Till Death Do Us Part

15. Recovery

Warm rays of morning sun touched Skylar's face, gently waking her up. She lifted her heavy lids and blinked a few times, unsure where she was or how she ended up there. After a moment, her sleepy mind caught up, and she recognised the ceiling of her bedroom.

Her mouth was parched, and her left arm was throbbing with a dull pain. She turned her head to see if there was water at her bedside table and saw Gawyn sitting in a chair beside her bed.

He crossed his arms, and his head was lolling from side to side as if he were still trying to fight the sleep that had already caught him. Skylar noticed his usually perfectly combed black hair was messed up, and dark circles underlined his eyes. How long has he been sitting here?

Skylar tried to perch herself on her uninjured arm, but her body was weak, and she fell back on the pillow while the bed protested with a loud creak.

Gawyn jumped. "You're awake!" he said with a mixture of awe and relief.

"Hey, you," Skylar wanted to say, but her voice was barely a croak.

The General grabbed a glass of water and held it gently to her mouth to help her drink it. "It's high time. You've been asleep for a while, you know," he said sternly, but his voice had no edge. Just genuine relief. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak as a kitten," Skylar admitted when she emptied the whole glass. "You look terrible. You should get some sleep."

"Well, thank you. I can see you already getting better," Gawyn said with a smirk.

She gave him a weak smile, and her hand moved to her neck in search of the necklace. "I'm still alive, so I guess you used the pendant?"

"Yes. Thankfully, Kayla was close. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Skylar scoffed. "As if I haven't tried. You've never listened."

Gawyn sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I guess I didn't. I am sorry for that."

"It's all right." Skylar tried to shrug, but she scowled when the pain inflamed her arm. "Do you believe me now?"

"I do. Why did you do this? You could have died," he said, and his voice shook slightly.

Skylar looked into his grey eyes, so full of emotions now. "If I didn't, you would have died for sure. I'm your wife, and I can't have that."

Gawyn reached for her right hand and squeezed it gently. "I didn't expect it. Thank you. I'm forever in your debt."

"Great! You can start with giving me a sword." Skylar grinned.

"Don't push it." He scoffed, but he couldn't suppress a smile.

They sat in silence for a moment, hands still linked.

"So," said Skylar. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Three days."

"Gods. No wonder I feel so weak."

"On the bright side, all the poison is out of your body. Only your arm needs to heal now. You must be hungry. I'll ask Kayla to bring you some food," he said, letting go of her hand. He got up and stretched. Sitting in the uncomfortable chair for a long time couldn't be comfortable. 

"Gawyn," Skylar called before he reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Get some sleep, all right?"

"I will. As soon as I make sure you have all you need."

***

Skylar, to her dismay, was forced to stay in bed for a whole week. After day one, she was so bored she was even willing to go and pay a visit to Lucinda, just to do anything at all. But after a week, Gawyn finally agreed she could walk freely around the mansion, though any trips out to the city were out of the question. Not to mention any activities more forceful than a brisk walk. Skylar, grudgingly, agreed. But only after Gawyn threatened to bind her to the bed. Her mind might have drifted into some inappropriate areas when he said it, but she would never admit it out loud.