A Game of Crowns

“With you, I sit in comfortable silence, allowing our souls to speak volumes.”

-H.F

We had been on the road for two hours when I finally succumbed to sleep. Rowan had surprised me with a vehicle for our trip to Clearwater. He had kept it hidden nearby since his arrival. Not once had I thought to ask how he had gotten to my home.

The soft hum of the engine lulled me into a deep sleep. The scenery was something I was used to. Farming fields and a sporadic house here and there was the norm in the outskirts of Iron Forge. It wouldn’t take us long to enter Clearwater territory since we lived near the border.

“Moonstone,” Rowan called.

I opened one eye and stared out the window as we passed a freshly plowed field. I let my eyelid fall closed.

“Why are you waking me up?” I grumbled.

“We’re nearly into Clearwater. I figured you’d want to be awake for that,” he chuckled.

I groaned as I pushed my face off the glass window. How had I slept in such an uncomfortable position? I tried to subtly wipe away the small amount of drool in the corner of my mouth without arousing Rowan’s attention, but I should have known better. He caught the subtle wipe. He noticed everything.

“Leave it. You looked adorable,” he smirked.

I ignored him. “I thought you said we were near Clearwater. I still only see empty fields. When is the border coming up?”

“We already passed it, Penelope.”

What?

“You’re telling me I slept my way past the checkpoint?”

“Pretty much.”

“The Patroller saw me asleep?” I asked annoyed.

“Yep, he thought your puddle of drool was endearing as well. It was the reason we were able to get through without a hitch,” he deadpanned.

If he hadn’t been driving I would have smacked him. Luckily for him, he held my life in his hands.

I pulled my hair out of its tie and put it into a braid. Without Georgiana, my hairstyles tended to be much of the same, a braid or a ponytail. The soft pull on my heart reminded me just how much I missed my friend.

Just as I was about to complain again about the desolate area to distract myself, Rowan turned off the cooling unit of the vehicle and opened the windows. A salty breeze drifted in and overwhelmed my sense of smell.

“What is that?” I asked stunned.

“It’s the ocean,” he smiled. “I can’t believe you have lived so close to it and have never visited,” Rowan replied amazed.

“We aren’t exactly flush with money, Rowan. The only vacations we ever had were trips to the trading city to sell our crops.”

I tried not letting the bitterness slip into my voice, but I was sure Rowan caught it.

“I’m sorry, Moonstone. I didn’t mean anything by it. I know how it is. The closest we ever came to traveling, while our parents were still alive, were trips to a small lake nearby. It wasn’t glamorous, but I wouldn’t change those memories for the world. They’re some of the few memories I have of all us together as a family before everything changed.”

We drove in silence, allowing us time with our thoughts. It wasn’t until the outline of a town came into view that Rowan broke it.

“We’re here,” he smiled.

After passing some outlying buildings and a dramatic dip in the road, an expanse of water came into view, with no end in sight. I could feel my eyes widen as I took in the view.

“Wow,” I breathed.

Rowan chuckled at my wonder.

He drove to a little seaside inn where he declared we’d be staying. Its whitewashed color and aqua trim fit in with the nautical theme of the area. The surrounding buildings were also painted in similar shades. The briny smell of the ocean was intoxicatingly aromatic.

We entered the comfy two-storied inn. I rung the bell for service while Rowan held our bags.

A young woman bounced into the room from behind a door that led to a small patio and the oceanfront. She must have just walked in from the water. Her sandy brown bangs were matted to her face and her ponytail stuck to her neck. Small droplets of water fell from her hair. Her skin was sprinkled with freckles. Every inch of her tanned skin was spattered with the beauty spots.

Something about them was alluring and tremendously beautiful. She wore a bikini top with an outfit that seemed to go over her top but instead it hung freely at her waist. It was made of a thick material I’d never seen.

She was a beautiful woman and I looked back at Rowan, expecting to find him staring at her, but instead, he was gazing at me. He winked sexily at me before putting our bags on the ground.

“Welcome to the Oceanic Breeze, how can I help you today?” the woman asked with a slight accent I had never heard.

Rowan moved towards the counter and I literally saw her eyes widen in awe of the beauty that stood before her.

“Two rooms under Hunter Graham,” Rowan said smoothly.

She gulped noticeably before looking in her reservation book.

Hunter Graham? Why would he use that name?

“I’m sorry, Mr. Graham, but it seems like we overbooked. There is only one room currently available and it’s our newlywed suite.”

He looked back at me and I shrugged in response. What did it matter if we shared a room? We had been doing it for an entire week already. If I was honest, I’d admit I was frightened to sleep without him. He drove away my nightmares.

He turned back to the freckled beauty. “One will be fine. We’re about to be newlyweds anyway.”

I nearly choked on my saliva, but I played it off as a cough. I surreptitiously pushed my left hand into my pocket and smiled at the woman.

“Congratulations,” she smiled genuinely. “In that case, take one night on us, as a gift.”

“Thank you kindly, madam,” Rowan said, smiling graciously.

She handed us two keys and told us the rooms were numbered. We found our way easily enough. Our room was modest, and I immediately fell in love with the way it made me feel.

Calm.

The room was white with salmon tinted accents throughout. The king-sized bed was covered in an off-white comforter and a pair of wicker chairs rested in the corner. It was perfect.

The bathing room was nearly bigger than the entire room. Two sinks, an over-sized tub, and shower took up most of the space. Ceramic starfishes covered the legs of the tub and the showers backsplash was a sandy brown.

Rowan pulled me by my hand and opened the twin glass doors that led to a small patio with access to the beach. The sound of the waves hitting the shore tranquilized my soul.

Two families played in the sand while a couple splashed around in the water. The woman from the lobby was walking towards the water with a long board in her arms. The outfit no longer fell at her waist but acted as a second skin covering her from wrists to ankles.

It was all so beautiful.

“Everything is so serene here, Rowan. I can’t believe I’ve lived my whole life never knowing this feeling.”

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. We watched as the families wandered back towards the inn. The couple now sat in the sand, tangled in each other’s arms as they waited for the sun to set.

The freckled woman now rode the waves, perfectly balanced on her board. I couldn’t fathom how she was doing it. It was like magic.

Rowan’s fingers had found the bare skin between my jeans and shirt and swirled around in small circles. I shivered at the rush of his caress.

“Thanks for finding me, Rowan,” I whispered.

“Always,” he replied as if it was the only response he’d ever give to that statement.

We settled into a comfortable silence as we watched the sun fade into the ocean.

***

As we readied for bed, I struggled to figure out what to wear. I hadn’t expected to be sharing a room with Rowan again, so I hadn’t packed any sensible nightwear.

In our week together, I’d worn shorts and shirts to bed, but for this trip, I had only brought an oversized t-shirt and a black lacey nightgown.

Only the Great Mother knew what I must have been thinking as I packed the items. I looked between the large shirt and the revealing nighty and groaned. One exposed way too much while the other reminded me of that night in Rowan’s room.

I cringed as I slipped on the shirt and gazed at my reflection. My hair fell in soft waves along my back and my bare legs gleamed invitingly.

I groaned again. What would Rowan think?

There was no point in dallying. I slowly opened the door and peeked out. Rowan was already in bed. It seemed he was asleep, so I snuck out. The curtains over the doors were left open allowing soft rays of moonlight to shine through.

The click as the door shut gave me away. Rowan’s eyes opened and widened as he took in the shirt and my bare legs.

He sat up and bunched the blanket in his hands. “Are you trying to kill me?” he groaned.

“I’m sorry. It’s all I had,” I muttered hurriedly as I fumbled with the bathing room doorknob. “I’ll sleep in the tub,” I said.

Before I could open the door, I felt his hand grab a hold of mine.

“Come to bed, Moonstone,” he said darkly.

He led me to the bed and pushed aside the covers. I climbed in and quickly hid underneath them and he followed.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered into the dark. “It wasn’t my intention. I thought we’d be in separate rooms.”

“Sssh,” he whispered as he ran his fingers through my hair.

The motions calmed my guilt-ridden heart.

“Rowan?”

“Hmm?” he muttered sleepily.

“Whose Hunter Graham?”

“I am,” he mumbled through the fog of sleep.