Heart Over Sword - Chapter 110

Evanna raised her hand to touch his cheek, but the surprise that flickered across his features for a single second was enough to snap her out of his alluring spell. Arawn cleared his throat again and dropped his hand. “It seems you are past the worst of it, Evanna.”

“By it.. what do you mean? I do not know what happened,” She replied while looking around her room. Her eyes looked at anywhere but the prince who was chilling on her bed with her, their arms touching. Evanna sucked in a breath when she also realised she was again in something promiscuous in front of him. Her eyes widened, and she straightened up about to jump out of bed, but Arawn grabbed her hand.

“Don’t. Your body still needs to recover, I will call for Rina, and we can chat after, okay?” Arawn said in a soothing and calm voice. She was only watching his lips as they moved but snapped out of it when she saw his usual smirk. Her cheeks heated, and eyes widened again when the prince draped a blanket over her bare shoulders and climbed off the bed.

Evanna watched him as he left the room without another word, and the doors flung open with Rina rushing to her side, beaming at her as she kneeled in front of her. She didn’t know what her handmaiden was babbling on about, most likely how unwell she has been and how worried Rina was, from what she could tell from the look on her face. But all the princess was thinking about was how the cold-hearted elven prince seemed to show small acts of kindness without any tricks up his sleeves.

There was no deceit from him and genuine concern for her. A feeling of butterflies fluttered in her stomach from thinking about Arawn, but she squished them and her feelings down instantly. She had been unwell, and he was a good host, although technically, she was his prisoner, and he went out of his way to make sure she was okay.

Rina helped Evanna to the bathroom, and for once, the princess let the handmaiden help clean her arms and hair. But the she-elf continued to talk in her bubbly manner; Evanna could see Rina was filling in the silence and that she knew Evanna was deep in thought. Which was why Evanna let Rina look after her. Her thoughts were filled with Arawn, and she felt slightly flustered after remembering the times she thought she was hallucinating.

He had been in bed with her, and wished her happy birthday, kept motivating her, telling her she was doing really well, and the pain would pass. How did Arawn know what was going on when she herself did not?

“Rina,” Evanna interrupted whatever her handmaiden was talking about, “how long was I out for?”

“Oh, erm, this would be your fourth day, my lady,” Her handmaiden replied as she now brushed Evanna’s hair in front of the mirror. The princess was still feeling fatigued but much better after bathing and wearing a light, thin blue dress with long sleeves revealing her shoulders again. It seemed her handmaiden always picked out the nicest of dresses that suited her and her comfort.

Rina lowered her face and beamed into the mirror as she turned her head to Evanna’s ears. “His highness was with you the whole time. He was so worried about you..” She whispered and giggled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand.

Evanna’s cheeks heated, and she looked down. Rina stopped brushing her hair, placing her hands on her shoulders as though she was looking at her proudly in the mirror. “I am only telling you, lady Evanna because I can see how conflicted you are getting by the prince. And if I can be so bold..”

Evanna smiled at Rina’s words. “You have been bold to me before, Rina. I do not care for etiquette between friends, especially in my room.”

Evanna couldn’t believe her handmaiden’s smile could go any wider, but it did. She was once again dazed at how pretty Rina was, and what made her even prettier was her kind and caring personality.

“Oh, my lady, you are far too generous towards me! If I were to serve anyone else outside of the royal family and yourself, I would be sure to be beaten or ridiculed. But.. but.. What I wanted to say was.. To maybe give the prince a chance..” Rina replied with a small smile.

Evanna’s brows raised. She was not expecting this from her. “I thought you were scared of him?” She asked.

Rina’s cheeks suddenly tinted pink, and she brought her hands together. “I.. am okay with his highness. I have served under him a very long time, seen him grown from a baby and to who he is today.. His ways can be a little cruel, but if you stayed and got to know him, you will see that there is more to him than the scary mask he wears for the rest of the world to see. His actions-”

“*Thank you, Rina. That will be all.*”

Arawn appeared behind them, and the handmaiden bit her lip and curtsied to them before rushing out of Evanna’s room. She turned on her cushioned chair, so she faced him.

“Come. You must be hungry. You haven’t eaten in four days. Food has been served in my rooms” Arawn held his hand out for her. As she placed her hand in his, he swept her off her feet, so he held her bridal style.

Evanna gasped, “Arawn! Put me down!”

Arawn chuckled and tightened his grip on her as he walked towards the double doors, “You are still weak. Besides, no one will see us.”

“That’s not the point! And I walked with Rina.. I am fine, please,” Evanna looked around warily but couldn’t help but let her head sag into his chest. He was right. She was weak. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment at that and at the wink Cedric gave her before he followed behind them. She hid her face in Arawn’s chest, wishing the ground would swallow her up.

The thing was, though, if she really wanted to get out of his grasp, she could easily even in her weakened state. But just for a little while at least, she would be comforted by his strong arms and lean against his muscular chest, listening to the even rhythm of his heart. Just for a little while, she would let herself enjoy this small embrace.

Arawn had looked after her and even now was taking care of her by foolishly carrying her the small distance to his bed-chambers. It was something she did not expect of the prince, and she didn’t know if it was that or all the events between them leading up to this that was making her confused. Evanna was starting to feel something for him, and she couldn’t quite understand what it was.

But for now, until she had her full strength once more, she would not mind ‘putting up with’ his company until the day she would escape. It was too risky for her to be there any longer. Both for her sanity, for her mother and the kingdom of Dunhurst.