Once seated, Thea breathed in deeply, "It smells wonderful." She smiled, "Thank you."
Rolfe set the bowls of rabbit stew onto the table, smiled at Thea, and said, "Dinner is served. Now let's eat." He then proceeded to sit down himself.
Finding himself the last one to sit down, Nikandros hurriedly yanked his chair back from the table and sat down. Forcing an awkward smile, Nikandros turned slightly to face Thea. "You feeling alright?" He asked.
She forced a smile, "Ya. I'm feeling fine."
Nikandros' eyes narrowed slightly, indicating to Thea that he saw through her façade. Again.
She sighed, letting her true emotions through, "I'm feeling...worse. But, I'll be fine."
Nikandros' face tightened slightly in concern for his wife, "You can stay for a little while out here, but soon you should get to the room."
"Nik, I'm not a china doll." Thea complained. Nikandros smiled, but said nothing. "I'm serious. You act like I'm going to break if I move." Thea complained.
Nikandros grinned, "Well I hope not."
She frowned and grabbed a biscuit from the table and slammed it onto her plate. Nikandros raised an eyebrow at Rolfe for permission to begin eating.
Thea closed her eyes suddenly, scrunching up her face.
"Thea?" Nikandros exclaimed and briskly went over to her.
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, "I-I'm fine. Relax." She forced a strained smile.
Nikandros gave her an are-you-serious face. "Maybe you should just eat in your room. It might be less painful."
"No!" Thea shook her head, "No...I-I'll be fine."
"Wait." Pointing to Thea, Rolfe said, "Your name is Thea?"
Mentally, Nikandros slapped himself. "Her middle name is Thea. I call her that sometimes." He lied quickly, trying to cover up his mistake.
"Oh...okay..." Rolfe said. He started eating as if nothing had happened.
Mentally sighing in relief, Nikandros returned to his conversation with Thea. Deciding to forgo using Thea's name, Nikandros spoke, "We should get you to your room."
"No. I want to stay out here." Thea pouted.
"Thea, stop acting like a three-year-old!" Nikandros exclaimed exasperatedly, "I'll eat in there too!"
"I'm not." Thea crossed her arms, but uncrossed them when it caused her pain, "I am just sick of lying in bed."
Nikandros sighed deeply, "Fine. Five more minutes."
"Thank you." She replied grumpily. Thea noticed Rolfe had already started eating and broke off part of her bread, putting it in her mouth.
Rolfe watched awkwardly. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. "I'll be outside if you need me." He said. With that, he walked out of the room, leaving his empty bowl behind.
Nikandros sighed and looked at Thea expectantly, "Now look what you did."
"Me?" She asked incredulously, "That was not my fault."
"Sure it wasn't."
"If you would just stop babying me, then none of this ever would have happened!"
There was an awkward pause before Nikandros spoke, "Thea, I'm sorry. I just don't want to loose you, and I want you to be as comfortable as possible." Nikandros felt his throat tightening up and he tried to swallow, only succeeding in choking and sending him into a coughing fit.
Thea looked down at her hands, rubbing them back and forth absentmindedly, "I'm sorry, Nik. I-I'm just tired of feeling awful all the time."
Nikandros stood up and went next to his wife, looking deep in her eyes, "What can I do to get you comfortable?" He asked simply.
"I wish there was something you could do...but I don't think there is anything." She looked down.
Nikandros took a deep breath and let it out, "Would you like to go back to your room or stay out here for awhile longer?" He asked.
"I guess I'll go rest..."
Gently, Nikandros scooted Thea's chair back from the table and helped her stand. She wiped her eyes and they slowly walked back to the room.
Once Thea was situated back in the bed, she quickly fell asleep, the small exertion proving too much for her.
Nikandros looked at her sadly. "I wish there was something I could do." He whispered to himself.
Just then, Rolfe opened the cottage door and peeked in to make sure it was safe. He tiptoed in and set about clearing the table quietly.
Hearing the quiet clinks of the dishes, Nikandros left Thea to sleep and went out of the room. Seeing Rolfe, he approached, "I'm sorry." Nikandros apologized, "We've been through a lot."
"It's quite alright." Rolfe finished washing the dishes, then asked, "Do either of you need anything?"
Nikandros shook his head, "No, we're alright. Thank you so much for letting us stay here."
"Alright then. I will have a tub of water ready for you to bathe in tomorrow morning." Rolfe said.
Nikandros nodded his thanks and went back to the room. Settling down in a rocking chair, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
Okay so yes, this was a shorter chapter than normal but it had a kiss!!! *swoons all over again* Heehee...I hope you enjoyed it and please vote, comment, or follow!!! Thanks again!
Ithildae, Evara, and Aris
Writers:
Thea: Ithildae
Nikandros: Evara
Rolfe: Aris
YOU ARE READING
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