Page 71 of Historical Hotties
“Of course.”
She burst out laughing. “Well, at least you are honest about it,” she said. As she looked at him, her smile faded. “Truly, Cassius, that is all I shall ever ask of you. Honesty.”
“And that is what you shall have,” he murmured. “That… and my heart.”
He said it so sweetly that, this time, she reached out to grasp his hand. “And you shall have mine,” she murmured. “And if you wake up tomorrow and still wish to court me, I will not resist.”
“I must wait until tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Sleep on it,” she said. “Make sure it is what you wish to do, for once you have me, you shall have all of me. I shall never love another, Cass. If I give you my heart, it belongs to you forever. It will not be mine to give again.”
He squeezed her hand, kissing it before releasing it. “Thank you, my lady,” he said quietly. “Then let me sleep now. Thesooner I sleep, the sooner I shall awaken and speak with your grandfather.”
“As you wish,” she said. “Would you like something to eat before you do? You’ve not eaten in two days.”
He shook his head. “Not now,” he said wearily. “When I awaken, mayhap.”
Dacia touched his cheek softly before helping him get comfortable in the bed once more. She put her hand on his forehead, realizing that he still felt hot to the touch. But she didn’t say anything to him, not wanting to plant that seed that might worry him. He wanted to sleep and she would let him, but she was most certainly not going to sleep.
She had to remain vigilant.
All she could do now was pray.
*
“My lady, youreally should sleep,” Rhori said quietly. “You have been at this for three days now. If you become ill, you’ll not do him any good.”
Dacia could hear the knight’s concern, but she couldn’t give in to it. Not tonight.
Cassius’ fever had worsened.
Throughout the day, he’d grown hotter and she gave him willow potion regularly. But by nightfall, he was shivering with chill while perspiration beaded on his forehead. He slept heavily but awoke on occasion so she could ply him with more willow potion. She had all but given up on Emmeric, knowing she was Cassius’ only hope. She stuck to the belief that she could heal him.
She wasn’t going to give up.
“I will not become ill,” she said, putting a cool cloth on Cassius’ forehead. “I am weary, but not terribly so. I am well enough, so please do not worry for me.”
Rhori wasn’t so sure. He looked over at Bose, who simply shook his head sadly. The maid that was known to help Dacia, a woman she’d called Edie, was busy brewing something over the fire while more maids brought the buckets of fresh, cold water. Dacia was working as hard as they’d ever seen anyone work.
Still, the knights felt as if they were entering into a death watch. They’d both seen this kind of thing before, puncture wounds that festered until the man eventually passed away from a fever that shut down all bodily functions. But there were also times when there would be a small fever for a day or two and then the man would recover completely. At the moment, it was difficult to know which way Cassius was going to go, but Dacia was doing everything she could to help him.
Rhori made his way over to Bose.
“Thank God we sent that missive to his family,” he muttered to the man. “I’m wondering if we should not send them another one and tell them to come immediately.”
Bose’s dark gaze was on Cassius. “Nay,” he said quietly. “By the time they receive it, he will already be gone, if it is God’s will that he passes. If the fever grows worse, it will take him quickly. He is already weak.”
Rhori, too, looked at Cassius, laying pasty upon the bed, shivering beneath the heavy blankets that Dacia had put on him.
“I’ve seen worse,” he said after a moment. “He is weak for Cassius, but given that he is the strongest man I know, he’s not too terribly weak. If the lady has anything to say about it, he will pull through.”
They both looked at Dacia, sitting at Cassius’ bedside, bathing his torso and arms with cool water to help the fever. Bose scratched his head wearily.
“She will wear herself out if she continues,” he said. “But she will not leave him and I suspect there is a reason behind that.”
Rhori glanced at him, knowing exactly what he meant. “You saw that, too, did you?” he asked. “The night of the feast?”
Bose nodded. “I have never seen Cassius look at a woman like that, and God knows, he has looked at plenty of women.”
