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Chapter 13

A throbbing pain filled Gregor's head and his eyes shot open. The room was dark, very dark. There was no light anywhere. He breathed and saw that he was not in a room, but a cavern. And he was moving. He could feel the wings of the bat he was on flapping up and down and the wind was whistling past his ears. There was an immense pain right behind his right ear and it was building. He went to move his hand to the pain, but a flash of pain shot through his side. His entire ribcage felt like it was on fire. The pain built quickly to a crescendo as he attempted to move his arm up. He dropped it down and the pain spiked beyond belief. He screamed in agony as he wrapped his left arm across his body. A blinding pain filled his head and spots appeared in his eyes. His head dropped back to the fur of the bat, unconscious again.

His eyes flashed open again. When there was an intense throbbing pain last time, there was not but a dull throb now. The pain was almost entirely gone, but he still felt disoriented. His eyes seemed cross and blurry as he looked at the wall from a sitting position. The longer he sat, however, the clearer the image became. The image of the room was near perfect and Gregor turned his head to look at the rest of the room. Bad idea.

A small, sharp pain cut through his head and he stopped trying to look. He felt his heart start beating faster and his breathing increase as he slowly turned his head back to looking at the wall. His hand moved to his head, ignoring the dull pain that came from his injured side. He placed his hand gently against the side of his head and he felt the rough material wrapped around it. The same material could be felt under his shirt, wrapped around his chest and tightly against his bruised and battered side. Boy, he must have looked a mess.

A noise to his left caused him to turn his head again. He cursed himself as he gritted his teeth against the pain. A small wave of nausea hit him, but he swallowed it down. His teeth were near breaking when he stopped turning. Standing but a few feet from his bed was Stellovet.

"What are you doing in here?" Gregor said through his teeth. The pain was starting to build again and he needed to relieve it. He spun his head back and looked at the plain wall again. Soft footfalls approached the side of his bed; he heard a chair pull up as well.

"Gregor, how are you feeling?" Stellovet asked in a soothing voice. She placed a hand on Gregor's leg and leaned over him to look at his face.

"How am I feeling? How am I feeling?! I wake up in here and can't even turn my head without feeling like I'm gonna puke. Oh, I'm feeling just wonderful."

"That can be expected. Your head wound was very severe and your ribs are fractured in five places. My mother has had you kept unconscious to let the healing process begin."

"Your mother? I thought Howard was head doctor." This was confusing Gregor beyond belief.

"Oh yes, he is. But when mother arrived, she wanted to take care of you."

"That's nice, but you still haven't answered my first question. Why are you in my room?"

"To look after you. My mother asked me to stay and make sure you were okay when you woke up. She is looking after the wounded with Howard." Gregor remembered the violent battle he had been part of. He saw the dead, dying all over again, the blood pouring out of dismembered and crushed bodies and spraying from puncture wounds.

"How many made it back?" Gregor asked in a quiet voice. It was flat with no emotion. He just wanted to know he had made some difference in going and sneaking out of the palace. That he had saved some people with his risky actions.

"Eisen, Luxa, and five of the soldiers were uninjured beyond scratches and bruises. You and ten others made it back with severe injuries. Yours are some of the lesser wounds." The news made Gregor feel slightly better. He had saved some people and probably allowed the injured to make it back to have a chance to live longer. To have a chance to move on with their lives.

Gregor's thoughts were interrupted by a commotion in the hall. Muted shouts could be heard through the heavy curtain that closed his room off from the hall. The shouting went on for minutes, with new voices joining in. Whoever was doing the shouting seemed to be very angry at something or someone. A loud crash silenced the shouting, and the sound of clanking armor was heard a minute later. The hall was silent.

"What was that?" Gregor asked after several quiet moments.

"I do not know. Let me go and find out," Stellovet replied as she left his bedside. Gregor was just glad she took her hand off his leg. She walked towards the entrance and poked her head out into the hallway. Her body was pushed back into the room and four people entered: Susannah, Eisen, and two guards.

"It is good to see you are awake, Gregor," Susannah said as she approached his bed. she placed her hand on his head and checked his bandages. "Are you in much pain?"

"Not really. There is just a small dull throbbing in my head and a small amount of pain in my ribs if I move my arm. If I turn my head though, the pain spikes terribly bad."

"Oh yes. That is something that will probably happen quite a bit for a while. Your skull was fractured and there was swelling. I had to relieve the swelling. You shall be fine in a few days time. If you need medication, please send my daughter to get me."

Susannah stepped back from his bedside and was replaced with Eisen. His face was serious; he was all business. A hand rested none too gently on Gregor's shoulder and he felt pressure as Eisen squeezed it.

"Overlander, I am glad to see you awake. I have been waiting so I can talk with you. You disobeyed my direct order to not come along. That is unacceptable. You blatantly left without telling a single person where you were going. That is also unacceptable. You are a soldier and are required to follow the commands of your superiors. You are confined to quarters for the time being. While you are in the hospital, you will have only certain visitors. Your doctors and military personnel only. There will always be somebody in your room with you and guards at the door. Take this as a reminder of our friendship, but also as a warning to not disobey a superior's command. Good day." Eisen turned on his heel, his hands wrapped around behind him. He signaled for the guards to follow and they left the room. Susannah gave Gregor a quick smile and also left the room.

The room was empty except for Gregor and Stellovet, again. The slender girl took a seat next to Gregor again, her face surprisingly happy. She had a smile on her face and her face seemed to be glowing. Her hand went back to Gregor's thigh and he was stuck in an uncomfortable position. He could move his body, but not his head unless he wanted to pass out again. He shifted his left leg and moved it so it hung off the bed, in an attempt to just sit more comfortably.

Neither Stellovet nor Gregor spoke and they sat in quiet for what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes. Stellovet kept shifting in her chair and moving her hand from one spot to another on his leg. The atmosphere grew more and more awkward. Gregor was about to speak up when the curtain parted and a tray with food was brought in.

The woman carrying it laid it down on Gregor's lap and flashed a smile between him and Stellovet. Almost like she thought they were a couple or something. The smell of the food made Gregor's stomach gurgle. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was. The last time he had eaten was lunch and he had no clue how many hours it had been since then. He reached down to grab the spoon for his soup, but someone else's hand beat him to the punch.

"Let me help you, Gregor. You should not overexert yourself." Stellovet said as she filled the spoon and raised it to his lips. Gregor reached out and gently grabbed her wrist and directed it back to the bowl. Stellovet looked at him, the hurt apparent in her eyes.

"I can feed myself, Stellovet. I'm not hurt that bad," Gregor said as he picked up the spoon and brought it to his mouth. The pain in his ribs wasn't that bad, but it did hurt if he moved to fast. He slowed himself down and ate slowly, moving as gently as he could to prevent himself from making his side hurt.

Gregor glanced at the girl next to him as he scooped the last ounce of stew out of the bowl. She wasn't looking at him and she seemed downcast and sad. Rejected maybe. He felt bad for shooting down her attempt to help him. There was one thing she could do for him though.

"Stellovet, can you go get some medication for me? My head is killing me," Gregor asked her. She seemed to come alive at his words and she literally jumped out of her chair.

"Oh yes. I will go get my mother and she can give you your medication." Before she left she gave Gregor a quick peck on the cheek. Gregor was alone and he could feel the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him. It felt weird to have another girl other than Luxa kiss him. He wiped his cheek with his sleeve and sat there staring at the blank wall, in the flickering light from the torches. His shadow danced on the wall next to him like a crazy apparition of himself. He glanced at it and saw it wave and flow along the wall like an eerie half human snake. It was the first time he had really noticed the weird way light played with shadows.

He heard his guards move outside and Susannah came into the room followed by her daughter. She was carrying several small vials of colored liquid. Each one had a small label on it and was stopped with a stopper. She selected one and brought it over to Gregor. "Take one small sip of this. It will help with your head."

Gregor unstopped the bottle and took a sip, only letting a very small amount into his mouth. It ran down his throat with a taste so bitter that he nearly choked on it. It felt gritty in his mouth as well. But the medicine did seem to work very fast. The pain in his head already felt better and the small throbs seemed to wash away. There was very little noticeable pain now either. He tried to turn his head and the pain shot back, but not anything like before. It was sharp yet not blinding. Not the best feeling but if he had to he could manage with it.

"Thanks, Susannah. That helps a lot." She smiled at him and took the bottle back. As she walked from the room she whispered something in her daughter's ear that made Stellovet smile. Gregor wasn't sure that he was going to like what she had told her.

"Do you feel better, Gregor?" Stellovet asked as she resumed her seat next to him. She didn't place her hand on his leg this time. Instead she rested her head against him. This was really starting to feel awkward for him. Stellovet may like him, but she was starting to go to far. Gregor didn't want to be rude to her or shoot her down, but if she did anything more he was afraid he might have to. Stellovet was staring at him, waiting intently for an answer.

"Umm, yea. Yea, I feel much better. My head hardly hurts at all, and my ribs feel even better." She smiled and picked her head up. She moved closer to Gregor and ran a finger down his chest. "Stellovet, what ar-"

"Shhhh." A finger pressed against his lips as she moved closer to him. This is what he had been afraid of. She really wanted him and didn't like her one bit. This was just making the chances less and less likely that he ever would. His free hand came up and pressed against her stomach, but she just grabbed his wrist and kept coming closer. She removed her finger from his lips as her head was only inches from his own.

"Stellovet, no. I do-" Gregor started, but her mouth covered his and his words were cut off. She was kissing him, but he wasn't kissing her back. He took both his arms and pressed them against her pushing her off. She looked at him hurt and confused. "Stellovet, stop it. I don't like you and I never will. I love someone else." The words flowed out his mouth with more anger behind them then he meant. He hadn't yelled, but the words carried all the harsh rudeness that had built up in him rather quickly.

A tear ran down Stellovet's cheek and then another and another. Soon she was at full waterworks, tears coming thick and fast. She turned her back on him and ran from the room with her hands covering her eyes. Gregor suddenly felt bad for what he did. Stellovet was just trying to show her feelings and he shot her down in the hardest most terrible way he could. He could have let her down soft, but he threw her down a flight of stairs head first with her hands tied behind her back.

And there was no way for him to go and apologize. He couldn't get out of bed because of his head, even if it felt better, and he wasn't even allowed to leave the room. Stellovet was a wreck and it was his fault. "Boy, am I a douche," Gregor thought as he sat alone in the seemingly empty room. There was nothing to do and no one to help him out.

Days passed and he had few visitors. Mareth came to visit once and Perdita came a different time. Both scolded him for his risky decision and for disobeying orders. And they both thanked him for saving Luxa's life, which both she and Eisen said would not have been possible if he hadn't been there. When Gregor inquired about Luxa, neither Mareth nor Perdita answered him on his questions. He wondered why she had not come to visit him yet. When he was injured she often came to check on him at least once. And when she was injured he checked on her even more than that. But she hadn't showed up in any capacity.

Stellovet hadn't come back either, which Gregor was fine with. Another woman was left in his room with him to watch him and to help him in any way he needed. She never spoke to him and she sat on the other side of the room. It was different to be sure. Gregor spent most of his day sleeping and eating unless his guards let someone in. Most of the people were doctors. Susannah, Howard, and a doctor named Ellis came to check on him every few hours. Howard was the one who gave him some information.

"Howard, why hasn't Luxa come to see me yet?" Gregor asked as Howard checked his ribs and his head. The wounds were healing very well, and he was told earlier in the morning that he would possibly be released the next day. Howard looked at Gregor when he was asked. A battle could be seen playing in his head on whether he should tell his friend or follow orders. The friend side won out.

"Luxa tried to visit you the first day you were in the hospital. Eisen would not allow it because you were under military punishment, which meant he had control over who could visit you and who could not. She argued like only she could, but Eisen won out in the end. For now she cannot see you nor do I think she wants to."

"Why wouldn't she want to?" Gregor asked confused at why Howard would even say that.

"Stellovet has told a story about how you and kissed her, and then told her that you loved someone else.. I do not believe her because I know my own sister. Luxa, however, seems to believe the story. She has not been seen far from the royal wing and Hazard has told me she has been crying much. He also does not believe Stellovet. But there are others that do not see like me. Important others."

"Why is your sister so evil? She's the one that kissed me. I did tell her I loved someone else and she left sobbing. Of course she told Luxa though. She has seen us together so often that she must have known somewhat that we had something between us." Gregor didn't realize that he was rambling until he noticed Howard's look. He closed his mouth and stopped talking.

"My sister did not tell Luxa. The first person she told was my mother and a servant heard. She was the one that told Luxa. The story has spread from Stellovet and others." Howard told Gregor. "It seems your injuries have healed very well. Your head looks to be almost back to normal and your ribs are healing at a very nice pace. Tell me, do you feel any pain in your head."

"Nope. It feels just about normal."

"Good. I will tell Eisen that you are to be released tomorrow morning. He will probably come to see you in the morning. Keep resting." Howard said collecting his small amount of equipment and medicines. He waved a quick goodbye and left the room. A slight cough reminded Gregor that there was someone else in the room. He looked over at the woman sitting rigid in her chair looking at Gregor. He and Howard had just talked about Luxa like that right in front of this woman that neither of them knew. He wasn't sure how much she had heard, but it wouldn't be good if she heard it all. His relationship with Luxa was not well known to people that weren't close to them. People like Vikus, Howard, Ripred, and Mareth knew because they were around the two all the time and had known it since they were young. The servants and newcomers like Eisen were not supposed to know. They didn't want everybody to know. That's why they never kissed in front of tons of people. People could assume the relationship all they want, but it wasn't true until they came out to the public with it.

And yet he had just discussed the entire thing with Howard, basically saying that they were in a relationship without using those exact words.

"How much did you hear?" Gregor asked the woman. He got no answer. She just up and left the room leaving him alone the question hanging in the air.

The next morning came and just like Howard had said, Eisen showed up. He had no guards with him this time and came into the room with a casual saunter. Gregor was sitting on his bed with his legs hanging off the side. He was eager to get out of the cramped room and get back to walking through the halls. Most of all he wanted to get out and see Luxa to explain the entire situation with him and Stellovet.

After a week in the hospital, he felt weak and cramped. His muscles had gone mostly unused except for the simple tasks of eating and going to the bathroom. The doctors had told him that he shouldn't be doing any kind of strenuous physical activity for at least another week.

"Greetings, Overlander. I have heard good news on your condition. You are feeling well?" Eisen asked as he took a seat in the empty chair in the room.

"Yea, I'm feeling pretty good."

"Good. Very good. I believe you have been confined long enough, but I am still restricting your movements. You are allowed in the palace and in the arena. If you leave the palace for the arena somebody must accompany you. If you disobey me again, I will not be as lenient."

"Okay," Gregor said as he hopped off the bed. He didn't have much to say to Eisen and his mind was focused on concocting the best way to talk to Luxa. The curtain brushed against him as he went out into the hallway. Suddenly he felt everything spin for a moment and he reached out for the closest wall to steady himself. He got his breath and started again, taking it slow and using the wall as support. The going was much slower than he had hoped; it took him over an hour for a ten minute walk to the high hall. His side ached and his head felt a little tipsy from the exertion.

Without even thinking, his body walked over to the empty couches and sunk down onto the soft cushions. He just sat there, unmoving, staring straight ahead deep in thought. It would take only minutes to get to the royal wing and he needed to know what he would say to Luxa. He couldn't be nervous or scared. He just had to tell it like it happened and make sure she knew he was telling the truth.

"Gregor!" someone shouted and he fell right out of thoughts. A black haired teenager ran towards him, his face ripe with excitement. "I heard you were being released from the hospital this morning. I was going to look for you after my lessons, but I have found you before."

Gregor smiled and rose from the couch. Before he knew it Hazard grabbed him in a big hug. His ribs protested right away. "Ouch. That hurt man," Gregor spoke through clenched teeth as he grimaced.

"I am so sorry, Gregor. I forgot about your ribs."

"It's fine. I need your help with something though," Gregor said hoping Hazard would be up to helping him. His guess was right as the younger boys face lit up.

"I can help. What is it you need done?"

"I just need you to get me into the royal wing. I need to see your cousin."

"This is about Stellovet is it not? I do not believe anything that has been said by her or anyone else. I know how much you love Luxa. I will help you get to see her. Come, follow me." Gregor quickly fell into step with the younger boy. After only a few steps though, his head started to spin again and he reached out with his free hand. When he felt himself steady he realized he had grabbed Hazard's head. The boy was staring at with a look that just screamed, "Seriously!?"

"Sorry about that. Let's go a bit slower maybe. My head doesn't hurt, but boy can it make me dizzy." Hazard nodded and set his pace to Gregor's. The two walked through the halls in relative silence. The few words that were spoken were Gregor's muttered curses at how slow they were going or how dumb he felt.

The royal wing came into view some minutes later, and Gregor was glad. The effort to just move around the palace was more than he had ever thought. The numerous flights of stairs and long hallways were taxing on someone with a head injury who hadn't used his muscles much recently.

Guards flanked the doors as they approached. Hazard strode towards the entrance beckoning Gregor to follow. Hazard walked right in, but as Gregor got closer a pair of swords crossed in front of him. His eyes looked up at the two burly guards and then to his friend.

"Let him pass," Hazard told the guards.

"The queen requests no visitors."

"Okay, but he is not visiting the queen. He is with me," Hazard explained.

"The queen requests no visitors," the guard repeated, his sword unmoving from its position in front of Gregor.

"I do not care what the queen said. Gregor is to enter with me."

"The queen requests no visitors, especially the overlander," the other guard said.

Gregor had had enough of the games. The guards weren't going to let him pass because of Luxa's command, but he wasn't going to give up. "What do I have to do to go see the queen? I'm not going to hurt her or anything. I'm not even visiting with her. Hazard and I have something we need to work on." The thought had just stumbled into his head. As the words tumbled from his mouth he saw Hazard's worried look. They were going to be winging it from here.

"It matters not. The queen-" the guard started before Gregor cut him off, the anger growing in his voice.

"I know! The queen requests no visitors! Big shocker." Gregor spat at the guards as he took a few steps away and slowly started to pace. There had to be some way to get him in there. He would sit and wait outside here for Luxa to come out if he had to. No matter how long it takes. A noise down the hall brought Gregor back to attention.

It sounded like the soft patter of feet on the floor, and then there was a giggle from around the corner. A little silvery blonde haired head shot around the corner like a bullet and ran right into Gregor's leg. Thomas wrapped his little arms around his calf and held tight. Dulcet came around the corner not even a second later and her face broke out into a smile.

"Greetings, Gregor. It is good to see you are well," she said as she spotted Gregor. "Thomas seems happy, as well."

"Yea. Were you taking him somewhere?" Gregor asked his interest in their sudden appearance obvious.

"I was taking Thomas to Queen Luxa. She enjoys his company. However, there seems to be a problem. He does not want to let go of your leg."

"I can take him to her. It should be no big deal. I'm sure you have other things to be doing." Dulcet smiled and thanked Gregor before she left back around the corner. A sneaky smile danced along Gregor's face as he turned back to the guards.

"I know the queen requests no visitors, but I'm sure she still wants to see Thomas. And if he's not budging off my leg then I have to go with him. Are you gonna let me pass or is the queen gonna be mad that she didn't see her favorite little boy?" Gregor approached the entrance, hobbling with the weight of Thomas on his leg. As he walked past the guards no swords intercepted him. His lucky break had worked wonders.

"Hazard can you take him for me? I'm gonna go talk to you cousin." Gregor stood still and Hazard took Thomas off his leg. The toddler consented and let Hazard carry him away with promises of toys and snacks. Gregor shook his head and continued through the corridors towards Luxa's chamber. He neared the stone door and heard sound from behind it. Quietly, he inched closer to the door and pushed it gently open. As the door swung open a book flew through the entrance.

"Go away!" came the shout from inside.

"Lux, it's just me," Gregor said calmly as he inched slowly into the room. Another book came flying at him and only just missed hitting him.

"How did you get in here? I told my guards to not let anybody in." Gregor could see Luxa sitting on the couch, her hair a mess and her face red. He just wanted to run to her and wrap her in his arms, but a glass flew towards his head and he had to duck.

"The guards let me pass because Thomas wouldn't let go of my leg. I just want to talk to you, Luxa."

"What is there to talk of? You betrayed me for my stupid cousin."

"No, that is not true. Not true at all."

"Then what did happen!? Tell me Gregor! Tell me!"

"Stellovet was coming onto me since I had woken. She was the one that kissed me. I pushed her away right away and told her that I didn't love her at all." Gregor had worked his way closer to Luxa. He was only feet away. "I told her I loved someone else. And Luxa that someone is you." Gregor reached down and grabbed Luxa's hand. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. He pulled her gently to her feet.

"Let go of me!" she yelled at him as she pounded on his chest with her free hand. He just grabbed her other hand and pulled her close to him. She struggled against his grip, fighting him with every ounce of her stubborness. He only wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear.

"Luxa, I have never loved anybody other than you. You are the only person who shall ever have my heart. I love you more than anything the world could ever hold. Don't push me away because of some dumb story you heard. You gotta trust me." As he spoke he could feel Luxa melt in his arms, her struggling stopping and her body loosen up. A soft sob broke from her as she pressed her face against Gregor's chest. He could feel her crying into his chest; he rested his chin on her head and rubbed her back just to let her know that he was there. She cried for minutes, her head not moving from the comfort of Gregor's warm, friendly chest. Finally she stopped.

Luxa pulled her head away from his chest and looked up at him, her eyes locking with his. She wrapped her arms around Gregor's neck. "I love you too, Gregor. I am sorry that I acted the way I did. It was childish of me." she said so quietly it was almost inaudible. "Let me show you how much I love you, my warrior."

Luxa unraveled herself from him and took Gregor's hand, leading him towards her bed chamber. Gregor was pretty sure what she had in mind and he wasn't sure he was ready for it. But there was only one way to find out. The curtain pushed aside and the two vanished into their own world.

Oh yea. Making it a little steamy up in here. Anyway, drop me a review guys. I want to see as many as I can this chapter. I truly want to know what each and every viewer thinks of each and every chapter. I have the regulars and I applaud them for their constant feedback whether it be a simple 'I love this story' or a large block of text trying to figure out what I'm doing and giving me ideas and helping me a better author. Any and all reviews are appreciated whether from a guest or a user. Just reminding you all there is a section for reviews just below this. ;)

Question: How far do you think Gregor and Luxa's relationship will go? Give me all your wildest dreams for it.