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She’d wept, her body racked with sobs, and Jaime had just held her, stroking her hair as she cried.
She told him everything. She couldn’t stop herself as the words, ripe with self-loathing, spilled from her lips. Her voice was raspy, serrated from disuse, as she told him of Lazarus, and how he had been controlling her for years. She told him about the disease, how it had taken her mother, and how Killian had given her a cure. And finally, she told him of how she had been ordered by Lazarus to kill King Cyril, and how Killian had found out.
She’d expected Jaime to cast her out, to sic the Royal Guard on her, or to at least scream at her for being so reckless. Any of that would have made sense to her. Instead, he gave her a sympathetic look, one that made her heart swell with both pain and comfort, and told her it was all right.
Elyse didn’t know how to react, so she simply cried more. She certainly didn’t deserve his kindness or his understanding, and yet it was the only thing keeping her from clawing out her own heart. And she was so tired—not just from the blood loss, but emotionally. She’d forgotten how draining it was to be heedlessly honest, and so she had wept against his chest until she fell asleep.
When she awoke sometime later, it had not been to Jaime’s blue eyes or fair hair, but to a note.
Elyse,
I had to step out and attend to some things. I will be back soon.
Do not go outside, and do not use more than simple magic. The Royal Guard is searching for you.
Rest, and remember, things will get better.
Yours always,
Jaime
That first day, Elyse barely moved from the bed. She’d drifted in and out of sleep, wishing her dreams would offer some escape. But of course, that hadn’t been the case.
True to his word, Jaime returned a few days later to check on her. Since then, he had stopped by the estate a handful of times, but never for more than an hour or two.
“It will be suspicious if I’m gone for too long, since the Guard knows that we’re acquainted,” he’d explained. Apparently, they had come and questioned him on multiple occasions, and he had seen members of the Guard in plainclothes following him about town. “But don’t worry,” he assured her. “I’ve taken the precautions to make sure you’re safe.”
Elyse didn’t know what those precautions were, and she couldn’t bring herself to care. Truthfully, she couldn’t bring herself to feel much of anything. She spent her days in a numb sort of daze, aimlessly wandering the many rooms of the estate, or sleeping the day away, not even bothering to eat more than a few morsels. Her appetite had abandoned her along with her happiness.
“You just need a hobby,” Jaime tried to encourage her. “Something to pour yourself into.”
Each time he came to the estate, he brought her a new distraction: pencils for sketching, a beautiful leather-bound journal, paints and brushes. He’d even brought an upright piano for her, along with several instructional books, but Elyse hadn’t played a single note.
For a fleeting moment, she considered that today, a day when the waters of the lake reflected a crystal blue sky, she might attempt to play. The feeling was soon extinguished, though, as apathy washed over her.
She wasn’t left in her dread for long. A rap at the door reverberated through the country home, meeting her ears.
Two quick knocks, three heavy pounds, and two quick ones again.
Jaime was here.
Elyse padded down the hallway lined with paintings of hills and valleys she had never seen. Her feet didn’t feel quite as heavy as they had a moment ago; at least when Jaime was around, life was more tolerable. She found herself wondering what sort of activity he had brought her this time.
As she entered the foyer, she saw Jaime standing tall, a basket hanging from the crook of his elbow. He looked healthy, a slight glow to his skin as if he had been enjoying the summer weather, and his gold hair seemed brighter.
A warm smile graced his lips, his blue eyes bright. “I have a surprise for you.”
Elyse merely regarded the basket, waiting for his latest offer at a distraction. She was surprised when he added, “How would you like to have a picnic?”
Elyse froze, though her heart raced at his words. “Outside?” she asked, almost afraid to know the answer. He had forbidden her from stepping foot outside the house, for her own safety. She longed to envelop herself in fresh air, to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, but she didn’t dare get her hopes up.
“Yes,” he said, his grin widening. “I think, with me around to protect you, you should be able to get away from here for an hour or so.”
Elyse didn’t know what to say. Her heart pounded in her chest as Jaime extended his free arm to her. A faint smile graced her lips as she took his arm and followed him out the door.
Chapter 3
- Killian -
