Then she would lose him and the shield from the lords that he provided. She’d lose her link to Lalsacia and the potential of peace with that kingdom.
And she’d lose one ally who might be able to stand with her as a partner.
Straightening her shoulders, she gestured at the paperwork. “Help me gather the most important papers. I’m going to deal with this in my room.”
He driftedon waves of heat, even as ice wracked his bones. At times, he grew aware of voices near him. Cups of water and tea were pressed to his lips, even as the hazy voices urged him to drink.
Sometimes, lines of pain cut across his back and chest. He cried out and thrashed, yet hands pinned him down firmly.
He wasn’t sure how much time passed before he dragged himself toward true wakefulness. He blinked gummy eyelids, an orange light suffused around him.
When he had gathered his strength, he turned his head, first one way to take in the rest of the room, then the other way to glance at the far side of the bed.
Queen Adeline sat there, her legs under the blankets, her back to the headboard. She had a lap deskspread with papers, and her gaze was currently focused on one of them. Her lips moved as she read, as if she didn’t realize she was murmuring to herself, while her brow was furrowed.
He licked his lips, trying to find enough saliva to get his tongue to work. “Good morning. Or is it good afternoon?”
She started, jumping so high she nearly tipped over the lap desk. She grabbed the inkpot before it toppled. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.” Lorne tried to lift his hand, but he was too weak to disentangle his arm from the blankets.
“No, no, don’t apologize. I’m glad to see you awake.” She placed the inkpot on the table before she set the whole lap desk on the end of the bed past her feet. “I should fetch the physician.”
This time, he managed to free his hand, and he grabbed hers before she could climb off the bed. “Not yet.”
She halted, her legs off the side of the bed, her other hand gripping the blankets. “Are you sure? You were out for a day and a half. We were all rather concerned.”
He could feel the clammy stickiness of sweat all over him, but the bone-wracking cold was finally gone.
“Just a few more minutes.” He couldn’t explain why he wanted these minutes with her before the physician arrived and started poking and prodding. “Could I have some water?”
“Yes, of course.” She hurried to fetch the glass and pour the water from the pitcher, as she’d done before.
This time when she held the glass to his mouth, he was able to drain the glass, the water filling his stomach and soothing his dry mouth.
As she returned the glass to the table, he struggled to push himself more upright on the pillow. His ribs stabbed pain through his chest, and weakness trembled through his limbs. But the fog in his mind had mostly disappeared.
Turning from the table, Adeline paused, her gaze flicking from him to her hands for a moment, before she returned to sit on the far edge of the bed, nowhere near as comfortably perched as she had been before.
“My men?” He searched her face, her posture, the tight line of her mouth.
“They’ve been taken out of the dungeon and are recovering in a suite of guest rooms down the hall.” Adeline’s fingers twisted together in her lap. “The physician has tended them. They have similar injuries to yours, but they seem to be recovering well. None of them show signs of the fever that gripped you.”
“Thank you.” He released a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. His men were no longer in the dungeon. They would be fine. He hadn’t gotten them all killed with his ill-advised bid for peace.
At least, not yet. He opened his eyes and peered at Adeline. He was now partway into another bid for peace, although only time would tell if this one was as ill-advised as his last one.
He held out his hand toward her, although he wasn’t quite sure why. It wasn’t like he expected her totake it. But reaching for her seemed like the right thing to do. “How are you holding up?”
“Not well.” She drew her knees up before hugging them. “It’s all so much, and everyone expects me to fail, including many of those who are loyal to me. And there are so many who aren’t loyal. I’m just…scared.”
He kept his hand out there between them, offering that comfort if she wanted it. “I don’t blame you. No one should be as alone and isolated as you are in your own kingdom. But I’m here for you. You aren’t alone.”
As she had before, she tentatively placed her hand on his, her gaze meeting his.
After another moment, she withdrew her hand and stood. “I should fetch the physician.”
He supposed he couldn’t delay any longer.
