Claude smiled broadly at the implication; the night was theirs. Their secret love would last well into the morning. But they could not stay in that palace garden, for surely other amorous couples would be walking these paths in short order. He gave another kiss to Miranda's lips, unable to resist keeping her body close to his own. "The hours are not long enough, my sweet Miranda, but we must make do with that which we are given. We cannot stay here, lest we be discovered..."<br/><br/>Fingers trailed through her hair, which felt as if he were caressing the finest spun silks from the east. His eyes closed for a moment, but soon opened once more to look anew upon his love. "We must go. Anywhere but here..."<br/><br/>He stood, not carrying her, but keeping her hand in his as he lead her hurriedly down the paths, away from the palace. He didn't know where they were going; he didn't care. He'd lay in the forest with her, out in the wild if he must. He just had to be with her. There had to be some shelter for the two to huddle together in and wile away the hours of the night.