Hey Everyone! Wow, it's been what? About 5 months since I've updated? I
am sooooo sorry. I know, it was really mean of me to suddenly stop at a
cliffhanger. I actually have a lot of this story planned out, but me being
me, in other words, lazy, just couldn't face the task of typing it all up.
But, you have no idea how gratified I am, that so many of you have
continued to review my story. Thanks soooo much. I'm pretty sure that I'm
actually going to take this story somewhere this time, without succumbing
to my laziness, so you'll have stuff to read this summer. Thanks to all my
readers again! Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Awakening
I slowly groaned as I reluctantly opened my eyes against the bright glare of sunlight. I realized that I was in a very soft and comfortable bed across from an open window in a room that looked oddly familiar. I groaned again as I realized that this was one of the guestrooms in Tlanth. Everything that had previously happened came flooding back to me. I gasped and tried to sit up, only to be stopped by a searing pain at my side.
"So you've awakened?" drawled a very familiar voice near my ear. I realized I wasn't alone in the room. I turned my head to see a very tired, but amused Vidanric sitting in a chair next to my bed. "You've been asleep for nearly two days."
"Danric! What happened? Did we win? Are Bran and Nee all right? Why are you here?" I asked impatiently.
"Take it easy," laughed Vidanric. "Life, Mel, you almost scared me to death when I heard that you were at the frontlines, or should I say back lines fighting."
"Tell me what happened!" I said, desperate to know everything that had happened during my lapse of consciousness.
"Alright. Well, from what I heard from Bran and Nessaren, the Denlieff warriors were pulling ahead steadily. Nessaren has been constantly reporting everything to me using messenger pigeons. When I heard that we were falling back, I immediately used my summon stones to call several ridings stationed west of here. I immediately rode as fast as I could here. I met up with the ridings about the same time you were stabbed, according to the soldier, I think Geval, who saved your life and dragged you back to the castle. Anyways, with the extra ridings, we managed to surround and capture most of the bandits. A few of them tried to storm the hills and woods where the trees and the women and children were, but I heard that the hill folk all suddenly appeared and turned all the bandits' weapons into twigs. That scared them enough to have them surrender on the spot. Amazing story, isn't it?"
I frowned. "But what about the problem with you leaving court? Wouldn't this completely defeat the purpose of me being here in the first place?"
"I think I was very discreet about leaving. I told Russav to call in for me to say that I was sick. Nobody will know I was gone until I'm back, and it won't affect my authority in any way." Said Danric, smiling. "Now that you've quelled your initial curiosity, I think it best that you sleep for a while. Your wound hasn't completely healed yet." He gave me a light kiss and closed the blinds of the window before leaving the room. Feeling reassured that everything was alright, I fell back asleep.
Over the following two days after I awoke again, I helped Bran and Nee clear through the mess of the battlefield, while Danric dealt with the captured bandits. I also caught up with Oria, who was now married to the blacksmith and had an adorable little girl, who she had named Meliara. Whenever I had any free time, I always slipped up the familiar path up the hills into the woods where I would dance with the hill folk, feeling full of gratitude for the numerous times they had helped me.
The night before Danric and I had to head back to Athanarel, I found that I couldn't sleep. I was standing by the open window in the slight breeze listening to the familiar old lullaby tunes coming from the hills when I felt a light kiss on my neck.
"Having trouble sleeping?" asked Danric.
I sighed. "It's just that I really hadn't realized how much I've missed Tlanth. I've barely been back for two days, before I have to leave again. I can't imagine when the next time I'll have the time to leave court will be."
"Hopefully sooner or later, once the country's settled down to our new laws and ruling methods, we'll be able to take a long vacation." said Danric softly.
I sighed again. "Hopefully."
Danric turned me around to look me in the eye. "Do you regret marrying me and taking up the busy life of a queen in court? You know, you could still be living here in the hills if you hadn't."
I smiled. "Not at all. I was just feeling melancholy about leaving tomorrow. I wouldn't trade in my life now for any life in Tlanth."
"Good." replied Danric, sounding relieved. He kissed me on the lips again, this time more deeply. We stumbled back a few steps and fell back into bed.
~Done. Whew! Anyways, I'm going to add that I've spent the last few months browsing around on fictionpress.net and if you liked Crown Duel, you should check out my favorite stories list in my profile over there. There are some stories that I have really enjoyed. Ok, hopefully I'll update again soon, so please go and review this story now.
Chapter 4: Awakening
I slowly groaned as I reluctantly opened my eyes against the bright glare of sunlight. I realized that I was in a very soft and comfortable bed across from an open window in a room that looked oddly familiar. I groaned again as I realized that this was one of the guestrooms in Tlanth. Everything that had previously happened came flooding back to me. I gasped and tried to sit up, only to be stopped by a searing pain at my side.
"So you've awakened?" drawled a very familiar voice near my ear. I realized I wasn't alone in the room. I turned my head to see a very tired, but amused Vidanric sitting in a chair next to my bed. "You've been asleep for nearly two days."
"Danric! What happened? Did we win? Are Bran and Nee all right? Why are you here?" I asked impatiently.
"Take it easy," laughed Vidanric. "Life, Mel, you almost scared me to death when I heard that you were at the frontlines, or should I say back lines fighting."
"Tell me what happened!" I said, desperate to know everything that had happened during my lapse of consciousness.
"Alright. Well, from what I heard from Bran and Nessaren, the Denlieff warriors were pulling ahead steadily. Nessaren has been constantly reporting everything to me using messenger pigeons. When I heard that we were falling back, I immediately used my summon stones to call several ridings stationed west of here. I immediately rode as fast as I could here. I met up with the ridings about the same time you were stabbed, according to the soldier, I think Geval, who saved your life and dragged you back to the castle. Anyways, with the extra ridings, we managed to surround and capture most of the bandits. A few of them tried to storm the hills and woods where the trees and the women and children were, but I heard that the hill folk all suddenly appeared and turned all the bandits' weapons into twigs. That scared them enough to have them surrender on the spot. Amazing story, isn't it?"
I frowned. "But what about the problem with you leaving court? Wouldn't this completely defeat the purpose of me being here in the first place?"
"I think I was very discreet about leaving. I told Russav to call in for me to say that I was sick. Nobody will know I was gone until I'm back, and it won't affect my authority in any way." Said Danric, smiling. "Now that you've quelled your initial curiosity, I think it best that you sleep for a while. Your wound hasn't completely healed yet." He gave me a light kiss and closed the blinds of the window before leaving the room. Feeling reassured that everything was alright, I fell back asleep.
Over the following two days after I awoke again, I helped Bran and Nee clear through the mess of the battlefield, while Danric dealt with the captured bandits. I also caught up with Oria, who was now married to the blacksmith and had an adorable little girl, who she had named Meliara. Whenever I had any free time, I always slipped up the familiar path up the hills into the woods where I would dance with the hill folk, feeling full of gratitude for the numerous times they had helped me.
The night before Danric and I had to head back to Athanarel, I found that I couldn't sleep. I was standing by the open window in the slight breeze listening to the familiar old lullaby tunes coming from the hills when I felt a light kiss on my neck.
"Having trouble sleeping?" asked Danric.
I sighed. "It's just that I really hadn't realized how much I've missed Tlanth. I've barely been back for two days, before I have to leave again. I can't imagine when the next time I'll have the time to leave court will be."
"Hopefully sooner or later, once the country's settled down to our new laws and ruling methods, we'll be able to take a long vacation." said Danric softly.
I sighed again. "Hopefully."
Danric turned me around to look me in the eye. "Do you regret marrying me and taking up the busy life of a queen in court? You know, you could still be living here in the hills if you hadn't."
I smiled. "Not at all. I was just feeling melancholy about leaving tomorrow. I wouldn't trade in my life now for any life in Tlanth."
"Good." replied Danric, sounding relieved. He kissed me on the lips again, this time more deeply. We stumbled back a few steps and fell back into bed.
~Done. Whew! Anyways, I'm going to add that I've spent the last few months browsing around on fictionpress.net and if you liked Crown Duel, you should check out my favorite stories list in my profile over there. There are some stories that I have really enjoyed. Ok, hopefully I'll update again soon, so please go and review this story now.
