Chapter 13
Nicole jolted; feeling something warm touched her face, instinctively, her body uncurled from its previous position and her eyes were already scanning her surroundings, panicking. Gray walls, wooden loungers, writing table, a library and a heavenly beauty she had grown affectionately familiar of staring back at her; she smiled dreamily for a moment before leaping off her chair as she realized who she was staring at.
“Oh good Lord, you should really stop tiptoeing on me like that. I swear to God, you will be the death of me, Lady Waverly Earp.” Nicole stated as she clenched her chest, heart pounding at a rate she never knew possible.
“My apologies, your Majesty, but I was… I was just…” The younger girl stuttered, retreating her arm that was outstretched in front of her, immediately finding the ring on one of her fingers, fumbling with it; a grave mannerism that Lady Wynonna said to manifest whenever her younger sister is excessively anxious about something.
Nicole noticed Lady Waverly’s difficulty phrasing her response, but she was too distressed to empathize; the severe pain on her head had resurfaced and being awoken from a premature catnap, it gave her a foul mood, yet again. “You what?” She knew her voice tone was an octave higher and a tad meaner, she felt guilty, seeing how the younger girl took a step back and away from her; she wanted to reach out to appease Lady Waverly and soothe her knotted brows, but the violent pounding on her head wasn’t letting her do anything but sit back on the chair as her surrounding whirled around her.
“You told me to come see you after noon. Am I too early? I mean… I can come back in a while, that is, if you still want me to. I do not want to hover around you if you only find me as a nuisance.”
Nicole stood up as she saw Lady Waverly taking cautious steps away from her, immediately reaching out for her hand. “Of course I still want you.” It took a moment for Nicole to realize what she had said and what erroneous connotation it could convey though it was what she partly feels for the younger girl, she still corrected herself, “No, I mean, I would still want you to come back later.”
“So you want me to take my leave now?”
“No, what I meant was…” Nicole sighed; her intellect was clearly still not functioning well for her right now. “Please, stay. You’re never a nuisance.”
“Only if you want me to.”
“I want you to.” Nicole confirmed, returning the same smile Lady Waverly has given her.
Another searing pain coursed through her head; wincing, she impulsively reached out for her throbbing head with the hand she was holding Lady Waverly with, unconsciously taking it with her. Realizing her mistake, she let the hand go. “My apologies.” Regretting it a moment later as she instantaneously missed the warmth it provided.
“Are you alright, your Majesty? You look rather pale. You look unwell right now and you’re awfully sweating a lot.”
Nicole wiped the beads of sweat forming on her forehead with the back of her hand. If she were to admit, she hadn’t been really feeling well since after her little stroll to the tower to watch the sunrise with the younger girl. Her body felt warm but she’s feeling cold, hence, the additional layer of clothing under her royal robe. Her head is heavy, she feels nauseous whenever she stands up and her throat is sore.
At first she thought it was just a backwash of drinking with Lady Wynonna and her continuous lack of sleep for number of days now, but now she’s quite sure it was something else. “I might be feeling a little under the weather.” She confessed.
Lady Waverly took a step forward and placed her palm on her forehead. “Oh Lord, you are feverish. How long have you been this warm?”
Nicole was about to answer but the door burst open and in came the older Earp, with such finesse that she only possessed. “Nicolas, have you seen your future wife? She’s not in her bedchamber.” Lady Wynonna’s last words came out as a whisper as she took in the sight in front of her – her King friend standing dangerously close to her younger sister. And her entrance was relatively timed when Nicole just pulled Lady Waverly’s hand off her forehead, so it looked like they were holding hands.
“I had been looking in all places for you, my dear sister.” Lady Wynonna declared; eyes fixated on the conjoined hands before her.
Seeing the position they were in, Nicole let Lady Waverly’s hand go and took a couple of steps away from her. “I apologize. I summoned her here to give her this.” She picked up the only book on her table, she was reading it earlier before she fell asleep and it was something she thinks the younger Earp would like to read. She was thinking of lending it to her once she’s done reading it, so it was not really a lie.
She doesn’t want the older Earp to construct any assumptions yet, but the look on the latter’s face stated otherwise. Lady Wynonna smiled knowingly and said, “If you say so, Nicolas. I shall take my leave now as I’m quite sure that my younger sister is in safe hands.” But before she left the room, she glanced at them one last time with a teasing grin plastered on her face.
And they were alone once again.
Nicole comically turned her head towards Lady Waverly who, in all seriousness, asked her, “So you really only summoned me here to give me a book?”