Chapter Fourteen
1189 Words
Chapter Fourteen
I was carted off to the infirmary, as I was told it was called, and treated like royalty. I learned the nurse’s name was Mavis, and she dressed my wound, all the while telling me I would be alright. I was given tea and biscuits when I shyly mentioned I was hungry, and they checked on me quite often to make sure I was alright. Olivia stayed by my side for most of it, obviously feeling guilty about how she treated me, but deep down, her words were true. I could’ve protected her from more pain had she stayed with me. I shouldn’t have trusted Bennet so easily. He was in on it with Martha.
“Martha!” I exclaimed, sitting up in bed.
Mavis ran over to me, “What about the Princess, Amara?”
“She let the Duke hurt Olivia,” I said, and the nurse shook her head.
“Oh, no, not Princess Martha. She was trying to protect Olivia,” she tried to explain, and I realized I was fighting a losing battle. Olivia and I were the only ones who knew, and even though the Duke was gone, it would be my word against the Princess’. The odds weren’t good.
The Duchess was finally able to pull Olivia away from me, when I was the one who told Olivia she needed to sleep. The sun had dipped low in the sky, when I was finally left alone in the infirmary. Other than the Guardians posted outside, it was silent for the first time all day. My arm felt heavy from the gauze and the salve, but otherwise, I felt good. Until the door creaked open and Bennet walked in.
“Hello, Amara,” he said, not fully coming into the room. I huffed in return, but couldn’t look away from his worried face. “How are you?”
“Fine,” I answered shortly, but my stern resolve was crumbling. “How are you?”
“Fine,” he repeated back to me. He nearly collapsed on the chair Olivia had drug next to my bed, and he grabbed my hand. “Amara, I am so sorry.”
“You’re saying sorry to me?” I scoffed trying to pull my hand from his tight grasp. “What about to Olivia who you put in danger because of your uncle and your sister!”
He hung his head, “I already apologized to Olivia, that’s why it took me so long to get here. She didn’t exactly forgive me, as she shouldn’t, but things were less tense. She told me to come see you.”
I succeeded in pulling my hand from his grasp and I stood from the bed, pacing back and forth on the opposite side. “In a way, I should be thankful because the Duke has been captured. But your sister had a part to play in this too, and she isn’t being held responsible.”
“I don’t know of much I can do,” Bennet sighed, rubbing his temples. “But, Amara, please. I didn’t know.” He stood up and rounded the bed, walking towards me. I backed up until I was against the wall and he stood so close. “Do you believe me?”
“Yes,” I breathed out, my heartbeat increasing as the distance between us closed. He lifted a hand to caress my cheek and I shuttered at his touch.
“You feel it too, don’t you?” Bennet whispered, his breath fanning my face. “I wasn’t sure how I felt about you until I saw you bleeding, your face ashen as you grasped your arm.” He placed his other hand on my waist, which was when I became self-conscious about my appearance. “I was so terrified of losing you, I didn’t know what to do.”
“What are you going to do now?” I whispered back, tilting my head to look better into his eyes.
He didn’t answer, but quickly moved his head downward to place his lips on mine. My eyes widened in shock, before I closed them, savoring the feel of his lips against mine. In that moment I felt warm, safe, and—loved. He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine as we both let out short breaths.
“I don’t want to lose you, ever,” Bennet said, kissing me lightly. The realization of it all set in and I pushed Bennet away, before pacing again.
“I-I can’t do this,” I said, tears creeping into my eyes. “I’m a nobody, Bennet! A street-beggar, an alley-cat.” I stopped, and sucked in a breath. “The alley-cats, Bennet. They’re still in the dungeons!”
He paused, looking like he wanted to say something else, but instead his face hardened and he said, “What do I need to do?”
“Get them out, please,” I pleaded and Bennet nodded briefly, before turning heel and walking out the infirmary doors. I heard him inform a Guardian to get him his father, before the door slammed behind him.
I once again was left alone in the infirmary, the sun disappeared as the moon remerged, basking me in its glow. I couldn’t believe Bennet had kissed me, and I couldn’t believe I had responded.
“He’s a prince, Amara,” I chastised myself. “You are not worthy for a prince.”
“No, you are not,” Martha’s voice came from the shadows and she stalked towards me. I wiped my teary eyes and regarded her with a glare.
“Why are you here?” I scowled.
She stopped in front of me and I didn’t see the flash of the knife in the moonlight until it was too late, “To finish what the Duke started.” She dug it into my stomach and I clenched the handle in pain, before falling to the floor in front of her.
“Why?” I managed to croak out.
She stared at me in disgust, “Because I was forced into a marriage that I didn’t want! Bennet got to live the free life and I wanted that!”
“Thought…you…loved him…”
“Of course not!” she spat. “I got a taste of the life Bennet had, until Mummy and Daddy told me it was time to marry. But they let Bennet do whatever he wants!” She stepped closer, pushing the knife in deeper with her foot. “Now I taking away the only thing he loves, so he can feel what it’s like to be disappointed!”
“Loves?” was all I was able to say before the room grew dark.
- Writer
