potatoes and he was eating with gusto.
That made her feel better instantly. He would get healthy again, she was sure of it. She settled back to watch him eat and listen to him talk about simple things that needed little or no response. He seemed to have forgotten about writing a letter to his adoptive parents, and she didn’t want to remind him. How sad and awkward that would be. But he seemed so free and easy, she could almost fool herself into thinking this was like the old days as she laughed at some silly joke he’d made. And then something would remind her that her heart was broken and she would lose the glow for a moment or two. But all in all, she just loved being with him.
She took the used plates to the kitchen and was surprised to see Kylos ushering a nice-looking older couple down the stairway. But she was hardly shocked when he treated her like a servant in front of them, leading them away quickly to another side of the house. What a strange one he was.
The castle called. An ambulance had been scheduled and would soon be on its way. A castle physician called and suggested that Mykal take his pain medication before making the trip to guard against jostling that was bound to happen. He made a face but accepted the pills with good grace once she’d explained the reasoning behind it.
“Okay,” he said. “Just one more time. After this, it’s going to take a stake through my heart to get me to take any more.”
She counted out a dose and gave it to him. He washed it down with water and looked at her with sad eyes.
“I’m ready for this to be over and done with,” he told her. “I’m going to give my permission to go ahead and operate. Let the surgery begin.”
That startled her. “No,” she said anxiously. “Wait until you get a proper evaluation before you make up your mind. Don’t make any rash decisions now.”
“Why not?” he said cynically. “What have I got to lose?”
“Everything!”
Looking at her, he grinned and before she realized what he was doing, he’d reached out and taken her hand, pulling her closer. “Okay, my beautiful guardian. I’ll take your word for it.” Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her in a courtly fashion, then looked up earnestly. “And anyway, you’ll be there to help me make the right choice.”
Slowly, she shook her head. “I don’t think I should go to the castle with you,” she said breathlessly.
“But I thought you worked for the castle.”
“Not really. I’m…” What was she exactly? What could she say? Suddenly, she wanted to tell him the truth.
“Hey, how’s this?” He pulled her hand to his chest. His eyes sparkled with something close to his old charm. “I command you to come with me.”
She looked into those eyes for a moment, then rolled her own, half-laughing. “Oh, brother.”
“You can’t defy me.”
“Oh, yeah? Watch me.”
He pretended to frown fiercely. “We have dungeons for people like you.”
“Only at the castle. Where I’m not going.”
“Of course you’re going.” He thought that over for a moment, then gave her a disgruntled look. “What good is it going to be being royal if I can’t throw my new power around?”
She smiled, loving him. “Maybe being royal isn’t all its cracked up to be these days,” she teased. “Maybe you’re going to have to get used to some limits.” And just to show him that she had some of her own, she slipped her hand back out of his and moved a little farther from the edge of the bed.
It wouldn’t be long before the ambulance arrived. And then she would have to make good on her decision not to go to the castle with him. It was really the only choice. They couldn’t go on like this. She couldn’t live this lie any longer. She only hoped she could stay strong and determined enough to follow through with it. In the meantime, she began to look at him for evidence the pain medication was working. He wasn’t acting as though anything was bothering him
That made her feel better instantly. He would get healthy again, she was sure of it. She settled back to watch him eat and listen to him talk about simple things that needed little or no response. He seemed to have forgotten about writing a letter to his adoptive parents, and she didn’t want to remind him. How sad and awkward that would be. But he seemed so free and easy, she could almost fool herself into thinking this was like the old days as she laughed at some silly joke he’d made. And then something would remind her that her heart was broken and she would lose the glow for a moment or two. But all in all, she just loved being with him.
She took the used plates to the kitchen and was surprised to see Kylos ushering a nice-looking older couple down the stairway. But she was hardly shocked when he treated her like a servant in front of them, leading them away quickly to another side of the house. What a strange one he was.
The castle called. An ambulance had been scheduled and would soon be on its way. A castle physician called and suggested that Mykal take his pain medication before making the trip to guard against jostling that was bound to happen. He made a face but accepted the pills with good grace once she’d explained the reasoning behind it.
“Okay,” he said. “Just one more time. After this, it’s going to take a stake through my heart to get me to take any more.”
She counted out a dose and gave it to him. He washed it down with water and looked at her with sad eyes.
“I’m ready for this to be over and done with,” he told her. “I’m going to give my permission to go ahead and operate. Let the surgery begin.”
That startled her. “No,” she said anxiously. “Wait until you get a proper evaluation before you make up your mind. Don’t make any rash decisions now.”
“Why not?” he said cynically. “What have I got to lose?”
“Everything!”
Looking at her, he grinned and before she realized what he was doing, he’d reached out and taken her hand, pulling her closer. “Okay, my beautiful guardian. I’ll take your word for it.” Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her in a courtly fashion, then looked up earnestly. “And anyway, you’ll be there to help me make the right choice.”
Slowly, she shook her head. “I don’t think I should go to the castle with you,” she said breathlessly.
“But I thought you worked for the castle.”
“Not really. I’m…” What was she exactly? What could she say? Suddenly, she wanted to tell him the truth.
“Hey, how’s this?” He pulled her hand to his chest. His eyes sparkled with something close to his old charm. “I command you to come with me.”
She looked into those eyes for a moment, then rolled her own, half-laughing. “Oh, brother.”
“You can’t defy me.”
“Oh, yeah? Watch me.”
He pretended to frown fiercely. “We have dungeons for people like you.”
“Only at the castle. Where I’m not going.”
“Of course you’re going.” He thought that over for a moment, then gave her a disgruntled look. “What good is it going to be being royal if I can’t throw my new power around?”
She smiled, loving him. “Maybe being royal isn’t all its cracked up to be these days,” she teased. “Maybe you’re going to have to get used to some limits.” And just to show him that she had some of her own, she slipped her hand back out of his and moved a little farther from the edge of the bed.
It wouldn’t be long before the ambulance arrived. And then she would have to make good on her decision not to go to the castle with him. It was really the only choice. They couldn’t go on like this. She couldn’t live this lie any longer. She only hoped she could stay strong and determined enough to follow through with it. In the meantime, she began to look at him for evidence the pain medication was working. He wasn’t acting as though anything was bothering him
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