Time for Change

28

"Things could have been worse," Tyler says leading Shelby over to the couch and pulling her onto his lap.

"Oh, really? Do you really think so? I think that is a joke." Shelby says closing her eyes and sighing softly.

Tyler rubs her back helping to ease the tension that had taken up residence in her shoulders and neck. She becomes boneless at his touch.

"The fact that they asked the highest families why they are such stuck up snobs doesn't count as embarrassing?"

Tyler chuckles and lets his hands turn sensual, "I don't have a problem with what they said. Don't worry about it. They are stuck up snobs. They are able to get away with things that I wouldn't be able to get away with."

"I don't understand," Shelby says getting relaxed by his touch.

"I've wanted to say something like that for years." Tyler says letting his lips trail where his fingers had so recently been lights her blood on fire.

"Tomorrow, we don't have any scheduled meetings. Would you like to go to the town tomorrow? Just you and me?" Tyler asks later, he knows that Shelby isn't asleep yet.

Shelby turns to him and smiles, "Yes, that would be lovely. But what about the children?"

"Their tutors are also their body guards. They will watch over them and make sure that they get their school work done." Tyler sits up and leans on his elbows as he watches Shelby.

"Then yes, I would really like to have a day at the town with you tomorrow."

Shelby hasn't been horseback riding in years so Tyler decides to take her via magic to the town.  Shelby enjoys all the shops he takes her too, but doesn't buy anything. He wonders what he has to do  to get her to buy something for herself.

The last store he takes her to is more like a business trip since he has need to talk to the owner. He has invested in the store and wants to know how business is directly and not from reports.

To Shelby, however, it is wonderful. It's more like a pawn shop and Shelby hadn't realized they had that type of store here. While Tyler is busy talking to the owner Shelby inspects the wares. She is drawn to a darker corner and finds a carved unicorn statue that takes her breath away. She itches to hold it. She has a small collection of unicorn statuettes and such but nothing of this caliber, if she even knew where her things have been put.

"Shelby? Are you ready to go?" Tyler asks coming up to her.

"Do you think the owner would mind if I looked at that more closely?" Shelby points to the unicorn carving.

"No, I'll go get him," Tyler says pleased that something has caught her eye at last.

The owner rushes over to her and is pleased to open the case and take out the carving. He hands it to her. Tyler returns to her side as she holds it in awe. "It is very fine work. I'd swear this is real if it weren't made out of wood."

"She was real, whoever carved her saw her. She was beautiful and strong." Tyler holds back the sadness he feels. "He saw her before she was so sad."

Tyler takes the statuette from her and inspects it minutely.

"You've seen her Sire?" The man says shocked. Even here unicorns are becoming myth and legend when they used to be fact.

"Yes, when I was younger. She was much sadder then, lonely. She was the last of her kind and she wished to join them." The crest of the ruling family has the unicorn rampant. They are the protectors of the unicorns.  Now the unicorns are gone.