All in good time

"All in good time young one. All you need to know now is that each of us has one day, 24 hours, in our adult lifetime in which we can appear in our true form. Today is that day for Gaddion."

Elizabetta looked at her hands trying to take in everything she had just heard. Gaddion her truest friend, was more than an intelligent, magical beast. He was a man trapped under a curse.

"He is here," Trevindel supplied.

Elizabetta's head jerked up and looked in the direction Trevindel had turned, just as a man stepped from the tree line. She gasped as he neared, finding him familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. His body was tall and muscular without being large. His shoulders were broad and his waist trim flaring out into strong thick thighs. His face was angular with a strong jaw line. He had long thick silvery blond hair and deep brown eyes. She knew she was staring but she couldn't seem to help herself as a blush crept up her cheeks and her heart began to race.

The man before her talked to Trevindel for a moment before he looked at her. Then he smiled at her and she thought that her heart had stopped. The unicorn nickered softly, walked away, and left them alone.

Gaddion moved closer offering her a hand up out of the grass. She took it and her pulled her up quickly overbalancing her and sending her crashing into him.

"I apologize, Betta, I am unaccustomed to the use of my arms, it has been nearly a decade since I last had fingers to touch with," he said his voice sounding just as it always had in her head. He reached up to stroke her cheek and down her neck seeming fascinated.

Elizabetta's heart leapt up into her throat and she felt weak in her knees as he wrapped those arms around her body and pulled her into him. He gently lowered his lips to hers and kissed her passionately. No boy had ever been interested in her. At first she didn't respond but soon the heat in her body seemed to turn her brain to mush. She leaned into him throwing her arms around his shoulders. He ended the kiss hugging her close and then turning to walk through the glade pulling her with him until they had reached the spot where they had first met.

A tall oak sprawled out creating a largely shaded area on the eastern side and he brought her there pulling her down into his lap as he sat and kissing her again. She pushed him away.

"Trevindel said something about conditions..."

"Shhh... love, there will be time for that later. I have a gift for you for your birthday."

Gaddion laid his hand over her face closing her eyes. She felt her skin tingle.

"Think of the one thing you have always wished for in your deepest heart."

Elizabetta squeezed her eyes tightly trying to imagine what she thought that was. She thought over the conversations they had had over the passed nine years but kept drawing a blank. She felt him remove his hand from her face and come to rest on her thigh.

"Open your eyes, love," Gaddion whispered throatily.