Annelise

Chapter Six

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Hope you've enjoyed this so far!

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"THE MYRIDIAN PRINCESS soon fell ill. She was rather pale and feeling chills. And so the prince returned, aware of her plight. "Do you really love me so?" asked the anxious knight."

Pierce watched on in silence, as Annelise softly read to his daughter.

"Why, yes," said she. "But my love bears no fruit. For you do not love me as I do you." The Prince was moved by her touching words, and left to capture her a thousand birds. "These birds," he said, "shall make you well. And if they do not, I shall slay myself." "Oh, no!" gasped the princess, at the thought. "Such a sacrifice will make me utterly distraught. I shan't forgive myself, as I am not worthy of your love. So send away your flowers and send away your doves."

Annelise coughed. "Oh, my," she giggled. "Sorry, Lila. I have a bit of a cold."

Pierce frowned, approaching her. He placed his palm over her forehead, shocked by the warmth of it. "It's more than a little cold. You're burning up. Come," he ordered gently. "Let's get you an aspirin, and then to sleep. Say goodnight, Lila."

"Goodnight, Annie!" sang his button-nosed daughter.

Pierce flicked off the lights before closing the door. "You catch colds much too easily," he told the feverish Annelise.

She smiled wincingly in response. "Sorry. Downsides of a weak constitution, I suppose."

"Don't apologize," Pierce said, ruffling her hair. "I like taking care of you."

"Well, that's no good," she joked, poking his arm with her index finger. "You're the one who needs taking care of. You're utterly hopeless without me."

Pierce captured her finger, startling her. He then brought her flattened-out palm to his lips, and placed a tender kiss upon it. "If that's the case, then I pray that I'll be hopeless for the rest of my life, just so you can stay."

Annelise blushed furiously, unprepared for his sudden romantic attack. Pierce had been cold towards her for far too long. It was high time that he wooed her in the way that she deserved to be wooed. "W-well, I—"

Pierce frowned again. His hands shot out to grab her as Annelise started swaying. "Whoa. No need to trip over me," he exclaimed jokingly. But Pierce's jovial mood quickly disappeared as his spotted a curious blemish on her arm. It was red and blatantly inflamed. "What...?"

As her eyes fluttered shut and she fell limp in his arms, Pierce felt a jolt of fear swarm through his veins. "Annelise?" he reiterated, shaking her, but she would not wake. "Annelise?!"

"Mr Dawson? You can come in now."

Pierce glanced up at the doctor and immediately blanched. The grim expression on his face did not bode well for anyone, especially not for Annelise. "Okay," he muttered shakily, standing up.

The doctor yanked the curtain aside, revealing a fully conscious Annelise, who appeared to be pale but fine. The doctor, whose name seemed to be Dr Brenn, pulled out two chairs and proceeded to sit down. "Now, then, Miss—"

"Annelise," she cut in, "is fine."

"Very well, Annelise. A week ago, when Mr Dawson here brought you in, one of the nurses asked him for a urine sample, just as a necessary precaution. A similar sample test was done for Annelise, as we—"