Page 64 of A Kingdom's Heart
My bed.
“She’s awake!” someone said. A servant’s voice, high with relief.
Before I could speak, Raven was at my side. Her hair was messy, and there were dark circles under her eyes. “Iris,” she breathed, gripping my hand. “How do you feel? God, you scared us all.”
My throat was dry. My lips cracked as I tried to speak. “I feel… fine,” I managed, though my voice came out weak and uneven. “What happened?”
Raven hesitated, her thumb brushing the back of my hand. “You were attacked,” she said softly. “A group of masked men tried to take you from the castle. William and the guards stopped them.
You’ve been unconscious since.”
William.
The name struck through the haze like a spark. My chest tightened, and before I could stop myself, I whispered, “He—he saved me?”
Raven nodded. “Yes. If he hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”
Something inside me loosened; a small, trembling breath that felt like relief and guilt all at once.
My heart began to beat faster, the ache in my head fading just enough to let one thought surface. “Where is he?” I asked, my voice quieter this time. “William — is he still here?”
Raven looked away, her expression unreadable. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “After we brought you back, he stayed downstairs with the guards. I haven’t seen him since.”
The air in my chest went still.
“Oh,” I said softly. The single word felt heavier than it should have. I tried to hide the disappointment tightening my throat, but it lingered all the same, sitting there like a stone I couldn’t swallow.
Raven didn’t say anything. She just looked at me, apologetic.
I closed my eyes as the memory of the shouts hit me. The ache in my head pulsed harder, spreading down the back of my new.
“My head hurts,” I murmured.
“I know.” Raven reached for a glass of water from the bedside table and held it to my lips. “Here. Drink slowly.”
The water was cool and clean, easing the dryness in my throat. I drank until the spinning dulled, then leaned back against the pillows. The fabric felt too soft, too warm, like I didn’t deserve the comfort.
Raven set the cup down and gave a small sigh of relief. “Your father told me to send you to him once you’re awake,” she said gently. “He’s been waiting.”
Of course he had.
The words twisted in my chest. Waiting, not out of worry, but because there was always something he wanted to control again.
There always was.
I turned my head toward the window. The sunlight was faint, weak against the curtains, the kind of light that didn’t warm anything. “Of course he has,” I whispered.
Raven brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Don’t keep him waiting too long. He’s in one of his moods.”
With effort, I pushed the blanket aside and sat up. The room tilted immediately, the edges swimming. A sharp pain shot through the back of my skull, and I gripped the sheets until it passed.
Two servants hurried to my side, their hands light but firm on my arms. “Easy, Your Highness,” one of them said softly.
I nodded, though my head still throbbed. With their help, I stood and straightened my gown. My legs felt weak, but I forced them to move. Raven watched from the bedside, her arms folded, worry still lining her face.
“Be careful,” she said quietly.
“I will,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I believed it.
