view. Past that, she
could see hills with a lonely cottage sitting on the top. It looked
welcoming even though it stood alone, without the attractiveness of
the other houses.
“ Who lives in that cottage
up there?” Gina asked Leyance. He didn’t look up as he
responded.
“ No one. It’s abandoned.
The queen used to go up there with her fiancé a lot though. It was
their romantic get-away spot. Sometimes I go there too, to get away
from everything.”
“ Oh. I have a spot like
that too,” she shared. Leyance gave her a knowing smile.
“ I’m sure you do. What do
you want to drink?”
“ Oh, well, what do you have
here? I’m guessing there isn’t soda.”
“ No, sorry, no soda. Here,
I’ll give you one of my favorite drinks. Sound good?” he
asked.
“ Sure.”
“ Okay. Make yourself
comfortable and while I get the drinks.” With that, Leyance walked
out the doors. Gina looked around and saw a small table with two
chairs under a window by the balcony. She walked over, opened the
glass doors, and stepped out. From here, she could look around the
corner and see her balcony. She stepped back in and sat down in one
of the chairs just as Leyance came back in.
“ Okay, here we go. Two
Roses,” he said.
“ Roses?” she asked, taking
the pinkish liquid he handed her.
“ That’s what we call them
because they are pink.”
“ What’s in it?” she asked
warily.
“ No alcohol if that’s what
you’re wondering and nothing that will kill you. Just drink it.
You’ll like it, I promise.” She did. The sweet juice slid easily
down her throat and seemed to ease her entire body. She couldn’t
recognize any tastes in the drink, but she figured this was
probably what they would serve in heaven.
“ That’s good!” she
exclaimed.
“ I knew you’d like it. The
past queen did too…” he said quietly, drinking.
“ Well, I think anyone
would,” Gina stated.
“ I suppose.”
Chapter 4
“Trials of the Heart”
A few days passed. After a particularly hard
but accomplishing day, Gina found herself walking down the path she
had once found herself on that saddening night more than a month
earlier. She soon discovered, however, that she was not alone.
“ Leyance, what are you
doing here?” she asked, unaccustomed to seeing him in her personal
get-away spot.
“ You aren’t the only one
who comes here to think and get away from it all,” he smiled. A
shimmer from her sword caught Leyance’s attention. “How was
training today, Your Majesty?” A mischievous smile escaped from
Gina’s lips.
“ Fine, thank you,” she
replied. Then, swiftly she exposed her sword and held it to
Leyance’s chin. “And what are you doing out so late, might I ask?
Up to no good?” She laughed, but he did not stir. Seeing that his
mind was on something more serious, Gina put away her sword.
“What’s wrong?”
“ Nothing, Your Highness,”
he replied mechanically.
“ Please, Leyance. Don’t say
‘your majesty’ or ‘your highness.’ I wish everyone would drop it,”
she explained. “I look up to you. I mean you are the one who’s
helped me through all of this. I’m comfortable with you. Please,
don’t put me on a pedestal like the others have - I beg
you.”
“ Sorry, Gina,” he said,
finally smiling.
“ Thanks for saying
that.”
“ Saying what?”
“’ Gina,’” she replied.
“Everyone else insists on calling me ‘Regina,’ but I feel
comfortable around you because you call me ‘Gina.’ I like
it.”
“ Good,” he laughed,
“because I’m not changing it. You’re not on a pedestal, remember?”
Gina now glanced towards the lit water.
“ That water looks so nice
and refreshing,” she observed and once again, a mischievous smile
shown from her, but this time, Leyance noticed.
“ What?” he
asked.
“ Oh, nothing, nothing at
all.” Gina quietly set aside her bow and arrows and took off all
her remaining weaponry. Then, swiftly, she took a flying leap right
into the
could see hills with a lonely cottage sitting on the top. It looked
welcoming even though it stood alone, without the attractiveness of
the other houses.
“ Who lives in that cottage
up there?” Gina asked Leyance. He didn’t look up as he
responded.
“ No one. It’s abandoned.
The queen used to go up there with her fiancé a lot though. It was
their romantic get-away spot. Sometimes I go there too, to get away
from everything.”
“ Oh. I have a spot like
that too,” she shared. Leyance gave her a knowing smile.
“ I’m sure you do. What do
you want to drink?”
“ Oh, well, what do you have
here? I’m guessing there isn’t soda.”
“ No, sorry, no soda. Here,
I’ll give you one of my favorite drinks. Sound good?” he
asked.
“ Sure.”
“ Okay. Make yourself
comfortable and while I get the drinks.” With that, Leyance walked
out the doors. Gina looked around and saw a small table with two
chairs under a window by the balcony. She walked over, opened the
glass doors, and stepped out. From here, she could look around the
corner and see her balcony. She stepped back in and sat down in one
of the chairs just as Leyance came back in.
“ Okay, here we go. Two
Roses,” he said.
“ Roses?” she asked, taking
the pinkish liquid he handed her.
“ That’s what we call them
because they are pink.”
“ What’s in it?” she asked
warily.
“ No alcohol if that’s what
you’re wondering and nothing that will kill you. Just drink it.
You’ll like it, I promise.” She did. The sweet juice slid easily
down her throat and seemed to ease her entire body. She couldn’t
recognize any tastes in the drink, but she figured this was
probably what they would serve in heaven.
“ That’s good!” she
exclaimed.
“ I knew you’d like it. The
past queen did too…” he said quietly, drinking.
“ Well, I think anyone
would,” Gina stated.
“ I suppose.”
Chapter 4
“Trials of the Heart”
A few days passed. After a particularly hard
but accomplishing day, Gina found herself walking down the path she
had once found herself on that saddening night more than a month
earlier. She soon discovered, however, that she was not alone.
“ Leyance, what are you
doing here?” she asked, unaccustomed to seeing him in her personal
get-away spot.
“ You aren’t the only one
who comes here to think and get away from it all,” he smiled. A
shimmer from her sword caught Leyance’s attention. “How was
training today, Your Majesty?” A mischievous smile escaped from
Gina’s lips.
“ Fine, thank you,” she
replied. Then, swiftly she exposed her sword and held it to
Leyance’s chin. “And what are you doing out so late, might I ask?
Up to no good?” She laughed, but he did not stir. Seeing that his
mind was on something more serious, Gina put away her sword.
“What’s wrong?”
“ Nothing, Your Highness,”
he replied mechanically.
“ Please, Leyance. Don’t say
‘your majesty’ or ‘your highness.’ I wish everyone would drop it,”
she explained. “I look up to you. I mean you are the one who’s
helped me through all of this. I’m comfortable with you. Please,
don’t put me on a pedestal like the others have - I beg
you.”
“ Sorry, Gina,” he said,
finally smiling.
“ Thanks for saying
that.”
“ Saying what?”
“’ Gina,’” she replied.
“Everyone else insists on calling me ‘Regina,’ but I feel
comfortable around you because you call me ‘Gina.’ I like
it.”
“ Good,” he laughed,
“because I’m not changing it. You’re not on a pedestal, remember?”
Gina now glanced towards the lit water.
“ That water looks so nice
and refreshing,” she observed and once again, a mischievous smile
shown from her, but this time, Leyance noticed.
“ What?” he
asked.
“ Oh, nothing, nothing at
all.” Gina quietly set aside her bow and arrows and took off all
her remaining weaponry. Then, swiftly, she took a flying leap right
into the
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