"Sire?" she asked.
"I wanted to apologize if I came across as..."
"Domineering," Sebastian supplied.
Prince Magnus frowned. "Not really..."
"Inconsiderate."
The prince glared at his squire.
"Rude?" Sebastian quipped.
Prince Magnus looked at them and, with his back to the squire, rolled his eyes.
"I saw that," Sebastian said urbanely.
Prince Magnus' shoulders slumped. "Of course, you did." He looked at Grant and Ellie. "What I am trying to say is I am sorry. No matter what you do, I will help in any way possible, and please, call me Magnus."
Sebastian handed them a packed lunch. "We thought you might like to take a break with everything going on."
"Thank you. That would be lovely." Ellie took the heavy bundle. What had Sebastian packed? The kitchen?
Magnus led them to the doorway of the gardens. Like the lab, this door also had an intricate lock. However, unlike the lab, it wasn't science that had created the lock; it was magic. Using his hand as the key, the prince opened the door.
"Take your time. You both more than deserve a respite," he said, then walked away, closing the door behind him.
Looking around, Ellie felt as if she had been transported to a different world. "Have you been here before?" she asked.
Grant nodded. "The first time wasn't too long ago. I helped watch over the children when they came down and played."
Ellie looked around at the lush plant life all around them. "Where would be the best spot for a picnic?"
Grant pointed down the path. "They had picnic tables put in next to where the children's playground was installed. We could eat there and you can poke around the area looking at the plants."
Hand in hand, they walked over to a table and began opening the lunch Sebastian had packed for them. It included a tablecloth, eating utensils, plates, an array of sandwiches, chips, potato salad, and two thermoses of tea. Instead of putting the tablecloth on the table, Ellie laid it on the ground. "I hope Sebastian won't mind."
"I can't see how. Especially if it's for Benji; this baby boy has the squire wrapped around his tiny finger."
Ellie gave him a sidelong glance. "He's not the only one who's wrapped."
Grant shrugged. "I deny nothing."
Under the artificial sun, Benji was a different child. He cooed and played, rolling around and laughing as he discovered his toes. Ellie sat on one corner watching him, her heart full. She'd always longed for her own child. When she looked up, she saw Grant watching her, an intense look on his face.
"What?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, I want children."
Ellie sat up straighter. "Really?"
Grant's eyes drifted to the small child. "Benji doesn't seem to be afraid of me, plus you look like the embodiment of motherhood. You don't realize how much you light up around children. Let's have a dozen."
Ellie sputtered. "A dozen! Kids are hard work you know."