“Hey, Chev, get up!”
Clavis’ annoying voice woke me the next morning at eight o’clock, per my request. Which was a mistake. Not the time, just my choice of an alarm clock.
“Do you have to be so loud?” I mumbled, pushing the blankets back reluctantly.
“Maybe you’d rather I be more like Ivetta. How does she wake you up?” he asked teasingly.
“She hums.” I stretched and sat up, rubbing my eyes.
“She hums? And that wakes you up?” Clavis asked incredulously.
“Have you heard her humming?” I stood up and went to the bureau.
“Yeah, from time to time. It’s not very loud.”
He didn’t understand at all. The volume was irrelevant.
“What else does she do?” he asked, sitting down on the bench with a silly grin.
“She opens the drapes, and then she just talks about whatever comes to mind.”
“You hate when I do that.”
“You’re a far cry from her.” I took my clothes to the bathroom to change.
“And she’s been doing this for the past month?” Clavis called from the bedroom.
“Yes.”
“And it’s been driving you crazy the whole time, hasn’t it?”
“Not the whole time,” I admitted.
“You’ve got it bad, Chev,” Clavis said, laughing.
“No thanks to you.”
“Aw, you noticed. I just gave you a little poke, here and there, pushing things along.”
I finished dressing and exited the bathroom, stopping in front of him. “Your poking is no longer necessary,” I said coolly.
He gave me a sly grin. “You’ve told me about the mornings - which, I might add, concerns me. Are you feeling okay?”
I sighed, irritated, and headed for the door. It wasn’t like me to talk this much to Clavis about anything other than work. But I was feeling better than okay, especially since I’d be rid of him in a few moments and seeing Ivetta again.
“So, what about the nights?” he asked, following me out into the hallway.
“She wasn’t here at night.”
“You’re forgetting one very important occasion, Chev,” he said. “The night before she was captured. If I recall, she spent the whole night in your bed, didn’t she?”
I wasn’t forgetting at all, but his implication irritated me.
“She did. Asleep,” I said shortly.
“Come on, Chev. Weren’t you the least bit tempted? Maybe to put your arms around her, maybe to steal a kiss?”
Yes, and yes. And I did both.
“You’re missing breakfast,” I said firmly.
He laughed again. “I get it. A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. Say hi to Ivetta for me.”
I wanted to be annoyed with him, but his words got me thinking about kissing her again. The peck on the lips yesterday had been long overdue, but I was looking forward to kissing her properly. When she could handle it.
That would be quite a while coming, though.
She was still asleep when I arrived, and I sat down on the sofa to read while the doctor changed her bandages again.
“Well, good morning, Miss Ivetta. How are you feeling?”
I kept my eyes on the pages, but I smiled.
“Much better, thank you,” she said, her voice achingly soft and sweet.
“Glad to hear it. Are you ready to try eating?”
“Yes.” Her stomach punctuated that statement with a loud growl that even reached my ears. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.
“Nothing to be sorry about. Music to my ears! Prince Chevalier, would you mind having breakfast sent up while I finish?”
“Not at all.”
I put my book down and left, still smiling. She sounded a lot better today, and she was finally hungry. It had been almost a week since she’d eaten anything, and she certainly hadn’t needed to lose more weight before this all happened.
I waited in the kitchens for our breakfast to be made, ignoring the frightened glances from the servants who gave me a wide berth. I intended to carry the food up to Ivetta’s room myself. Her security was of paramount importance. I kept her door locked, the only key safely in my pocket, with the added precaution of two knights standing guard. Anybody other than me had to go through the doctor’s room if they wanted to see her. Another pair of knights guarded his door. There were two copies of the key to the adjoining door between the two rooms: one for me, and one for the doctor. It was also kept locked at all times. The guards had strict orders to deny access to everybody except the doctor and me, unless we gave explicit instructions otherwise. Which we had not done yet, as she wasn’t sufficiently healed to handle visitors. It was my firm intention to ensure the doctor, or I, was there to supervise all who were allowed entry, whether a maid simply tidying up or one of my brothers stopping by to visit. I was taking no chances with her safety. She’d barely survived this time, and I was painfully aware that her body couldn’t take this kind of abuse a second time.
She and the doctor were in the bathroom when I returned. I set her tray on the nightstand and returned to the sofa with mine. This had been my place of residence for those agonizingly long days and nights while I awaited her return to consciousness. I would have slept in the bed next to her, but the doctor wouldn’t allow it. He’d assumed full responsibility for her and was acting as not just her doctor, but her self-imposed father figure. I didn’t argue the point with him. He was one of the palace physicians, but his primary focus was attending to the army. As such, he rarely treated women, and never had he treated anyone, male or female, in such a state as she had been. It was already a stretch for him to allow me to stay on the sofa and use her bathroom. Nevermind that I was a prince who should be telling the doctor what I could and couldn’t do.
She needed somebody like him.
I finished my breakfast and resumed my book. It wasn’t long before the doctor carried her back to the bed, a frail little form in a clean white nightgown, and he propped her up with pillows and set the tray over her lap to feed her. She had to be hating all of this. She’d always been so proud, so self-sufficient, and now, she literally couldn’t do anything for herself.
“You’ve got a good appetite,” the doctor said, helping her lie back down after she’d finished. “That’s a good sign. I’ll just take this back to the kitchens.”
As soon as the door closed, I set my book down and came to her side.
“Good morning, Prince Chevalier,” she said shyly.
“You’re feeling better today,” I said, removing my gloves and taking her hand. It just seemed wrong to wear them when I touched her.
“The medicine is helping.”
“Good.” She looked so much brighter today, her green eyes unclouded by pain.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Nine o’clock.”
“Isn’t it a bit early for you?”
Of course, she was concerned. She was lying in a sickbed, completely dependent on others for her every need, and she was still concerned about me not getting enough sleep.
“No.”
She sighed, clearly not convinced by my dismissive response, but didn’t push the matter further. “How long was I…gone?”
“Almost two days.” An eternity.
“I still can’t believe you found me,” she said softly.
“You doubted me?” I asked, frowning.
“I…” She didn’t know how to respond to that, but I could guess what she was thinking. A simple maid wasn’t important enough to warrant a search.
“I wasn’t going to lose you, little dove.”
Her wide green eyes looked up at me in surprise. “I’m just a maid, Prince Chevalier.”
“You think too little of yourself. We will discuss this in greater detail later, when you’ve healed, but the gala has ended.”
The shy realization in her eyes confirmed my suspicion. She didn’t remember anything I said in the hospital tent. Bruises hid her blush, but I knew it was there, and I smirked teasingly, my thumb caressing her hand.
“Prince Chevalier-”
I laid a finger gently across her lips, cutting off her protest.
“I’ve waited long enough,” I said quietly, leaning over her. “I love you, Ivetta.”
She stared up at me in shock, her green eyes wider than I’d ever seen them. That look, the feel of her lips, the words I’d said, all drew me in closer.
“Don’t you have something to say to me, little dove?” I asked softly.
“That’s not fair!” she burst out suddenly.
I pulled back slightly, momentarily surprised. Her green eyes were flashing with irritation and frustration.
“What isn’t fair?” I asked, amused.
“I can’t get away! I’m literally trapped here, and you say something like that to me? What am I supposed to say?” she complained.
I couldn’t help chuckling. A few days ago, she was at death’s door, and now, she was back to chewing me out - for telling her I loved her, of all things.
“Stop laughing! This is serious!” she pouted unhappily.
“Is this really so hard for you?” I asked teasingly.
“Yes, it is!” she insisted. “You think it’s so easy, because you always get what you want, but I live in the real world. Sometimes, things just don’t work out, no matter how much you want them to. This isn’t a romance novel. A prince and a maid just don’t fall in love. It just doesn’t happen.”
“So, you feel the same,” I summarized with a smirk.
Her eyes widened again. “Don’t put words in my mouth! I didn’t say that!”
I’d missed this.
“Is anything wrong?” the doctor interrupted, poking his head in the door.
“Yes. Prince Chevalier is bothering me and needs to leave,” she said firmly.
And now she was brazen enough to throw me out. It was all too humorous. But I tried to stifle my laughter, reminding myself that she was still bedridden, that she didn’t need to overexert herself by scolding me when she should be conserving her energy and healing.
“I’ll be back later this afternoon,” I said, squeezing her hand gently and standing up.
“Only if you behave yourself,” she said sternly.
The sooner she healed, the sooner I could quiet her smart mouth with a proper kiss.
“I’ve said what I needed to say. If you need more time, I will wait. Would you like me to bring you a book?”
She sighed, sounding distinctly defeated. Or maybe she was getting tired.
“No, thank you, your highness,” she said formally. “I couldn’t hold it, anyway.”
“This afternoon, then.”
The doctor’s mustache was twitching as he tried not to laugh. I walked past him without another word, but my lips were also twitching as I tried not to smile. I’d loved every minute of that. And I had her answer for Sariel. The answer that she’d accidentally given me when she was trying to avoid giving any answer at all.
I came again promptly at two thirty and sat on the sofa, drawn like a magnet, as I’d been drawn to the library at this time every day since she came into my life. She was asleep, as was the doctor, although he was in his own room. A golden opportunity. But if the doctor caught me lying in bed next to her reading, he would have my hide. And if she caught me, she would do the same. So, I reluctantly took my place on the sofa, a safe distance away from her, reading and sipping my tea. Eventually, I looked up to see her green eyes watching me. She looked distinctly embarrassed to be caught, but she didn’t look away as I abandoned the book and came to her side.
“The doctor said no visitors, Prince Chevalier,” she said, smiling shyly as she looked up at me.
No more scolding, and she was decidedly happy to see me. But as enjoyable as it had been to tease her earlier, as much as I wanted to pick up where we’d left off, she really did need to rest.
“He’s right. You’re not ready for the others,” I said, taking my seat beside her on the bed and holding her hand in mine.
“I know, but I’m sure they’re worried. Have you been telling them how I’m doing?”
“The doctor has been keeping them updated,” I said dismissively. And they peppered me with questions whenever I left her. “You’re eating well today.”
“The pain is much better. I couldn’t eat when it was bad.”
“So, what was your excuse before this happened?” I asked, frowning down at her.
“You aren’t going to like it,” she said sheepishly.
“Tell me.”
She sighed. “I was too busy to eat. And when I had time, I couldn’t afford food. And when I had time and food, I was too worried.”
As I’d suspected. She was undoubtedly putting money toward the doctor’s bill in preference to feeding herself.
“You should have told me,” I said sternly.
“I don’t like asking for help, Prince Chevalier.”
“I’ve noticed. But you’re not in a position to refuse it anymore.” My thumb was automatically caressing her hand again, and she closed her eyes. I smiled again. She liked the feeling.
“Did you really have five hundred soldiers with you, Prince Chevalier?”
I chuckled at her steadfast determination to ignore my advances.
“Of course. But they were largely unnecessary.”
“I only saw two men, but I didn’t think it could be a large group,” she said.
“It wasn’t, but their location was well fortified. Even so, I could have left the soldiers and brought only the other ten Noble Beasts. They were all prepared to do whatever was necessary to bring you back.”
“What?” she asked, opening her eyes and staring up at me in surprise.
It was so hard to resist those wide green eyes. Maybe just one little tease.
“You’ve always been good at attracting princes, little dove,” I said, smirking at her.
“But - the foreign princes, too? I hardly know them,” she said doubtfully, not taking the bait.
“You made quite an impression in a very short time.”
I could imagine the blush under the bruises as she dropped my gaze, too embarrassed to hold it. “I know Prince Leon was there, but were any of the others there, too?”
“No. Although it was difficult to restrain them.”
She was so shy, unable to even look up at me. “I should probably get some sleep,” she said quietly. “I need to get my strength up so the others can see for themselves that I’m going to be okay.”
“As you wish. I’ll be here if you need me.”
She closed her eyes again as I left her side and returned to the sofa. I stayed there the rest of the afternoon, reading, and although she did wake again when the doctor came to tend to her, she didn’t ask me to leave. She was still conflicted about my attention and her own feelings, but her smile had told me all I needed to know.
I needed to talk to Sariel tomorrow. He’d been given more than enough time to come up with a plan, and it was time for him to set it in motion.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu91cdgHz2
