Ginny Hartman (12 page)

Rosalind surprised him by speaking more words to him than she had said all day, “If we ride through the night, we can get there sooner. You can be rid of me and be on your way to Peltis.”

Though he was anxious to get back to King Cedric, he wasn't as anxious to be rid of her, as she had put it. But, he wasn't going to confess that little detail to her. “It would not be wise to ride all night. Stephen has already been pushed to his limits these past few days, he needs his rest. As do you. You will have a warm meal before retiring for the night in a real bed.” He was pleased when she didn't argue.

It was dusk as they approached the inn. Terric slid from his saddle with Rosalind still in his arms. He held her firmly to his chest, cradling her in his arms. She was so light and he felt so protective of her. He made sure her hood was completely covering her face. “Don't move. Remember, the innkeeper must think you are asleep.”

Playing her part well, she didn't even respond. Terric walked into the inn where a stodgy man stood behind a worn wood desk. His head was bald with only some faint patches of hair on the sides of his head above his ears.

The man glanced up at them as Terric approached. “Good eve to ye. Are ye here for a room?”

“Aye.”

“Will ye just need one room for ye and yer...”

“Wife. Aye, one room will suffice.”

The man nodded, all three of his chins jiggling as a result. He waited while Terric managed to dig a coin from his pouch, setting it down on the rough, worn desk. As soon as the man snatched up the coin, he stepped from behind the desk to show them to their room.

Terric followed the man down the hall. When he opened the door, Terric entered the room. The man stepped in long enough to set a candle on the only piece of furniture in the room besides the bed, a small dresser. Terric thanked the man, who shut the door firmly behind him as he left. As soon as they were alone, he walked to the bed and reluctantly set Rosalind down. As soon as she was free from his embrace, she pulled the heavy cloak off of her and inhaled deeply. Her hair crackled with static caused by the dreadful material. He quickly removed his own cloak as well, throwing it on the end of the bed.

Terric walked to the small fireplace and bent to light a fire. He wanted the room to be as comfortable as possible for Rosalind. When the fire was roaring in the hearth, he stood and turned to her. She was sitting on the edge of the mattress, watching him intently.

Running one hand over the back of his neck he said, “I'm going to go fetch us some supper from the kitchen. Is there anything else I can do for you, Your Highness?”

Rosalind shook her head no, but otherwise didn't say a word. Turning, Terric left on his errand, anxious to consume a real meal for the first time in what felt like ages.

***

Rosalind's eyes were trained on the door that Terric had just exited. She had spent the first part of their ride that morning still mourning for her parents, silent tears coursing down her cheeks. She had been grateful for the hood of her cloak as it disguised her display of emotion. Not that she cared if Terric knew she was crying. But now she felt numb, hollow. She wasn't sure there were any more tears left in her eyes to shed.

Terric wasn't gone long. Her gaze was still absently trained on the door when he entered, carrying two steaming bowls of stew in his hands, a long loaf of crusty bread tucked under one arm. The food smelled delicious, and her stomach grumbled in response, though she had no desire to ingest the food. Terric set his bowl of stew on the dresser before delivering her bowl to her along with the bread. She timidly took them both, but refrained from eating. She watched as he retrieved his bowl and went and sat on the floor, his back propped against the wall as he eagerly began eating the stew.

Rosalind felt guilty watching him eat sitting on the floor. She wasn't sure why it bothered her, for surely he had eaten in worse conditions before, but it did nonetheless. Maybe it bothered her because, despite the fact that she verbally blamed him for her parents’ death, he still treated her with kindness, with respect.

Pushing the stirrings of guilt at her treatment of him deep down inside of her, she took a bite of the stew in an attempt to distract herself from thinking of him. It tasted even better than it smelled, and soon she found that she had nearly finished the entire bowl. When she finally looked up from her dish, Terric was staring at her, a bemused smile on his face, his already empty bowl sitting next to him on the floor.

She reached for the bread, breaking the loaf in half before walking towards him and offering him his share.

“Thank you,” was all he said, as he took her offering. She resumed sitting on the bed and nibbled on the bread in silence.

When she had finished eating her fill, she laid the uneaten portion of the loaf down in her lap and asked, “Where will you sleep tonight?”

“Right here,” he answered, patting the floor beside him.

Again, guilt tugged at her heart, but there was nothing she could do. It would be too improper to offer him to share her bed, and she knew he was too noble to allow her to sleep on the floor if she offered the bed to him. She watched the shadows caused from the fire dance across his face in the darkness. Finally, he turned his back to her and stretched out on the floor, one of his arms going beneath his head to act as a pillow.

Rosalind knew that she couldn't let him sleep that way. She grabbed one of the pillows from the bed as well as his cloak that was still laying haphazardly on the mattress. Walking over to where he lay, she handed the pillow to him, ignoring the surprised look on his face before covering his body with the cloak. It was a poor substitute for a proper bed, but it was the best she could give him. Silently she walked back to the bed and crawled beneath the covers, anxious to fall asleep and escape the nightmarish reality of her day.

Sleep, however, eluded Rosalind as she lay in the center of the small bed, the thin, lone blanket pulled up to her chin. She kept replaying the moment Terric had told her of her parents’ death in her mind. The shock of his words had seemed to suck the life right out of her. And though she felt drained, completely exhausted of emotion, she couldn't seem to sleep. She rolled onto her side, propping her head up on one hand as she glanced over to where Terric was sleeping. His back was still turned towards her, his figure unmoving. She envied him as he slept. She watched his strong back lifting slightly with every breath he took, the movement eventually lulling her into a fitful slumber.

Rosalind dreamed that she was at Brantonwall Castle. An urgent matter had prompted her to seek out her father in the tower's council room. She approached the closed door, but instead of knocking, she went directly in, only the room was empty. Just as she was about to turn and leave, a lone figure stepped out of the shadows. She startled; the man's unexpected presence had made her heart leap. She tentatively walked backwards towards the door, but with each step she took, the man also stepped closer until he was standing directly in front of her. Reaching one hand up, he removed the black hood that was obstructing his face. Rosalind gasped, it was Terric!

But Terric's eyes weren't blue, they were black. He reached for her, both hands flanking her face as he pulled her forcefully to him. His cold lips overtook her as he kissed her roughly. She was surprised that the feel of his lips was so unwelcoming, for she had fantasized about kissing them more than once and they had never felt so cold, so hard during her imaginings.

Finally, he pulled back, his handsome face hardening into a scowl. “I killed your parents,” he said slowly, deliberately, showing no sign of remorse as he enunciated each word.

Rosalind began screaming as she turned to run from him, as fast as she was able, praying frantically that he wouldn't follow and kill her too. Running down the castle's corridor, she stumbled over the hem of her dress, hitting her head against the stone wall as she fell, knocking her unconscious. As she lay there in a state of oblivion, she once more found herself praying, praying that Terric wouldn't come after her or, that if he did, she wouldn't feel any pain.

As she came to, a soothing calm washed over her body and her limbs tingled with warmth. She tried to open her eyes but failed, the action seemingly harder than it ought to be. Trying not to get frustrated, she attempted to open her eyes once more. This time she was successful, but instead of seeing the gray dimness of the hall, her eyes focused on a shimmering swirl of colors, twisting lively before her face.

Forgetting everything but the iridescent wisps before her, Rosalind reached up to touch them, to see if they held any substance. The minute her fingers trailed through the smoke-like mist, she felt her body jolt followed by the rushing of wind on both sides of her as if she was being moved somewhere at an alarming pace. She closed her eyes tightly, the odd sensation almost making her ill.

When she braved opening her eyes, she was startled to see that she was no longer in the castle's corridor; instead she was huddled on the floor in front of a fire in a small, dark room. Her breathing was labored as she looked around, her eyes adjusting to the blackness of the night. Rosalind could still feel her heart racing in her chest as she slowly realized she was in the room at the inn where Terric had brought her.

Terric! She searched in front of her with her hands until they collided with a hard mass, her fingers trailing over the unmistakable metal links of chainmail. Pulling her hands back, she gasped. Icy fingers of fear gripped at her heart as she realized that Terric lay before her on the floor. She scooted frantically away from his form, but her body hit the cold wall behind her, stopping her from escaping.

***

The moment Terric felt hands exploring his person, he became instantly alert. He sat up abruptly, as he witnessed a shaking Rosalind backing into the wall. He reached for her, clasping his hands around her wrists. “Your Highness, are you alright?”

He could feel her trembling beneath his hands. He instinctively reached for her, pulling her into him. She let out a startled cry as she tried to shove him away, but it was no use, his grip was unyielding. He shook her gently at first, but became more forceful when she refused to stop fighting him.

“Rosalind,” he spoke forcefully. When she didn't respond, he lowered his face to hers and noticed her eyes were pressed tightly closed. Perhaps she was still sleeping.

He placed one hand on her cheek, rubbing furiously. “Rosalind, wake up. You're asleep; mayhap you've had a nightmare.”

One final shake of her person, and he watched as her eyes flashed open in surprise then settled upon his face with a look akin to fear, and his heart lurched.

***

Rosalind felt herself being forced awake. Awake. It meant that it had all been a dream, a very realistic, very horrific dream. He breathing was fast and shallow. She felt as if she had just run a race. Her first instinct upon seeing Terric was to try to run once more, but his grip was so firm on her, she knew she'd never get away. She didn't have the strength.

Looking into his face, she was suddenly desperate to see what color his eyes were. “Unhand me,” she commanded lowly but forcefully. Terric did so without hesitation. She reached for his face and felt him wince at the contact, but she didn't care; she had to look into his eyes. Framing his face with her hands, she pulled him closer to her, closer to the where the fire was blazing in the hearth so she could get a better look. Sure enough, his eyes were as blue and clear as the sky had been earlier in the day when the sun was shining overhead.

Rosalind felt herself exhale with some measure of relief, but she wasn't yet convinced that this Terric in front of her was the kind, noble Terric who would do anything to protect the Kingdom of Darth. She knew there was only one way to find out.

Pulling him even closer, her hands still on his face, she closed her eyes, ignoring the questioning look on his face, and pressed her lips to his. His lips were warm and full, not hard and demanding. It should have been enough to convince her that this was not the same man in her dream, but it wasn't, she wanted more.

Rosalind was unsure of how to proceed, having never been kissed before, but it didn't matter, for Terric soon took over. His hands went to her shoulders, then slowly moved up to her neck. His hands, though rough, were gentle against her smooth skin. His kiss was tentative at first, as if he was unsure of what he was doing, but it didn't take long before his lips melted completely into hers. A stirring warmth started in her belly, moving outwards to her limbs as he kissed her so tenderly. She breathed in his scent, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him as close as she could. She felt hungry as she yearned for more of him, all of him.

The kiss deepened into something more passionate, something more wild as he used his tongue to probe into her mouth, anxious to explore its sweet depths. Rosalind allowed him entrance, anxious to experience everything he had to offer. She'd never felt so alive.

It seemed as if the kiss was only just beginning when she felt Terric abruptly pull back. Her mouth felt cold at the absence of his and she longed to pull him back to her, longed to explore more of him.

“What just happened, Rosalind?” he asked, his voice sounding panicked.

Was he referring to the earth-stopping kiss they had just shared or to what had occurred just prior to that? She suddenly found that she was too embarrassed to explain either, opting to remain silent instead.

“Rosalind,” Terric interjected her thoughts. “I don't think you are aware of what just happened. You must have been sleep-walking. I should never have taken advantage of you like that.”

“I had a dream,” she started shakily.

“That you were kissing me?” Terric interrupted, trying to lighten her somber mood a bit, though his mood was anything but.

“Yes,” she said stoically. Not the reaction that Terric expected. “I was dreaming that I was at Brantonwall Castle searching for my parents. I went to the council room to find my father, but he wasn't there. No one was there except for you.” Rosalind swallowed hard before continuing. “You kissed me, then told me that you had killed my parents.”