From Protector To Lady

From Protector To Lady Chapter 41

Hey all!

Here's the next part, please let me know what you think! Like/comment/vote!

<3

P.s. Let me know what ya'll think is going to happen to Helen ;)

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Three days later, the day had finally come for Stanton and I to return back to Tarantsmo. I was itching to get out of this inn – it was an accommodating stay but one that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Our carriage awaits," Stanton said as he opened the door to leave the chamber of the inn. I nodded and stood up from the bed I was sitting on, taking careful, slow, steps. I had started to walk by myself, finally, just yesterday.

"Are you sure you're well enough? It will be a long journey – surely the carriage ride will be uncomfortable," Stanton said, concern tugging at his mouth.

"Stanton, by god if you ask me one more time," I started, quickly getting interrupted by Stanton throwing his hands up in defense.
"Alright, don't say I didn't warn you," he replied before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Damned stubborn woman."

I shot him a small glare before I held out my hand to him, to which he offered the crook of his elbow.

"I just wish for things to go back to how they were before this entire ordeal happened," I sighed, my eyes scanning the inn. It was the first time I head seen the main lobby, the desk with the innkeeper and the tavern off to one side. 

"A reasonable wish," he nodded. Stanton's spirits had raised considerably over the past few days – his eyes weren't clouded with guilt anymore – surely the advance in my recovery to be cause for this. For the first time, it seemed I may actually go back to feeling healthy again. My leg injuries had healed completely. Now it was just a matter of waiting for my ribs to heal completely. They were still sore when resting and only really became painful any time I coughed or touched them. Stanton had taken the bindings off of my torso two days prior, I felt at this point, I needed to start gaining back strength without them. 

"Surely you are excited to get back to Tarantsmo, you have a duchy to tend to, after all," I said as we walked slowly out the door of the inn.

"I'm confident my advisors did a fine job in my absence. If anything was amiss, a messenger would have been sent," he said as he put two hands on my waist, carefully lifting me into the carriage.

It was then that I noticed the absence of Stanton's sling. "You are not wearing your sling," I stated simply.

He instinctively put a hand to what was his injured shoulder. "No, the pain has lessened a great deal," he smiled as he shrugged.

"I'm happy to hear it," I smiled before my thoughts were taken somewhere else. "Won't the people of Tarantsmo wonder of your absence? Surely there must already be rumors of the attack," I mused as I settled into the carriage, resting back against the cushioned seat as Stanton took his place beside me.

"Rumors that will all be laid to rest as soon as we return," he promised, his eyes locking mine, the gaze there dark and promising.

I simply nodded, my mind quickly turning to Helen. I couldn't suppress the building anticipation I had at watching her see me, alive and in the flesh. Would she be angry? Would she play the fool and try to talk her way out of being convicted?

Would she beg for forgiveness? She would never receive it. Anger boiled in my chest as I imagined her, turning to Stanton, trying to persuade him to her ways like she had before.