59 Space between Us

"Greetings, Lord Mano..." Pia raised her voice just a bit higher to alert Lady Lyra of his arrival, but not enough to seem strange.

"En. Where is Lyra?" Mano looked around the room.

"Lady Lyra just came back from shopping and is changing her clothes. May Lord Mano wait one moment?" Pia moved towards Lyra's closet.

"No need. I go and help her." Stopping Pia in her tracks, Mano rushes ahead. Walking into the closet Mano sees Lyra in her robe. Coming behind her, Mano hugs her from behind. Slightly startled Lyra jumps in his arms.

"Relax, it just me," Mano whispers in her ear.

Lyra still a little jumpy from the day's events, stood wooden in his arms.

Wanting to get Mano out of her closet, and away from the jars of honey. Lyra removed herself from his arms. Tugging him, she pulled Mano out of her closet and into her bedroom.

"Mano, have you had dinner yet?" Hearing Lyra's question Pia quickly went to prepare dinner.

"No. Did you go shopping again?" Mano looked down at all of the shopping bags on the floor.

"Yes. There was some stuff Mika is going to need. I didn't want her to be without." Lyra casually went to the bags pulling out clothing and wares for Mika to use during her trip.

Seeing his wife in such a sorry state, Mano couldn't help but try to comfort her. Taking a coat from Lyra's hands, and placing back inside the bag. Mano pulled Lyra over to her bed.

"Lyra, Mika will be fine. Lord Tasar will see to all her needs. He is a very good friend of mine. I would never let Mika go otherwise." Mano placed a kissed on Lyra's forehead.

"I know he is your friend, but Mika is my daughter and she is going somewhere dangerous. Of course, I will worry. Besides this was the final shopping trip, I promise" Mano saw he couldn't stop Lyra's feelings of being a mother, so he gave up.

"Okay, whatever makes you happy." Leaning forward to place a kiss on Lyra's lips.

Pulling back, Mano notices a red speck on Lyra's neck. Looking closer he sees many tiny red dots across her collarbone. Sensing Mano's stare at her chest area, Lyra pats him on the arm.

"Now is not the time, I just came back from a long day of shopping. Let's eat and let me take a bath before bed. Hmm?"

Mano stared into Lyra's eyes. Only seeing calm and amusement, he lets go of what he was going to ask.

"En. Go bathe before dinner arrives. I'll wait here, and entertain myself with the things you bought."

Leaving the bed, Lyra entered the bathroom under Mano watchful eyes. Once he heard the door lock. He walked towards the bags. Looking through each and every one of them. Pulling out items, inspecting them.

When the last bag was emptied and Lyra was still not out of the bathroom, Mano called for his steward.

Receiving the call through his ear comms. Mano's personal steward reached Lyra's doors in no time at all. Whispering a couple of words into his ears, Mano sent his steward on his way.

About to reclaim his seat, Mano saw the open closet doors. With his suspicions already pegged, Mano walked into Lyra's closet. Looking around, he spotted Lyra's clothes she wore during the day crumpled on the floor. Bending down to pick them, he was about to examine them when Lyra open the doors to her bathroom.

Not finding Mano in her bedroom, she turned around only to find him in her closet holding her clothes.

"Mano!...W-What are you doing?"

Mano stares into Lyra's nervous eyes. Waiting for a beat he passed the clothes into her hands.

"You're never one to leave your clothes on the floor. I thought to help clean up a bit."

"Ah... I was in a hurry when I got back to take a bath. I must have forgotten to tell Pia to take them with her."

When Lyra hurried out of the closet's doors, Pia was just coming in with dinner.

"Pia! Take these clothes to be washed." Giving a quick look into Pia's eyes, Lyra passed her the clothes before Mano could walk into the bedroom.

Understanding her mistress's orders, Pia bundled up the clothes and swiftly left the room. Mano appeared in the closet's doorway watching the exchange.

"Mano, come let's eat."

"En."

Mano walked to the setup table, pulling out Lyra's chair then his own. They sat down to a quiet meal. The conversation mostly revolved around Mika's trip.

With dinner done, and the place cleared. Lyra leans into Mano's arms. Placing a kiss on his lips, she moved her arms to hug his waist.

Liking Lyra's boldness today Mano deepen the kiss and carried her towards the bed.

It was intense lovemaking. Mano didn't know what had come over Lyra. And Lyra didn't know what had come over Mano.

Laying exhausted in each other arms. Mano felt the wall between them. Hugging her close, he continued to feel Lyra's heart was thousands of miles away from him.