Aftereffect

She woke up dreaming a strange dream. The first thing her eyes saw after sleep was a bare and toned chest with three scars. She was in the embrace of strong arms. She recalled the last night's events and flushed. She felt too weak as if all of her strength was drained in one night. Her body was burning hot. Her face was no exception. Her eyes barely had tears left to be spared. She could feel his heat and scent all over her body. She was naked. She was too tired to free herself from him. She felt stiff as her body ached. She couldn't figure out the time. A slight turn made her groan in pain. His arms around her let go of her. He had woken up and looked at her struggling to get out of bed. He caught her from falling after losing her balance when her legs gave off. He pulled her back to the bed while his eyes were fixated on the marks left by him on her naked body.

"I-I was not trying to escape!" she suddenly blurted out.

"You as well can't." he stroked her flushed face that felt smooth across his calloused fingers.

-"She is mine. Mine alone." he convinced himself.

"I don't feel well... My lord-"

"Erebus!" he said sharply.

"I told you I have a name."

"E-Erebus..." she managed to say his name.

"That's better." he smiled and slowly got up.

She looked away embarrassed.

"Then I'll call Blake and Derran," he suggested while tying his robe.

"No!" she suddenly rejected his offer.

"Wh-what I mean is...please call Mina," she said.

"I'm well aware that only I can see you like this." he crossed his arms.

Her attention went towards the knock on the doors after he went into the bathroom.

She covered herself with the animal fur blankets and asked who was I'm the door at this early hour.

"Milady it's me." Mina's voice came from behind the doors. She was relieved of her early arrival.

"Come on in." she permitted her entry into the bed chambers.

She entered the room and bowed apologetically for her late attendance.

"But aren't you on time?" she asked her confused.

"I fear that it's almost lunchtime milady." she corrected her.

"L-Lunchtime?" she asked in a shock.

"N-Nemesis! Where is he?" she looked at her but did not find her son with the maid.

"The young master is asleep milady. He seemed to have a hard time sleeping without you. So I stayed with him." she reassured her with a beaming smile.

"I had brought yours and master's breakfast."

She looked at her making her realize that she was completely naked under the furs around her.

The maid pleased to know that her assumption was correct picked her sleeping robe and helped her put it on. She saw the marks all over her body.

"Milady! Why are you burning like this?" she asked fearfully when she touched her arm.

"Mina... Please... call Mister Derran." Luciana's voice was now shaky.

She had started to break a cold sweat.

"I- I will bring him right away. Please take deep breaths," she advised her frantically.

"Where is the antidote potion?" she asked her.

"I put your medicine in the small box with your dresses."

She hurried to find the potion and helped her drink a little dose of it.

"I will bring him right away." she hurried towards the doors.

Erebus came out of the bath with his trousers and woolen robe on.

His hair wet with water he looked at Mina who turned to him furiously.

"Master should know how to treat the lady. Please help her eat until I'm back."

With those words said out loud she hurried out of the chambers.

"What's gotten into her?" he asked until he saw her breathing heavily.

He recalled her first time in the fortress. He looked around frantically ensuring whether there was a healing incense burning somewhere.

None were lightened in their holder. He looked distraught over her failing health. Numerous possibilities circled in his mind.

But one struck the hardest. He realized that he had gotten her into this situation. He had forced her into the act of intimacy.

She looked pale.

"That old man." He stood up to get the old physician when he felt a slight pull on his sleeve.

"Mina has left... To get him...so please... Stay." she mustered her strength to speak up.

He gritted his teeth and dragged a chair beside the bed to sit beside her.

-"What do I do in this case?" he pondered while looking at her struggling to stay calm. The door burst open with Mina dragging old Derran into the chambers.

"Master! Milady! Sorry to keep you waiting." she panted.

Jafar appeared behind her.

"What's the rush, Mina? What's happ-Ugh!"

He was interrupted by her hands on his face.

"Go away, brother! You're currently unwanted." she kicked him out of the room leaving him speechless with a broken heart.

-"I can't believe what she just said to me." he sobbed outside the chambers.

Erebus stood up and allowed Derran to sit beside Luciana to check up on her.

"Did the lady bleed?" he asked after a thorough examination.

Erebus nodded as he took out the herbs diluted in ice-cold water.

"How much was it?" he asked.

Erebus had lost his sanity over his questions. He grabbed the physician by his clothes and demanded an accurate result.

"Master! There is a sick person in the room." Mina said annoyed by the ruckus.

"Dear child, have you changed the sheets this morning?" Derran ignored Erebus and asked the young maiden.

"No, unfortunately, I had not attended to the lady this morning knowing that the master had spent the night with her," she told him.

"All the better, please check the sheets," he advised her cautiously looking at Erebus.

Mina hesitantly went to pull the fur blankets. Her face was paler as she removed them from one side of the bed.

"T-this... Master, was there some kind of murder last night?" she looked up at him with fear hinted in her eyes.

"If there was murder the blood would've been on the floor as well." he denied her assumptions.

"I-I believe it's the lady's maiden blood. My lord... If you could please allow me to explain." he nearly choked on his words.

Luciana groaned in pain gaining their attention.

"Please allow me." he moved forward with the tiny potion bottle, removed the wooden stopper, and gently let the little amount slip into her mouth.

"She will be fine. She had developed a fever from the sudden shock she received. Her body is quite stressed out. Although my lord. I would advise you to be gentler with the lady."

"What do mean?" he crossed his arms and tilted his head.

"She's not weak. But please refrain from being too wild with her. Intimacy lessons are the key to a healthy relationship. After all, she is a fragile being compared to you my lord. It was her first time to be intimate with a male counterpart."

"What are you implying old man?"

-"Dear lord! How can someone be this dense after their first intercourse?" he grimaced trying to calm himself. He coughed and continued to explain.

"Being too harsh with her is just like ripping the petals off a delicate flower. It will wither away with time if you're not careful." he bowed and left the small potion bottle on the wooden table beside the hearth.

"I advise that extra care to be provided to the lady. Please give her that tonic after every meal. And please let her have more cooked meat.

Refrain from engaging in intimate activities for the time being. A little tip for a faster recovery." he went to the doors as Mina opened them for him. Erebus looked back where his wife lay once again in deep sleep.

"I will pay a visit in the next four days."