“There are lots of things I could show you that would put you into awe.” There was a tad bit of mischievousness when she said that. Who knew if those thoughts were entirely innocent or if she had meant it to come off as seductive.

His suggestion made her smile. “All you ever have to do is ask and I’ll say yes.” It was a simple answer but she was fluid as she followed his movements. Greens studied blues and she held him close. She was quick to loosen herself as he spun her. The second time she hit his chest and she smiled up towards him. It was a slow movement and one that she enjoyed as they were almost kissing in the garden. That was when Ana had shown up and she let out a small chuckle at their inconvenience. 

Lily took a step away from Clyde as if giving him his own space. She offered a smile to Ana as she thought about it. “Well, the bazaar would be the best place to go. You can find almost anything there and the tailors here in the city are some of the best outside of Abed.” 

She went to take Ana and Clyde there when Clyde gently took her arm in his. She snuggled her gold curls into his shoulder and gave him a smile before leading them out back into the most colorful part of Arri. Every stall was a different color and there were times when some of the stalls were a rainbow of colors. There was a large fountain in the middle of the bazaar with a mother holding her child. Lily stopped to admire it and was greeted by some people from her court. She kept Clyde close as they were in the busiest part of Arri.

“You could get lost in this crowd. This is the busiest part of the day here in the bazaar.”

As they entered the bazaar, Lily stayed close to Clyde. He was started to feel really comfortable with her being by his side. He liked it. The smell of roses that came from her soon mingled with the smell of the people and food around them. The smell of different food being made, different types of flowers hit his nose as they entered. Lily spoke, mostly to Anastasia Clyde thought. Ana just nodded with a smile. Trying to stay close to them, she walked on the other side of Clyde. 

“If I get lost, i’ll just find you both again. You do stick out like a sore thumb.” She joked with a smile. Mostly because some really attractive men started to come over to them. Not for her brother and herself, but for the queen. They were trying to give her gifts, but she refused them. Maybe on Clyde’s account? Ana didn’t know. At least she wasn’t trying to make Clyde jealous, or that is what she thought. 

Clyde’s eyes watched as the men came before them for Lily, they continued to offer her gifts and he didn’t understand his feelings. He started to grow annoyed, this was their time. He should've understood that she was the Queen, this was bound to happen sometime. With a mental sigh, he looked away from the on going sutors. 

As they walked down the rows of sellers, he was about to yell at yet another man coming to give her gifts. He decided to go a different route, he figured Lily didn’t want him to make a scene. As he looked at the items on the tables, he spotted one that would look beautiful on her. A hand bracelet that looped around a finger. Handing the selling a few coins, he turned to her and showed her. He didn’t wait for her to say no, but slipped it onto her hand. The diamonds seem to glow in the light of the day. The next item he found was jewlery to wear on her feet. She was always barefoot. He smiled as he spotted something that looked like a crown. The silver was swirled in circles and on the front was a few white gems. That was just like he. Simple but beautiful. Slipping it on top of her head, he stared into her eyes. “Beautiful. It fits you.” 

Then made their way through more of the shops and finally stopped at the one with dresses. One stress stood out to him. It was a grayish blue that draped over her shoulders and around her legs. It was perfect for her. So he bought it as well. Seeing her son, he called him over and asked him to take the dress to the castle. He had agreed and walked off with the item after his mother admired it. 

Clyde didn’t realize that his sister had wandered off on her own, but the queen was still there before him. Looking back over to her he smiled, “I hope you liked all your gifts.” He said as he took her hand again and draped it around his arm. He almost froze for a moment. He had been jealous of the men. "What the heck?" He thought as he walked along side her. There was no doubt that he liked her now. Looking down at her, he wanted to change his thoughts. "Would you like to sit and eat?"

When the men started to come over to her Lily got really humble. She would wave her hand at them and tell them no thank you. It was a shut down and most of them walked away upset but Lily fully understood their reasonings. She wasn’t interested in furthering someone up the wealth tree especially not in Arri where wealth was so readily available. She took a few moment to deeply breath as they finally escaped the swelling number of men.

Humble Lily stared at the gift that he put on her wrist and blushed like it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She of course had always been around such things but it didn’t measure up to the feeling she got when others gifted her things. Clyde’s gifts were full of emotion and she could almost see it in his eyes. As soon as she had started to accept his gifts the others drifted away. There would be others to try and court. She let him put the circlet on top of her head and she stared at herself in a little hand mirror. “I do love it Clyde. Thank you.” She reached up and kissed his cheek to the dismay of the remaining others.

She stood for a long time to admire the dress he had gotten for her. He read her so well in the styles of everything he had picked out. The dress and it’s color would look lovely on her especially for Court meetings. She greeted her son with a kiss as he took the things away. Blushing she nodded to Clyde. “You put such thought into every single thing.” She tightened her arm around his and gave him a smile. “Of course I did. You put such thought into them how could I not like them.” She reached up and kissed his cheek once more.

She rested her head against his shoulder and nodded. “I would love to get something to eat. Today have been a very busy day.” She helped him find a small cafe near the edge of the bazaar and found them seats. She stared at into the crowd and frowned. “Arri is one male to every ten females. To have a son is a miracle here. Cursed blood they say. So men try to court higher lines to get higher up in rank. When queens are open they go for them. Of the five queens only two aren’t married. Myself and Cathrine. Cathrine doesn’t entertain them and is off-putting. I suppose I am the friendly of the two to approach. Of Angela’s hundred or so children she’s had less than ten sons. That is why they swarm here in the bazaar trying to find good wives that come from good bloodlines. The women of Arri can be scary, especially warriors like Toya. Most of them are survivors. They were sex slaves, slaves, farmers, abused, whatever you can think of that’s what most Rosenites were before they were turned. They came here to be saved. Men come to visit and often leave women pregnant. It helps keep our numbers but marriages are so few that it does get a bit weird around here. I’m sorry if they bothered you Clyde.” Green eyes stared back at him now as she smiled.

She ordered them a small tray of food and tea. They could at least eat a small dinner here in the bazaar.

Letting her lead the way, Clyde walked beside Lily. They made their way to a small cafe near the end of the bazaar. As they reached the table, he pulled out the chair for her to sitdown, then took his seat before her. She soon started to talk about herself and her sister. He listened. “It was no bother at all.” He said covering his feelings. “You are a beautiful woman.” He smiled at her as he gave her a comment. The jewelry he gifted her made her eyes shine a brighter. “Hmm… some men don’t know how to treat women. They’re are much more than a excuse me, pair of legs. As some would call women. You are all beautiful creatures who deserve a man who will love you and never leave.” He voiced his opinion.

Clyde was glad she liked his gifts. She made a comment about him that made him smile. It was true he put thought in everything he bought. His father always told him a gift wasn’t worth giving if your heart wasn’t in it. “My father always told me a gift isn’t worth giving if your heart isn’t in it.” His eyes seem to go to a different place as he talked about his father. “He showed me how a man should love a woman….. I remember how much he loved my mother. He showed her every day. He wouldn’t leave without a kiss, would always tell her she was beautiful inside and out, he would randomly dance with her to make her smile..he was always trying to make her smile….The way he looked at her was like nothing in the world matter.” He paused with a small  laugh. “Besides my sisters and I.” His father was a distant memory he loved to visit.

He looked at her and decided to share something he never told anyone before. “My father and mother were an arranged marriage. See.. He was the only son of a king and she a princess. The land they rolled was small, but they were kind and amazing rulers. Until we were invaded and everything my sisters and I knew was gone… “ It didn’t hurt as much as it used to. He grew used to these memories. If this didn’t happen to him then he wouldn’t be here today. With Lily. “I don’t call myself a prince any longer. That is in the past.” He said as he took a sip of tea and ate a small finger sandwich and a few snacks that were on the plate.

When they finished eating, he stood pushed out from the table and stood. Grabbing her hand he smiled as he pulled her to her feet. “Shall we dance?” He knew he would never say no to a dance so he kissed her hand and lead her to the quick paced. They danced around keeping up with the people around them. He was new to their dances but remembered them from a week ago when he learned.

In the middle of it all, his eyes locked with hers. The music played behind him and her eyes were beautiful. She was beautiful in his eyes. He didn’t want to wait any longer or be interrupted again. Taking her face within his hands, he leaned down and suddenly kissed her.

Anastasia stared at them from the edge of the dance area. Her jaw dropped. "He can't get attached! Come-on Clyde! Seriously?!?!?!" Her mind blew up. What was he doing? This wasn't the time for love. It never was. They moved around too much to love. Especially, a woman like her. She was a queen who thought she was high and mighty. She wasn't the woman for him. She had to break this up before it got anymore serious, but she couldn't get to them. The crowd around them grew. Everyone wanted to see who the Queen had kissed.

Lily chuckled a bit at his statement and nodded. “Here in Arri it could be said to be the reverse. If a woman is approached for marriage it is very rare and they do tend to accept it. I just don’t want to marry the first, second, or thirtieth man who asks me to marry him without knowing him.”

Nodding the Yellow Queen looked back on her own parents. “I remember my parents being that way. Slavers are a problem around here for the desert folk. My father, first born male of the family, found my mother dying in the desert from a slave attack. He saved her life and turned her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen love like that since. They died during Adeluna’s attack on Arri. They were protecting the five of us here in the city.”

The woman picked up her cup of tea as soon as it was served and quietly sipped on it. “We never wanted to rule us five. However, my grandmother wanted the city divided up as it was easier to manage that way. We can be children sometimes with each other but we all want to protect Arri no matter how much we want to nitpick. How we pick queens here in Arri is… different. Not just any child can be named heir. The spirits of Arri test the new monarch and if they fail they lose the right to rule. You have to be one with the spirits here in Arri. Angela passed with flying colors as you can imagine. Each court has a different test. A different way for the spirits to test and see if you are good enough.”

She felt silly explaining it to an outsider but she just gave him a smile. “Someday I’ll tell you more about how it works.” When he asked her if she wanted to dance he had already known the answer. For her, that was a good sign it meant that he was a fast learner and she enjoyed that about him. 

Lily was caught off guard by his sudden movements against the dancing but she returned his kiss and put her hands on top of his. It was long and when he tried to pull away she was quick to bring him back for another. The women around them grew close-knit as they got curious about Clyde. The flower vendor was quickly sold out as they proceeded to toss the fine flowers at them. Lily laughed and she held herself close to Clyde. “Maybe we should go back to the manor. It feels a tad crowded.” She pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear.

“I feel like we have things to talk about.” Her green eyes were very happy as she held him close in the crowd.

Lily tasted sweet as Clyde kissed her passionately. Their kiss was long and everything around them melted away. Clyde didn’t care for the people around them, all he cared for was the kiss he was sharing with one of the Queen’s of Arri. He pulled away to breath, and to look down at Lily. Instead she pulled him down for another kiss. This time he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He soon pulled away and she poke. He stared down at her with a small smile. He was happy.

With a nod at her words, he pulled her close to him as they started to walk out of the crowd. Now the men knew why she had denied their gifts. Making their way through the crowd with her arm looped through his, he spotted his sister, and she didn’t look happy. They were soon engulfed in the crowd. His sister tried to make her way through the falling flowers and the people, but she ended up giving up. She would speak to him at the castle. That must of been where they were going. Taking a different way than them she made her way back to where she would be staying for the night, the castle.

Little did his sister know, Clyde and Lily didn’t go to the castle. They turned down a different path to Lily’s home. As they walked, the crowd soon dispersed as people left for their own homes. The sun was setting and it was time for sleep. The night chill made the his feet walk a bit faster then his slow pace. He wasn’t sure what they were going to talk about, the kiss of course, but what was there to say?

As they entered the manor it was dark and no one roamed the halls to greet them. They did stop by unexpectedly. They didn’t know the queen was going to be there or the house would be ready.

Making his way into the living room area, he threw a few longs into the fireplace. Instead of lighting it with sparks, the elemental held out his hand and fire shot out onto the wood. The fire rose and lit up the dark living room area. Standing from his spot besides the fireplace, he looked over at her, the fire lit up her eyes and made her hair even golden. Her skin seemed to glow as he made his way to her. He didn’t say a word as he leaned down and kissed her. This one was softer, instead of the hard kiss they shared earlier.

Running his hands up her arms, he looped his fingers under the straps of her gown. As he kissed her, he moved his lips down the side of her face to her neck. He kissed her softly then stopped for a moment to look into her eyes. He wanted to make sure this was okay. She didn’t say no, so he moved to the couch, he grabbed the blanket that was on the back of the couch onto the ground along with the drape pillows. Moving back to her he kissed her again and moved her before the fireplace where he laid the pillows.

Clyde’s lips made their way down her neck and to her shoulder, he slowly moved the strap of her gown off and did the same to the next. Her dress fell off her body. He moved her to the floor as he kissed her. He was gentle with her at first the became more passionate. As they finished, he wrapped her up into his arms.

Lily wasn’t upset when the manor wasn’t all ready for her. It was quite the opposite actually. She was happy that they were alone and it appeared that Clyde was as well. She chuckled lightly as he moved them through the house to one of her many sitting areas. It was rather romantic when he lit the log and settled the room. Her green eyes watched him with interest as he watched her. 

Soon he was in her area and they were kissing again. The look in her eyes was enough to tell him this was perfectly fine with her. He left her only to make the situation more comfortable with the pillows on the ground. He was gentle with her at first and she made sure to let him know that she was not fragile. 

She leaned into him and kissed him softly after it was done. Laying soft kisses onto his neck she chuckled and laid her head down on her shoulder. Pulling the extra bit of the blanket she covered them up. There was no reason to even talk anymore as they cuddled on the ground. Sleep came fast and in the morning she woke up before he did. 

She managed to wiggle out of his arms and stole his shirt since it was easier to put on. She found herself in the kitchen and made them a quick breakfast. It took several trips to bring all the trays in so she could lay the spread out on the floor. She lit a candle and chuckled as she came over to Clyde and gently shook him. “Wake up Love. You’ll sleep the day away.” She leaned down and kissed him softly. “I made breakfast. It might not be as great as the house help but I still made some. There are some tea and everything.”

Lily didn’t deny his touch which made him want her more. The night they spent together was an amazing one. All that desire they kept hidden was set forth in one kiss they shared in the bazaar. As they made love, he couldn’t keep his eyes off hers. The feelings that arose within him was nothing he had felt before. He didn’t deny it any longer. He cared for her. He wasn’t sure if it was love, but he did care.

As her wrapped her in his arms, they soon fell asleep. His dreams took him where he hadn’t been in a long time. To his past. The field was full of wild flowers as the sun shone high in the sky. His family was there. Even his sister that had passed away. They laughed as they ran through the flowers chasing each other. It was a great dream. Something he hadn’t had in awhile.

Clyde felt his body shake, and softly blinked open his eyes. If Lily didn’t talk to him while waking him up, she would of had a knife in her throat. As his eyes came into focus, he smiled at her. “Good Morning.” Sitting up, the blanket soon fell off his legs and only covered his private parts. Seeing the food around them, he was a bit shock he didn’t wake up when she moved. He must of been extremely tired…or comfortable around her?

“Thank you.” He said with a smile as he took a sip of tea. Setting it down, he grabbed a strawberry. His favorite fruit. Bringing it to her lips, he let her eat it from his hand. After she bit into the strawberry, he picked up his own and ate one. It was delicious and juicy.

Clyde’s eyes finally noticed what she was wearing, his shirt. A smirk came to his lips seeing her. Her cleavage came out in just the right spot. Reaching forward, he rand his fingers along the button line and let his fingertip grazed her skin. “You look really good in my shirt.” He said leaning in as he kissed her. Slowly, he laid the queen on her back and began to kiss her neck. He wanted her and he was going to have her. Now that he was aloud.

Suddenly, there was three loud knocks at the door. “CLYDE!!!” His sister’s voice echoed through the house. She was loud. “IT’S TIME. GET OUT HERE!” He sighed as he laid his head onto Lily’s neck. Nuzzling it, he sat up and started to put his clothes on. But he was stopped by the fact she was still wearing his shirt. Walking over to her, he kneeled down. “I need that.” He said with a smirk as he leaned in to kiss her. Unbuttoning the few that were left, he slipped it off her shoulders. His lips trailed the side of her neck and to her shoulders. “I’ll see you later.” He whispered into her ear.

The elemental finish dressing and headed out the door. “Took you long enough.” He was greeting by an impatient, arms crossed, Anastasia as she leaned against the wall. “Let’s get going.” Pushing off the wall, she started to walk the path back to the castle. Not caring for how his sister was reacting, he turned around and waved goodbye to Lily.

“You are an idiot.” Ana waited until they were out of earshot of the queen. “You are putting her in danger every minute you spend with her—-Stop your damn grinning.” His sister hit him over the head. “Oh. My. Gosh….YOU!! Seriously Clyde. You are a damn idiot.” Realizing what he had done, she slapped him over the head again. “Hey, stop!” Holding his hands up in defence. He chuckled at his sister. “You jealous, I have someone?” Clyde didn’t pay attention to his sister’s words from before. His mind had been on the night he shared with Lily. The moment he said that, Ana stepped in front of him, her eyes narrowed. “You are putting her in danger. We are not the only immortals from are homeland that are still alive. They hunt us, Clyde. Or did you forget this?” His eyes became serious at her words. “That is in our past. I haven’t seen one of them since I came here. They don’t know where we are, Anastasia.”

“It will always be with us. One day they will find us.” She paused as she looked at Lily’s house in the distance. “You are too good for her, Clyde. She is an high strong ego—–” Clyde brought his hands up to his sister’s lips to quiet her. “She is a great woman. She is strong, king and the best thing for me. I am happy, Anastasia. We can’t put our life on hold because sometime they will find us. Next time they come, we fight.” With that, Clyde walked around his sister. He was done with that conversation.

They walked in silence the rest of the way and until they entered the cell of his daughter. The darkness of the cell cloaked her. “I smell that b***hs c**t all over you.” Angelique didn’t keep her words to herself and she wished she had. Clyde picked up a nearby bucket of holy water and dumped it right over her head. “You feel that pissed about this? Let’s see what else you can feel.” All smile’s were now gone as he spoke to her. Screams echoed through the cells as she was dragged from her spot to be sat and chained to a cell chair. “F**king Jacka**” Angelique coughed out. “Lets begin.” Angelique said with a smile as she splashed more holy water onto the vampire.

Lily chuckled as she bit into the fruit. Looking down in at his shirt she just gave him a smile. “I think I do too.” She was about to roll them over as they kissed when Ana had other ideas. She let out a sigh that could only mean that she was partially annoyed. “Your sister has the best timing ever.” She let his body have a ton of light-loving touches as she teased him. 

“Do you really? It is keeping me nice and warm.” She teased as he took it away from her with a kiss. She leaned into his mouth as he whispered in her ear and she let out a chuckle. “You better come back this time. We have unfinished business now.” She gave him one more kiss before he left. She dressed herself in his old green jacket and hung out at the window as she waved to him. She wondered if he would notice.

After a while, she got dressed in something she didn’t mind getting ruined. She would be helping Clyde today with his daughter. They would have holy water but they wouldn’t have enough. “Rowan, would you help me with this? I would ask Nymphaea but she would be too eager to end up under a spell.” They took a large tub and began to roll it down the dungeon’s steps. Lily let herself into the cell without any words as she ordered the tub down. “Bring the buckets that are upstairs down here and empty them into the pool.”

Turning her head to the situation Lily didn’t smile but she merely pulled her sleeves up. “Holy water will probably be needed a lot more than you brought. Fresh is best. The wards on the water are still there for a few hours.” After Rowan had emptied all of the water into the tub she knelt on the ground and threw her arms into the water. There were light chanting and the room glowed with an awesome holy light.

There were holy runes appearing on the tub around it and before long the light was gone. The water was so clear that it was almost like a mirror. It sparked with an amazing holy power. “It’s strongest now. If you need more I can make it. I wanted to help, it’s the least I can do.” She directed it towards Clyde as she offered up a small smile. She couldn’t do much but this she could do better than anyone in Arri.

“What would mommy thing of you now? F**king another woman? Tsk tsk.” That comment made another water of holy water go over her head. Steam rose up from her body as she let out a scream. “What would your mother think of you? How many lives did you have to take. Margrett would not—” As Clyde started to speak, her saw her eyes glow. “Don’t you dare speak of mother!” Angelique spat out at Clyde. If the hunger wasn’t getting to her, she would of tried to kill  him in that moment. Clyde didn’t stop at Angelique's comments, he kept trying to rise emotions out of her. Right now was only anger and they could work with that.

Hour’s had passed before he saw Lily again, the sun was about to set. She was bring in more holy water for them to use. A smile came to his lips as he saw her. “Oh look, the woman who took pity on a man who is still in love with my mother.” Angelique paused as a smirk came to her lips. “Did he tell you he still loves a dead woman? You couldn’t even compete with someone like her. He will never. Love. You.” Angelique words were meant to hurt the woman before her. She was damn sure it was the truth. “Tell her…Daddy. How you still love mother. How no matter how much she opens her legs, you will never lo–” The rest of the water that was in his bucket was thrown over the vampire again. A hiss came from her mouth as she stared at Clyde.

Clyde soon looked away from her to look Lily. He didn’t want to not acknowledge her presence. Seeing her smile made him smile at her as well. Seeing that smile they shared, Angelique knew that Clyde was in love with her. Anger rose within her as she broke the shackles off with the last bit of her strength and went towards Lily. Her teeth bared and a growl erupting from her throat. The elemental didn’t wait a second to jump between the vampire and Lily.

Instead of Clyde saving Lily, she stopped Angelique. The holy wall of some sort sent Angelique flying into the wall behind her. His eyes widen at the skill of Lily. He looked over his shoulder to see her. “Wow.” Was all he said as he rushed over to Angelique’s side. More to restrain her again. Ana had one arm and he had another. “Angelique. You have people who love and care for you here.” Pulling her chin up, he locked eyes with his daughter. “Yes, I love your mother. I will never stop loving her. But she is gone and it is time to move on. Angelique. It is time to move on and feel your heart again no matter how much it hurts. I love you. I never wanted to leave you. I had to, to keep your mother safe and I am sorry I couldn’t save her. You are here and alive. Live your life. Move on. With Reaver.” He brought up his names and the vampire’s eyes flashed.

Clyde knew of the man she cared about. If only he could of found him to bring her back sooner. Instead of Angelique saying something smart. Bloody tears fell down her cheeks. “Mom…Mom loved you so much.” Ana let her hands go of Angelique’s arms. “Yes.” Clyde said as he brought his hand to her cheek. “Let. Her. Go. Angelique…” His eyes were kind as he looked into her eyes. Tears filling his eyes wanting to fall. Angelique bersted into tears as she leaned against his chest. Rubbing the back of her head, he soothed her. “It’s time to let go.” He didn’t know if he was saying that to himself or to his daughter. All he knew was, they both had to let go her.