To Love, Once Again

Chapter 37

Lucien seems to slowly wake up from his stupor when Sera helps him take off his clothes and bandage him up.

The clothes he'd worn were rags now, too stained with blood and cuts to be of any use.

There was a problem though. With his shirt off and his belt unbuckled, it was clear as day what kind of condition he was in. His body was ready for a different kind of battle.

It wouldn't have been such a big deal if Sera wasn't too close to him. But as the situation was, she was almost plastered to his side. He'd never let go of her hand the whole time she'd tended to him.

Also her hip was glued to his, like siamese twins.

It took a lot of maneuvering for her to get him somewhat cleaned up and bandaged with only one hand and being glued to his side.

Her current task was to make him drink some herbs that would help with the poison.

"Please Lucien, just chew on these leaves" she begged as she held two leaves to Lucien's tightly closed mouth.

It was a matter of life and death. Sera needed to get him to take the medicine. The medicine would help neutralize whatever poison had entered Lucien's body from Dorne's blood....If he would only open his mouth.

"Please!"

Lucien mumbles something under his breath.

She leans in, trying to make out what he said.

"Give me a kiss" he mumbled again, eyes down on the ground. Sera couldn't believe he was bartering for a kiss with her, using his own life as payment.

Throwing her hands up in the air, she grabs his cheeks, getting ready to give him a big, childish smack on the lips. She didn't want to waste time arguing with him.

One peck. Like a child would give their parent.

"There, now please-"

Both hands cup her face, and he presses a light kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you" he says, as their eyes lock.

He leans his forehead against hers.

"You can thank me once you take the neutralizer."
Sera responds, trying to keep the mood light.

"No, thank you for watching. Standing there. I know....how hard the violence that's common here can be for you."

Sera's at loss for words, unsure of how to respond...It was such a sweet thing to say. His words so different from the usual bluster, free from the anger and pain she could sense roiling in him. It wasn't something he would have said before. Before, he'd tried his best to make her understand that this was the way things were in Thornmere. It had been hard for him to comprehend how differently Sera's mind was wired compared to those who lived in this strange world. Lucien had grown during their time spent apart.

"I'm proud to have you as my Queen."

His thumb brushes over her lips. Stroking each nerve end that sparks to life, making Sera's heart throb erratically.

That utterly confused her. She was his former Queen. Sera was his maid. Questions circle around her mind like a flock of birds that take flight, and she was  lost.

"Wha-"

Sera feels a large hand cupping the back of her neck. He swallows her words and kisses her, hard.

Pressing her lips firmly together as to prevent his entry, Sera tries to make him release her by tapping on his chest. He had a big hole in his shoulder she'd just cleaned and bandaged, and she wasn't willing to agitate it.