Chapter 19: Night Garden
Once night fell, Cassius went to the Abbey. Habitually leaning against one of the stone pillars at its back gate, he hoped to converse with Fawn.
Communicating through telepathy for the last few days, they would speak in this manner until she slept. Wishing to inquire about her day and again submit a request to meet with her, Cassius looked up at the clear sky. Passing the time, he mused himself with various simulations of how their conversation might develop, as he stared at face of the bright moon.
However, just as he tried to imagine the beauty of her different expressions in his mind, the very object of his daydreaming entered the garden in plain view. Bathed in moon light, she appeared more resplendent than he had envisioned in his ruminations. Dressed in a white cotton slip, she wandered through the lush herbs in their beds lazily running her fingers through their foliage. Brushing against them as she did this, Fawn stirred up a mingled aroma of their differing scents. The fragrance adhering to her as she passed them all by deep in thought.
Finally coming to stop near a stout sage bush, she crouched beside it. Distractedly toying with its soft leaves, Aribelle sighed as contemplated an issue weighing heavily on her mind. A playful wind rustling Fawn's hair to soothe her, Cassius looked upon the woman in her thin dress and bare feet on the cold soil and could not longer resist going to her.
Easily undoing the lock on the gate with a slight touch of his magic, Cassius slipped through the wooden door at gate. His approach muffled by the soft grass; Cassius wordlessly placed his cloak over Fawn's shoulders. Recognizing his warmth, she simply pulled the fabric around her more closely. "You'll be sick again if you wander around like this, Fawn." Cassius chided softly.
Still concerned over something, she continued to fiddle dejectedly with the herbs at her feet. Not looking up at him, she replied sulkily, "Why do you call me that?"
"Call you what?" Cassius answered, watching her with interest. Her sweet round honey colored eyes turning up towards him, Cassius smiled contently at her before she spoke again, "Fawn."
Reaching down to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered, brushing past her cheek as Cassius retracted his hand slowly. "They say the fairy of this forest takes the form of a deer. Your hair reminded me of that tale from long ago." He answered tranquilly. Tugging at a lock of her hair, unable to see it in the same way he did, she regarded it disenchanted.
"Do you not like me calling you that?" Cassius asked, perturbed by her downcast expression. In truth, there was another motivation for the pet name other than the whimsical tales of lore. This was so there would be a name only he was allowed to call her by. However, he preferred not to tell her of such reasons, as he thought she might not approve of his selfish intentions. "I don't mind." Fawn said softly, "I like that story too, my father used to tell it to me."
"Were you close?" Cassius inquired curious.
"He was the only person I had for a short while." She answered.
"And your mother?" he questioned, noticing her look away as she picked a leaf from the sage plant.
"I never knew her." Aribelle replied.
Too captivated to take his eyes from her, Cassius supposed inwardly that her mother must have also been a great beauty. However, he kept his thought to himself. Instead, he chose to say aloud, "I'm sure they would both be happy to see you healthy." Fawn's hair falling back over her face as her head tilted downward, it hid her expression from him. Causing Cassius to then request pardon prior to carrying out his next action, "So, forgive me for this."
"Wha-"Aribelle could not ask 'what for' before he swept her from the ground.
In his arms now, she had no choice but to look him directly in the eyes. "Cassius, if someone sees, they'll misunderstand." Aribelle reproached, her cheeks and lips red from the cold.
"I already warned you, not to dress like this." He responded, his gaze falling directly on her bare feet. Her chilled toes already beginning to turn a cold hue. "Cassius, I'm fine now there is no need for this." Fawn objected, her hand naturally coming to rest on his chest.
"Really, you still look troubled to me." He probed coolly, not making any motion to let her feet touch the ground once more.
His eyes keenly taking in the changes in her expression. Cassius could see the acute twitch of her mouth, before Aribelle admitted to what she had been considering so deeply. "I have to leave the Abbey." She confessed. At first Cassius could only receive this news with happiness. To him it would mean Fawn would rely on him solely. However, he soon reminded himself that for her, it would be an emotional parting from the people she considered family. So, like all wild things that are at their most beautiful when they are free, Cassius also wanted to provide Aribelle with the liberty to decide what she thought was best.
"I shall accept whatever it is you choose." He replied, kissing her brow softly.