Dedicated to: jankbw and typical_Indiangirl
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"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
-Winston Churchill
The waking period in Delilah's small, cozy cabin began to draw to close, Delilah and Simon had talked about everything they could for one evening, and he felt his eyes grow heavy.
They had come to find that they had a lot in common. They were both mountain children, raised in the peaks, although Simon had a considerably colder childhood.
He told her of his apprenticeship in the stables, and the shenanigans he and Chester used to get into.
In turn, Delilah told him about how the people of her kingdom thought she was a mountain witch, someone who cursed anyone who intruded on her privacy, and how she strung them along because it entertained her. Simon told of his sisters, and how he'd tease them. Delilah countered with the way she used to prank her father.
Also tired, Delilah stood from her chair at the bedside and grabbed a thick, but well worn cotton nightdress from where it hung on the wall.
Simon turned away so she could change, as rolling away from her was the only way to give any privacy in the one roomed abode.
In that moment he realized that in all their hours of talking, he had not once mentioned Adelaide, nor had the mountain woman asked about her.
Before he could dwell to much upon that, Simon felt the covers shift and Delilah crawl in right next to him.
Quickly he turned back around to look at her.
"Are you going to sleep here?"
He asked with wide eyes.
"Yes...?" She gave him a confused look.
"This is my home and my bed. Where do you expect me to sleep? On the floor?"
"No of course not..." he began,
"Wait," another thought struck him "have you been sleeping in bed with me the whole time I have been in your care?"
"Yes...?" Was another confused, oblivious reply he received.
"Even last night?"
He asked, still quite surprised.
"Yes. Don't you remember?"
She poised, before thinking back with a sudden realization.
"Oh wait. You were out long before I was finished scrubbing the dinner pan, and guess I was up long before you..." She paused for a second after her statement, her face scrunching up with even more naive confusement.
"Why do you ask such a thing?"
"Were you not afraid? To sleep in a bed with a man you knew nothing about?"
He poised, pulling his hands as close to his side's as he could, so as to take up as least space as possible.
The nature of his inquiry hit her with a sudden, humorous realization.
Her head tilted back into the pillow and she began to laugh, filling the cabin with that beautiful melody.
"You were as broken as an old axe handle when I found you. The only thing I had to fear from you was your snoring." She said though her laughter before turning her back to him and pulling the covers over her shoulders.
"What about now? Now that I'm a dull axe?" He poised.
"Well Simon," She tsked, "Years of chopping timber has made it so that I can handle any axe, in any size or condition. In fact, if anything, I'm not the one in this bed who has warrant to be cautious."
Though he couldn't see her face, her tone suggested her words were pouring through a teasing smirk.
"Goodnight, frozen man."
She wished, a smile on her face as she blew out the candle.
Simon awoke to find the sun shining through the small window, the rays passing him and illuminating the woman beside him, giving her an almost heavenly glow. As if in a trance, he gazed over Delilah's sleeping form, unable to stop himself from admiring her unusual, but intense beauty.
Aside from sharing a cot with one of his sisters as a young boy, back before his apprenticeship at the age of seven to the stablemaster, Simon never really had shared a bed with a woman before.
The warm light shining upon her made her look like nothing less than an earth bound angel, and for a moment, Simon wondered if in fact she was. Perhaps this beautiful creature was sent by God to rescue him from certain doom.
Her chocolate colored hair cascaded from her pillow and towards him, the sun upon it made it appear almost the same color as the bark of the nearby younglings trees.
Leaning forward, he couldn't stop himself and took a whiff, she smelled of the forest, fresh and green; this woman was the living embodiment of the wild woods.
He didn't know exactly how long he had been staring when she woke up, but her bright eyes blinked at him as she gave a tired smile.
"Good morning," she said with a very open mouthed yawn.
"Good morning," returned Simon. Delilah pulled herself out of the bed and stretched her tall, muscular form.
He had her to remove his gaze, and felt like punching himself when he realized he was now staring at certain places where her nightdress had clung to her surprisingly feminine form.
Guilty, he turned his gaze away from her body so quickly that if he had done so any faster, he might have just snapped his own neck, fearing that if he didn't she just might do it for him.
She dressed and made breakfast,
they exchanged a few pleasantries as they ate, but once the meal was finished, she cleared away the plates and returned to the side of the bed.
"Today I would like you to try and stand."
"Already?"
He asked, surprised. For yesterday she had been so adamant about him remaining in bed.
"I know it's soon, but after your little display last night, I'm now fairly certain you wouldn't appreciate my changing your sanitary cloth whilst you are conscious."
She forced back an embarrassed smile.
"Sanitary cloth...?"
He began, not knowing what she meant, but by the time the full two words were clear from his mouth, he was hit with the sudden, humiliating realization.
"Oh god..." He gasped quietly, face turning redder than a freshly plucked apple; hands reaching for the edge of his blanket, dreading to lift it but unable to refuse.
With a deep, dreading breath, Simon peeled the thick blanket from his body, and low and behold, he was indeed wearing what could only be compared to the diaper of a babe.
"I'm sorry, but all the herb remedies and nutrient broth I gave to sustain you had to go somewhere. I had little choice." She apologized sympathetically.
He could only remain still in a stunned silence, staring at the white fabric wrapped around his unmentionables, all he could do was simmer in his own utter shame as he pictured this beautiful woman cleaning and changing him like a mother would her infant, or a nursemaid to her charge.
"I doubted you would survive more than a few more days when I found you, for my mother always told me that those who are struck by the life sleep cannot be saved, as they lose their ability to swallow, and slowly thirst and starve themselves to death."
She continued softly, trying to ease his mind from the shame.
"Though I knew this, you looked so full of life yet to live when saw you on that riverbank, I knew I just had to try."
Delilah placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, and urged him to the edge of the bed.
"Miraculously, you had a level of consciousness when being fed, though I doubt you would remember, and would swallow the food when I asked you too."
With her help he lifted his legs from the mattress and down upon the floor.
The cold, hard wooden surface upon his bare feet sent a wave of pin pricks shooting up into his knees.
His legs felt like jelly as he pressed them down onto the wood. His whole body felt both new and old, at the same time, rejuvenated but still incredibly frail.
She locked her arm under his and placed her knees apart, making her body a brace to help him rise.
Simon gulped, wondering if his every bone would shatter the second he tried to stand.
"You are strong. A survivor. You have nothing to be ashamed about. You can do this." She reassured, her voice filled with total confidence in him.
Taking another deep breath, Simon slowly, painfully rose to his feet.
"There you go,"
Delilah said, a smile on her face.
"Now that wasn't too hard, was it?"
Simon winced as he tried to wiggle his toes, the hardwood was an uncomfortable flat beneath his feet. His soles felt rigid, shooting sharp pains up his legs.
It wasn't as easy as it looked, he wanted to tell her. He was beginning to get an idea of what babes probably felt when their parents tried so hard to make them walk.
"You're much stronger than you feel, right now Simon," Delilah said, her breath hot against his ears.
"I hope so," he said, more determined to prove that strength. He gripped the edge of the bed and strained as he willed himself not to crumple under his own weight. The floor creaked under him and he felt sharp pains bolt through his body. His eyes were closed, his teeth clenched and his breathing heavy, as that of a pregnant woman about to birth her first child.
"That's it," Delilah reassured.
Simon opened his eyes and looked around him, then his face lit up in a bright smile. "I can't believe I'm on my feet!" he said, unable to hide the joy in his voice.
"Do you think you can you walk?" Delilah asked hopefully.
"I can try," he answered and slowly dragged his feet forward. Simon turned slightly to her and smiled, but then the room suddenly began to spin and his legs buckled out from beneath him.
"Simon!" Delilah gasped, catching him before he could hit the floor.
"Are you alright?" She asked all but hauling him completely back to the bed. Such strength, he thought as he felt the bed on his back once more.
"Perhaps that was one step too many," she said and lifted his legs onto the bed. "We shall try again tomorrow, I'm happy with your progress."
As with the day before, they spent the day talking, their conversations growing deeper as the seeds of a true friendship took root, but yet, just like the day before, he noted guiltily as their conversation closed that the mention of Adelaide hadn't come up once.
Turning over so she could change, he thought about how he was 'stuck' in a room with a woman with a unique kind of beauty, and he found that he enjoyed the sound of her voice so much so he wished that she would just keep speaking, not minding what she said.
They slept in the same pattern as the night before, this time he felt no inhibition.
The next morning was ushered in by the soft whispers of the trees, and the tweeting of birds flying across the woods, and the smell of wild flowers and the greens of the woods.
Simon woke to the pressure of something against his chest. Looking down through half kidded eyes, he was taken slightly aback by the image of Delilah sleeping soundly, curled up against him with her head upon his chest.
His heart immediately began to pound as his eyes shot completely open. His senses were quickly invaded by her fresh, woodsy scent.
With her every curve easily felt against him, Simon felt his body reacting in a way that was not appropriate for a man engaged to be married.
"Uh... Delilah?"
He called down to her as calmly as he could force himself to be.
Her sleepy sapphire eyes slowly began to lift, and it didn't take long for the woodswoman to realize what she was doing.
After a quick shuffle from the bed and to her feet, and then a quickly muttered apology, she dressed quickly and scrambled up some breakfast before making a hasty exit to begin her work.
For some reason, he felt stronger and more determined to walk.
Mustering up all the energy in his bones, he picked himself up the bed and onto his feet. The easy part, he thought to himself. He took a slow, agonizing step forward. Steadily, going one small step after the other, he reached the table; gripping the edge of the well cut piece of furniture, he turned and made his way slowly back to the bed.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, catching his breath until he felt ready to repeat the process. Throughout the course of a few hours, Simon made the trip several times, with each step feeling more secure than the last.
He laid himself back down onto the bed, satisfied with his progress, and allowed himself to succumb to the exhaustion that followed.
Simon awoke later in the afternoon to the sound of a whinny.
Excited for her return, and to show her the progress he had made, Simon rose up once more and made his first trip all the way to the door of the cabin.
The sunlight was blinding against his eyes, making him squint, but he became used to it. A few feet away from him, just off the side of the porch was Delilah and she stood beside a black horse, speaking to him softly as she removed his harness.
"Your beast is a beauty," Simon said and smiled at the dazzling look of surprise that jumped into her eyes; a perfect reward for his efforts.
Delilah turned to the horse,
"yes, he is indeed. His name is Pompeii."
After lunch, Simon begged to take a walk into the woods, desperate to leave the confines of the cabin at last.
Delilah took some convincing, but soon the sound of leaves crunching underfoot struck Simon's ears like the most beautiful sonata as they walked carefully in the wooded area directly by her cabin. Simon held on to Pompeii's mane, gripping his locks as the horse acted as a support to Simon; this was one of Delilah's conditions. They walked slowly for a while, just talking and laughing.
"See this tree?" she asked, pointing and a tall tree, crooked with fat branches. Simon nodded, his face a mixture of intrigue and curiosity. He watched Delilah slowly run her hand across the tree and feel up the trunk.
"I used to climb this one every day as a child."
"Bet you can't do it anymore."
Simon teased, but then she leaped up, grabbing the branches and climbed the tree with an expert skill.
"Really? Is that the challange you honestly just give a lumberjill?"
She smirked down at him matter of factly.
Simon shook his head, impressed at her agility.
"Your the one that couldn't get up here, even in a normal state" she said, balancing on a branch and shaking it so that it rattled and poured dried leaves down on Simon.
"Is that a challenge?" he asked, letting go of the horse without realizing it.
Delilah shrugged teasingly, sticking out her tounge.
"Maybe I can't get up there, but I sure can get you down," he said, smiling mischievously and looking around for something appropriate to hurl. He found a fairly sized branch buried beneath a pile of leaves, he smiled to himself and picked it up.
"What are you..." Delilah began to say but never finished it as he tossed the branch at her. She squealed and fell backwards, landing on a large pile of leaves.
"Delilah!" Simon cried out and limped towards her. He squatted and held her hand, she wasn't moving.
"Are you alright?" he asked, sweat trickling down his forehead and his heart thumping against his chest.
"I didn't intend for you to fall..."
"Ha!" Delilah laughed, her eyes shooting open and grabbed his hand, intending to pull him down beside her into the giant pile of leaves, but instead he toppled down on top of her.
"You scared me," Simon worried. The relief that filled him was soon replaced by a wave of nervous energy, his breath coming out even faster when he noted the precarious position they were in, his body atop her, pressing her into the bed of leaves below, with faces merely inches apart.
Their gazes locked.
Her eyes glowed like sapphires in sunlight, two pools of blue so deep that he feared he might drown in them. Under the heat of his gaze, An unmistakable rush of desire flashed across her face, only for the slightest of seconds, but it was enough to make him lose all common sense.
His hands had landed on either side of her head and, and without much thought, he felt his head begin to lower even closer, as if completely out of his control, closing the distance. Just as their lips were about to make the lightest of touches, Pompeii neighed loudly, breaking them both from the trance.
Simon pulled himself off her, his thoughts running wild, and his conscious suddenly being struck with a heavy burden of guilt.
"I did really get you!," she feigned a joke, trying to laugh and smooth over the awkwardness. She glanced up at the sky, at the the sun beginning to fade,
"we should get back to the cabin."
"Yes, we should," Simon agreed, brushing the dried leaves off his body. He shuddered at the thought of what had nearly happened a moment ago, and how he'd wanted it. Though the weight of the guilt was currently crushing him, he realized that regrettably, in that moment, with her lying beneath him, skin flushed with the inklings of desire, the thought of Adelaide did not cross his mind once. Realizing that, he felt another whiplash heavy of guilt stinging at his soul.
What had just happened?
The night was quiet and windy, the breeze howling against the grasses and pushes against the window. Delilah sat at one end of the bed, a bowl of nuts on her lap. They'd had little conversation since they got back from the woods.
"Tell me about Adelaide?" Delilah suddenly asked out of the blue.
"What?"
Simon turned sharply, almost dropping his bowl from his grasp.
She took the small bowl from him and set it down.
"Who is this princess of yours?"
Simon sighed, knowing that what happened in the woods was the cause of that sudden, out of place question.
Of course she would ask that...
He thought with another wave of guilt. What kind of man would so readily thrust himself upon another woman when he claimed to have a princess of all things waiting for him at home.
He'd been hoping to mention Adelaide much earlier but there was something about Delilah's presence that made his mind go numb to any woman that wasn't her.
He sighed deeply and with a heavier heart than expected, and finally told her everything.
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A/N: Hey Guys,
Happy Tuesday.
Still trying to recover from my accident. Hip pains and the numbness on the left side have finally gone away. (YAY!)
Please don't forget to vote and comment.