Disclaimer: again, not one of the characters belongs to me… unforunately

A/N:So, second chapter… a bit short… please read and review!!!

He carried her back into the room she had moved in the day before and placed her on the bed.

She was unusual pale again but her cheeks were glowing in contrast. Carefully he placed a

large hand on her cheek, then her forehead and winced at the heat. She obviously had fever,

and not just a light one.

 He went outside and stopped a servant hurrying by.

"Get my mother, quick!", he ordered.

"But I…"

"No! Whatever that is can wait! Get her! It´s urgent!"

His voice made clear it would be better not to protest, so the man went off quickly.

Returning to his betrothed he saw her throwing her head from side to side, shivering again. He

took the blankets and wrapped them around her, then sat beside her and stroke her already

sweaty hair. He looked up, when his mother entered.

 "What happened? The poor guy was halfway scared to death. You were obviously not very

nice.", she inquired.

"Was necessary!"

He thought of the fussy man, nearly a head shorter than George himself.

"There was need to hurry! Look at her!!"

He pointed at Alanna. Eleni frowned and stepped forward to have a closer look.

"Fever? Not good – has her back become inflamed?"

She folded back the covers and ordered George to turn her around. When he pulled back her

nightgown and the bandages, the sight they had was not encouraging. The wounds had opened

slightly again, were swollen and burned fiery red. George sat down rubbing his face with his

hands. Eleni opened her healer bag and took out herbal ointment and cleaning lotion.

Alanna awoke feeling weak, her back was pounding fiercely. She groaned and tried to ignore

the pain as she lifted her head, just to sink back into her pillow, exhausted.

"Don´t move", George´s voice was soft as he leaned towards her.

The longer she was awake the worse she felt. Shadow grew in her head and she was about to

faint again.

"George?"

Cool hands took her own.

"I´m here, lass"

"What…happened?"

Her voice was hardly audible. She had never felt that terrible in her life. Her back pounded

not less firece as before, she couldn´t afford to move even the tiniest bit, even opening her

eyes seemed to be more than what she was able to do at the moment. She was still feeling

cold but her gown was sweat soaked. Her skin seemed to be oversensitive, everything

touching her was disturbing.

"Ye fainted again. Yer back´s inflamed and the fever´s still risin´ but…"

"Am I…will I…"

"No! No, Sweet, no! ´course ye´re not dying, no!"

She hardly forced her eyes open, met his hazel-green ones with her own purple ones.

"I love you"

She heard her own voice still whispering in her head when darkness crept from the corners of

her mind and smoothed and covered everything around her and took her along.