Brandt was relieved to see that she was without fever and he took her hand in his big one, kissing it. “He and his wife are sleeping,” he said softly. “They have not left you in two days. I told them to sleep and I would watch over you.”
Her groggy gaze turned warm. “I suspect you have not left me, either.”
He shook his head, whispering. “Nay.”
“Have you slept?”
“Not much.”
Ellowyn continued to gaze up at him, perhaps seeing the mighty Duke of Exeter through new eyes. She knew he loved her. She knew he would do anything for her. But the measure of devotion she was coming to see from him was something she could have never imagined. Reaching up a weak hand, she gently touched his face.
“I will be well again very soon,” she promised. “Already, I can feel the wound healing. It does not pain me terribly.”
He kissed the fingers that lingered on his lips. “I am pleased to hear it.”
“I do believe I could sit up and take some nourishment.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am famished. Will you help me to sit up?”
He nodded, kissing her fingers again. “Of course I will,” he said as he stood up. He began hunting around for pillows to prop her up with. “What do you feel like eating?”
Ellowyn shrugged. “Something warm,” she said. “Perhaps broth or gruel. And bread with butter.”
He nodded as he reached out to take her hands. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Very gently, he pulled her up from the mattress, watching her make faces as her wound pained her. Groans accompanied the effort. Eventually, she was sitting up enough so that he could wedge several pillows behind her back to support her. Ellowyn, however, was struggling not to become ill. She was pale and gray as she tried to get her balance.
“Oh, heavens,” she gasped. “I do not suppose I feel as well as I thought.”
He looked concerned. “Do you want to lie down again?”
She feebly shook her head. “Nay,” she said firmly. “I would sit here a moment. I shall be fine.”
He watched her with concern as she struggled to acclimate herself. “Is your injury paining you?”
Again, she shook her head. “It hurts, but the pain does not consume me,” she said. “I can stand it.”
He adjusted her pillows carefully, trying to help her. “The physic said it did not cut anything vital and that it was not particularly deep,” he said. “We can be thankful for that.”
“Thankful indeed,” she grunted. He was so busy fussing with her pillows that he didn’t notice she was tearing up. “My father… where is he?”
He heard the weepy tone and stopped adjusting the pillows, looking her in the face. He was immediately stricken with her sadness, wiping at the tears on her cheeks.
“I sent him home,” he told her softly, kissing her forehead even as he helped her wipe her tears. “I am so sorry you had to witness all of that, sweetheart, but I promise that we took care of him. Your father is on his way home, as he requested.”
She sobbed softly. “What happened?” she begged. “Why was he fired upon?”
He sighed heavily, thinking back to that moment in time when Deston lay on the ground dying and Ellowyn lay several feet away, screaming as her father bled to death in front of her. Brandt’s only concern had been Ellowyn at that moment and not the mechanics of what had happened. He didn’t care why, only that it had. But he had certainly found out after the fact what had happened. Now, it was time for Ellowyn to know.
“It was an accident,” he said quietly. “When your father advanced, the archers thought I gave a battle command. It was a nervous mistake and nothing more.”
She looked up at him with her big watery eyes. “So they killed my father?” she whispered. “I tried to stop him… he was going to kill you, Brandt. I could not let him do it.”
His jaw ticked with sorrow as he cupped her head in his big hand, pulling her cheek to his lips to comfort her. She had every right to be distraught. But, then again, he was fairly distraught himself. He’d spent two days living that moment over and over again, astonished that Ellowyn would put herself in danger to save him. He was having difficulty accepting that someone other than a loyal knight should be so devoted to him. His knights were loyal out of respect to him and respect to their oath. She was devoted purely out of love.
