He took a moment. “...You’re betrothed to another man.” He turned slightly toward Mr. Evergreen. “If your hope is to convince anyone that this is not what it looks like, Her Highness will stay here and retire to bed and you’ll go seek the doctor alone and well before anyone questions the division of her attention here now.”
“Aye,” Cyrus said. He gave me a look.
“I… I hate that, but you’re probably right. As always.” I smiled weakly at my Sword, then returned to the foot of the bed, bested. “Will you tell me what he’s said?” I asked. “I’m not sure how I’ll sleep tonight knowing I got you hurt, but…the Lord Commander has a point. Weshouldgo our separate ways and quickly."
He and Elías shared a glance.
“Yes,” Evergreen said. “I will tell you what he’s said, but you? You’ve done nothing wrong,” he replied, gesturing to his wound. “This was not your fault. This is the fault of criminals.”
“I’ll accompany Mr. Evergreen and return with his message for you, Your Highness,” Eli said, but that puzzled Cyrus.
“I would not ask that of you, Ser. I can deliver it,” he said.
Elías tsked, dismissively. “You cannot return to her room so late. There would be…notice.”
“I see.” Mr. Evergreen smiled but it barely met his eyes. “Alright. I understand.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Both of you.”
Evergreen bowed. “Good night, Your Highness.”
Chapter 21
Mr. Evergreen was given room and board at the Palace until arrangements for an extended stay at the inn in town could be made. As a ‘precaution over bandits,’and definitely not swordsmen staying somewhere in the vicinity, Ser Elías vowed to sit with me until I fell asleep. In exchange, I forced him to pick apart every single syllable that Mr. Evergreen had uttered to me while he was there to hear it, and then I made him repeat his assessments, one by one, to ensure I was not misinterpreting things, that Mr. Evergreen was, indeed, concerned for my safety in a way that only men romantically interested in a woman might be concerned. When I dared ask which room he was assigned and for how long, my knight’s response was simple.‘A week at the Palace displaced, and Autumn before they began the reconstruction of his home.’
I tried, desperately, to exceed Elías’ ability to stay conscious, but he was too aware of why I might attempt such a thing, and seemed energized by the fact. He leaned back in his chair, knitting his arms together, then he kicked his boots out in front of him, casually barring the exit. He closed his eyes.
“...Where is the inn they’ll place him at?” I asked.
“In town,” he said with a yawn.
“Wherein town?” I asked.
“Svana,” he said.
“What?”
“You know what.”
“Do I?” I asked coyly. I groaned, defeated. “I only thought that I might send him something, is all. For his spirits.”
“Ah, yes, for his spirits,” he said. He didn’t bother to open his eyes. “But Mr. Evergreen is notatthe inn tonight, is he?” he asked. “I am happy to chaperone you to his room, should you feel compelled to speak to hisspirits,but you will not be left alone.”
“Great, I-”
“In the morning,” he added. “Not now.”
“Right.” I exhaled, hugging a pillow. “...What did the doctor say again?”
Eli shifted. He peeked at me, then sat up, another yawn.“Strict avoidance of any sort of physical activity, lest the stitch will not hold properly, and the wound will lose its chance to mend,”he quoted. “You should take that seriously, Your Highness.”
“I–” I scoffed. “Of course I will, and I’ll have you know that… that is not the nature of our relationship. We, uh, well, I–”
He raised his brow.
“It’s not!” I hurried. “Though, I shall mourn the loss of the opportunity, I dare say.”
He was silent for a moment longer. Staring. “Svana, there are things I never wish to know about your life. The nature of your relationships venture into that realm quite earnestly.”
