Hope and Devotion (Chapter One)

Hope and Devotion (Chapter Seven)

A full four days, Rasler still had not woken up, although his condition was improving with each day. But the wait was a long a hellish one, each minute his life hung on the balance, and in a moment's notice his condition could change. Soon, at least according to the royal physician, the tube in his chest would be removed, and then they would properly stitch together the wound. Ashe looked up from her embroidery at her husband who gave a weak cough. His eyes opened, and he gave another cough.

"Ashe? Where am I?" He said weakly.

She gave a small smile, and placed her embroidery hoop aside. "You're at the palace, recovering from you injuries." She reached out for his hand, holding it tightly. He made it. The urge to embrace him, while crying tears of joy, was much too strong, but she resisted for the sake of his health. She didn't want to pull out or disarrange any of the bandages or tubes.

"How long has it been?" He squeezed back weakly, and looked around.

"Four days." She replied, four long days, of waiting on baited breath, watching for sign of movement or improvement, four days of quietly praying to Faram the Father, so that he would have the strength to carry on.

"Damn, that's a long time." He looked down, "What happened to me? I remember the arrow, but after that nothing."

Ashe hung her head. "I don't think that I would be the best to explain it, but I shall try." As she said that, the nurse quietly stepped out of the room. "Captain Ronsenburg brought you here, after you were injured. And then your injuries were treated. He left soon after to attend to the troops, soon after the fortress was lost, but we still resist Archadia's advances."

Rasler sighed, "And so I have failed your people."

"No, we still have a chance, the fortress may be lost, but we may still be able to drive them away, or at least that is what father has told me." She shook her head, "Please don't worry about that you need to recover."

"But Ashe-"

"No," She placed a single finger on his lips quieting him. "Focus on recovering for me. I'd like to see my husband healthy enough to rule, and raise children." She smiled and placed a hand on her stomach, knowing that he would take it as an implication that she was carrying a child. He would know the truth of her condition, but it was not the time to tell him, for now he needed something to look forward too.

He let out a sigh, "For you and our family, then."

"Exactly." Ashe leaned over, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Footsteps echoed through the room, as the royal physician entered the room. Ashe quickly moved her chair aside, to make room for him. "Good to see that you've finally awoken Milord." He then began take his pulse, and check his breathing. "Much better, how's the pain?"

Rasler frowned. "Unbearable." He groaned.

"That's to be expected, but I can't give anything too powerful. It might make it more difficult for you to breathe. I'll see what I can do to help."

"What of my knee?"

He sighed, "I can't say much about it now. You must recover first from your other injury, before I can even think about doing anything to your leg. I'm sorry."

Rasler stayed quiet, for a moment. "No that's okay." He gave another cough.

"I'll come back with some medicines so that you can rest easily."

"Thank you."

With that, he left the room, and stepped into his office.

Ashe moved her chair back, and stroked her husband's cheek, feeling the roughness of his slight patchy stubble. "I'm so glad you made it. I was worried that…" She trailed off.