Chapter 200 TEIGEN XXIV
Elara's cousin runs up to Ryker, guiding him away from the growing crowd of people as they began to swarm the two. Ryker held Elara tightly in his arms, carrying her over to a spot on the grass and laying her down. Elara's cousin brings over his blazer, holding onto it as she tried to create some space between the crowd.
"Please, please make some room! Give them some space!" She pushes the crowd back, watching with worry. Sir Sawyer emerged from the crowd, pushing Elara's cousin aside and walking up to where Ryker knelt beside Elara's unconscious form.
"Hands off my lady. I will take it from here" he declares, glaring down at Ryker. Ryker ignored Sawyer, turning towards Elara's pale body. He propped her chin up, his hands shaking as they made their way to the buttons on her dress.
Elara's cousin steps in, kneeling beside Ryker "Allow me",she unfastens two of Elara's buttons, leaving some skin to peak through.
The sight of this enraged Sawyer the more. All eyes we're on Ryker, sympathy and pity for Elara. This was not what was supposed to happen. She was to be humiliated, not helped or sympathized with.
"How dare you touch my lady in such an inappropriate manner!?" Sawyer grabbed onto Ryker's arm, pulling him away from Elara. The two men stand face to face, water trickling down Ryker's face that was now contorted into an angry snare.
Sawyer growled at him, giving him a menacing look that would have made Ryker back off but this time Elara's character and his were in question.
"Stop it!" Elara's cousin scolds, coming between the two angry males.
She faces Sawyer, "Let him help my cousin. Leave him be for if any harm befalls her because of your ego then you will be to blame"
Sawyer's eyes drift down to her, her face inches from his. The defiant and unyielding look in her eyes makes him step back realising how bad he must look in the eyes of the public. He blinks his anger away, tucking it away for later. Not here, not now. Ryker fell back to his knees, folding one hand on the other he begins to press against her chest, pumping vigorously and then without second thought he sucks air into his cheeks, lowers his head to Elara's and places his lips against hers. Gasps erupt in the crowd and Sawyer feels his blood boil with disdain.
Ryker forces air into her lungs, repeating the process all over again for a while. Pumping, blowing, pumping blowing till Elara sits up, coughing out water from her lungs. Clapping and cheers could be heard from the crowd as they happily commended Ryker for his bravery, skills and saving Elara.
"My lady, are you okay?" Ryker asks, running his hand along the curve of her back. Elara coughed some more, her laboured breathing like music to his ears. He feared he had lost her, he sighs in relief.
Elara blinks, disoriented,
"Am I alive?"
"Yes. All is well" Ryker smiles comfortingly down at her. A shiver runs through her form, a sneeze squeezing its way out of her nose. Eunice hands over his blazer and he draped it over her form, picking her up into his arms and walking away with Eunice in toll.
Elara snuggles closer to Ryker's chest, the heat from his body calming her cold. She noticed his wet tunic and frowned before realisation struck, "Y-you saved me"She gazed up into his eyes, care and something much more shone in them.
"Always" As his eyes met hers a thousand words swam through them but not a single sound was heard. A heart beat passed. Two. Three.
He could have elaborated, added more words to explain more but he didn't. He left it at that. That one word had such depth to it, the meaning so heavy Elara could not decipher it. She let her eyes close, resting against his chest as they neared the carriage. Sawyer watched from the crowd as they retreated.
A bitter taste filled his mouth as he thought, why did he hesitate to kiss her? It was to help her after all, but the way he seemed so passionate to save her meant something entirely apart. Whatever it was, whatever was going on between them Sawyer was suspicious it was something more than a body guard being a protector. His emotions were all over the place, his feelings were as clear as day, care and concern masked his features so visibly.
This I needed to confirm. I will not have my bride be involved in such that is beneath her standing. She belongs to me, the Lord Marquese.
~
ELARA
"Staying trapped in my room all day will not make me recover faster, Augustine"
"But my lady, the doctor said you should rest your body. You exerted yourself too much, you even passed out" Augustine reminded me as if I wasn't there myself.
I giggled, "yes, I know. I don't know if I remember correctly but I was there"
Augustine scowled, "This is not the time to jest my lady. Please I would suggest-"
"Augustine! It has been four days already" I wave her off, turning towards the opposite direction and laying back on the dress.
I watch the clouds shift, floating lazily amongst the blue firmaments. The birds sing above head, the leaves rustle with the wind, the buzz of the bees as they dance from flower to flower, the feeling of the cool midday breeze against my cheek, pollen particles drifting into my nostrils as I inhale a deep breath.
"You should have at least waited a week before you were out and about again my lady. This is simply not right, why insist on laying on the dirt this way? You should be on your comfortable bedding resting in the shade not under this sunlight"
I ignored Augustine and let my eyes shut gradually, feeling everything from the grass beneath my fingertips to the dirt under my bare feet. Something that Augustine almost bit my ear off for. I just needed sometime to reconnect with my space, the place I felt the most comfort.