Page 114 of Of Glass and of Gold

“The luncheon was yesterday,” he said.

“Luncheon?” I repeated, scouring my memory. One of the luncheons I’d attended as a chaperone, but that couldn’t be right. Nick and I hadn’t known each other well at that point. That was one thing I did remember, that Nick and I knew our identities. That we’d fought in Odion’s clearing. That he kissed me and got down on one knee…

Married, we were getting married. The luncheon was to announce that. I wore a dress that looked like starlight, and the cramps… “Poison.” My eyes flew open wide, and my muscles screamed when I tried to sit upright. “Melody—my sisters. Everyone. What happened?” I reached out, clawing the air for Nick.

He climbed onto the side of the bed, letting me find purchase on his steady frame. “Everyone’s alright. A few got sick, but no one as much as you. You warned us in time. You saved them all, Nora.” He cupped the back of my head, and I sunk into his chest. If I took the brunt of it, and was still here… Relief momentarily counteracted the aches in my body.

The door clicked open, and a staff woman entered with a tray in her hands. When she saw I’d awoken, she rushed out of the room, claiming she’d gather more of whatever she’d brought in. Nicholas slid under the covers beside me, letting me lie across his chest.

He seemed exhausted, like he’d been awake for days. Grief takes an enormous toll on the body, of that I was well aware. The maid came back with a couple of others, all fussing over different details. One prepared wash cloths and new sleeping clothes, another poured a tea tonic for both of us, claiming it would help our strength.

I tried paying attention, but one moment they were swarming around us, and the next time I opened my eyes the sun had set, only the glow from the hearth in the corner lighting the room. We hadn’t moved. I pulled myself up with less difficulty this time, and Nicholas stirred awake.

“Where’s the nearest bathroom?” I asked, in desperate need.

“Here, let me take you.” He flipped off the covers and moved with the speed of an elderly man.

“I don’t think you need to be present for this,” I teased, already exhausted from working my way across the large fluffy bed. By the time I stood, I could barely hold myself upright. He caught me by my hips, letting the silence prove me wrong. “Fine,” I huffed.

Thankfully the bathroom was close, and I couldn’t find the energy to care about reliving myself in front of him. By the time I finished, I was actually grateful to have him support my weak limbs.

“We can go back to bed, but there’s a bath ready if you want it.” We stopped in front of the bronze colored clawfoot tub, echoes of candle flames licking the shiny sides. Only a few suds kissed the side on the water’s surface, evidence it had been sitting for a while.

He saw my interest and assisted while I leaned over to dunk my fingers. “It’s warm,” I said.

“They’ve been refreshing it every couple of hours, just in case,” he answered, swallowing a tight-looking knot in his throat. He’d no doubt commanded those orders, insistent that I’d soon be well enough to use it.

“I want to, but I’m afraid I’ll slip under,” I voiced my concern, feeling the unsteadiness in my muscles.

“I won’t let that happen.”

I craned my neck slowly to give him a wry look. “Are you saying you’ll watch me bathe, prince?”

“What man of honor would I be if I didn’t see to it that my queen has her bathing needs met?” he countered, crouching to the floor and snagging the bottom of my long nightdress that someone had changed me into.

I laughed, slowly raising my arms above my head with silent permission. He lifted it over my head, then retreated down, pulling my panties to the floor. He rose without lingering, nothing sexual in the act as he offered his support while I climbed into the metal beast. The water shifted with me, soft fragrances whisking past my nose. The next thing I knew, my bath was being broken into by a god of a man, gloriously naked before covering himself in the water behind me.

“Move over,” he teased, working himself into position. His hands locked around my waist, and I leaned my head back against his shoulder.

“I don’t recall saying I wanted to share,” I said through already groggy eyelids.

His growl vibrated through my chest. “How else could I keep my promise?” he said, low in my ear, pressing a kiss to my cheek before resting his chin on my shoulder.

Playing with the suds and placing them along his forearm, I noticed my hands. Years of scars had been erased from my skin. Holding the back of them up, I flexed my fingers. “My hands. The scars. They’re gone.” Was I still delirious?

Nicholas adjusted beneath me. “While you were unconscious, I had healers attending to you. I had them try everything to get you to wake up.”

I noted the quiver in his voice, a reminder of how scared he must have been. At that, I didn’t care how my scars had healed. I no longer had to carry around the weight of a painful past now that I had him. We settled for a moment before the words came out without my control. “I love you.” I didn’t fear them, not even as I heard them out loud. They were the truth.

“I love you,” he replied.

We remained until the cool water forced us out.

By the next morning, despite still being sore, I couldn’t physically sleep any longer. How Nick remained dead to the world, I had no idea. Perhaps he’d been awake the entire time I’d been unconscious.

He didn’t notice when I snuck across the room, or coordinated breakfast with the server coming to replace the towels. I was still fairly certain that when he did wake, it wasn’t from the clattering tea cup, but from the aroma of bacon wafting into the air.

I couldn’t blame him. It smelled delicious. A brief scan confirmed no trace of herbs on the platter. I crawled on my knees to him, setting the tray over his lap.

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