Page 94 of The Robber Knight
Apart from moments such as these, Ayla feltquite marvelous considering there was a siege going on which couldresult in sudden and violent death. Every time she looked atReuben's face, feelings of tenderness and desire swept through herthat she didn't know how to deal with.
She spent hours dreaming of running her handover his face, once, just once, not pretending it was to check histemperature but for the simple feel of him under her fingers. Afeel that sent shivers up her arm and played music on herheartstrings.
Sometimes she dreamed that he was a knightwho came to her rescue. Then she berated herself. She was being assilly as a four-year-old—playing with her mind, while reality wasvery different. The bleak truth was: Reuben was not hers, nor wouldhe ever be. The thought sent an aching pain through her heart. Apain so great that she started dreaming of the impossible again,just for a few hours while she sat at his bed, gazing at hisrelaxed, sleeping face and listening to the axes hacking away atthe forest beyond the river.
The sound still made her uneasy. But she washeartened by another sound: Reuben's strong, regular breathing. Hewas getting better quickly, now strictly following all herinstructions. She was amazed at his rate of recovery: it seemedalmost as though he were consciously fighting the illness,determined to get on his feet as quickly as possible for somereason. Though what that reason might be, she couldn't fathom. Shecould only be thankful for his increasing recovery, feeling a fearshe hadn't really known was there drain out of her with every dayhis health improved. All that was in her power to bring him back tohealth she did without hesitation, changing his bandages andcataplasms several times a day, applying salves, and force-feedinghim all manner of medicines.
Ayla didn't know why exactly, but she didn'tjust care for Reuben's wounds, she had also taken to discussing herproblems with him. Perhaps it was the strangely insightful advicethat he always seemed able to give about military matters, or maybeit was because he was one of the few people in the castle shedidn't feel she had to prove something to. Or maybe it was the factthat he was insanely handsome and she wanted to spend every singleminute of her time in his company.
She didn't know what it was, but she foundherself telling him more and more about the enemy, their odds ofsurvival, her hopes and fears.
And he listened. Listened kindly, while sheunloaded all the terrible things that were weighing heavily on herheart.
*~*~**~*~*
“...six hundred men, maybe seven hundred.They outnumber us ten to one, Reuben. Even if Isenbard's continuedabsence from the battlefield doesn't make such a terribledifference as I thought it would, yes even if he wakes up, I don'tknow how we're going to survive this,” she told him,dejectedly.
“So you're in a pretty grim situation?”Reuben asked softly. He could see the fear in her eyes and wishedthere were something he could do. But there wasn't. Not yet.
Ayla sighed and nodded in answer to hisquestion. Then, though the situation appeared to Reuben to beanything but humorous, a grin spread across her face and shegiggled. “Well, unlessSir Reubencomes to my rescue.”
Reuben's eyes widened in shock.
*~*~**~*~*
Ayla saw Reuben blanch and his eyes widen,and couldn't help it. She laughed out loud. “Look at you! You looklike you’re actually taking me seriously!”
“You... are not serious?”
“Please!” Ayla rolled her eyes. “The day Iwait foryouto rescue me will bethe day the clouds drop from heaven!”
Then she explained about Fye, and the dolls,one of which she had named Sir Reuben, and her chat with thegirl.
He tried to hide it, but Ayla could see itclearly: the self-satisfied smirk on Reuben's face.
“So she thought I looked like a knight inshining armor, did she?”
“Yes. Poor child. Her parents must really seeto it that she gets some sense before she grows up.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Really? She must havehad a reason to think I was a knight.”
“Yes, indeed. She thought you look strong andhandsome.”
“And what do you think?”
*~*~**~*~*
The question was out of his mouth beforeReuben knew, and then it was too late to recall the words.
Damn! Damn the fool that he was!
Reuben saw her beautiful blue eyes widen andcursed himself for the foolish question. What possessed him to makeadvances to this girl? Yes, she was damnably beautiful, even if shewas a bit young. Yes, if you got past her craziness, she was evenquite... nice. But he couldn't start something with her, no matterhow much he might want to! It was against all his survivalinstincts. She had threatened to hang him, for heaven's sake! Whatwas wrong with his head?
Reuben shuddered at the possibility of whatwould happen if they got closer and she found out about him. Hedidn't want to contemplate it. And even worse: What if he wouldn'teven have that chance? What if she found him repellant? After all,her taste in men might be as crazy as the rest of her, plus, hewasn't exactly in mint condition right now.
Best to cut his losses and withdraw while hecould, wasn't it?
No, no! He wanted this girl, wanted herbadly. He wasn't giving up. However, he thought, suppressing a wrysmile, that might not be up to him. She might be the exception tothe female rule and not find him attractive. She had been theexception to the rule in pretty much everything so far. Why notnow? It was a painful thought.
