Second Time's a Charm (MxM)✔

Chapter 57 - Desperate Measures

When Cain next awoke, he was back at the mansion with the maids running around, carrying bloody washcloths and towels as they tried to staunch the bleeding. He looked down to see he had been stripped bare and laid on a table where two of the women were frantically stitching up some of the gashes he'd received.

His current pain levels were so high that he didn't even register the needles going in and out of his flesh, and felt grateful when a cool damp cloth was put over his eyes while Doren and a few other men restrained him. Realizing he was in a state of shock, he did his best not to black out while the servants held him down. 

Yet again, his fate was up in the air. But at least they'd managed to stop Andrew from reaching the mansion. 

His thoughts felt fuzzy as he listened to the women's voices. Some were crying, others were talking in hushed whispers. Overall, it was not the sound of a victorious household.

He seemed to lose track of time when at one point he was released and removed the cloth from his face to find he'd been redressed lain in bed. The curtains of his bedroom window were thrown open, allowing him a view of the night sky and forest beyond. Beams of moonlight infiltrated his room, making it bright enough for him to take in his surroundings.

It was serene, but he felt too weak to get up and just continued to stare outside until the sun peaked out over the horizon. By then, he'd finally regained some of his strength and forced himself to stand. Doran entered early that morning and made it just in time to stop him. 

"I'm alright now." Cain insisted weakly as the butler held him up. 

"It's only been a day. You must rest longer and recover your strength!"

"Tell me what happened." He ignored the man's pleas as he was pushed back down onto the bed. 

The butler frowned but gave a slight bow once Cain was off his feet. "I will fetch Master Norton. He was the one to retrieve the bodies."

Not wanting to leave the noble alone, Doren had one of the maids keep an eye on the blond while he fetched the ex-thief. Once Norton showed up in the doorway, he sighed at the state that Cain was in. "Why are you acting up when you've barely had time to recover?"

"What happened?" He repeated, a little louder than intended. Realizing how his tone came across, he lowered his eyes to the ground and sighed. "I'm sorry. Just...I need to know what happened."

There was a brief pause before Norton responded. "All but two of the men who went to support you are dead. Catalina hasn't been seen, and the dryad vanished after telling us where to find you. It doesn't appear that he's able to keep anyone out anymore. A few hours ago one of the traders breached the forest border, and nothing happened to him. We're practically defenseless."

Cain closed his eyes, remembering the looks on the men's faces as they were slain by the knights. He had been overconfident and believed they would be safe in the confines of the trees, no matter what size the enemy's armies were.

Again, guilt-wracked his body as he moved to stand.

"Hey! You're still recovering!" Norton quickly grabbed one of Cain's arms to help him steady himself. 

"Prepare a funeral procession." Cain ordered. "The servants will not be left to rot in the ground without some ode to their names."

Doren and the maids nodded solemnly. But Norton maneuvered Cain into a chair and knelt to look at him eye to eye. "Listen, I understand it was a bloody massacre. Twelve servants versus a hundred knights? Madness. But if we're going to get through this, we're going to need you to stay in tip-top condition and stop pushing yourself. It may look bad now, but everything will fall apart completely if you die too. So please, leave it to us and rest!"