the swan princess, arthur pendragon

032. two sides of the same coin

    A hard shell around Gaius's heart always softened when she showed up at his door. 

    He sighed and stopped everything he was doing. Odette watched him, hesitant as Gaius made his way over. She frowned until he held out his arms and her brows lifted. The young girl hitched a small sob and let herself fall into Gaius's hug. The physician rocked her, rubbing her back. And Odette relaxed. 

    She didn't realise she had fallen asleep until she woke up and found her head resting on a pillow. Odette frowned. She was sluggish, but she shifted underneath the thin woollen blanket. Her heart jolted, startled as she thought the worst▬that she had drifted off for too long. But when she tried to get up, a wave hit her that made her light-headed, and her eyes became a vision of a grey snowstorm and she fell back against the pillow, weak. 

    Then heard something creak beside her. She glanced over and watched Gaius sit down beside the cot. With him, he carried his physician bag. "Here," he murmured to her. He passed over a vial remedy and helped Odette to sit up. "I'm afraid food is as scarce here as anywhere else, but ... this should give you some strength."

    It tasted quite disgusting, but she forced it down. "I'm sorry," Odette mumbled again once she did. 

    The physician shook his head, taking it back from her once she finished, "You have nothing to be sorry for," he told her sternly and she hung her gaze. 

    "Thank you," mumbled Odette. She managed a sheepish smile. Gaius matched it and squeezed her shoulder. 

    "Have a rest," advised the physician as he stood back up. Immediately, as she went to protest, Gaius set a steel eye on her, "Rest, Odette. I will explain to Morgana."

    The young handmaiden pursed her lips. She wanted to argue and object, but her exhaustion got the better of her. Odette welcomed the feeling of lying back down and falling asleep before even a gentle breath escaped her lips▬and amongst the soft boil of Gaius's potions over a small open flame, the sound of him shuffling around, the echo of the castle bell in the distance ... Odette felt safe enough that she fell into a deep, calming slumber. 

    Odette dreamed she was running through the castle hallways. She heard the laugh of her younger self, nearly tripping over her own two feet as she ducked fast around the corner. Her heart paced with excitement▬pounding against her chest as she glanced over her shoulder and gasped with delight; she pushed her little legs to run faster, giggling as she rushed down the stairs. 

    "Stop!" she heard Ronyn call after her, sounding just as giddy. Even though he was thirteen by now, chasing after a nine-year-old, he was filled with a childish glee as if he hadn't aged a single day before her. "Odette▬!" he jumped down two steps at time. "We'll get in trouble!"

    "When have you ever▬" Odette danced around on her toes, shooting Ronyn a mischievous glance, "▬cared about the rules?"

    "Since you decided to steal from the kitchens!" he caught up to her, long-legged and lanky▬he was thin for a boy who was learning to fight with a sword. Odette remembered the days when Ronyn looked so awkward, still growing into his legs and his arms. 

    "It will be fun!" declared Odette, and it bewildered her to hear how similar her voice sounded back then to how it did now. "And we will get to eat pies!"

    She held her own wooden sword, shaking it with determination as if she was leading armies into battle. "We shall have a feast fit for a King!"

    Ronyn matched her rushed jog, puffing out in exasperation, "If we are caught, you will surely be flogged."