Chapter 152: Assistance
What in the world was he thinking? His head still hurt, and so did his neck and arm.
But all his blood had already flowed down to one place...
There was no stopping it, he grinned inwardly.
He looked down at her red face. Yeren could still the disbelief hiding at the corner of her eyes.
Well, it was his fault.
He should have just admitted that the poem was for her. Which other won had inspired such beautiful words from him? The last woman he had lain with was at army camp on their way to war a year ago - and it was because his n promised it would give him confidence to face his fears.
And in a way it did, but nothing could compare to the stubborn lady in front of him.
Grinning, he rolled off her and dug into the drawer of the desk beside the bed. He could feel her eyes burning into his back.
Satisfied, he returned to his position of tyranny with what he had been searching for.
Her eyes looked like two wide saucers as she watched him.
"Sit up."
Her lips drew up at the corners. "How do I do that when you’re..."
He rolled off before she finished speaking, suppressing a grunt as pain shot through his left arm.
She sat up as well, throwing her legs off the side of the bed so she could sit beside him.
"I saw how much you seed to like necklaces... and I had one made for you."
He opened his palm and showed it to her.
For a mont she just stared, her face expressionless. Slowly, her lower lip started trembling, and her eyes beca glassy with unshed tears.
Was she going to cry? Was that good or bad?
Instead of uttering any words, she reached around her neck and lifted her hair out of the way so that he could put it on her.
A slow smile curved his lips.
Was she really not going to say anything?
He looked down at the necklace. It was a handcrafted howling wolf, and her na was engraved on the golden wolf.
And it was real gold.
He slid off the bed easily, only wincing slightly, and moved to stand behind her.
As soon as he clapsed it in place, she spun around and whispered her appreciation so softly he almost didn’t hear her.
Then, she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips before dashing out of the room in a flurry of heavy skirts.
Yeren was left in a daze. All he heard was the slamming of the door behind her.
Why had she rushed off like that?
There was a knock on the very door a good while after she had left.
"Your Grace?" Andon’s voice ca through.
Yeren’s smile vanished as quickly as it had co. He had been expecting her to co back - but she clearly had no intentions of doing so.
But what was she doing?
If he weren’t partially bedridden, he would have followed her out.
Like a thief, he slid back into the bed and drew the covers up to his chin. Then, in a small voice, he called for Andon to co in.
Andon wasn’t alone, from the sound of several footfalls echoing in the antechamber.
Andon poked his head in and peered at him for a mont.
"The healer has returned, Your Grace."
Yeren nodded, signalling for the man to be brought forward.
After making the announcent, Andon left. Yeren heard the main door open and close.
Of course, Andon wouldn’t stay. He probably felt it was not his place anymore to do so, Yeren thought bitterly.
Maybe, it was ti he told everyone the truth - Andon was innocent.
But the only way the court would believe him is if Garelle made the revelation herself.
The healer entered the room, carrying a heavy sack of herbs and salves.
Yeren imdiately scrunched up his nose at the unpleasant scent of so of the herbs.
Yeren felt much better by evening. And hence, he was sitting up and reading more of the Town’s building report when there was a knock on the door.
It was probably the bath he called for.
"Co in."
He heard the door in the antechamber open and close. Yeren was glad that his hearing was gradually returning to what it used to be.
Instead of his guards approaching with a tub, Claire stood there.
"I thought you lost your mind." He said, a teasing note in his voice.
"I did, perhaps. But now that I think of it, did you give
the necklace so I won’t have to wear the one Aldrich gave to ?"
His silence gave him away.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Well, I still want the one Aldrich gave
back."
His smile faded faster than dust.
"I don’t have it. And," he punctuated each word heavily, "he is Lord Bronan to you."
Claire folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the doorfra of the open door, her chin jutting out stubbornly.
"You look better." She comnted out of the blue, changing the subject.
"Thank you." He responded dryly.
They just stared at each other for a while.
"I’m still going to marry him, I just haven’t told him yet."
As if he would allow it, Yeren rolled his eyes inwardly.
"Check if my bath is on the way." He just said.
She spun on her heel and went to do as he bid her.
Everything went silent for a while before she returned with servants bearing a large tub containing steaming water.
"Would you be requiring assistance?" One of the servants asked.
Yeren shook his head and dismissed them with a flick of his finger.
He watched as all the n left before he muttered under his breath, "I have all the assistance I can possibly need."
And as he spoke, his gaze landed on the woman who had returned to her position by the door.
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