"We've got years," I said, then grinned. "We've got millenia. But right now we've got orchids to count and hot springs to soak in. Shall we try and catch up to our tight schedule, my King?"

"As you desire, my Queen," Dain said, his own smile spreading, and led us back to orchids and beautiful things.

We counted twenty-three orchids in bloom, with another four that were quietly growing, their broad dark leaves in a whorl across the forest floor. Dain managed to spot a smattering of baby orchids, none of them larger than a thumbnail (mine, not his), and though we didn't add them to the count, we both fixed the location of them in our memory to check when we next returned.

Despite the jokes about schedules, we ate our lunch at a vista point over the course of more than an hour, and meandered our way back down towards the hot springs at a pace that could kindly have been called an amble. As we got closer to the lodge, Dain's ears started turning, a puzzled expression coming over his face. Though I was curious, I didn't ask, and before long I, too, caught the sound of very recognizable voices.

I started laughing, and smacked Dain on the shoulder. "Oh, my God, Dain, did you seriously invite Zhiolas and Alluin to our honeymoon?"

He gave me a totally perplexed look. "I did not do that, no. I am somewhat taken aback."

Still laughing, I shook my head. "Well, we may as well go say hi to them."

"I suppose," Dain said, not sounding happy about it.

We followed their voices around the lodge and down a wooden path to the hot springs, to discover the two of them naked and sprawled in the hot springs, Alluin holding what looked like a glass of iced tea, the pitcher and several more glasses on the flat ground nearby. The two of them looked up at us as we came down the stairs with what appeared to be a great deal of amusement; Zhiolas even waved.

I had to give it to them: even though I was way more interested in Dain, the two of them looked spectacular naked. Both of them looked like they could be underwear models with their washboard abs and cut bodies; Zhiolas had no hair at all on that pale torso of his, save for the white of his pubic hair, and Alluin had only a dark money trail leading down to what, at a glance, looked like some rather careful grooming.

Dain crossed his arms over his chest, his feet planted in a wide stance and his tails lashing behind him, and glowered at the two of them.

They both appeared totally unaffected. "Hey, trueloves," Alluin said with a grin. "Are the two of you enjoying your vacation?"

"We were," Dain said, his voice halfway to a growl. "Why are the two of you in my hot springs?"