My dearest,

It has been a fortnight since I have seen your face, and my body, my soul, it aches to see you again, to hear you, to taste your sweet lips. Every moment we are apart my heart falls deeper into a despair that only you can pull it forth.

Do meet me tonight where the rose bushes meet the fountain when the sun kisses the sky goodnight. I will wait for you.

Your beloved,

Edward.

My hands shook with anticipation as I read the note in my hands over, and over again. When Tsar had handed me the sealed letter in my chambers I had not expected it to be a letter from Edward.

As he had said in his letter, we had not seen one another in a fortnight. Two whole weeks we had been apart. He had training, I had my duties.

I looked outside the window, the sky had become a mixture of light pinks and blues, telling me that it would be dark within the next ten minutes or even less. Which also told me with Edward had planned for me to scramble, or Tsar had given me the note late.

Which I wouldn't put past my "squire". He refuses to be called by anything else. He could be quite the pain in the backside when he wished to be.

Quickly I half haphazardly fastened my open tunic and threw on the robe I had been wearing earlier in the day. The blue tunic went well with the brown robe that had gone with the outfit I was wearing this morning for tea with my father.

Not being one for fashion I huffed and made my way out of my chambers and followed the back staircase into my mother's garden, where I nearly ran — it was more of an ugly sprint to the place I was to meet Edward.

My mother's garden was lavish, high green hedges made a maze around the yard with a cobblestone pathway to follow. Every so often you would run into a clearing that had cement benches and flowers dressing around it. But the best part of the garden was the center.

Making my way there I was disappointed to find I had gotten there before Edward. But it gave me a moment to embrace my favourite spot.

The large water fountain spits water into the air and it landed into the round pool that held a mixture of large goldfish and koi fish that were tended to almost every day by the gardener. The center was shaped into a circle. Unlike the clearing that was shaped into squares. Rose bushes bloomed with beautiful pink, white and red flowers as hummingbirds and butterflies danced the music that we couldn't hear.

The hedges parted in three spaces. And in each section, before an exit was a bench. Each bench was marked with an initial. C. Of Dallington. O. Of Dallington and I. Of Trinbent.

I was busy in my thoughts of the garden that when I felt a tap on my shoulder I yelped like a young child and jumped to see the face I had grown to love.

Though at that moment the face was laughing and I felt nothing but great displeasure for it.

"You- You sounded like a child who just seen Mr. Cobblestone in an ally at night after a pint to many." Edward laughed, his head tipping forward, his black hair falling down into his face with it. Though Edward didn't have long hair, his bangs tented to grown out fasting then the rest of his hair leaving his blue eyes hidden until his step-sister took the clippers to it. Which I hope she planned to do soon.

"That's not funny." I huffed crossing my arms over my chest.

"Oh don't be so foolish." Edward scolded playfully. I had gone to take a step towards him, but Edward held a hand up to stop me. Confused I raise an eyebrow the taller man.

"We can not risk being seen embracing one another. I've only just finished my training and it would be a shame if the other men thought I was getting special treatment due to sleeping with you. That and I've seen Harlow head in the east hall windows twice now. She's not a very good spy that cousin of yours."

I laughed. It was true Harlow had a knack for being nosy. She liked to keep in everyone's business. She was more than half the reason why I had a lock on my door.

"Well, then what is our plan to do?"

"I was thinking, we'd meet here. Discuss strategies. Then leave for a more privet setting, perhaps your chambers. Get us a cuppa and, discuss some more." The smile on his face turned into a devilish smirk as his teeth peeked out from between his lips and his hair danced slowly in the wind.

I didn't understand how someone so magnificent could love someone such as myself. Of sure, I had money, I had power. But Edward. Edward saw passed all that. He didn't treat me as if I was wealth. But only as if I was a human being who had a need for love. For company.

With a shy smile on my face, I took a step towards the exit before looking back at Edward. "Well, then why are we standing around here? Let us go have some tea."

As we rounded the hallway to my chambers Edward was wise enough to stop Mary-Ellen, a young bed maid who mostly catered to my mother than myself. As she hurried off to the kitchens Edward and I stepped into my room and lightly shut the door behind us.

It was only then our true feelings were let be.

Before I could even strip off my robe Edward's hands were on my face, cupping me in his hands as his lips pressed to mine. Numbly, almost automatically my hands pressed to the front of his tunic wishing so badly to strip him of it but knowing that someone was to soon come with our drinks.

The kiss itself was heated. It made the blood run hot in my veins as Edward pushed forward so much that my back had hit the wall. Careful as we were to keep ourselves dress the strings to my tunic still managed to become undone.

Minutes later while my lips were pressed to Edward's neck there was a loud knock on the door. "Your majesty. I've come with your tea as requested by Ser Talbot." Tsar's voice called through the large wooden door.

Pulling apart I watched as Edward walked with long strides to the door, he was graceful and everything any man would want to be. He had an air of confidence to him that made even myself feel in-superior. He patted down his hair, sending me a quick from over his shoulder before opening the door and letting Tsar in with his tray in hand.

"I'd half the mind to call Lady Olivia to come up for a visit. We all know she has no use for a door unless she is the one behind it." Tsar said snidely. Tsar was a smart mouth, it mostly got him into trouble but not enough to have him leave the home. His mother was my mother's bed maiden until her death, which was also the day Tsar was born. He was a couple of years older than myself, but he wasn't much taller. My mother always said he had his mother's hazel eyes, but his father's dirty hair. I for one liked his hair, which he had styled loosely around his head, shorter in the front than in the back. There has never been a tome Tsar was not around for myself or my family.

"Oh stop your poppycock and pour us some tea. Dash of sugar in mine Taz, I'm feeling as if some sweets would do me well tonight." Remarked Edward as he sat in one of my two dark Louis XV armchair in the corner of the room alongside a matching tea table that sat just left of my fireplace.

Tsar rolled his eyes and let out a rather loud sigh just to prove his annoyance with us calling for tea when he knew better. After pouring the hot water and mixing the teacups I held my tea up to my lips, blowing lightly before taking my first sip.

"Thank you, Taz. You're dismissed." I added

"Now," Edward said setting his cup on the small plate that sat on his lap. "Shall we continue our discussion?"

Finished: 10.15.17

Published: 12.01.19

Word count: 1455