When my eyes flicker open again, sunlight overwhelms them, and I blink. A figure stands over me that slowly comes into focus as my eyes adjust.
"Amaris?" A voice questions as I awaken.
As my eyes adjust, I'm unable to see who hovers over me entirely, and can only see a wisp of golden hair.
"Cael?" I question groggily.
"It Genevieve, Your Grace" the voice replies.
As my eyes finally focus correctly, I can now see it is indeed, my faithful ladies maid, always attending to my needs.
"Samael. Where's Samael?" I question, sitting up and immediately regretting it as another wave of dizziness overcomes me.
"You really shouldn't be getting up, Your Grace. You've lost a lot of blood" Genevieve says, helping me back down to a laying position before continuing.
"I'll tell Samael you've awakened. I'm sure he'll be relieved. The poor man has been worried sick since yesterday" Genevieve explains, setting down the bowl of cool water and towel she was holding.
"Samael? Worried? Doesn't seem much like him" I reply.
"Glad to see your sense of humor is still intact, Your Grace" Genevieve jokes.
"I'll ask the kitchen to make you a bowl of warm broth." She adds before exiting the room.
I nod to her as she leaves, closing my eyes and resting while I await Samael's arrival. A few minutes later, he appears, leaning on the doorframe and looking at me strangely.
"Genevieve says you were worried. So tell me. What happened to the real Samael?" I question him slyly.
"I assure you, I was only worried for the future of your town. After all, you are the last in line, since you have no offspring and refuse to be remarried" Samael responds.
"Yes. Thank you for the lecture on my marital status. Though, I'm afraid I'm quite aware of it" I retort, closing my eyes again.
I refuse to reopen them again until I feel Samael's warm breath on my skin and the gentle touch of his nose on mine. I open them briefly to look into his eyes as he hovers over me, then close them again as he kisses me. It's at this moment that Genevieve returns, breaking us apart.
"Sorry to interrupt, Your Grace, but I brought your broth" Genevieve says, walking over and setting the soup at my bedside table.
"I expect you'll be receiving a visit from your ladies soon" Genevieve says as she begins cleaning up the room a bit.
"And why would they care of my well being?" I ask, taking a delicate sip of soup.
Samael sits down on the foot of my bed.
"To be honest, My Lady, they've been rather persistent on finding you a beau. The town will see you as more desirable if you have a Duke beside you. But Lord Bardot has seemed to give the impression that he's uninterested, therefore, I suspect they'll pick... someone else... to take up the role" Genevieve says, looking Samael up and down.
"Me? Are you talking about me?" Samael asks in shock.
"It would appear so." Genevieve replies before continuing on with her chores.
"And why exactly would they approach me about this at a time like this?" I question.
"Well you see My Lady, Samael caught their eye when he saved you from that warehouse. I suspect they respect him more now that he's saved your life" She replies.
"How convenient" I reply haughtily.
"All I'm saying, is that you should expect them to approach you at some point, not necessarily now" Genevieve replies.
"Well why don't you tell them I'm no longer accepting visitors. That'll delay them" I reply smartly.
"Very well, Duchess" Genevieve replies, curtsying, then leaving to deliver the news.
I turn to Samael in disbelief.
"I mean you must admit, desirability is a crucial factor in a leader" Samael says.
"My people should see the effort I put into governing the town as desirable, not the man who stands beside me" I reply in disgust.
"Yeah, well. Not in this society" Samael replies.
I sigh heavily.
"Care for some fresh air?" He asks me.
"Genevieve says I shouldn't be getting up" I reply solemnly.
"And since when has that ever stopped you?" He asks in return, standing up and offering me his hand.
I smile mischievously and take his hand, sliding out of bed carefully. He tried to take me stargazing on the balcony, but the second I realized what his plan was, I turned on my heels, walking back in the opposite direction. What he didn't see was how I was fighting back tears. He grabs my wrist, preventing me from continuing on.
"Why do you fear the stars?" He asks me.
It takes me a second to respond, so I don't choke on my words, but I eventually wipe away the tears in my eyes, turning around to face him.
"They remind me of him" I respond with a hitch in my voice.
He seems to immediately understand and he pulls me into him, circling me in an empathetic embrace.
"You know he's always with you, looking after you, from up there" Samael says, pointing up towards the night sky.
I nod, trying hard not to burst out in tears. I thought I had turned my emotions off long ago, but somehow, they kept coming back, despite my best attempts to conceal them. Samael steps away from the embrace, holding my shoulders tightly to peer into my eyes.
"You know, it's okay to cry, Amaris. You had no time to process the events that occurred. No time to grieve. You don't have to keep pretending you're okay. I know you're not. You don't just forget trauma like that. It's something that'll stay with you forever, and crying is a healthy coping mechanism." Samael explains.
He was right. But I didn't want to accept that he was. I didn't want to accept that I'd lost the love of my life. I didn't want to accept that I now had an entire city to look after, or that I was entirely unprepared for such a responsibility.
So instead I just cried.
YOU ARE READING
The Promise of the Dawn
General FictionCHRONICLES OF CROWN AND CASUALTY BOOK 2- She was a stranger in someone else's land. A visitor to the grandeur of a royal. Allied with someone who was born into power and luxury, yet she had fought for her place. She had spilled blood for her crown...
