The dining table was fairly lively today. Other than the sweet way that Zylvia and Kaldrek were feeding each other, Jayesh and Fayre were both in a great mood as well. Hazel was filled with energy and even Asrar seemed to be in a pretty good mood.Jayesh spent quite a bit of time teasing his best friend. He seemed rather delighted to have something new to tease his best friend about.
Fayre was happily talking to every in the room, constantly shifting subjects and the way she was talking. Zylvia smiled seeing her best friend in such a wonderful mood.
Hazel was also rather talkative; her sprightly cute voice was filled with good cheer and she seemed in an exceptional mood. Her knight had a soft smile on his face and though he did not actively engage in the conversation he seemed to actually be paying attention for once.
Zylvia felt a huge smile come to her face, this was really what she wanted in life. Surrounded by warmth and friendship. She startled a bit, surprised that she was starting to include Hazel, and even Asrar to a certain extent, among her friends.
She had been a bit wary of the princess, mostly because of the protective feelings she had for Kaldrek, but the princess had surprised her with her growth. It was obvious that deep inside the young girl was actually more open minded than what Zylvia had been expecting. Though, the fact that she was rather fond of the young man who was so utterly devoted to her had definitely played a part.
Kaldrek was taking his king"s teasing in stride. He made some quips back but continued to gently treat Zylvia in a pampering manner.
Zylvia noticed that there was still a shadow of uncertainty around his face, he kept looking at
her and seemed to want to say something but kept deciding against it.
She nudged his leg under the table and smiled at him, trying to lift his spirits and was pleased to note that it seemed to work. His lips curled up into a smile and his eyes seemed to grow even gentler.
She heard Jayesh suddenly laugh, "Kaldrek, if you love her so much that you can"t keep your eyes off of her longer than five minutes, then why didn"t you marry her years ago?"
Zylvia felt like sighing at the question. The answer was obvious. Kaldrek was not the sort that confessing his feelings came easily.
"…Because… I was blind enough not to realize my lady liked me back. That and I had no idea how to bring up such a subject, especially to a good friend."
She grinned cheekily at her husband, unable to resist, "It would not have mattered how you brought it up, it would have still been awkward…but a pleasant kind of awkward."
Her husband laughed softly, and reached up to ruffle her head, "I"ll admit I wish I had." He gave her a besotted look that made her want to melt into his arms and smiled, "But I also acknowledge that my dear lady is more than worth the wait."
Jayesh shook his head in a fake mocking manner, "And you used to complain that me and Fayre were sickeningly sweet. You"re just plain-"
Zylvia interrupted their king, "A sweetheart. Kaldrek is a sweetheart." She flashed her husband a huge smile and almost laughed at his startled look. If he could flirt with her openly than why couldn"t she return the favor?
She felt rather pleased with herself as she calmly poked a piece of chicken into her husband"s mouth. Jayesh raised his eyebrow looking at her then turned back to Kaldrek with a smirk on his face, "Seems like you"ve gotten yourself a wife who will defend you against anything that looks like it might be an attack."
As Kaldrek"s ears turned slightly red, Zylvia smiled to herself. Kaldrek was cute when he was embarra.s.sed, especially since he seemed to be at a loss of what to do about it. Because he was unsure of himself, he just fell quiet, though he still had a soft smile on his face.
He focused his attention on her and fussed quietly over her. Soon the two of them were finished eating their lunch and she stood up and told the queen that she would take her leave now. She was a bit surprised to see her husband follow her, but did not attempt to stop him.
He walked her to the room where she and Fayre had been working together. She would meet the queen there, but wanted to give her friend some time to be with her king.
Kaldrek"s hand slipped into hers, making her heart suddenly quicken its pace. A bright smile lit her face.
"Zylv…" He looked down and sideways at her, "I would do anything for you, you know. You"re… the most precious thing in the world to me."
She smiled at him as she leaned up to kiss him, "Thank you." She grinned cheekily at him, "And I"ll see you later tonight."
"I look forward to it, my love."