Denial
A light tap on the cheek is what woke her.
Camilla opened her heavy eyelids, realising that she must've fallen asleep on her bed again. She blinked and tried to focus in front of her. Her bedchamber was in the darkness she'd grown to loathe, making it hard to see much.
There was a glow of warm light coming from one side of the room, backlighting a silhouette near the bed. A tall, lean, familiar silhouette, far too tall to be one of her maids…
"William?" Camilla murmured in disbelief.
He grinned down at her, his teeth a vivid white against his handsome face, as she slowly raised herself up on her elbow to better see him and confirm she wasn't just hallucinating.
Camilla's heart soared with joy at seeing him again, alive and smiling, at hearing the mellow tones of his voice. She wanted to leap out of the bed and throw her arms around him. Then just as quickly, she noticed the physical changes in him and immediately began to worry.