Page 10 of A Touch of Royalty
Emryn never backed down from a challenge. She reached a shaking hand, taking the prince’s offered one and letting him pull her to her feet. She knew what was going to happen. She could feel the shaking start, could feel the empty parts of her where the fire was supposed to be.
He released her hand, and then stepped in to catch her when her legs refused to be anything but two quivering towers of hot tallow.
“Now, back to bed with you.” The prince of Rodilla lifted her from the floor where she’d landed and tucked her back into the ridiculously large bed. “Do you feel up to some supper?”
Emryn shook her head, but her stomach disagreed. Very loudly. And she felt herself blush brightly.
“So that’s a yes on supper, then?” He smiled and turned from her. “I will be back with supper. Rest but don’t sleep, alright?”
She nodded, mouth dry as anything, and watched the prince leave the room. Emryn sighed, trying to get herself to stand so she could leave before he got back.
But all that resulted in was her back on the floor in another heap of- wait, what was she wearing? It wasn’t the blood stained robes that she’d been in earlier, when she’d healed that noble in the gardens. This was something else. Fine linen, in a pale sage green that went from the base of her neck to the tops of her feet and was miles finer than anything she’d ever worn in her life.
Which meant that someone had stripped her of the bloodied robes.
Emryn felt her face flame, if they’d done that, they would have seen the marks on her back. And if they’d seen the marks, then they were going to start asking questions.
The marks were burn scars, shiny and red, one over each of her shoulder blades. she had no memory of getting them, no memory of where they’d come from. They’d already been there when she’d been found.
Maybe that was a memory she didn’t want back. They looked like poker burns, like she’d been stabbed in the back by someone and she’d only been seven when she’d been tied to the temple steps in the snow.
Emryn covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. She was still a pile on the floor and she needed to figure out how to either leave, or how to get back onto the bed.
But she was too weak to do anything but make it so she was slightly less of a heap.
And then the prince walked back through the door, followed by three other people. One of whom was carrying a folded table, one with a fancy velvet chair and the third with a tray of food that smelled amazing and made Emryn feel weak all over again.
“Emryn?” The prince looked puzzled as the others started setting up the table and the food. “Is my company that objectionable?”
“No,” Emryn said hurriedly. “I should just be getting back, so you don’t need to trouble yourself with me.”
“It’s hardly trouble to feed the healer who saved my life.” He lifted her from the floor again, settling her in the velvet chair and sitting down in the opposite one. “It’s just a meal, Emryn. The head healer agrees that you are not to return to the city temple until you can get there under your own power.”
Emryn sighed, trying to be silent about it. “Thank you, Highness.”
“That’s better,” the prince settled a plate in front of her. “Now, the head healer has said that you are to eat as much as you can.”
“I imagine,” Emryn shook her head. “Most remedies for magical burn out are eating and sleeping, highness.”
“Then you will,” he gave her a soft smile that made her middle do something remarkably uncomfortable. “Do you feel up to answering a few questions, Emryn?”
“I’ll tell you what I can, Highness.”
8
QUESTIONS
Cas wasn’t sure where to start. She was feet from him, exhaustion a living thing in her eyes, even though he could see her trying to hide it. Should he be badgering her with the questions swimming through his head? Or should he keep the conversation softer and let her rest sooner?
The latter was the wiser choice, even if the questions burned into him. He should let her rest further and then perhaps he would feel better about peppering her with questions.
Because he’d tried to answer them himself, but the more reading he did, the more confused he got. There was nothing in the library about anything like what he felt when he was around Emryn.
She was so close now, the fluttering in the back of his mind was desperate, yearning toward her and he wondered what would happen if he just let it go?
But he didn’t want to frighten her. Didn’t want to let the thing inside him loose until she was back on her feet.
“Emryn?”
