Author's Note: This is an almost unbelievably fluffy chapter, with a bit less smut than usual... but it sets things up for the next few chapters, as you'll see... Enjoy!

The estate of Vibonne was nearly a day's ride from the City of Elua, and we had departed the Palace rather later than I had hoped. We arrived at Vibonne just after sunset, as the sky was darkening into night. I drew in a deep breath of the apple-scented air and felt a bit of tension ease away. Relieved to have left the City and my duties behind me, even temporarily, I handed over the reins of my horse and grasped Michel's hand.

"We've arrived too late for a tour of the grounds, unfortunately," I told him, as the stableboys led the horses away. "But I can show you the villa, at any rate, if you would like. Dinner should be ready by the time we have finished."

"I would be delighted," Michel said with a smile. I waved off the guards who had accompanied us from the City, and they eased back to give us some privacy, having already sent some men ahead to check the villa for dangers. The estate of Vibonne was mine, home to one of Namarre's finest orchards and given to me by my parents, but the Dauphin's Guards would take no chances. I took Michel on a tour of the villa, gratified to see his face light up when I showed him the library.

"It is nothing compared to the Palace library," I said, watching as he walked around the small room, trailing his fingertips across the shelves of books. "Horticulture books, mostly. But you might find something to interest you."

"I always do," he replied, making me chuckle. Since joining me at the Royal Palace, he had been a regular visitor in the library there, and he was rarely without a book in his hands.

He nodded toward the large window between the bookshelves, where some cushions had been strewn on the floor in the Akkadian fashion- a fancy of mine that I'd indulged on my last visit. "I like this rather better than the Palace library," he said with a grin. "I can imagine staying an entire day in here- whether that time is spent reading, or...not."

"We will," I promised him, imagining the two of us entangled together on the cushions, forgotten books strewn about us, while golden afternoon sunlight spilled onto our lovemaking. "Come, Michel, dinner should be nearly ready."

After we had dined and retired to the bedchamber, Michel ventured out to the terrace overlooking the estate. Down a slope from the villa, the orchard's rows of apple trees cast a thicket of shadows under the moonlight. Just to the west, the small lake bordering the estate gleamed with the reflection of the night sky. We stood at the terrace railing and gazed over the peaceful vista in silence for a few moments, until Michel asked quietly, "You've been very mysterious all week, my lord. Is there something to this excursion that you haven't told me?"

I smiled sidelong at him. "Of course."

When I said nothing else, he laughed softly. "Keep your secrets, then."

I slid an arm around his waist, and he pressed against my side, leaning his head on my shoulder. The autumn night was chill, and he was pleasantly warm against my side. "I wanted to have you away from the City for a time," I admitted. "There is something I wish to ask you."

He tilted his head, glancing up at me. "What is it?"

I hesitated, hoping he couldn't feel my heart suddenly beginning to pound. There were two things I wanted to ask him, in truth... But I was not yet ready to ask the more important one, and I was not certain whether he would be affronted by the lesser. "I have been thinking... We have not yet made full use of the Night Court since you moved into the Palace. If it would please you, I would like to arrange an assignation... With Damien."

I felt a little shiver course through his body at the Mandrake adept's name, and I added quickly, "I will not do it if you do not wish it, love. I offer it for you, and I will not be upset if you decide against it. I simply wish to know your thoughts on it."

Michel shifted, pulling away a bit so that he could face me. His expression, in the soft light from the bedchamber behind us, was shadowed and serious. "You know that I am yours, my lord, and yours alone. You are everything I need, and more besides." His lips curved into a smile. "But if you are not averse to sharing me, then neither am I."

I raised an eyebrow. "Truly?"

"Things have changed, my lord. All the Night Court knows that I belong to you. You hold my marque, you love me, and now I know it." His smile widened then. "I am yours, and now you know it. If desire leads us to invite another into our bed, no longer must I hold myself apart to prove it to you."

It was well said, and I nodded thoughtfully. He leaned one elbow against the rail of the terrace, eyes searching my face. "What of you, Raniel? Is this something you want? I will not accept if you only offer it for my sake."

I opened my mouth to say reassuringly that of course I did, and paused. I had thought about this for some weeks even before planning our brief escape from the City, but he would not be reassured if I gave him a glib response. So I thought about it once more, imagined seeing Michel kneeling at the Mandrake adept's feet. Elua, the desire was there, enough to make my heart begin to pound even harder... but the jealousy that once might have accompanied it was absent, and I believed I knew why. That night of my fête, when Damien had joined us and I had regretted it afterward, Michel had still belonged to Valerian House. I had had no inkling of the depths of feeling that our relationship would reach. Things were different now, and I was willing to share him, safe in the knowledge that he was mine, that he loved me and would still, when all was said and done.

"I think," I said slowly, "that I would very much like to see what he does with you, boy. And who knows," I added, "perhaps I shall learn something."

Michel laughed, eyes sparkling. "Ah. I don't know whether to be worried or excited about that."

"A bit of both," I suggested, slipping behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. He leaned back against my chest, fingers threading through mine as we watched the sky darken. "Shall we pay a visit to Mandrake House when we return to the City, then?"

"Yes, my lord," he breathed.

"Very well," I chuckled, relaxing a bit, relieved that he had not been upset by the offer. I hadn't quite been certain how he would take it. Now, we had some days more to spend at Vibonne, plenty of time for me to gather the nerve for the other question. Later, I thought, focusing instead on the desire that I had been holding in check all evening. I pulled Michel back against me, pressing my hardening phallus against the curve of his buttocks.

"Still thinking of Damien?" He asked, teasing.

"Elua, no," I laughed, dipping my head to kiss his neck. "Only you, love." He let out a soft sigh at the touch. "I am constantly amazed by you," I continued in a murmur, nipping gently at his earlobe. "No one else can so thoroughly sate the Kusheline blood that burns in my veins, and yet leave me craving more."

"Hmm," he murmured, pressing back against me and drawing a groan from my throat. "Is that your desire tonight, my lord?"

"Oh, no," I whispered in his ear. "Tonight, I am going to pleasure you over and over, until you are wrung out and exhausted and unable to walk, love."

Michel let out a breathless laugh. I slipped my hands under the edge of his shirt, finding the smooth skin of his abdomen, warm against the cool night air. "Do you think I jest?" I whispered.

"No..."

I turned him around to kiss him fiercely, pushing him back against the balustrade. His phallus pressed urgently against me; he moaned into my mouth as I freed it from the confines of his breeches.

"Ah, gods," he breathed, when I went to my knees and closed my lips around him. He braced himself against the balustrade and leaned back, closing his eyes. I smiled inwardly and began the languisement, slowly. I took my time, bringing him to the brink of ecstasy and pulling him back, over and over, reveling in his gasps of pleasure. When I stole a glance up at him, he was gripping the railing with both hands, head tilted back and eyes closed. "Elua, Rani, please don't stop," he groaned.

I grinned and bent my head to him again, granting his request. I went on for a long time; the moon-shadows had shifted around us by the time I relented and brought him to release. He spent himself with a gasp and slumped back against the balustrade, trying to catch his breath.

I remained where I was, gazing up at him. He caught my eye and managed a smile. "You win, my lord," he said breathlessly. "I don't believe I can move."

"Surrendering so soon?" I teased him, rising to my feet. I tugged his clothing back into place, though I didn't bother to lace up his breeches. "I'm not finished with you yet, boy. I'd expected more from the Dauphin's own Night Court adept."

He looked up at me from under his lashes; the light spilling out from the bedchamber caught his eyes, making them flash a brilliant deep blue. "That sounds like a challenge, my lord," he murmured, reaching out a hand to stroke me through my trousers. The touch sent a jolt of pleasure through me, and I moved a bit closer, forcing him to look up at me.

"You think I am not up to such a challenge, boy?" I asked, stroking his cheek with my thumb.

Michel shivered, closing his eyes briefly. "If I lie and say that I think you aren't, will you promise to prove me wrong?"

Elua, I thought, as another wave of desire swept over me. I kissed him once more, and in that moment, with the City and my Royal obligations and all our worries leagues away, nothing mattered but that kiss.

"I promise," I whispered.

We spent five days more at Vibonne, and it was a paradise. I had left behind all my duties as a Prince of Terre D'Ange; at Vibonne, we were not the Dauphin and his adept, but only Raniel and Michel. Thankfully, the estate's servants discreetly granted us our privacy. I had not visited Vibonne often since reaching my majority, but the staff knew well enough that I was happier with a minimum of their service. The captain of the Dauphin's Guards reported to me twice a day, but I almost never saw the guardsmen; they patrolled the estate's borders and left us undisturbed. Michel and I spent our days wandering the grounds, helping harvest the apples (to the orchard-workers' scandalized delight), or rowing the small boat out on the lake.

On the day it rained, we closeted ourselves in the little library for hours and pored over the shelves of books, finding a quite a few pleasant surprises. Michel acted out scenes from a volume of satirical plays, making me laugh until my stomach ached; I read to him from a copy of de Mornay's The Ysandrine Cycle, and he listened with sparkling eyes as I supplemented it with details that few outside my family had ever heard. We found the old copy of Trois Milles Joies that I had hidden there years ago- Michel laughed when I told him I had stolen it from the Royal library when I was thirteen, because my father had expressly told me not to read it until I was older. We ensconced ourselves on the Akkadian cushions by the window and took turns reading from the book, acting out the passages on each other like eager, love-hungry boys while the rain tapped softly against the glass beside us.

The autumn days were filled with sweet, simple pleasures, and through them all I became more and more aware of how blessed I was to have Michel. There in the peaceful countryside, I could forget everything that awaited us back in the City of Elua, could forget that not everyone was as happy about my lover as I was. I could forget it all, and for those five days, I did. The only thing I knew was that the resolve with which I had left the City had only deepened as the days passed. I already knew I loved Michel; our time at Vibonne only strengthened it, and made me more determined than ever not to let it slip away.

The last day before we were to return to the City of Elua dawned clear and bright; according to the old master gardener in the orchards, it was likely to be the last day of pleasant weather before winter began to tighten its grip on Terre D'Ange. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast and spending some time repacking our belongings, Michel and I left the villa for a last stroll through the orchard. We walked in silence along the rows of apple trees, absorbing the late morning sunlight and breathing the crisp scent of ripe fruit. I imagined I could almost see the shadows lengthening as the hour wore on, drawing closer to the time we'd have to depart and return to our lives at the Palace... but there was something more I had to do, first.

There was a place where the ground began to slope upward; one tree had been planted at the top of the small rise, and there I paused, tugging Michel down to the grass beside me. From there, we could see the little lake some distance away, glittering in the sunlight. I leaned back against the tree trunk, wishing we could stay there indefinitely.

Michel sank to the ground at my side, but he was eyeing me suspiciously. "What is bothering you, Raniel?" he asked gently.

I smiled, unsurprised- he always knew when my thoughts were elsewhere. I drew in a slow breath, gathering my thoughts and offering a quick, silent prayer to Elua that I would not make a fool of myself.

"Michel... there is something else I want to ask you before we leave."

"Oh?" He smiled his sweet smile, encouraging.

I reached up to cup his cheek, watching him carefully as I said, "I love you. I... I cannot imagine being without you, Michel. I don't want to imagine it. After we return to the City, if I were to declare you my consort, would you accept?"

His blue eyes grew very wide. "You... you would truly do this?"

"If you will have me, love."

"Elua!" He let out a breathless laugh. "As if there were any question! Rani-"

I held up a hand to forestall him, and he fell silent. "It will not be easy," I murmured. "There are people at Court- and, I daresay, a good number of the populace- who will not be happy, though in time, I believe we can persuade them otherwise. Michel, I would gladly give up my position as Mother's heir to be with you... and if there is no other way, I will do it. But I cannot take the easy way out, turn my back on my duty to the realm, without even trying to make it work."

He nodded. "Given your royal parents' history, I don't believe they would wish you to make that choice, either."

I had considered that, as well, and I wasn't surprised that Michel had thought of it. When the entire nation had been dead set against my parents' love, they had not given up. My mother had been determined to keep both her crown and her lover; if Sidonie and Imriel de la Courcel had found a way, then surely their son could do the same.

I forced myself to meet his eyes and give voice to the most difficult potential problem. "In the interests of diplomacy, it may be impossible for me to avoid a marriage. But if you are recognized as my consort, any potential bride will know without question that she cannot come between us. And I swear to you, Michel, I will abdicate the throne before I will wed a woman who does not accept you at my side."

He gazed at me with somber blue eyes, and I let my hand drop. "Now," I said, smiling a little, "if you will still have me, after all of that..."

Michel didn't hesitate. "As if there were any question," he said again, making my heart leap. He leaned forward to brush a hand against my cheek, mirroring me. "Raniel, there is nothing you could say to frighten me into refusing."

Ah, Elua! The relief and joy that washed over me was so great that I nearly gasped aloud. "No?" I asked softly.

He shook his head firmly. "I promise," he breathed, and kissed me. I pulled him into my arms as desire suddenly flared to life within me. Michel moaned softly, fingers pulling at the buttons on my shirt and then twisting helplessly in the cloth as I pulled him hard against me.

We shifted, suddenly desperate to touch each other, and I bore him down onto the grass beneath the apple tree, pulling impatiently at his clothing. So many times he had given himself to me, so many times I had made him mine... and yet with this new promise, I felt again that yearning to claim him for my own. In the dappled shade of the tree on that bright autumn morning, I took Michel with a slow sort of urgency. He tangled his hands in my hair and urged me on with ragged pleas, gasping my name with every thrust. The climax took us both at once; he cried aloud, shuddering beneath me, wide blue eyes locked onto mine. And in that instant, as had happened months ago, I felt again the brush of Blessed Elua's presence; I could see it behind the promise in Michel's eyes, could feel it like the warmth of sunlight, shining from within.

Michel felt it, as well. "Ah, gods!" He exclaimed breathlessly, sounding as awestruck as I felt. "Raniel..."

I nodded, and we gazed at each other wordlessly, catching our breath and contemplating the blessing we had just received. Thank you, I thought as the brief presence faded. I brushed a strand of hair back from Michel's cheek. There could be no doubt, now, that declaring him my consort would be the right decision. I prayed that the memory of this moment would stay with us as we faced the inevitable struggles ahead.

In no hurry to get up, I sank onto the grass beside him, wrapping my arms around him. In a few moments the autumn chill would prompt us to dress; various responsibilities would prompt us to return to the villa, and then back to the City... but not yet. I kissed Michel's cheek, grateful for these last few stolen moments alone, and resolved to savor them as long as I could.