other on her back and lifted her. "I would much prefer to carry you. The ground is slippery, and if you fall and hurt yourself once more, I might lose it and take you directly to the Crystal Cave. But it wouldn't be fair to you to skip all the courting and..." He stared at the canopy above them. "I want to show you, you are more than the female who shares my bed. That I am a suitable mate for you."
"Jayden," Mina said softly and waited until Jayden's golden eyes were on hers before continuing to talk. "You have already proven yourself to me. Many times over. If you want, you can take me to the cave. I am ready."
Jayden appeared to think for a moment. "Let's see what the pixies want to show you."
Behind oaks and evergreen trees, close to the edge of the forest, was a small orchard. Cherries, pears, apples, and other fruit trees were blooming, and the pixies rested between the branches. Mina looked around, a smile on her lips. "I am glad there are magic crystals everywhere. That way, I can see how beautiful the island is," she said over her shoulder.
Pixies picked flowers from the apple trees and placed them in Mina's hair. "I love how your hair smells like apples. They are my favorite fruit." He walked up to one of the trees, took something out of a small hollow, and returned to Mina. "When I was still a child, my mother rarely had the money to buy apples for me. A wild apple tree used to grow next to one of the Fire Churches at the port. My mother would sweep the courtyard, and often, she would receive the fruits from that tree instead of coins. I knew she tried her best to raise me and put food on the table, and I always ate the wild apples she brought home, reassuring her they were the sweetest I had ever eaten. Now, I have enough money to never be hungry again, but tonight I would like to share something with you that cost me nothing."
Jayden put his right hand in the air, his palm facing up—a small wild apple rested in the middle of it. He offered Mina the first bite, and her eyes lit up with joy when the sweet taste reached her tongue. Jayden was right—it was the most delicious fruit she had ever eaten. After he ate his share, she brushed her lips against his. She didn't need to say anything—she could see in his eyes that he understood her feelings.
"You are like this apple, Mina. Wild, free, and sweet. And so beautiful."
"Then I am your kind of apple?"
Jayden laughed. "You are the apple I could eat daily for the rest of my life. And I would always crave more."
Mina bit her lip. "Then you are my apple, too."
Next, the Pixies led Mina and Jayden to a pond. Swans slept peacefully in their nests or in the water, unaware of Mina and Jayden. A chair sat close to the shore, a basket next to it. Jayden sat on it with Mina across his lap. From the basket, he took out a small watermelon and a knife. He offered the first slice to Mina, and they ate in silence while looking at the swans.
A few drops of juice fell from Mina's lips, rolling on her neck and lower until they disappeared in the valley between her breasts. Jayden growled before bending over and licking her skin, tracing the path the juice left on her body with his tongue, starting with her breasts. When he reached her neck, he sucked her delicate skin until he left a red mark on it. Mina moaned softly.
Jayden breathed her in. "Little lamb," he purred before kissing the corner of her mouth. "This is how you taste each time I kiss you," he said before his tongue plunged into her mouth.
The slice she was holding fell from her hand as she put her arms around his neck. "Jayden," his name a plea on her lips.
"Not yet, Mina," his reply barely a whisper.
But Mina wanted more. She was ready to take the next step. If she were totally honest, she had been ready for weeks. "Take me to the Crystal Cave," she begged of him before kissing him with all she had.
He groaned, his tongue spearing into her mouth. Mina put a hand between them and wrapped her fingers around his hard cock.
"Mina! Gods!" His voice betrayed how much he wanted her.
"I want this, Jayden."
He fisted her hair—which was still braided—and forced her to stare into his eyes. She moved her hand up and down his erection. "Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?" She bit her lip and shook her head. "I think you know exactly what you are doing," he purred and removed her hand. "Don't worry, I will give it to you once we are in the Crystal Cave. The Trials are not finished." He stood. "Let's walk around the shore of the lake. It is close by."
A fishing boat was tied to a tree, and the pixies beckoned Jayden and Mina to get in. When Jayden started rowing, the pixies followed them. A few sat on Mina's shoulders or lap while the rest flew in front of the boat.
They were in the middle of the lake when Jayden suddenly stopped rowing and stared into the water. "Did you see that?" he asked.
"What?" Mina looked at the lake, but she saw nothing.
"There!" Jayden said before jumping off the boat.
"Jayden!" Mina screamed and looked at the water but could not see him.
She wasn't a good swimmer and was rather scared of getting into deep waters. Inoss knew what sort of creatures lurked in Ucias Lake. There were old tales of enormous snakes and other monsters, and if any attacked Jayden...
The pixies tried to keep her calm, but she was worried sick for Jayden.
Mina was about to jump when Jayden broke the surface of the water. She let out a cry of relief. He put a small wooden chest in the boat before getting in.
"Jayden! Don't ever do that to me again! I was scared something would happen to you!" Mina scolded him before leaning in to kiss him.
"No matter what, I will always return to you," he said before opening the chest.
Rings, bracelets, golden coins, and other trinkets were inside, but what stood out was a necklace made of small ivory pearls with a big teardrop pearl pendant. Next to it were matching earrings.
When the necklace adorned Mina's neck and the earring hung from her ears, Jayden brushed the tip of his fingers on her cheek. "No matter how hard life gets, I will always provide for you and our children."
"And for that, you had to jump into the lake and scare the life out of me?"
"Had to. There are many treasures at the bottom." Mina looked at the chest, her eyes big. Jayden laughed. "If I had known what lay in these waters, I would not have been poor as a child. I enjoyed collecting mussels and finding pearls inside. When I made the necklace, I could hardly wait to see it around your neck."
Mina touched the pearls. "You made this for me?"
"As part of the Trials of the Land. I wish I had more time to do more things for you." Jayden shrugged and rowed to the shore. "I hope you like the little I could do for our courting."
"What else did you make with your own hands?" asked Mina. She could see he was debating telling her the truth.
"Everything that you received this night was my doing," replied Jayden after a minute of thinking.
"The watermelon?"
"I never thought it would be so relaxing to plant vegetables. Or flowers. The tricky part was convincing the pixies to help me." Mina looked at the little magic beings—they were still flying around the boat. "They seem to like you. It took me weeks before I could get close to them."
"I never thought this was what you meant by the Trials of the Land. But why the name?"
"Because everything I give you tonight had to be made by me with things found in the forest or grown in gardens and so on. I might have cheated with the pearls..."
"What about the dress?" she asked, and Jayden nodded. "But you said you would buy it!"
"I only purchased the silk. Ocxoa females helped me do the rest."
"When did you have time to do all this?" Jayden smirked. "You weren't trying to catch pocket thieves!"
Jayden laughed. "I would come to the island and prepare things for our mating night while Shaun and the others patrolled the port."
"Why so much trouble for me?"
"Because you are worth it. And I want you to smile each day."
Mina sighed. "Even if we lived in a cottage and dressed in rags, I would be happy."
The boat reached shore, and Jayden helped Mina get out.
"I know you would, but my mate will always receive the best!" He stared into her eyes. "Mina, it is time."