Chapter Four: Who Is He?
Nicola was in a daze as Evan led her to her rooms. Even though her wounds were healed, and by Evan's own magic, she was weak and exhausted from the fight. Also, she tended not to take healing very well.
Evan walked with Nicola, letting her lean heavily on him. He almost jumped out of his skin when she spoke after so much silence. "Why are you even helping me," Nicola asked, her voice soft.
Evan opened the door to her room when they reached it. "I have no grudges against you, Wildcat, and see no reason why I should not help you. You are a legend and I do not want to see this particular legend die before it has reached its time to end."
Nicola frowned at Evan. "You speak in riddles, healer. Speak clearly." She sat on the edge of her bed when Evan let go of her.
Evan smirked. "It is not your time to die, Nicola," he answered her calmly.
Nicola scowled at him. She hated the way he was speaking. "Obviously not. I plan to live a long life. Why do you speak so oddly, though? Are you some kind of seer? Can you see my future?"
Evan laughed. "Let me put it plainly. My instincts told me to help you and to heal you. I always listen to my instincts and obey them."
She nodded, understanding now. "Alright then. Now I want to know more of you. Where do you come from? Tell me of your history, Evan Lucray."
Evan looked down. "My history, Wildcat, is quite odd. But I will tell you." He smiled a bit at her and then looked down, the smile disappearing. "My parents are of different countries and cultures. My mother was a Scanran. My father is a Bazhir. My mother fell in love with my father, and they married in the Bazhir way in the southern deserts. My mother, though, pressured, as she was by her many Scanran friends, fled when she discovered she was pregnant. For many years my mother raised me in Scanra. I heard of you adventures, Wildcat. You were, to me, like a fairytale. I knew you were real, though." He smiled at her when he paused and Nicola raised an eyebrow.
"Me? A fairytale? I am just a regular woman, Evan," she replied. "There is nothing special about me."
"Oh, but there is, Nicola. You are very special. But back to what you wished to know. After you killed the Tusaine army leader, I left my mother's home and rode to the southern deserts to meet my father. There, I learned the ways of the Bazhir and I learned healing, and I also heard more of you. Many times I caught glimpses of you when I was near Persopolis and some of King Krystopher's knights were there. I became…infatuated, I believe." He smiled again when he stopped.
Nicola looked at him, her eyes wide. "Infatuated? Evan, that is an outright lie. You are not infatuated. Now go, so I can get my rest."
Evan sighed, his smile disappearing. "Of course, Nicola," he stood up from his chair and bowed to her. "Rest, Wildcat. Get better." He walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.
Nicola watched when he left and frowned. No one could become taken with her. He was just talking nonsense. She nodded. "Yes, just talking nonsense," she murmured to herself. She laid down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling of her room, thinking. Her thoughts wandered away from Evan and came to the trouble with Tusaine. She knew that they were bitter about the loss of the war. Why wouldn't they just let go, though? Time after time they made attempts to kill her and to create another war with Tortall.
She shook her head. Foolish thinking. Her thoughts once again came back to Evan. How could someone be infatuated with her, or so he had put it. There was nothing special about her. She was just a lady knight. She was boyish, tough, and she had muscles. She was not like a pretty court lady. She had no manners. She hated court functions. She always managed to hide during balls or else she managed to make an escape. She smiled a little at that thought. Krystopher always got mad when she left the balls. He always told her to be more…
She fell asleep on all of those thoughts.
Evan, meanwhile, was being assigned a room in the guest wing of the castle. He sat on the bed once the servant had left and then laid down on his back. Nicola was definitely an odd one. He smiled. She was stubborn as well. He was soon asleep, thinking thoughts about the Wildcat.
A/N: Sorry about the shortness once again and I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've had a severe case of writer's block and I've also been extremely busy. I love reviews!