I held Larklind's hand—and my breath—as he slowly swung his legs over the edge of the cot. It had been four days since he'd woken up and the healers said it was time for him to start regaining some strength again. Larklind looked relieved to not have to sit in the same cot all day and night, but it made me nervous. While his fever had been gone for a long time and the infection had finally completely flushed from his body, his wound was taking longer to heal. I had to admit, it looked ten times better than it did four days ago—far less inflamed and the stitching starting to scab over—but it still didn't look amazing. But I suppose it wouldn't look amazing until it was healed. Even then, he would probably have a horrible scar to show for it. A mark that would forever demonstrate his selfless courage.
Larklind's feet found the ground and he took a long breath before sliding to the edge of the cot. I held his arm in support, my eyes flicking from his feet to his face. Though his expression was a little tight from the first movement in so long, it showed little pain. That was good. This was good for him.
"Are you okay?" I asked anyway, just to make sure.
He nodded. "Yeah. Can you maybe help me stand?"
I slid my arm around his waist and used my other hand to hold onto his forearm. He let out another steady sigh and then slowly forced himself to his feet. Though he was a little shaky at first, he was stronger than I'd been expecting and he was able to stand up straight with less help from me than I'd been prepared to give.
He peered over at me and smiled. "What a rush."
Chuckling, I rolled my eyes but I was so happy to hear him joking and teasing again. "Do you think you can walk at all?" I asked tentatively.
"If you're with me."
I blushed for some reason but nodded, keeping my arm firmly tucked around him.
Walking was a little more difficult for him than simply standing but after a couple steps out into the aisle between cots, he found a slow, easy rhythm. I kept a watchful eye on his face as he looked down at his steps, making sure that he wasn't in too much pain. Though his expression was concentrated and slightly hesitant in the beginning, he never grimaced or groaned. Either he was healing even faster than I thought or whatever remedies the healer was giving him did a very good job keeping the pain away.
We made a lazy lap around the basement and with each step, he seemed to get stronger. And even though I could tell it was making him a little tired, I hadn't seen his eyes glimmer like this in a long while. It was refreshing.
When we made it another half lap, coming around near the stairs, he paused. "Do you think we could take a walk to the gardens or the Greene? I feel like I haven't been outside in ages."
I hadn't either and his reminder left longing in my heart. I was about to comply but then I shook my head. "How about we keep to just walking the basement a while longer? You're walking well, but the stairs might be a different obstacle to tackle. I would prefer it if you didn't fall and hurt yourself more."
He let out an exasperated sigh but conceded, "Good point. But this basement could use some fresh air once in a while."
He was right. It was a little musky.
We made it back to his cot and he fell back onto it, letting out a sigh as his body relaxed. I started to take the stool next to his bed but he sat up—leaning his back against the wall—and tugged on my hand. I looked down to see him grin up at me before pulling at our laced fingers once again.
I fell down next to him on the cot with a slight squeal, unprepared. He chuckled as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "This cot fits two, I think."
I repositioned a little, tucking myself into his side. "It's a little bit of a tight fit."
"That's okay, right?" he said with a grin. "We're not afraid of each other."
I shook my head, smiling. "I suppose not." Without thinking about it, I let my temple rest on his shoulder, taking in his warmth. He pecked a kiss to the top of my head.
"So when did the physician say my next check up is?" he asked me.
"This evening, I think."
"Maybe I can convince him that stairs aren't too dangerous. It's seriously so stuffy down here."
"Maybe I could have one of my siblings bring us some flowers while we wait," I said, looking up at him. "They brought me some once before while you were unconscious so maybe they can cut some for us again."
"What kind? Daladias?"
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe."
He chuckled softly. "I'm just teasing, Saidy. I like how they make you happy. I love seeing you happy."
With a small smile, I replied, "I like seeing you happy, too. It makes me happy."
"Which makes me happy. It's a full circle of amazing happiness."
I laughed, shaking my head at him. "You're very chipper today and I'm liking it."
"Well, after spending four days straight with you, it's hard not to be."
I squeezed his hand that was still tangled in mine, my heart so full and my head so light. I felt the same way; spending time with him made it easier not to have to go outside because he was so refreshing in his own way. I hoped that I could spend more time in his refreshing presence after all of this was over.
My content smile faded slightly. I still hadn't found a way to talk my parents into this. Even with determination burning through my veins, I knew it would be an uphill battle with them. They were even more stubborn than I was, especially my father. I wasn't sure how much I could say that could change their minds. Though I was prepared to be with Larklind without their approval, I'd much rather have it. I loved them, too, and I really wanted to make it through this without losing either my family or Larklind. I was scared I wouldn't, though.
"What's going through that gorgeous mind of yours?" Larklind asked after a moment, stroking my temple with his thumb.
I swallowed and sighed. "Just thinking about after you recover... How I'm going to be able to stand up to my parents. I will. I just... don't know how yet."
His expression sobered as he pressed his lips together. "If it's any help, I can be with you when you talk to them."
I nodded, knowing that I was always less anxious about things with him by my side. "Thank you."
He looked at me for a long moment and seemed as though he was about to say something else when I heard footsteps approaching us. We both turned our heads in the direction from which they came, our conversation dying away.
I blushed when it was Mr. Sarcroft. "Uh..." I sat up a little straighter, subtly pulling away from Larklind.
But Mr. Sarcroft held out a hand to stop me, his eyes gleaming knowingly. "It's okay. Don't get up on my account."
I glanced at Larklind to find that he looked completely unbothered that his father was here as I was so close to him. He shrugged, saying, "He knows I love you."
He said it like it was the most simple explanation in the world and my heart did a little flutter at how casually yet sure he spoke about his love for me. I had to bite back a smile as I tentatively settled back down next to him.
Mr. Sarcroft positioned himself on the stool, resting his elbows on his knees. "How are you feeling, son?"
"Great. Saidy forced me to do some exercise so I'm a little tired but fine otherwise."
"I didn't‒" But when I looked over at him to see his eyes laughing at me, I stopped, sighing.
Larklind chuckled, wrapping his other arm around me and squeezing me closer. His chin rested against my shoulder and I glanced over to see him grinning. "You're so fun to tease."
"I can tell by how often you do it."
Both Larklind and his father laughed, the sound so similar it was a little frightening. But I found myself smiling at the likeness.
"So what have you been up to, Dad?" Larklind asked.
"Not much. I've been keeping to my shifts and covering yours as well."
"They couldn't get Sawyer to do it?"
Mr. Sarcroft shook his head.
"Why am I not surprised?" he said exasperatedly, but I could tell it was mostly lighthearted. Over the past few days, his friends had come to visit some and I could tell how much Larklind appreciated them.
"I've also started a few more sketches. Not sure how they'll turn out but maybe they'll be something worth saving."
"I'm sure they will be. You know, the two of you are far too hard on your art," Larklind said, poking me in the stomach. I couldn't stop my laugh at the tickle.
"Oh, the princess is an artist?"
I blushed. "Hardly. I'm not very good."
"Nonsense. She's amazing. And she promised to paint us a picture of the gardens to adorn our apartment walls."
Mr. Sarcroft looked genuinely thrilled. "Has she? What a treat."
My face only got warmer. "I'm not sure if you want my painting but I'll do it if you'd like."
"Of course we want it!" he said enthusiastically. "And I'd even make it a fair deal by drawing something for you, if your Highness would like."
I had to smile. "Yes, that would be lovely."
"It's a plan, then." He beamed.
The two of them chatted a while longer but my eyes followed movement coming from near the stairwell. A figure stepped into the basement, their eyes scanning around until they found our small party. I swallowed. It was Kartren.
Though he looked hesitant, he started to walk toward us.
I squeezed Larklind's hand, pulling his attention to where I was looking. His smile faded.
This time, I pulled away from Lark but Mr. Sarcroft sat on the stool so I had to stay sitting on the edge of the cot. But at least this was a little more appropriate than being right next to him.
Mr. Sarcroft heard Kartren's steps a moment after I pulled away. Surprise passed over his features as he stood. "Your Highness," he greeted with a bow.
Kartren nodded at him. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Mr. Sarcroft glanced at Larklind and me and then back at Kartren. He seemed to notice the slight tension that had settled. "I'll let the three of you visit." With another bow, he left.
I wished he had stayed.
While Kartren and I weren't quite as severely at odds with one another as before, I was still a little hurt and we hadn't said very much to each other recently. He'd come to visit a couple times with my other two siblings but had been mostly quiet. Now, it was just him and his expression showed that he came prepared with something he needed to say.
The look was so jarringly similar to the look Father got when he was dealing with a council proceeding that I swallowed nervously.
"Saidy. Mr. Sarcroft," Kartren acknowledged with a slight nod of his head to Larklind.
"Good morning, your Highness," Larklind replied, only able to nod back since he couldn't bow when he was sitting. In any other situation, he would have had to stand, but at least Kartren was gracious enough not to make an injured man do so.
Kartren looked about and found the stool that Larklind's father had vacated and sat down, looking rather uncomfortable by the informality of it. But still, he sat, seemingly completely undeterred. Whatever he had to say must have been important.
"Saidy, I wish to speak with you," he said slowly, his words well thought out like always but still dubious.
I tapped my fingers together but Larklind subtly took my hand to stop the motion. I relaxed at the feel of his hand around mine. "Alright." I swallowed. "Speak."
Kartren remained perfectly still on the stool but I could tell that he wanted to fidget. He was nervous, more than I'd seen in a while.
With a glance at Larklind, he seemed to steel his mind and then say what he needed to. "I apologize for telling our parents about your relationship. I concealed it as long as I could but Mother was getting curious as to where you went all the time. Once she started asking questions, I couldn't lie."
I knew that he had warned me about this, yet the hurt still strangled me around the throat. I didn't say anything, letting him finish.
"After I told them, I knew I shouldn't have. Father did not respond well but I thought perhaps you'd been right; maybe you could change their minds. But it didn't happen so hopefully..." He trailed out, his gaze the most conflicted I'd ever seen it. When he looked up again, his sudden vulnerability caught me off guard. Kartren was the essence of put-together at all times. To see him looking so unguarded and unsure of himself was strange. But I found I liked my brother this way; I felt like I was truly seeing him instead of the man he wanted everyone to see.
"Over the past few weeks," he continued, "I've been learning things that I didn't realize I needed to know. I'd never wanted to know them, so I assumed I didn't need them. What my tutors and books and even Father couldn't teach me was that some changes aren't as horrible as we perceive them to be. I've been told my entire life that we must keep things the same to keep Austora alive. But you, Saidy, have been showing me that this doesn't have to be true. In some ways, I even believe that some of our traditions have been hindering us."
I didn't realize I was holding my breath until Larklind's finger rubbed gentle, soothing circles along my hand. I released my breath, but held onto every word my brother was saying.
Kartren leaned forward slightly, a stark contrast from his constant straight posture. Yet another thing that made me believe I was seeing who my brother truly was for the first time in a long time. "I can't promise that I will be able to take change any easier, or that the people of Austora will take change any easier. But I can promise that I will try not to fear change so much. And I will try to find the possibilities that change can lead to. I don't want to limit myself, our family, or our kingdom anymore. And..." His eyes flicked away and his voice lowered. "I want to not only apologize for what I did but also thank you for helping me see this."
I was slightly surprised for a moment. Not only that he was admitting all this to me, but that I'd truly helped him see this. That'd I'd had so much influence on him.
When my mind caught up, I slowly reached for his hand, pulling his gaze back to mine. "Thank you for apologizing. And I must apologize, too, for I didn't exactly show much respect toward you when I was hurt."
"I deserved it," he said around a half smile.
I savored that smile since it was so rare these days. "Perhaps a little. But not as much as I gave to you."
He held his small grin a moment longer before his expression turned serious again. "There is another thing that I've come to talk with you about, though."
I was slightly scared by the way his countenance changed, but also a little curious. "And what would that be?"
"I've been doing a bit of research when I've gotten some free moments," he started, his voice turning formal and logistic. "I've found that while there are no specific laws that states a prince or princess must marry a member of the gentry, I know this is not enough to persuade Mother and Father. So I dug a little deeper and..." Again he smiled and my heart soared. "I think I found something."
I blinked a few times. "W-what?"
Kartren rushed to explain. "I found the conditions for new family names to be admitted into the nobility. Austora hasn't had many families enter the nobility in a long time so they aren't used very often. But he meets all the stipulations." He looked at Larklind for a second. "And if he joined the gentry, Mother and Father technically couldn't stop you from courting because he'd be a noble."
The basement was starting to spin slightly. I shakily turned to look at Larklind to see that he was just as shocked as I was.
"So..." Larklind started, still looking at Kartren. "What would that mean for me?"
"It would mean that you would be granted the opportunity to own an estate, most likely not a far distance from the palace, an allowance, and you'd be considered a lord."
Larklind's eyebrows furrowed slightly at this. "But I'd still be allowed to work, right? Because I don't think sitting around on a comfy couch and having people attend to me is exactly my cup of tea. No offense."
"None taken. But, yes, you can do whatever you please as long as you fulfill your noble responsibilities such as attending the nobility meetings and cultivating your estate."
This processed through Larklind's mind for a moment. Then, slowly, he smiled. When he turned his gaze to look at me, he asked, in his soft breathy voice, "What do you think? Do you think it could work?"
I didn't know what to say. So I laughed. I really laughed because maybe it could work. It all sounded plausible. Kartren was one of the smartest people I knew and he believed it could work.
This could really work.
I shook my head and threw my arms around Lark. He chuckled and hugged me back as I beamed, my cheek against his hair. But then I realized... "You'd be okay with this right?" I asked cautiously as I pulled away. "Being in the nobility?"
His smile was dazzling and his touch that lingered along my waist was gentle. "It doesn't sound so bad. And I'd get you, so yeah. I'm okay with this. I'm more than okay with this."
I had to laugh again. I hadn't felt so much hope in a long time.
I turned to my brother and stood, suffocating him in a hug before he could anticipate it. He froze for a second before wrapping his arms around me.
"Thank you, Kartren," I muttered. "Thank you so much."
"Of course, Saidy. It was the least I could do after I made everything so difficult for you. And after your warning about Julietta that I did not heed."
I pulled away and gave him a sad look. "How are you handling that, by the way?"
His eyes flicked to the side and I could tell he was uncomfortable talking about it. "I'm realizing that she wasn't the person I thought she was. But even if I thought perhaps she was a good candidate, I know now that it's good that she is gone so that I can find the right one."
I nodded. "I'm glad you see it that way."
"All because of you," he replied with a small smile.
I shook my head. "Still, this makes up for so much more than that. I owe you."
He pulled away, shaking his head. "Nonsense. This feels right. You don't have to give me anything else."
I couldn't help but grin wider as I looked between the two of them. For the first time since everything fell apart, I had a calm sense of anticipation for the future. I was ready for whatever may come.
A/N *deep breath* ..... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! (I start off so many a/ns like this bahaha but FR I HAVE TO SCREAM!!) How is everyone processing right now?!?!?! Can you believe there is really a way for this to happen, that there can really be a happy ending?! Technically, Larklind could still be denied from the nobility or even after being admitted, her parents could disagree with the match but.... WE'RE HAVING HOPE, RIGHT?! AHHHH! (More screaming XDD) Lmk all your wonderful thoughts here! ----->