Page 51 of His Noble Savior

Richard’s lips thinned. “You haven’t eaten much.” A statement, not a question. He went quiet for a moment, taking in the empty hollow tree. “Is this your home?”

“Yes. Or it used to be. It wasn’t always this barren. As it turns out, my friend Flora took my possessions while I was gone. She won’t return them. Some things can be replaced, but she’s also holding onto very personal items.”

Richard placed a hand on Lilian’s knee. “Do you want them back?”

“I don’t always get what I want. Often I don’t. But you’re here, and that’s more than I could’ve asked for. It means everything.” He placed his hand on Richard’s. “You mean everything.”

Richard turned his hand and linked their fingers. “What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?”

Lilian took another bite of the bread and cheese. He didn’t have an immediate answer. As long as he was with Richard, everything was fine.

“Do you want to stay in the faerie realm?” Richard probed. “It’s nice here, lots of flowers. If you like, I can stay with you.”

Lilian must’ve misheard. “You’d stay with me?”

The sacrifice was too big. Richard’s family was in the human world. If he ate faerie food while here, he’d never be able to go home. Plus, not all spring fae were kind. Richard would be protected from the orcs but not from other dangers.

“I’d stay anywhere with you,” Richard said. He shook his head. “I don’t care anymore. For a week, I thought I’d lost you.I was worried something had happened to you. If you allow it, I won’t let you out of my sight again. Ever.”

“Then don’t. I’ll return to Somerdale Castle with you. You belong with your family, with your people.”

“This is your home, though.”

Lilian shrugged. “It was. I love this tree. I spent so many hours here, making pottery, eating, sleeping… My whole life used to be here, but now there’s you, and I want to be where you belong. I want to come home with you.”

“How about the things Flora took?” Richard asked.

Lilian stroked his thumb over the back of Richard’s hand. His kindness knew no bounds. “Flora took my belongings not because she’s a bad person, but because she’s poor. She’s always had more than me, but that means nothing. She needs my things more than I do.”Because I have you.

“But you said she has some items of sentimental value to you?”

“There’s a blanket that used to comfort me and keep me warm at night. There’s a comb, the brushes I used for painting clay… These things aren’t worth a lot, but they’ve accompanied me through hard times.”

“We’ll get them.”

Lilian finished his food, grateful for every bite. It revived his strength. He held Richard’s hand, never wanting to be apart again.

Afterward, Lilian led Richard to Flora’s cave. The green of the forest was brighter with Richard by his side. Moss squelched under their feet, and above them in the trees, goldcrests chirped.

“Don’t divulge your full name or that you’re a nobleman,” Lilian said as they approached. “The former gives her power over you, and the latter will make her seek your gold.”

Most likely, Richard knew this already and had a secret middle name only he and his late parents knew—a commonprecaution against the power of fae—but Lilian preferred to be safe.

Flora wasn’t alone when they arrived at her cave. The male fae was working on Lilian’s potter’s wheel while Flora was painting a flower pot, her brush drawing trees and leaves.

“Lilian,” she said, not sounding happy to see him. “You’ve brought a human for reinforcements?”

“That’s the best he could do,” the male fae scoffed.

“My name is Richard. I’d like to offer payment for Lilian’s belongings.”

Flora set her brush aside and got up. “Payment?”

“Two silver pennies for his blanket, comb and paint brushes.”

Flora stalked toward them, and Lilian shuffled closer to Richard, moving between them. Richard was his protector, but Lilian had greater strength, and he didn’t want him to get hurt.

“Show me what’s in your bag,” Flora said.

---