The Silk Queen

Location

The tension in Lavinia's sanctuary was high, Carlos almost regretted his comment. But he shook the thought from his head, he found it amusing how riled up he got Lavinia to be. He was almost sick of waking up to gold ceilings, he felt bad. His brother was hurt or dead out there and he was recovering in the luxuries of Lavinia's Ex-Flings gift.

His guilt was gnawing at his head while he was resting in his room when a knock came at the door. It was lavinia, they had hardly had a conversation in days.

"Hello." Carlos said without looking up, expecting another maid to be checking on him by order of her queen.

"How are you healing when all you do is sit without sunlight, Christ carlos," Lavinia questions with disgust as she walks over to open his blinds and let in light. Carlos still in shock doesn't understand why she's here and starts to get worried, He opens his mouth to ask her the questions racing in his head, but she interrupts.

"No i don't have any news on ben. I just thought it's quite time to check on you." She said rolling her eyes and sitting next to Carlos on the bed. Carlos closed the book he had been 'reading' for the last 4 days and welcomed lavinia.

"I'm worried, i don't want to be bedrested for much longer." Carlos spoke, his words laced with annoyance.

"Then let me check your wounds," Lavinia said, instinctively reaching for the cloth wrapped around his torso.

"Fine. But make it quick," He said already excited for the sweat to be cleaned once lavinia insisted he was fine to go find ben.

"Don't flinch."

"Why would I flinch?"

"Your pain tolerance sucks."
She bagan taking the wrapping off, slowly her soft hands making sure to be gentle. He almost flinched away at times but he forced himself to hold still. Lavinia took the water from his bedside table and a cloth from his 'Sink' and cleared the dried blood. While her hands were working she stopped to look at him. They made eyecontact as she saw the painful look on his face.

"If it hurts just tell me."

"Sorry"

"Shut up and let me work"

"Yes ma'am."

She worked for around half an hour before it was all clean so she could see the scarred up part. It looked fine to her.

"Hold my hand and try to stand up."

"What?"

"Hold my goddamn hand and stand up Est-que vous comprendrez?"

The french caught him off guard but she ignored it and made him stand up. When balancing himself he gasped, making lavinia jump.

"Are you okay?"

"No you've killed me"

"I wish."

"Fuck you."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

And with that she put the things down and began towards the door,

"Be ready to Be functional by tomorrow." She said, and walked out the door.

He stood in shock, his chest began to fill with something, and he half hit himself for it.

God damnit Carlos please stop letting yourself miss her. She's two rooms away.

The next day he found himself rising to go to breakfast. Surprised by how much he'd missed being functional and independent of a maid he got up and walked to the door. His white button up shirt loosely unbuttoned. He walked to the dining room where lavinia already sat, her eyes trained on her food barely acknowledging his arrival.

"They found Ben." She spoke out of nowhere."

"What?!" He exclaimed jumping out of his chair.

"Don't rip that scar."

"Sorry."

"They found where he is and now we just have to find him."

Carlos began letting himself celebrate when he was shushed by Lavinia.

"What was that?" She spoke, and then he heard it too. A banging at the wall, and he froze. They had found where ben was, someone had to give the location. And someone had to bring them the map that lavinia held in her hands.

Her eyes began wide, and then she made herself look calm and grabbed the sword on the wall.

"That's a decoration."

"One i implanted, it's made of iron, Thank your little colonies."

Ignoring that lavinia had access to the colonies he grabbed one too, and grabbed lavinia's hand. He held tight expecting she'd try to pull away but she only held tighter then she did. She pulled him with her as she rushed to her room. But they were separated when the door in front of them fell and a dozen men walked in with swords.

"Looking for your boyfriend, Princess?" Maxen spoke.

Carlos' eyes flared with an emotion unknown to him as he heard the way Maxen spoke about her love for Ben.

"You'll see him soon love."