A King's Tale

Vulnerable

Henry’s throat felt dry. He was having a hard time swallowing. For the first time, he felt that he was having a hard time breathing, which was impossible for him. He was after all an immortal.

Aurora’s face was moving closer and closer to his. He felt the need to close his eyes. It was rude to stare. When she was just a few inches away from his lips, she moved her head to the side and retched, spilling cheese and wine all over the bedsheet.

Henry went from having a hard time breathing to not wanting to breathe. Aurora threw up when he thought she was about to kiss her.

To make things worse, her head fell on his shoulder, limp. Maybe she even fainted or fell asleep because of the alcohol.

With Silverio down with the fever, there was no one available to change her sheets. Henry didn’t want to bother the rest of the household.

Instead, he decided to carry Aurora to his room. She can sleep there. She was light as a feather. Or maybe he is an immortal made everything light. Somehow he felt stronger than everybody else. He was unsure. He never got the chance to test his assumptions. And he was not interested in testing it after all. A powerful man like him doesn’t need extra human strength to make things happen. It would be too much of a disadvantage for others if he was an immortal with superhuman strength too.

He gently lay Aurora on his bed. She was starting to perspire. To his surprise, she still smelled good, despite the alcohol being released in her body. He gently removed her shoes so she’ll be more comfortable in bed.

It was a humid night so she was perspiring a lot. Henry had no choice but to remove her dress. And since he was in the mood to help, he took a basin of water and a clean cloth and rubbed it on Aurora’s neck, arms, and legs.

She turned to her side afterward and was snoring softly. Henry removed his vest. He sat beside Aurora who was sound asleep. He took a pen and a bound notebook from his bedside table. It was his journal.

He began writing.

December 20, 1560

It is a rather humid night a few days before Christmas.

I thought of her, of Bianca. After several decades, the memory of her falling from the cliff is still fresh in my mind.

She was looking at me as she fell. But instead of the loving eyes that she used to give me, instead of her captivating smile, she looked at me with terror. Bianca was terrified of the monster that she thought I had become. She looks at him the way she looked at a criminal, someone that disgusts her.

I tried to reach for her but failed. I was dishonest. I kept the truth from her for too long. I wasn’t even ready to reveal my secret. Maybe it was faith that led her to know that truth. A truth that she was unable to comprehend. A truth that cost Biance her life.

Every day, as I jump towards the North Sea, I have somehow forgotten about her, somehow buried her behind my memory. But today, I thought of her. I thought of her as I shared the view from my window with Aurora. I thought of Bianca as I adored the view of the horizon where Dunnottar Castle meets the North Sea. I thought of her and the day that she died. The day that she died because of my monstrosity.

Henry looked at Aurora. She had turned again and was not facing him, still, sound asleep. He continued writing.

How about her? Why do I suddenly feel breathless because of someone that I just met? Who is she running from? Will she stay or will she leave, just like everybody else?

Will she be able to accept me for my secret knowing that she has secrets of his own?

How can she be so captivating, yet mysteriously intriguing at the same time?

I feel that I will end up regretting my decision to take her into my wing, but where else can she go? Will I survive the guilt of letting her go knowing that she can be safe here in my arms? But does she want to?

Henry closed his journal. He looked at Aurora. She has been here for almost a week and yet he knew little about this woman. All she had was a name, and a plan to leave. And she once rode horses. She talked and walked like a royal but she was unfamiliar to him.

Henry can remember every face of every royal he had met. Even the names of their children. He was a known and powerful person in Scotland, even in the whole of Europe. But somehow, he doesn’t recognize Aurora, even her name from all the royals that he met in his lifetime.

Maybe she was not a royal. Maybe Aurora was just a simple girl with refined taste.

Somehow, Henry didn’t care. Whatever her past maybe, he was certain that it was not as horrible as his past. His long and tiring past. But why does he suddenly feel alive with Aurora by his side?

He hid his journal back where he kept it and slid on the bed so he was laying on his back. He looked at the ceiling, the intricate drawing that decorated it.

It has been two centuries since he became an immortal. It was his fifth time to be the King in this castle. He had somehow memorized every line and every color that the rooms in the castle have. Everything was too familiar for him.

Maybe it was the reason why he felt amused with Aurora. She was one of the things in his life that were unfamiliar to him. Maybe that is the reason why he suddenly feels alive, instead of simply being alive.

He turned to face Aurora so he could watch her sleeping.

His eyes began to flutter as the dead of the night began to consume him.

The rain was still pouring when Aurora woke up. However, even with the rain pouring and the cold breeze on her cheeks, her body felt warm. It was enclosed in a soft blanket, and something more, something that kept her from opening her eyes. It felt safe and warm for her.

Aurora was still half asleep to realize that she was sharing the warm blanket with Henry who fell asleep by her side. She was lying on his right shoulders while Henry’s left hand embraced her, keeping her warm throughout the cold morning.

Henry was still in deep sleep. Aurora’s constant turning and tossing kept him awake most of the night. The only thing that stopped her from moving around was when she unconsciously moved to lean on Henry’s chest. When he embraced her, it stopped her from moving the whole night.

Then the rain started to pour. The cold early morning became freezing. Henry had to use the fingers of his feet so he could pull the blanket to cover them. It was not easy but he immediately fell asleep the moment his body felt the warmth of the blanket, together with Aurora’s warm and slender body.

Aurora suddenly realized that the blanket was not the only thing that was keeping her warm. It was Henry’s embrace that kept her from feeling cold.

She slowly lifted her face so she could take a peak at Henry. His eyes were closed. He looked like he was still sleeping.

Aurora looked around. She was inside Henry’s room. How did she end up here?

She tried to recall what happened yesterday. Aurora realized that she had too much wine and cheese. Why in the first place did Silverio serve her that? She then remembered Henry knocking on her door. She never did ask him what he needed.

Maybe that wine and cheese were meant for him, not her. She remembered Silverio saying that Henry was also reading in his room when he brought him food. Maybe Silverio mixed up their food.

But she should have known better. She shouldn't have drunk too much. Aurora was clearly aware that she was a light drinker. She rarely drinks at all. And yet she had too much.

Henry was still sleeping when Aurora looked at him again.

But how did she end up here when it was Henry who knocked on her bedroom door.

She would have shaken her head by now but her right arm was at Henry’s waist. His hand over it. She tried to remember.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus. She almost let out a gasp when she realized what she did last night. She offered Henry some wine and cheese. He was patient with her, a gentleman.

But she was not lady-like to him last night.

He was sitting on the edge of her bed when she approached him. She sat on his lap and offered him some of her wine and cheese. He took a bite and a sip.

Henry was telling him something but she was unable to comprehend. She was focused on his lips. Those red luscious lips. She looked into Henry’s eyes. It was light green. It looked perfect with his red hair.

Everything about King Henry was perfect.

She was about to kiss him. Aurora was so close to losing her first kiss last night. But instead of kissing him, she remembered something with a bitter taste in her throat. She had to get rid of it. Instead of kissing King Henry, she ended up throwing up on her bed.

Good Lord what could have happened if she threw up in the King’s face. She could only imagine all the possible punishments that she would receive. Or worse, she could have been kicked out of the castle.

Aurora tried to remember what happened after that but she failed to do so. Maybe she fell asleep.

It was embarrassing. Her cheeks turned red with the absurdity of what happened last night.

But that doesn’t answer her question. Why did she end up here in Henry’s room, in Henry’s bed, wrapped in his arms?

She suddenly felt vulnerable. She started to panic. She realized that she was just wearing a camisole underneath the blanket.

Did something happen to them last night? Aurora tried to feel her body. She felt nothing different except for the weight of Henry’s arms on her waist. Aurora started to calm down. She was foolish to think that something happened last night between her and Henry.

Maybe Henry brought her to his room because he was worried for her. It would be rude if Henry would sleep in his room. And she remembered vomiting on the bed. Maybe that was the reason.

Or maybe she should ask Henry instead. Henry could give the details that she missed out on last night because of the wine.

She heard her stomach grumble. She realized that she was hungry. Maybe she was. It looks like she didn’t have dinner last night.

Aurora looked at Henry. Did he miss dinner too?

Henry pulled her closer, unconscious. Her face moved closer to his.

Aurora stared at Henry. How can he be so cold and warm at the same time? How could he possibly go from being caring to nonchalant?

She has a lot of things to learn about her savior. Yes, Henry was her savior. If not for him, who knew what could have happened to her by now?

Henry was starting to wake up. His stomach was starting to churn. He didn’t have dinner last night. Instead of dinner, he had to take care of Aurora who just happened to feast on a bottle of wine, alone in her room. Who knew what could have happened to her last night if he didn’t check up on her.

He realized that Aurora’s head was on his shoulders and that the two of them were locked in an embrace. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body. Is she awake?

Henry opened her eyes, surprised to see Aurora looking at him.

She bit her lower lip as if she was caught doing something that she shouldn’t. But she looked at him straight in the eye and said, “Good morning?” It sounded like a question rather than a greeting.

“Good morning.” He pulled her tighter in an embrace as he felt the cold breeze of the morning.

“Uhm, Henry?” Aurora didn’t know what to say.

“Shhh...It’s cold and early. Let’s sleep some more.” He grunted.

Aurora froze in his embrace, afraid to make a move. She stayed like that for a few more minutes, allowing Henry to extend his sleep.

Then she heard a knock on Henry’s bedroom door.