Floorboards creaked in the corridor and then she heard a sound that made her blood run cold. The soft hiss of breathing.
Someone was outside her room!
She hurriedly glanced around, searching for something that could serve as a weapon. In the dim light, her gaze fell upon the fireplace poker standing against the wall. She jumped out of bed, wrapped the blanket around her shoulders against the chill air, and grabbed hold of the poker.
Taking a deep breath, she padded across the room and pressed her ear to the door. She heard nothing. Gripping the poker tightly, she slowly slid back the bolt and gently pushed the door open, peeking cautiously into the corridor. The flickering glow of a solitary candle revealed a figure sitting on the floor outside her room. She recognized the broad shoulders and copper hair immediately.
“Oskar?”
He jumped, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of her. “Lily! What are ye doing up?”
“I could ask you the same thing!”
He had his sword drawn and lying across his knees and had been sitting with his legs crossed and his back against the wall, blocking any approach to her door.
“I said ye wouldnae come to any harm,” he replied with a shrug.
“Wait, have you been guarding my room?”
He shrugged again.
“What? All night? You’ve been sat there all night? Haven’t you had any sleep at all?”
“Sleep is something I can do without for now. My concern lies with keeping ye safe.”
She blinked in surprise. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Aye, I did. I’ve told ye what this place can be like. I’ve already had to deal with a drunken letch who thought he might pay ye a visit in the night.”
So that’s what the commotion that had woken her had been. Lily felt her cheeks flush. She hadn’t expected such devotion from someone she had only just met. She wasn’t used to someone else taking such care over her welfare.
“I appreciate it,” she murmured.
He gave her a nod, his gaze lingering on her. “Ye should go back inside and get some rest now. I’ll keep watch here for a while longer.”
“All right,” she said. “Tell you what—I’ll go back to sleep if you do something for me.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “And what would that be?”
“Come inside and get some sleep yourself.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That would hardly be proper.”
“Oh? Why not? Are you saying you can’t be trusted alone with a woman?”
A flush crept up Oskar’s cheeks. “That’s not what I meant.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I meant...it’s just that...”
“I know what you meant,” Lily laughed lightly. “I think it’s too late to start worrying about propriety, don’t you?”
“Fine,” Oskar relented, pushing himself off the floor with a grunt. “I’ll rest for a while—but only for a while.”
Lily nodded, fighting back a yawn. She stepped aside and gestured for him to enter the room then closed and bolted the door behind him. She sat down on the bed, pulling the blanket tighter about her, then watched, bemused, as Oskar dragged a chair in front of the door and sat down on it. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door, trying to find a position that was somewhat more restful than sitting on a hard floor.
Lily lay down and closed her eyes, pulling the blanket over her. She could hear Oskar’s soft breathing from across the room.There was something about it that made her feel warm and safe and at ease. Listening to the sound of his breath, she fell asleep.
