Renée

Chapter 19

The scratch on my face was nothing. It was so easy to treat. Just a little warm water to disinfect, and that was about all it needed. It was so small I didn't even bother putting a bandage over it.

Now, my heels were a whole different story. I tore the skin on the cobblestone and they ended up covered in dirt, only bleeding lightly. The best I could do for myself was stop the bleeding, clean my heels with warm water, apply a sterile dressing, and wrap my feet with a bandage. I'm almost certain I won't need stitches since the cuts aren't that deep, but I'll have to get them checked by a "doctor" later.

As soon as I finished my treatment, the knights escorted Nigel and me to a carriage, sending us back to the estate. And let me state, I fought to speak with Renée's father again. I wasn't going without a fight, but he brushed me aside, and I couldn't even get close to the tent.

The entire way back to the estate was silent. Nigel and I barely said a thing. And what could I say in that situation, anyway? All of this was my fault. Sneaking out of the estate was my idea. I forced Nigel to join us, even though he was against the idea. He got in trouble for joining us, so how in the world can I apologize for what I've done? If I had stayed quiet and let myself be treated, we could have returned to the estate without anyone noticing.

But the funny part is I don't regret it. I saw something wrong and spoke my mind. How could I regret it when I stood up for people who were being mistreated? It was so easy to do, and I'm kind of proud of myself.

A smile forms on my lips as I stare out the window in silence. My heels are throbbing while by shins tingle. I reach down to my leg muscles, trying to wake them up. My recklessness might have damaged some nerves.

The carriage slowly comes to a stop. "Looks like we're back," Nigel says.

I look up and stare at the door as the coachman pulls it open. I can see the manor just outside, glowing slightly in the darkness. Nigel rises from his seat and steps out of the carriage. He then turns back and holds his hand out to me. I hesitate for a moment before taking it and stepping down. A slight pain shoots up my legs as I hit the ground. I wince as my legs shake.

Nigel lets go of my hand once my feet hit the gravel and takes a few steps towards the manor with his back to me. Is he angry? Is that why he isn't looking at me? Did my rash decision make him upset?

I can't leave things like this. "I'm sorry!" I shout as I bow my head towards him.

He stops as he's about to step up the stairs and turns to face me. "What are you doing?!" He shouts. "You don't need to apologize to me, so lift your head, Renée!"

"I need to apologize!"

"No! You don't need to!"

"But if I hadn't forced you to leave the estate with me, you wouldn't have gotten in trouble! You wouldn't have been put in such a tight situation! Everything that happened is my fault!" He falls silent as I shout and doesn't respond. "Nigel?"

"Renée, lift your head. It's unsuitable for a lady to bow her head, especially to her family." His voice sounds calm. I lift my head to see a small smile on his lips. "Please, don't place the blame on yourself for everything that happened today. I don't regret leaving the estate and going to Peirpont with you."

"But I'm the reason everything went wrong!"

"Are you the reason that the earthquake occurred?" he asks and pauses for a moment. "Are you the reason the panicked residents separated us in the chaos? Are you the reason the doctors were treating people based on wealth rather than injury?" Nigel stares into my eyes.

I slowly open my mouth. "N... no..."

"See?" He pauses for a moment. "And what if I didn't go with you and terrible things happened to you, worse than did today? I knew about you plan, and if I ignored it, only to find out something had happened to you, I could never forgive myself." He approaches me. "You're my sister, Renée. The one and only sibling I have. But you're also a woman, and you're unable to protect yourself on your own."