On the first night of their journey, Queen Susan caught a fever.
When he returned from pitching her tent for the night, he immediately took notice of the sweat on her forehead, the trembling of her hands. She sat by the campfire, holding her head as if in pain.
"What is it, Your Highness?" He asked her, kneeling down.
"It's nothing." Her mumbled response as he placed a hand to her red cheek.
"You're heating up." He said worriedly.
"I've been sitting near the fire too long. " She gently tried to push his hand away, trying her best to be reassuring.
He called for the physician, who'd conveniently accompanied them on their trip. The physician gave her a dose of strong medicine that all but knocked her out.
Too weak to walk, she allowed her guard to carry her to her tent.
As he gently laid her head down, she grabbed his arm and told him to stay until she fell asleep.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
"Sing for me." A simple, sweet command from his Queen.
"What?" It took him a moment to understand what she was requesting.
"My father sang to me when I couldn't sleep."
"Your Highness..."
"I'd love to hear a song."
"But, Your Highness, I might be awful-"
"It's the only thing that will put me to sleep." She looked up at him with resolution and then added a soft, "Please?"
He stared into her pleading eyes, placed a cool hand on her burning forehead, and sighed. He cleared his throat and began by humming quietly, a song from his childhood. His mind traveled back to his home as a young boy, sitting in the kitchen, singing silly songs with his kind mother. He couldn't help smiling as he remembered warm evenings by the fire, singing songs of war with his father. His family had been a musical one. There was always singing in his home, always a song for everything.
The words slowly began to spill out into a whisper-song, caressing the queen into a state of sleepiness. He watched as her eyelids finally closed and her breathing slowed. He lowered his voice and finished his song, thinking she was now asleep, that the medicine was beginning to work. He was ready to get up and leave.
"I think," He heard her mumble drowsily in the darkness. He froze. "I think I like your voice better than any other."
He chuckled quietly, realizing she was probably sleep talking.
"I've decided that you will be singing me to sleep every night." She went on with closed eyes, turning onto her side, placing her hands under her pillow.
"It'd be a pleasure." He whispered after a moment of silence. "...my Queen." He added as he watched her rest, knowing she wouldn't remember any of their strange interaction in the morning. He leaned over to gently touch her soft cheek. Still hot, but a little less than before. The medicine was working.
His fingers lingered on her silky skin a second longer as he thought about how her own voice was his favorite sound in the world.