Chapter 24 CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
ROSALINDA
When I woke up, it was not by the frantic noises of my maids or sunlight, but by a dull ache in my head and the earthy smell of a cave. "Wh-where am I-fuck!" I hissed as I tried to get up, a sharp pain shot through my leg. I fell back on my side, only to feel a soft body pressed against mine. Immediately I jolted uo, despite the fresh wave of pain only to see Cyrus beside me. He looked seriously injured, slumped upright against the cold stone wall, his eyes were tightly shit, a grimace etched on his face. I bent down, my hand hesitantly reaching out to touch his face when his eyes snapped open, blazing with an unexpected ferocity, and he grabbed my fingers in a tight grip.
"Ouch!" I yelped.
"I'm sorry," he rasped, his voice rough as gravel as he let my hand go. He then shifted closer, wincing a little. "Are you alright?"
"What happened?" I demanded, ignoring his question.
He took a slow painful breath. "The whole place was under attack. First it started out as a minor fire until it escalated quickly before anyone could think. As the chaos erupted, you were abducted while lost in the smoke. Luckily I was able to save you,"
I slowly sat back down on the ground, hissing as my leg protested in pain. Fragmented pieces of the whole scenario came flashing back- the burning grounds, the man who had dragged me away, the sickeningly sweet cloth that was pressed over my mouth.
"We couldn't outrun them," he continued, as if reading my mind. "Plus we were surrounded. I couldn't think of anything better than for us to jump off the cliff."
Oh- that's why we look this horrible.
"And-"
"Stop, that's enough," I cut him off. "I remember most of it." I looked around where we were, it was a cave, it's damp walls reflected the meager light from a small fire pit I believe he'd somehow managed to create. "Where is this place?"
He groaned as he attempted to stand up, pushing off the wall. I noticed how blood had trailed down from his ribs, soaking a dark patch on his trouser, but I looked away, a strange discomfort settling in my gut.
"I have no idea," he says. "But I believe we might be a bit far from the palace,"
"Oh. Okay."
He then groaned again, catching me off guard, a sound of geninue agony which was followed by a sickening thud as he fell to the floor, gasping. Immediately, I rushed to him, momentarily forgetting about the pain in my own leg.
"Cyrus? Are you okay? What should I-"
He cut me off by holding my hand firmly. His skin was rough and calloused, but his grip was surprisingly gentle. "Just stop babbling, okay?"
"You're rude," I retorted, trying to hold back a snicker.
He chuckled softly, a mirthless sound that shook his frame. "I know. Help me sit up."
I bit my lip and nodded. Placing my hand under his uninjured arm, I carefully helped him leverage himself back against the cave's wall. He leaned against it, his breathing shallow.
"You're badly injured," I stated, examining the dark spreading stain on his body.
"It's nothing," he said, the lie evident in the tremor of his voice. For a monent I felt like slapping him.
"It's nothing? You're going to bleed to death and-" I stopped when our eyes met. His gray orbs were surprisingly vulnerable in the dim light. I felt a sudden inexplicable rush of anger and something else, something I didn't want to name.
"Oh, why do I even care?" I mumbled, pulling away and sitting opposite him, across the small fire. The flickering light danced across his hard features, casting his expressions in shifting shadows.
He stayed silent, merely staring at the ground, his chest heaving slightly. My eyes, however, kept trailing back to his injuries. My God, this man was an idiot. I hissed and moved closer towards him again, I reached out to touch his ribs bit he flinched, pulling back slightly.
"Stay," I ordered.
"You don't have to-"
"It's a royal order," I said, looking up into his eyes, forcing him to meet my gaze. "Stay still. You saved me, so I'll return the favor." It felt like a flimsy excuse even to me, but it was enough to make him pause.
He said nothing, just let out a heavy defeated sigh. "However, you have no idea on what to do."
"Then show me. What do we need?"
"Alright," he hissed as he sat upright. "I'll tell you." He described some herbs, a specific fern with broad, serrated leaves and a small bitter smelling root. Apparently, he'd already had some supplies and bandages which he had carried along from treating that injured dog, the tools were packed in a small satchel. I found the herbs deeper in the cave, mashed them roughly between two stones as he instructed. I gently attended to his injuries. The arrow wound on his ribs was deep, but thankfully, not through and through, I cleaned it as best I could with what little water we had and applied the poultice, bandaging it tightly. He remained silent throughout, only grunting occasionally.
After I was done, I went out and washed my hands at a small secluded inlet, the cold seawater a welcome shock against my skin. I sighed, the scent of smoke still clinging to my clothes, and sat on the soft damp grass by the water's edge. The moon casted a ghostly glow on the waves.
I startled when I heard a soft rustle, but relaxed when Cyrus moving slowly with obvious pain, sat down next to me, a little distance away.
"You should be resting," I said, a faint irritation in my voice.
"I can't rest when you're out in the open," he replied, his gaze sweeping over me.
"I'm fine, Cyrus-"
"That's not the matter," he cut me off, turning his head to face me fully. His eyes, even in the dim light, held an intense gravity. "Your safety is more important than anything," he said, not breaking eye contact.
I scoffed. "Because I'm Prince Zade's future wife?"
He said nothing, his gaze drifted to the ground.
"Figured," I said, bitterness coating my tongue. "It's all I'd ever be. Just a figure that needs to be protected.
"That's not-"
"I don't need your pity, Cyrus. I don't."
"I don't pity you,"
I turned to face him fully, my chest heaving. "Then what?"
"I-" he started, then looked down again, shaking his head slowly, a muscle ticking in his jaw. When he finally looked up, his face hardened, the brief flicker of vulnerability gone. "Forget it."
His dismissal hit me like a physical blow. I felt the familiar walls of frustration and resignation crash down on me. With a quiet huff of anger, I stood up, the wey grass clinging to my torn gown. "I'll be going back to the cave. Don't follow me."
"And why, if I may ask?" His voice was low, laced with an infuriating calm he always seemed to possess even despite the fact he was in pain. He looked like hell, but somehow, still managed to look annoyingly beautiful.
"Because I'd kill you sooner than those injuries will," I spat. I'm so pissed I don't want to see your face,"
He arched a brow, a flicker of amusement crossing his features. "But you're staring at me right now."
My hands balled to fists by my side. "Bastard." I spat and began to walk away. As soon as I got to the cave, I sank to the ground, pulling my knees close to my chest. The tears came, silent at first, then wracking sobs that shook my entire body.
My kingdom was burning.
My parents and Zade was probably worried sick.
I don't even know if Elina made it out safely with anyone.
And I was stuck in a damp cave with a man whose loyalties were as clear as mud.
I sniffled as I wiped my tears, as I looked down at my feet, I noticed something glinting on the rough stone floor a few feet away. It was small and metallic, filtering through the cave entrance.
Curiosity got the best of me so I pushed myself up and moved closer towards the object.
A gasp escaped my lips as I picked it up. It was a pendant. Small and intricately carved. The symbol was a stylized serpent coiling around a sun- the royal crest of Valerius's kingdom. My breath hitched as I held it closer.
This wasn't just any piece of jewelry. It was undeniably regal. Valerius himself had worn a similar, larger one.
Before I could process what was happening, a shadow fell over me, I looked up to see Cyrus staring daggers down at me. He snatched the pendant from the ground, his fingers closing around it possessively.
"Must you touch everything you see?" He barked, the sharpness of his voice taking me by surprise.
"I-" I began to stutter but suddenly my own anger flared. "Where did you get that? I've seen it before, what's it doing with you?"
"Mind your own business!" he spat as he walked past me but I grabbed his arm.
"Only the Royal family members of Valerius kingdom has that," I said through gritted teeth. "So why do you have that?!"
"It's nothing," he muttered. "You're mistaken. It's just a regular pendant,"
"It's not! Tell me the truth!"
He sucked in a deep breath, his chest visibly rising as if steeling himself, he snatched his arm free then stared directly into my eyes. "It was given to me by someone from there. Happy now?"
"You're lying," I scowled. "Who are you?"
His lips parted but no words came out, instead, he pressed his lips into a thin line and walked out of the cave. "The less you know. The better for you." With that, he left, leaving me confused.