Old illness

Kirigan's POV

After saving her again, I watched her stare at the kidnappers being dragged away by my men which seemed to make her shudder where she stood. She was afraid of something. I didn't know what it was but she was afraid.

"I'll see you around," I smiled, about to leave as she held onto me with fear in her eyes.

"Please don't desert me again," she pleaded with tears.

"I don't have to be with you anymore. My job is done. You're safe."

She scoffed. "So what. You're just gonna leave me here?"

"Yes," I said after looking at her for sometime.

Suddenly, I twisted in agony as the most excruciating pain gripped my insides. 

My entire body felt like it was on fire from within. Through blurring vision I saw the girl I had just rescued from bandits crying out for help and cradling my head in her lap. 

"Please, stay with me!" she begged. It happened so fast that I could not even know how I had gotten to this point. One minute I was standing up and conversing with her and the next I was on the ground being held by the woman. 

I could barely hear her over the pounding in my ears as everything began to fade to black. The last thing I remembered was her tear-streaked face looking down at me before all went dark.

When I started to come to, I could feel something cool and damp being placed on my forehead. My body still ached all over but the intense pain from before had dulled to a throb. I slowly opened my eyes, squinting against the light of a fireplace. 

"He's waking!" a voice called out. My vision focused on the girl looking down at me with concern. Only now we were no longer in the forest, but in a luxurious bedchamber. 

At first I saw someone else in strange clothes that I had never seen before, but I blinked and saw the Jane I had come to know.

Had I hit my head when I fell down? This was all so strange to me.

"Where..." I tried to speak but my throat was parched and raw. She shushed me gently, holding a cup of water to my lips. I drank thirstily, the cool liquid soothing my sore insides. 

"You're in the palace infirmary. The castle guards brought you back straight away when I told them what happened. You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for a few days with a terrible fever."

"You lie," I mustered the energy to spit out as someone knocked at the door. It was the war general. "Sir Gregory."

"My prince," he bowed before walking in. "I'm sorry that I brought in your guest with you. You wouldn't let go of her hand no matter how much we tried to separate you two."

At that moment, I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I took in a deep breath before nodding with a stiff expression.

"How do you feel?" 

"Like I have been stabbed with a thousand daggers. Where are the healers?"

"The healers did all they could for you. It's been three days and…"

I spaced out immediately he called the number of days I had been away from the real world.

Three days? No wonder I felt so weak. My body ached all over from the fever's ravages. At that moment, the door burst open with more people in hoods coming in. I noticed several healers fussing about, checking various potions and tonics at my bedside. One came over to examine me, declaring my fever had finally broken. 

"You had a bad case of forest fever, sire. It can be deadly if not treated. But you're young and strong - you should make a full recovery now that the worst is past." With that, he and his gang left us alone once more. But I knew it was not forest fever. It was something else that had plagued me since I was little.

I turned back to the girl, only now truly seeing her. Dirt smudged her fine features, her dress was torn and stained. Yet despite her frazzled appearance, her eyes shone with gentle concern. 

"You stayed...cared for me all this time?" I asked in wonder. She smiled softly. 

"Of course. You saved my life - it was the least I could do to repay you and ensure your recovery. I'm just glad to see you're finally on the mend." 

I took her hand in mine, noting its slim delicacy despite her obvious strength in nursing me back from death's door. "You have a kind heart. I never properly thanked you before for what you've done."

A light blush rose in her cheeks. "Thank you, but like I said, it's the only thing I could do for saving me. At first I thought you had been poisoned or something but I was glad you were okay when the doctors said you were okay."

"Doc… what did you say?" I asked as she held her hands to her mouth in shock. I chuckled. "You speak strange words."

My stomach rumbled loudly just then, making us both laugh. She insisted I eat something to regain my strength. 

"What will you eat? I'll cook you something."

Now I was feeling uncomfortable and I wanted her to stop. I knew why she was doing what she was doing.

"Hey Greg, can you give us the room?"

He nodded and left us alone.

"Hey, Jane, I need you to leave."

"After all I've done for you? You can't be serious."

I knew it was rude to let her go so I decided to let her stay for a while before I knew what to say to kick her out.

"Greg!" I yelled as the door opened.

"My liege."

"Get a room ready for this lady. She'll stay with us for a while."

He bowed before leaving.

"Do whatever you want, but we'll have a talk later on."