Author's Note: Yay another chapter of this story! It took awhile but I have it written, and I hope you enjoy it. There isn't many stories posted in this fandom and I really wish there were more, but at the very least I'm enjoying writing this. The format might be a bit messed up on this story because I have ended up using a different program then word to right it. I don't have word on my lap top and found a free program to type in, but gives weird formats.
Elmont watched the girl, who was now once again asleep in his bed, sleep. He understood why she had tried to run away, but could anything really be as bad as having a harsh sickness and not being able to feed yourself, while working harder than any person should? On top of that it was hard to believe that this girl even had the strength to make a run for it. He'd have to keep a close eye on her from now on; he had a feeling if she ran away on foot she'd be attacked by someone trying to get back to the town. He wasn't about to let that happen, who knows what could happen if some creeper picked her up out there.
It took hours for her to actually wake up again, but he didn't expect anything different. She had managed to exhaust what little energy she had after all and that hadn't been very much. He had prepared a hot soup for her that was mostly broth so it would sooth her throat. He tried not to think about the probable long time it had been since she had had a cooked meal, or a warm meal. She rouse a lot calmer then she had the first time, probably because she had realized that she didn't have the energy to get away, the speed to out run him and the strength to fight him off if needed. She didn't look happy though, he noted. She was looking at him with a clear frown.
He set a bowl of soup on the table for her and gestured for her to take the seat in front of it, which she did with extreme hesitation. She reminded him of a curious deer, one the feared everything but with the promise of food seemed to favor taking more risk. As she sat, he took a seat as well, across the table from her. She didn't take her eyes off him, not even to look at the food. They had several moments of staring contest before Elmont finally spoke up. "I hope you enjoy the soup, I don't cook that much and often don't really care what it tastes like when I do. Should help your throat though."
Her gazed turned away from him and down at the bowl in front of her. She ran her finger down the spoon which sat next to the bowl, before quickly sticking a finger in the bowl and licking it. He cringed at her manors, but decided not to say anything, now was not the time to judge. She looked up at him again, "It's good." then she picked up the bowl and started to simply drink it. She coughed in the middle and had to put it down, but most of the broth was gone anyway and only some chunks of vegetables remained. He continued to watch as she scoped them up with her fingers and savored each and every morsel.
"You know, it's easier with the spoon and you'd get less of it on you." He couldn't help the comment, but regretted it immediately, for she turned back up at him again and gave him the wide scared deer eyes again. She looked down at the spoon again and poked at it. "Don't know how."
Elmont's eyes shot wide open in shock; did she really just say that? How could some be that depraved that they wouldn't no how to use a spoon? Most poor family was forced to use watery soups for supper, but from the sounds of it she hadn't even had that! He wondered just what kind of horrible childhood this girl must have had, what kind of life she had had. No more words were said, as he left her alone to pick at the remains of her food and shreds of her dignity. It hurt to know that there were people in this kingdom that had so little and he wondered how things had ever gotten to that in the first place. As h looked around his house, he thought of just how empty it was for all but 2 days every once in a great while he managed to make it out here. Thoughts of just how many people these days lived in overly cramped places because it took 4 or 5 families sometimes to just be able to afford a small house.
By the time he looked back over at the girl, she was getting up from the table and quietly making steps towards the door. He grunted, and was unpleased that she was still trying to leave, but let it go given the situation. "Are you really planning on leaving? Do you even have anywhere to go, or anyone missing you?"
She turned spun like she was about to fall over, but her tired eyes were lit with a fire. "Look, just because you're a royal guard doesn't mean I want you to be my knight is shining armor and keep me safe from every storm. I might not have much," her speech only faltered as she left out a gasp of breath, which was followed by a harsh cough, "I know exactly who I am and I'm happy with everything I've done. I refuse to sell my freedom to live just a few more weeks. Girls who do that die before they even decide to do that."
There was blood dripping from her nose by the time she was finished, but Elmont decided at this moment she was the most strong and beautiful woman he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her smiled sweetly the whole time he was helping to the bed to lay down once again, apparently putting him in his place required more energy then she had at the moment. He sat at her bedside as she slightly glared at him through already tired and have closed eyes.
"It's not like that, you just looked so tired and alone, I just wanted you to be somewhere safe and warm. My name is Elmont, and all I want is for you to get better." He soaked in her expression as it turned into a small smile as she began to drift off. "I've never had anyone care before, Elmont; I'm not sure how this is supposed to work."
He pulled the blanket up to her chin and could help leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead, noting that she felt warm and that he should get a bath ready for her when she woke up and that he should go into town to purchase something else for her to wear. That dress was leaving stains on his sheets from just touching it. It was still only suppertime and he could no doubt still find a tailor open, especially if he used his position. As he got up off the bed, he head a faint murmur from the sleeping girl, "It's Annie."