"Cassandra?" a voice called, pulling me out of the dark place, "Cassandra, please wake up."
This voice sounded like it was sobbing. I wanted to wake up and tell them it was okay, but I couldn't. My eyes remained shut, and I drifted back into sleep.
∞ ∞ ∞
"Please, Cassandra, wake up," the voice went again. A cool hand slid over my forehead, "She's burning up, go get some more water and blankets."
∞ ∞ ∞
My eyes slid open slowly. I heard someone gasp and run over to me.
"Are you awake?" the voice went. I slowly turned my head and saw Andrew, looking awful, staring at me. I tried to sit up, but he gently pushed me back down, "No, stay there, Cassandra."
I blinked at him as he slowly fed me some soup.
"What happened," I whispered, my throat was sore. I touched my neck and winced.
"You were sick."
"No, before. Tell me everything."
Andrew sighed, "We believe that person was sent to kill you. We don't know by whom or why. He killed himself before we got to ask. He broke three of your ribs and tried to choke you. You also got pneumonia for going out into that storm."
His hand brushed my hair back from my forehead and looked down at me sadly, "We tried to get to you faster, but we didn't. You could've been killed!" He looked away for a moment, pain on his face, then looked back down at me, "There's obviously something larger going on here. From now on you're to stay with me at all times."
I stared at him. His hair was in knots and there were dark circles under his eyes, "You look awful."
He chuckled, "I have looked better."
I traced one of the dark circles, "You should get some rest."
He ignored me, "Do you think she's good enough to sit up?"
I gave him a strange look, then noticed another man in the corner of the room, watching me. He met me eyes, "Maybe. Try it."
Andrew turned to me, "Do you want to try?"
"Sure."
Andrew slid his hands under my back and helped me up. I gave a little cry of pain and put my hand to my chest. There was a bandage wrapped around my torso and chest, showing off the exact shape of my body. Andrew gave me a worried look, he turned back to the man in the corner.
"She'll be fine in a month. She just needs to take it very easy until then, and afterwards too," the man stood up and came closer to the bed. I absentmindedly slid the blankets up to my chin and looked up at him with wide eyes. He gave a curt nod, giving Andrew a few instructions, then he turned to leave. He murmured very softly before he left, "She's prettier than I thought."
I looked at Andrew, but he hadn't heard him. He was too busy pulling back some curtains someone had put on the window. Sunlight streamed in the windows, I squinted my eyes until they adjusted.
Andrew looked back at me with a smile, "It's a pretty day today."
He came back and sat next to me carefully, trying not to jostle me, "I'm sorry we didn't get to you in time, Cassandra. We could've stopped him from doing this to you."
"It's not your fault."
"It feels like it is."
"Well, it's not," I said, taking his hand in my smaller ones.
He smirked, gazing down at out entwined hands, "You're so forgiving."
"It's one of my better qualities," I smiled. My stomach rumbled and I laughed. Andrew laughed too, then fed me some more soup. "How long was I out?"
"Five days."
"Five days?!" I exclaimed, my mouth dropping open.
"Yeah," he said, looking down, "A lot of people thought you were going to die."
"Well, I didn't. I don't give up that easily."
"I've noticed," he said, putting the empty bowl down. He stood up and started rummaging through the chest.
"What are you looking for?" I asked.
"Something," he said. I snorted as he came back with a book. "I thought I'd read to you."
I bit my lip, "You can read?"
"Of course."
"Will...will you teach me?"
He looked at me with a sad look, "To my best abilities."
I smiled, "Thanks."
"Okay, let the lesson begin!"
∞ ∞ ∞
I sat in the chilly room running my finger under the words and reading slowly out loud. It had been a week since my attack and Andrew said I was a very quick learner. Other men dropped by to see how I was doing and to help me out when Andrew had to leave or rest. He was exhausted. I asked him why when we were alone one day. He said he was watching over me. I called him my guardian angel and he smiled tiredly. That's when I demanded he sleep, that I could take care of myself. Obviously he didn't believe me. I told him he couldn't stay awake forever and he said he could try. I frowned at him and glared. He finally gave in and had a sailor he trusted to come and sit with me while he slept.
The sailor's name was Robbie and he had wild red hair and wide green eyes. He was funny and nice and helped me with words when I got stuck. He was also a fantastic story teller. I liked his voice and I begged him to tell me story after story. He obliged.
Robbie was here right now, standing behind me, watching me read. Andrew had carried me to a chair with a lot of pillows. He was asleep right now, and he was mumbling, but Robbie and I basically ignored him.
I put down the children's book I had been reading from and closed my eyes.
"Are you all right, Cassandra?" Robbie asked, sitting in the chair across from me.
"Yes. I'm just tired."
Robbie chuckled, "That makes two of you."
We glanced over at Andrew. He was talking about a farm right now.
"Will you tell me a story?"
"I knew you were going to ask me that. I'm running out of stories. I'm going to have to come up with some more," he said. He looked out the window, then started, "Once upon a time, in the country across the sea..."
"Where we're going?"
"Yes," he laughed, I always interrupted with questions, "There was a king and queen. They hadn't had a child yet and they were worried."
"How sad," I commented.
He smiled and continued, "They prayed and prayed, and one day, the queen found out she was pregnant. Later, a girl was born, the princess."
"Yay!" I said, clapping my hands.
"The country rejoiced, they finally had an heir. But, a fairy was not happy about that. She came to the castle in the middle of the night and cursed the child. Everything would go wrong in that child's life until she received true love's kiss."
"How cliché."
Robbie raised an eyebrow, warning me that he would end the story. I bit my lip and looked at him expectantly. He shook his head, chuckling, "The girl was also supposed to be unnaturally beautiful, a gift from another fairy. She was also supposed to be sweet and kind and smart, also gifts from other fairies. The evil fairy knew the girl would find her true love soon if she were to grow up into all those things. So, she kidnapped the child and neither of them have been seen again."
I stared at him, "Why would anyone want to do that to a baby!"
Robbie shrugged, "The fairy was just evil. It's rumored that she died a year ago, leaving no trace as to where the princess is."
"How old would she be now?"
Robbie bit his lip as he thought, counting, "Sixteen."
"She's as old as I am," I murmured.
"The king and queen were distraught. They've never talked to fairy folk since then. They searched for her for years, but she hasn't been found. No one knows what she looks like either, except that she's extraordinarily beautiful."
I frowned, "Poor princess. I wonder where she is now."
"Cassandra," Andrew mumbled in his sleep. He shot up, "Cassandra!" He looked around with wide eyes, they landed on me, "You're all right! Thank God! I had a horrible nightmare that you were gone."
Robbie rolled his eyes at me, "Well, I better get back up there."
"Thank you for the story," I said.
"Thanks for watching her," Andrew said, rubbing his eyes, then getting out of bed.
"As always, thank you for the splendid company," he smiled, closing the door behind him.
Andrew walked over to me, "Are you all right? You want to go back to bed?"
I blushed, "I'm fine. You worry about me too much."
"Not nearly enough," he said softly, turning around to stoke to fire with more wood.
I sighed as I watched him, he hadn't gotten enough sleep again. His shoulders slouched in a tired manner. Dark circles were still under his eyes. I wanted to get up and go to him, but I couldn't yet. There was a knock on the door. Andrew stood up and opened it. It was the ship's cook, who found it his personal duty to fix and bring me my meals since I couldn't go get them.
"Hope you're feelin' better ma'am," he said, handing my food to Andrew.
"Better every day, Cook," I replied. I asked what his real name was, but he said everyone just called him Cook, so I did too.
"I'm glad, enjoy you're dinner," he said.
"Thank you," I called after him. He turned with a wide grin and left.
Andrew chuckled as he walked over to me, handing me my tray carefully, "What'd I tell you. All you have to do is use those big blue eyes, and men will do whatever you want them to do. Robbie, Cook, and a few more men seem quite infatuated with you."
"They're just being nice because I'm injured," I said brightly, settling the tray in my lap.
Andrew shook his head and walked over to the window, changing the subject, "It's supposed to be freezing in two weeks."
"And we still haven't found a solution to our problem yet. We need to work on our team work," I answered playfully.
"Yeah, we do," he smiled turning back to me. I was breaking up some bread and putting it into my mouth. "How's your reading going?"
I swallowed a bit of bread, "Much better! I read two pages today and only messed up on two words!"
He smiled wider as I beamed up at him, "You're so enthusiastic."
"I try to be."
"I don't know how you can be this happy after all those years with Bill and Mark," he said.
"Great practice."
"It would take a good deal of practice and patience and a whole lot of other things to put up with them even for a week!"
"I guess it's good I have all those qualities," I smiled, finishing my bread off.
"Yes, it's fantastic," he said, turning back to the window.
*******************************************************************************************
Yes, I know! I called my story cliche. Well, it is. It's a typical fairy tale. :D Don't stop reading it though! I will be disheartened!!!!!
Andrew: *hiding in corner, mumbling* I can't belive there's two of them!
Abrielle: Ignore him. He's pouting.
Comment! I love Robbie! He's my favourite! ;p