The Lady Knight

Chapter XLIV: Homes and Hollows

For an answer, she lay a hand on my head for a moment, her eyes filled with tears, and pressed a kiss to my forehead, before she held out the other tray to Nick.

"Nick?" she shook him by the shoulders gently, and sat down on the bed beside him.

In truth, Mama had to feed him his meals, since his fractured, right arm was wrapped up in linen and hanging in a sling around his neck, which he had to keep that way for the next few months. However, he hardly cared, and was hardly ever in this world.

His gaze now snapped to Mama, tired and emotionless. "Nay, thank you, Mama. I am not hungry," he answered quietly, looking back out the window.

She was struggling to rein in her tears. Struggling to stay strong for the both of us. Nick had always been the boisterous one, the happy one in our family. To witness his misery, to hear his silence was something none of us could stomach.

"How will you recover if you do not eat properly, son?" her voice trembled, holding out a spoon full of broth towards him, "please, allow me to feed you."

He stared at her countenance for a long while, mayhap noting her dark circles and worry lines on her forehead, before he leaned forward to sip the broth from the spoon. "What day is it today?" he asked unexpectedly.

"31 December," I supplied at once, "Saturday."

It had almost been a week since we had returned to Bordeux. With the exception of bathing, and visiting Jules, he had not moved an inch from that bed since.

He grew unnaturally still. "31 December?" he whispered, his eyes widening in horror, an emotion for the first time in days, "the Potential Quest Ball is – " He could not finish.

Damn it.

Mama and I exchanged alarmed looks. However, the reasons for our concern could not be more different.

"One word from you, and we will postpone it," Mama assured him, setting the tray aside as she took his face in her hands, "your Papa is making all the preparations merely on the word of the Physicians, but if you do not feel well enough to come, then simply let me know. We will postpone it."

He ran a pale hand through his hair, frustrated. "I do not even wish to go to the Ball!" he burst out weakly, his grey eyes burning with grief, "even if you postpone it to next month, it will still be too soon after - " He did not finish, but he did not need to.

Mama and I both understood.

"Surely we can call it off, son," Mama ventured, "I shall ask your Papa - "

He shook his head tiredly. "Nay, 'tis too late," he whispered, "you are well aware of how the members of the Crown Council visit me every day to remind me of the deadline. And push their daughters as prospective brides in my face."

I scowled at the mention of the Crown Council. Although two of their members were dead, and three were about to be tried for treason, the rest of them continued to visit Nick once every day like clockwork to speak to him about the Potential Quest and his bridal choices.

However, I gave not a damn about what the Crown Council thought.

"The Ball does not matter one whit, Brother-mine," I stared straight at him, "the more important issue is, do you have a woman in mind whom you wish to marry?"

He saw it in my eyes that I knew. Unlike him, I had realised the truth a very long time ago. Whom he loved. Any man with eyes could tell from the way he looked at her whenever she was around him.

"What does it matter?" he whispered, "I have no idea how she feels about me still, let alone whether she would consent to marry me should I propose to her."