So he did the only thing he could think of.
Westley kicked off his boots and slid under the furs, wrapping his body around hers. She was cold and clammy, thrashing wildly as he held her to him. The shadows of the tent pressed in on them with every wild cry.
He stroked her arms and hair as he cradled her, whispering softly, anything that he thought might comfort. He didn’t know if she could hear him in this state, but after a few moments, she stopped fighting and her screams settled into whimpers.
His heart shattered at the sound and beads of moisture stung his eyes. As he held her close, her heart rate steadied and her tears eventually dried. His own fell into her damp hair. Her breathing softened, deepening. He kept up his soothing touches and calming words as she drifted off into a soundless sleep.
He promised himself he would leave. But Solveig’s warming presence changed his desires.
The way her body fit perfectly against his calmed his restlessness, and for once, the rightness of it didn’t bother him. Closing his eyes, he resolved to soak up a few calm moments with her, knowing deep down he couldn’t stay.
His last thoughts were of Solveig, her smile, her tears, the smell of the storm outside mixing with her electric scent as he succumbed to sleep.
Slowlyrisingtoconsciousness,feeling well rested and peaceful, Solveig revelled in the comfort of being at home. She must’ve still been dreaming, because she was warm and protected.
It was a relief to wake up in this dream when the lingering effects of her latest night terror remained at the fringes of her memory. It was strange—she usually woke up when it was as bad as she remembered.
She vaguely recalled a feeling of safety surrounding her, pulling her out of her nightmare from Hel and placing her in this dream.
Nestling deeper into her soft bed and hard pillow, she enjoyed the rise and fall of deep breathing. Solveig inhaled the smell of the sea and the rain from last night as the heavy covers tightened around her, pulling her farther into the bed.
Her leg was draped across the hard pillow, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. With her body settled in all the right places, she didn’t want to wake up quite yet.
She couldn’t remember ever feeling this safe and wanted to soak it in for a little while longer. Her magic had other ideas, though, because it coursed through her, urging her to wake.
With a heavy sigh, she dragged herself into consciousness but was confused to find her sense of safety and peace remained. She was almost sure she was awake now, and yet her pillow still held her tightly.
Wait.
Solveig’s eyes flew open as she took in the large—thankfully fully clothed—male she was completely draped over.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Jumping out of bed, she reached for her closest dagger and brandished it in front of her, still disoriented from sleep.
“AHHHHHH!” The prince’s battle cry pierced her ears as he copied her movements, bursting out of a deep sleep, weapon in hand, to mirror her fighting stance on the other side of the bed.
He looked dishevelled and a little unhinged. His dark green eyes flitted around the tent scanning for the danger that had woken him until they landed on her, still standing with her dagger poised in front of her.
His stance didn’t relax as his eyes slowly dragged from her face to the oversized shirt she wore and down to her bare legs. He took in the length of tanned skin and taut muscles lined with scars, his jaw clenching as his gaze slowly moved back to her face, lingering a little too long at the tops of her thighs and her peaked breasts before meeting her eyes.
He braced himself when he found her face flushed and nostrils flared.
“What the fuck?” she hissed. The prince lowered his weapon and, with an exaggerated slowness, raised his hands in front of him.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he said, surprising her with sincerity.
“So, what, you thought you could sneak into my bed in the middle of the night and then leave before I found out?!” she shouted.
“No!” he yelled. Then said more softly, “No, Solveig. You were screaming in your sleep. It was so much worse than all the other nights and I just—I wanted to help. I came to wake you, like last time. You wouldn’t wake up. I didn’t know what else to do so I held you until you settled. I was going to leave but I accidentally fell asleep.” His voice softened, not with pity but with apology.
Solveig did not let down her guard. “What do you mean, ‘all the other nights’?” she asked quietly. The prince hesitated, and when she glared harder, he raised his hands higher.
“Since that first night when I was able to wake you ... I hear you every night.”
“Every night,” Solveig muttered to herself, not meaning to say it out loud. The prince nodded.
“I didn’t want to overstep or impose, so I tried to ignore it. I figured you didn’t want me barging in here.”
“You thought right.”
