Duty and Destiny

Archer had made the decision to move to other side of the palace. It was a secluded place and far enough that he wouldn’t have to run into Adalia in the corridors. He had to remind himself why he was born. He was bred for duty and responsibilities. His position was more important than any feelings, desires and personal needs that he harbored. He would have to find a way to get over his ‘want’ for Adalia. He got cleaned up and went to the assembly to meet the guardian soldiers that would be accompanying him into the rebel forests.

He looked into each one of their faces and immediately he knew his duty towards these guardians was more important. He couldn’t lead them with a distracted mind. He needed to be all there, or they would all die. Archer was going to study the plans day and night. He had to make sure that only the scouting expedition and maybe the raid was on his mind.

When darkness fell Ilana found her son bent over the picnic table in her garden. He was studying the plans as he mumbled to himself. She stood aside for a while and watched. And when his head rose, she moved towards him.

“What are you still doing here?” she ran her finger through his blond hair and smoothed it down until it was cupping his jaw.

“Mother-,” he began to ask but hesitated. “What is the greatest act of love?”

It didn’t take Ilana a breath to answer. “Sacrifice. The greatest act of love my son, is sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice,” he whispered to himself. Archer was going exactly that. He was going to sacrifice the love he felt for Adalia so that she could love Xander.

“What do you have to sacrifice for her, Archer?” she clutched his chin and raised his face so that she could look into his eyes.

“Everything-,” he pulled away and soothed his thumb over his mother’s white roses. “-myself, my desires my love,” he said the last part in an almost whisper.

“But have you loved her yet?”

“I just said that I did. That I do.”

“No, all you have said, what I understood is that you are giving up wanting to love her,” she turned his large frame to face her. “Love then loses. You don’t lose unless you have loved,” she put her hand over his chest where his ferocious heartbeat. “Love her first then see if you have to sacrifice your heart. You never know she may just love you back,” Ilana plucked the rose and gave it to Archer.

***

Adalia had been watching Ilana and Archer from a far. She saw how she comforted him and immediately she missed her own mother and her home. She made a curtsy when Ilana walked past her a smile on her face. Adalia returned to watching Archer. She saw him walk towards her, but she didn’t move. She watched the long strides of his legs as he slowly covered the distance between them. Her heart shuttered at the sight of him strong, carrying his muscular frame with a confident ease. Her breath caught when she saw the moon’s reflection in his eyes, they were perfect.

He walked into the palace twirling the rose between his fingers as he muttered to himself. “She’s just a romantic,”

“Who is?” She leaned against the wall afraid that her legs would fail her.

“My mother,” he whispered as he gazed at her from head to toe.

Her face looked so soft in the moonlight. He reached out to stroke her cheek, but he pulled back. She had watched his hand raise to her face then saw it drop. A breath shuddered out of her as she exhaled. He saw her lips soften slightly but she didn’t smile, but her red lips drew him in. He put the white flower above her ear. He gave into the urge to stroke her raven hair and cup her cheek. When her head turned towards him and her cheek caressed his palm, he felt his breath echo in his chest.

Stepping closer, he closed the gap between them. She breathed in his minty musk scent and her eyes slowly closed as she got lost in the passion swimming around them. He lowered his lips to hers, but for the life of him he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes. Archer wanted to cram how perfectly her face looked. Adalia’s eyes fluttered open slightly, she could see the fire in his eyes, and she could almost taste his kiss on her lips.

When she saw his lips lower towards her, she closed her eyes once more. But when a second passed and she didn’t feel his kiss she gave a huff of impatience. Rising to her tiptoes, Adalia gently crushed her lips on Archer’s. She melted at how soft they felt, how they easily molded against hers. Moving to the same rhythm as hers did. Her stomach dipped at the sensual magnet coming from him to her and her to him.

She ran out of air and Adalia decided she should take a step back. She caught a glimpse of the clouded passion in his eyes and her cheeks burned red. She shot him a smile that she knew was weary. Adalia wanted to hide her face, and so she did. She grabbed him and buried her face in his shirt. She wouldn’t move no matter how hard he tried to pry her fingers open. Adalia was wild but not impetuous. She never did anything as daring as this. She was crossing into strange lands.

“Don’t hide your face away from me,” she felt Archer’s cool whisper against her neck.

“I am embarrassed,” she muffled in his chest.