Working For The Prince (BxB)✔

Chapter 29 - Everything Hurts

Asher awoke, dazed and confused on a large, comfortable bed. The world was still blurry and he felt like everything was spinning as he stared up at the ornate ceiling.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he finally noticed movement to his right and turned to find Elise's servant boy, Laurent, applying stitches to a large gash on his forearm.

Finally everything came back to him and Asher realized he had fainted after sustaining the additional injury. Considering how badly beaten he'd been, and how tired he was from travelling all day, it wasn't much of a shock to think that the additional blood loss was enough to knock him out.

Even now, he was too groggy to feel concern as he lazily watched the young boy work to sew his injury closed.

His head was pounding and his mouth felt dry. He wanted to ask for water, but the amount of energy it would take to speak felt like too much to bother, so he continued to stare until Laurent took notice.

The boy cocked his head when he spotted the now conscious servant looking his way, but returned to his work to finish the last few stitches before wiping the area down and wrapping it up. Then he went to sit in a chair by the bed.

Asher waited for Laurent to say something. He figured the boy would explain what happened after he fainted, or ask if he was feeling alright at the very least. Instead he was met with that silent stare.

He found it hard to fall back asleep and stared out the nearest window until light started shining through. Laurent had fallen asleep by then and Asher was finally able to sit up without his vision blacking out.

He tiptoed passed the servant boy and found a glass of water on the end table. Gratefully he gulped it down, then found a plate of breakfast ready the next second.

Magic really was a wonderous thing.

He ate his food slowly, not wanting to upset his still queasy stomach, and examined the work on his arm. The stitch work wasn't quite expert looking, but it definitely would do the job. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from Laurent after all?

"Hey." He nudged the boy once he was done eating, and the child shot to his feet, wide eyed and frightened, but once he recollected where he was, he calmed down.

Asher pointed to a second tray that had been magically conjured for him. "Your food's getting cold."

The boy blinked and stared at the tray of biscuits and sausage. Then he tilted his head and pointed between Asher and the food.

"No, I didn't make it. The castle did." He tried to explain. The boy frowned and Asher sighed. "I already explained this to your master earlier."

The boy, still frowning, eventually shrugged it off and accepted the meal. Meanwhile Asher sat back down on the bed and stretched his good arm. "Can't you talk?"

Laurent's mouth was full, so he shook his head instead.

"So you're mute?"

The boy nodded.

Well at least he wasn't intentionally giving Asher the silent treatment. Unfortunately that meant they had little to do in the way of conversation. If he was unable to speak, there'd be no way for him to explain what happened after the incident.

None the less, he had to find Leon and show him that he was okay. The Prince was probably beating himself up over this. Asher felt awful that he had caused it as well. He thought if he pushed the Prince away, then he'd put more effort into wooing Lady Elise. But that's not how it turned out at all.