40
It was only a few minutes later when they reached the lights of the town and Delilah waited until the cart was settled comfortably in front of an inn. The cart driver winked at them as he jumped off too cajole his sullen donkey with a carrot and Delilah feeling more uncomfortable in her entire life tried to wake the Prince up.
"Prince," She whispered, "Prince," But Damian was as responsive as a stone trapped in mud. Delilah unfurled her fingers and prodded his shoulder. He grunted and huffed something unintelligently.
"Wake up, Damian," She grumbled and miraculously the man opened his eyes. He looked up and smiled at her with glazed eyes before fully recovering his senses and jumping up as if someone had placed a piece of coal down his shirt.
"I apologize, I had not slept a wink these two days," Damian blinked in short bursts.
"But that's so unhealthy. You say you rode all the way here in three hours. What if you had fallen-" Delilah could have gone on and on about the hazards of riding along cliff faces but Damian placed a hand on mouth. His grinned lazily watching her eyes promise him pure pain.
"You of all the people should know why I had to take the risk," His words silenced her in a way his hands could not.
The stillness of the moment was broken by the inn keeper who ushered them into the double story inn. They were ushered inside into the empty parlour with promises of hardy meals and warm tea. A draught excluder blocked her view but Delilah could still see a line of people, probably inn employees, crowding outside their doors eager to a catch a glimpse of the rescued people. Damian gently laid out Cecilia on the worn sofa while Delilah crouched down, so she could examine her cousin more thoroughly.
"She does not seem injured but it would be prudent if someone with more expertise takes a look," She said with a troubled expression and the Prince immediately announced he would ask the inn keeper. No sooner had the words been said that the inn keeper guided the doctor into the room and he soon was put to work.
The medical practitioner clapped his hands with exhilaration after the examination, "Never had so much excitement in our town."
"How is the carriage driver?" Delilah asked patiently, glad Damian was not with her, sprouting forth his unwanted opinions about the small town in front of the town citizens.
"He is asleep with a belly full of food. Perfectly ordinary sprain," The man continued to clap his hands after random intervals. Damian in actual fact had not just encountered the unconscious John but the Driver as well when he had first arrived near the town. John had been the less injured one so he had managed to use the Prince's horse to take the driver into town to find reinforcements and medical help, "You cousin's injuries are actually less physical. I have surmised she is not even concussed. Whoever had the foresight to have her bandaged did well. The constant drowsiness seems to be the after affects of Laudanum which will hopefully wear off soon. "
"Thank you very much," Delilah breathed easily at the good news. She turned around to find Damian shaking hands with the Inn keeper.
"We have an inn room available but it is only just the one. We will have to share," He informed her with a shrug as if it were not of great import.
"Of course, it shouldn't be too much trouble for young married fellows like you. And like we say the wife's sister is ones sister," The Inn Keeper's wife laughed jovially.
"But, we are not-" Delilah vainly tried to protest.
"We shall take the room," Damian seized the key smugly and placed his arm around her shoulder. Before she could say anything else he led her through the narrow wood enclosed corridor in which apparently their room lay.
"I am not abandoning you tonight. If his men are to retaliate I will be by your side at all times," He murmured quietly enough so that the Inn Keeper's wife could not hear.
"Sire," Delilah tried to speak again but his raised eyebrow silenced her.
"Ssh, the townsfolk do not seem to know who I am. I think it would be best if we keep it that way," The Prince warned while maintaining a large grin on his face and Delilah knew it was not even part of their act.
"You are completely abominable," She sighed while he retorted with a, "I know."
They entered the fourth door on the right that like all other rooms overlooked the courtyard and she was made to wait in the room with the inn keeper's talkative wife while Damian brought her cousin back to them.
"Try to think of propriety sometimes," Delilah grumbled with narrowed eyes as Damian was waving off the Inn Keeper's wife with too much glee.
"Stop sounding like my mother," Damian said before locking the door behind him.
"She is a very sensible woman. I would suggest you listen to her some time."
"Oh, believe me, I know," He replied solemnly. She did not need the divination to know what he was talking about and instead bit her lip uncomfortably while the Prince walked up to the small, log fireplace .
"I-I-" She stammered but the words were weighed down like heavy marble.
"You broke my heart. And don't you dare apologize," He threatened, not looking at her with his fists clenched on each side.
"You know I am sorry," She couldn't contain her words that made him scowl.
"Of course you are," He slammed his fist on the wall making her jump, "It just angers me to hear that I am only deserving of your ire."
"You heard what I said to your cousin about you. Your claims are hardly just."
"Yes, I am extremely honoured;" Red tinged his cheekbones visibly even in the yellow, dim light, "but I do not want just your esteem."
"I have not- not thought about you in the way..." Delilah fidgeted with her sleeve as she felt his unsure gaze upon her asking for things she could not give.
His eyes snapped up ferociously losing all their previous hesitation, "How odd you talk about thoughts when I ask you about feelings."
"How could I feel when it hurt to even be in your presence... You broke my heart as well," Delilah forced the words out of her mouth expressing only a fraction of the emotions she had guarded under lock and key for so many years.
Damian shook with frantic energy and Delilah placed a hand on his shoulder hoping to calm him down. Extraordinarily enough he did manage to lose some of the tension in his body.
"So will our past taint every single time we meet," He whispered leaning so close she could feel his words caress the side of her face.
"Will we even meet again?" Delilah smiled dryly, "I am hardly the kind of person who traverses the kingdom on a daily basis."
"That is an important question but there is another one that has precedence," The Prince bit his lip, "Do you even want to meet the man who ruined your life?"
"I do not want to meet that man," Delilah answered without hesitation even when her companion's eyes shone with barely concealed pain, "but I do want to meet my friend again."
"Ah, so the Lady is swayed by my impeccable taste and immense charm. I am like the sugary condiment most women gravitate towards," They pretended his tone was his usual easy arrogance rather than the shaky and forced poor imitation.
"Does that mean you are dessert?" Delilah titled her head with a fond smile on her face knowing she would miss him when they parted.
"You never know though I'd like to believe I am quite saucy," Damian winked pushing himself away from the wall and watched her walk away to her cousin who was under the covers on the single bed.
"Now, we need to sleep," Delilah decided as she tucked the covered around Cecilia who had only woken up twice before falling asleep again, "I shall take the sofa."
"You really must think me a brute. You think I would let you sleep on that unsightly thing," Damian shuddered at the odious pattern.
"You are one who needs sleep," Delilah griped as he escorted her to the other bed.
"Hush, now, say no more or I shall sleep on the floor."
Delilah sat down on the bed not sure what to do. While sharing a room with a stranger would have made it awkward for her she would have managed but this particular person was neither a stranger and nor female.
The Prince busied himself by examining his appearance in the small, age damaged mirror. He was busy ruffling his hair when their eyes met in the mirror and he understood her hesitation.
"I will leave," He clutched his overcoat in his hand.
"You do not need to," Delilah spoke adamantly.
"Just- Just sleep. Do not concern yourself. I shan't let either of our precious sleep be lost."
"No, I forbid it," She commanded as if she would her younger cousins. The Prince was clearly startled to see that particular side of her, "We have both lost sleep over the past few days and it is ridiculous that you should wander about looking for a corner to snooze into. I doubt you shall be comfortable taking up lodgings in John's room."
"If the Lady permits then I will nap in the same room," The man let go of outer garment as if daring her to complain.
"You may do so gladly," Delilah replied haughtily accepting the challenge, "Besides if we are to keep the facade of husband and wife then you cannot sleep elsewhere."
The Prince nodded and sat on the sofa to take off his shoes and loosen his buttons. The girl looked away to give him some privacy while giving herself an illusion of it for herself. She propped her pillow in a standing position and hastily got under the covers. She could sense the man fiddling with the extra blankets they had been given but dared not look up. The light from the lantern dimmed and she finally allowed the tension in her body to ease. She heard the man settling down on the creaky sofa but even if she turned towards him she knew she would see nothing.
____________________________________________
It must have been barely dawn when the cold woke Damian up from his uncomfortable position. Even his hunting tent had more luxurious accommodations then the one he was currently in. There was gentle light streaming in from the windows and the sounds of people conversing in the courtyard jolted him awake. It was quite ridiculous of him to be resting when there was still danger afoot. For all he knew the men in the courtyard could be enemy spies descending down on the town to take their revenge. A quick look through the window proved it was just the milkman and his apprentice.
His eyes instinctively reached Delilah who was slumbering in a possibly even more awkward position then he had been. Sleeping half sitting and half lying down did not seem healthy for the neck. He gently lowered her along with her pillow and carefully placed a cold hand on face to pull away errant hair. Her face was calmer then he had ever seen and he felt a complete fool to not realize the perpetual turbulence on her face was his fault. He was the reason there was sadness behind her eyes. He laid his other hand on her face and wished that he had the right to do so out in the open and not hidden away from view like his affections were a dirty secret.
Damian caressed her pale skin under his thumb, not in the mood to let go but he knew dawn was upon them and there was work that needed to be done. He lowered his face closer to hers and, before he could over think the situation, pressed his lips to her forehead. For all he knew this was the last time he would be allowed to lay eyes upon her.
There was a shuffling sound from across the room. He remembered they were not alone and quickly detangled himself from the slumbering lady.
"You're leaving, then," Cecilia remarked from her bed with a sleep scratched voice and her red hair standing like a hedgehog. She did not comment on the scene she had just witnessed.
"I must. There is much work to be done. Are you well?"
"My head's still ringing but I'm not drowsy anymore," She replied cheerfully though her voice was low and hoarse, "Your Royal highness."
"I am glad and you need not- need not call me by those- those titles. I am your friend and all my friends call me by my name, especially those who have saved my life."
"Saved your life? Oh, but I was just lying there. You were the one-"
"I might have been overpowered or stabbed and if it were not for your interference... who knows what would have happened."
"I did not know the high and mighty Prince would grow so gracious when he was in looove," Cecilia taunted before she realized what she had said. His expression closed down the instant she spoke those words and he gave a stiff smile and started to look for his shoes.
"She likes you, you know."
Damian paused but never replied and continued dressing up until he was ready to face the world.
