As soon as the guards saw Harsha and Fallon riding in holding the Scepter, they opened the gates to the castle immediately. Storms of cheers and hurrahs followed them in and servants swarmed them trying to get them to reach the queen. Fallon had been in charge of Indigo, who was still unconscious. A set of guards tried to take them away, but Harsha ordered for them to get medical attention and to be at full health before being sent to the dungeons.
True to his word, Karis wasn't letting Alana leave his side. She clung to him like she was holding on for dear life as they rode back home, feeling shots of fire course through her body with every beat of their horse's hooves. Karis kept looking back at her, whispering words of reassurance and praise at her for holding on this long.
When they arrived at the front steps of the castle, Fallon and Harsha were already walking inside. A team of medics had gathered Indigo onto a stretcher and brought them inside under the supervision of a team of guards. The queen wasn't there, but Prince Victor was.
Karis helped Alana down from the horse and didn't let her go. Prince Victor approached them with Princess Harsha at his side. "Excellent job, General Griffin," he said with a smile. Then, he glanced toward Alana. "General Campbell, I—"
Harsha pushed their brother aside and continued. "Go back to your room, Alana. I'll send a medic up there as soon as I can. Don't worry about anything else right now but healing."
"Thank you." She nodded at the prince, the most respectful gesture she could in her current state, and let Karis bring her to her room in the guard's dorms.
With Karis waiting outside, Alana pulled off her other shoe and changed out of her bloody shirt before crawling into bed. "Okay, Kare, you can come back in!" she called out into the hallway. There was a soft knock at her door and Alana rolled her eyes with a smile. "I told you that you could come in." Karis burst into the room, followed by an older man with cropped salt-and-pepper hair and a beard.
"Are you okay? Are you comfortable?" Karis asked, pulling up a chair beside her bed. He leaned onto her mattress and grabbed her hand. Alana drew in a breath at the touch, but then relaxed. This was just Karis being Karis. Why was she getting so nervous around him?
"Good afternoon, General Campbell," the older man said. He set a large bag down beside her. "My name is Rowan. Princess Harsha sent me to attend to your injuries. Can you tell me what seems to be the problem?"
Alana showed him her foot first, flipping back the covers for him to see. After prodding around uncomfortably, he decided to set her foot in a type of cast so it wouldn't move and gave her a pair of crutches so she could move around without relying on anyone else. Once her foot was done, Alana lifted the hem of her shirt just enough so that he could see the stab wound in her abdomen.
"Oh, dear," Rowan muttered. He soaked a cloth in medical alcohol and dabbed at the area to clean it. "It should heal fine if you keep it clean, but I am going to give you a couple of stitches to close it. Is that okay?"
"Yes, sir," Alana replied.
Rowan put on a pair of gloves and grabbed a needle. Once it was threaded, he took a seat on Alana's bed to see better. "This is going to be a bit uncomfortable, General."
"I'll be fine."
She was not fine. As soon as the needle pierced her skin, Alana gritted her teeth and gripped Karis's hand tighter. He scooted closer to her, wrapping both of his hands around hers. In between stitches, Alana turned to him. "Karis, you can go. I can handle it on my own." Rowan poked the needle through again and she hissed.
He laughed and smoothed a piece of hair out of her face. "Honestly, it doesn't really look like it. I'll stay if you want me to, or I can go. Whatever you want, Alana. Just always know I'll be right here for you if you need me."
In that case, she squeezed his hand tighter. Rowan was over halfway done now, but there were still a few stitches left. Whether she knew it or not, Alana always admired Karis's loyalty and compassion. He was always there when you needed him, and he didn't leave until you asked him to. He was always kind to everyone—well, except for when they didn't deserve it. Karis had been by her side since she arrived in the queen's guard, and he hadn't given up on her yet. After everything that had happened, he was still here, as lovable as ever.
Alana looked away from Rowan's work and over at Karis. Her heart started pounding. He wasn't looking at her, but she could still see the color of his eyes. They were a deep shade of caramel, but in the sun, strands of gold shone through. His skin was a rich brown and as soft as silk. How had she never noticed how beautiful he was before?
Karis's thumb stroked absent-mindedly over the back of her palm. His hands had been through a lot and had fought a million battles, but never once had they dared to hurt her. Karis was a lover, not a fighter, unless those he loved were threatened. He had so much love in his heart it could be overwhelming, but Karis was the light in Alana's world. He made her feel things she couldn't describe. He made her feel like she was home.
She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that the last few stitches went by like nothing. When Rowan sat up, a bloody needle in hand, Karis finally glanced up at her. Alana's cheeks turned red with blush.
"All done," Rowan announced. "Just be careful for a week or so until the wound is healed and we can take the stitches out. As for your foot, you can use the crutches, but be mindful. No duty for the next couple of weeks with that. I'll update the princess, and I'll check up on you when I can. Until then, General Campbell."
The medic quickly gathered his things and went to the door to leave. When he opened it, he gasped and gave a short bow to someone outside. Alana was just about to talk to Karis when another soft knock echoed through the room.
"Princess Lévian," Karis said, standing up abruptly and bowing.
"Hello, Karis," the princess said. Her blonde hair tumbled in waves down her back, and she wore a loose cotton dress that swished with every step. "Alana. It's so good to see you again."
Alana pushed herself up into a sitting position, wary of her stitches. "Lévian, I'm so sorry. What happened at the ball, it wasn't planned at all. Indigo ended up betraying me, and now that I know how it feels, I hate myself for doing it to you all. I can't even begin to apologize."
Lévian came into the room and stood at the foot of Alana's bed, leaning against the post at the corner. "Harsha and Fallon already told all of us what happened earlier today. They both spoke only praises about your contributions."
"But that doesn't erase what I did before." Her voice remained strong, but her hands started to shake. "I betrayed you all, I conspired against the crown, and I even caused you to get hurt, Your Highness. There's no excuse for what I've done, and I'm prepared to accept any and all consequences."
"How is your leg, Your Highness?" Karis asked. Even with his superior in the room, he was still right at Alana's side.
Lévian lifted her foot off of the ground and rubbed her thigh where Indigo had stabbed her. "It's okay now. With the exception of changing bandages and monitoring it, I'm back to my normal routine. Still healing, but the medics are very talented. You're in good hands, Alana."
"I'm glad," Alana said sincerely. Lévian had been haunting the back of her mind since the ball. That moment when Indigo stabbed her was the first time she seriously started to consider where she wanted to go with her plan. "Again, I can't even begin to apologize for everything I've done to you and your family."
"Speaking of family..." Lévian started. She messed with her fingernails and tilted her head away from Alana. "My mother sent me to tell you she would like to speak with you sometime tomorrow when you're rested."
Alana's heart sank. Instantly, her mind went into overdrive thinking about everything Queen Marjorie could say. "Oh," she said. It was all she could manage to say as she processed all of the possibilities of the conversation.
"Well, keep in mind that Fallon and Harsha explained everything very well. It's very likely that she just wants to talk. I don't even think you're going to be punished, and if you are, it'll probably be small. My mother probably just wants you to explain everything yourself, Alana. Don't worry too much."
She scoffed. "Yeah, because when the queen wants to talk to a criminal, it's usually just for an explanation." Her tone was a bit harsher than she expected it to sound like. "Sorry. So tomorrow?"
The princess nodded. "Tomorrow, at your convenience." She gave a soft smile, then looked between Alana and Karis, who had since put a stabilizing hand on Alana's back. "Well, I'll leave you to rest and get well soon. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to let me know, okay?"
Alana smiled in silent thanks, then focused her gaze on her hands fidgeting in her lap. Lévian dipped her head at Karis, who bowed back. The princess left and closed the door behind her, leaving Alana and Karis alone in silence.
Karis sat back down in the chair beside Alana's bed. She turned to look at him, her throat tight with the threat of oncoming tears. Lévian was fine, and she had said that Harsha and Fallon didn't speak ill of her, but that didn't stop Alana from worrying. A conversation with a princess and a queen were two different things.
"Hey," Karis said, putting his hand on her cheek. He pulled her toward him softly, then rested his forehead on Alana's. She closed her eyes. "It'll be fine. I'll be there with you, too, remember? I promised I would."
She turned her head away from his touch. As soon as she did, though, Alana wished she didn't. Karis only meant well, and he was trying to give her the comfort she so desperately wanted. She didn't know how to act right now. Anxiety for her future had started to creep in, and Alana didn't know how to control it.
He took her movement as a hint that she wanted to be alone. "I'm going to go, okay? Try to rest. I—" Karis paused like he was about to say something, but decided against it for the moment. "I'll see you later."
When Karis stepped out, it was like a wave of fear washed over her and held her underwater. Warmth and hope were dragged away and shut out when the door clicked closed behind him. Alana waited until Karis was out of the dorms completely before she let herself break down.