Loving Rain (Watty Awards 2011)

Chapter 18 - The Care

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Loving Rain - Ch. 18

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A pounding on the door woke me out of my trance. I wasn’t sleeping (my nightmare woke me up as soon as I heard Alan), but I was laying there staring at the wall. I had no idea what my dream meant. I kept running over possible answers in my mind, and none of them added up to anything good. The most popular one, the one that wouldn’t leave my mind no matter how hard I tried to push it away, was that Alan was coming for me.

               I guess that I didn’t respond to the knock quick enough, because the next thing I heard was a commotion and a female voice saying “No!” firmly. I knew that I should get up and see what was happening, but I couldn’t force myself to move. The door opened, and the female voice whispered my name. “Rain?”

               I lifted my head and turned towards her. Her face was familiar; she had blonde hair and a strong look on her face. Her features were set like stone and there was something about the way she stood there that told me she wasn’t fragile. I swallowed and said, “Yes?”

               “Cian’s worried about you. He said that you have been in here for awhile… and it’s almost dinnertime. He knocked, but you didn’t answer, so he sent me. In case you might be… inappropriate.” If anyone else had been telling me this, I would have mistaken the way her voice hesitated as embarrassment. But I could tell that she was just trying to choose the right words; maybe because Cian had told her not to be too forceful. That sounded like something he would do.

               I stood up slowly and made a moaning sound as I realized how light headed I was. The girl had a concerned look, but she didn’t make a move to help me up. My feet didn’t hold me up for long before I plopped back down on the bed again. “Is he still out there?”

               “I think so… And Gunter and Lynn and Melvin were with him. Oh, and Kai.” She looked at my blank expression and then continued talking. “You don’t know him, do you? Well, Kai is Cian’s cousin, and I’m…well…his betrothed.” This time she did blush.

               “Congratulations,” I told her, barely mustering up the strength to speak. “Can you send Cian in here?”

               “Sure,” she replied happily as she turned and walked out the door. Not five seconds after the door shut it opened again, allowing the prince to enter. I don’t think I could even take a breath before he was standing right in front of me. He took my head in his hands.

               “Whoa. You’re burning up, Rain. How do you feel?”

               My eyes closed involuntarily and moaned again. “Not very good,” I admitted. I could feel his eyes watching me.

               “One moment,” he said before walking back to open the door. “Mel, go to the kitchen and get a cup of hot tea. Cayla, I need a rag and a basin of water. Warm water, preferably. Gunter, go tell Mother and Father that I won’t be at dinner tonight, and neither will Kai and Rain. When everyone leaves, have Cook bring up a few trays of food. Kai, I need you to stay in here with me.”

               “What are you doing?” I demanded of him as soon as he came close enough that he could hear my weak voice. 

               “You’re ill. What we need to do first is get something in your stomach. That’s where the tea helps.” He sat down beside me and felt my forehead again. “The rag is to relax you, and maybe keep your head from pounding.”