by Anna Santos
Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Kevin widened his eyes and raised his hands in panic. “Don’t cry.”
Jessica sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “You need to have positive thoughts,” she whispered with a sad voice.
Anna cleared her throat. “Jessie, since the doctor is here, he could check you before leaving.”
Turning to his sister, Kevin arched an eyebrow. “Why would she need a doctor?”
“She blacked out last night.”
“Are you okay, Jessie?” He put his hands on her arms and shook her until she felt dizzy.
She shrugged him off. “It was a false alarm. I’m good. No memory loss or side effects.”
Kevin didn’t seem convinced. “Anna, you need to force her to see the doctor.”
Annabel sighed and shifted her weight to the other foot. “She doesn’t have any fever and I gave her an injection of blood. I hope she’ll be fine.”
He gave her a short nod. Then he warned again, “Stop pacing around!”
Jessica breathed out and fisted her hands. Then she spun around. “I’ll make us some tea.”
She headed to the kitchen.
Moments later, she didn’t need to take the tea to them. Eric walked in with the doctor and Anna behind him.
“He’s sedated. I also gave him something for the pain,” the young man in a gray suit said. He had a black doctor’s bag in his hand.
Jessica rushed to the table where the doctor placed his bag.
“I’ll leave you the medicine and the correct dosages. Someone needs to be by his side at all times,” the doctor warned.
Eric nodded, watching the man write the prescription and placing two vials on the table.
Grasping his fingers behind his back, he invited, “Do you wish to join us for tea, Dr. Burton?”
“It’s really kind of you to ask, but I have several patients waiting for me in my clinic. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jessica and Miss Annabel. But I really need to go, Your Majesty.” He bowed to the prince.
Eric nodded. “I’ll show you the way out.”
Motioning to the doctor, the prince exited the kitchen.
“What did he say? And where’s Kevin?” Jessica asked with impatience.
“Kevin wanted to be next to grandpa. He’s worried sick even if he doesn’t show it as much as you do. I’m also worried. But it’s nothing new, apparently.”
Jessica frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It seems that his body is weakening.” Jessica tilted her head to the side. “He’s getting old,” Anna further elaborated. “He just needs to rest. He has a fever and if it gets worse, we may need to call the doctor again.”
Jessica nodded and then tapped her fingers on the table. “Do you want tea? Rose also made a cake.”
“I’m not hungry.” Anna pulled a chair and sat down. “But I’ll have a tea.”
Jessica felt disoriented for a moment. Then she focused her stare on Eric’s face when he re-entered the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Rose’s day off and I have an important meeting in town,” Eric explained as he sat next to Anna.
“I can take care of him,” Jessica offered.
“I can help too,” Annabel added.
The prince eased himself into the chair. “I’ll hire a nurse for tomorrow.”
“I don’t mind taking care of him until he gets better,” Jessica said, feeling her cheeks turn red.
“In any other circumstances, I wouldn’t refuse, but he needs someone who can move and clean him. He will be really vulnerable for the next few days. Not to mention that he tends to hallucinate.” Eric sighed deeply and massaged his forehead with his fingers. “I’m just glad you found him when you did.”
The thumping and the bashing sound of the kettle woke Jessica from her stupor and made her turn around to turn the stove off. She brought the cups to the table while Anna got up to look for the cake.
Jessica arched an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t hungry?”
“Kevin hasn’t eaten yet. I’m going to prepare his breakfast. Plus, I know you will want cake. You always eat more when you are stressed.”
Jessica rolled her eyes and then smirked at Eric who was staring at them with the first smile of the day. Her gaze softened on his face. “He will be okay.”
He nodded, blinking his eyes and pursing his lips.
“This is really good,” Anna mumbled, stuffing her face with cake.
Jessica leaned on the table and grabbed the plate from her side before there was no cake left.
* * *
The king’s hallucinations consisted of calling his wife’s name over and over again like a broken record. Meanwhile, his fever wasn’t breaking, He kept sweating. Jessica and Annabel had to change his shirt more than once while forcing him to drink plenty of water.
When the night fell, only Jessica remained in the king’s bedroom. Anna had left for home to be with her mate. Occasionally, Eric or Kevin came to check on the king. However, Jessica only left his side to eat and change clothes.
Jessie woke up in the middle of the night hearing the king mumbling. She had made herself comfortable in an armchair next to his bed and, eventually, fell asleep. However, his hallucinations woke her up.
Slowly, she understood his ramblings and turned on the lamp over the nightstand.
“Isobel. Isobel, where are you? Why don't you show up to me anymore?”
Leaning over him, she put her hand over his forehead. He was burning up.
Raising his head, she placed the glass of water against his lips so that he drank. The king rejected the liquid and slapped the glass away. She almost fell on her back. Straightening up, she pressed a towel against his face and cleaned the water, fully concentrated on how gorgeous he was. Her stomach flipped and twisted with the sight of him. It wasn't healthy for her to be so drawn to him. But her hands couldn't help caressing his hair as her eyes lingered on his masculine features.
Her caresses seemed to calm him down. She stopped but before she could turn around and leave, his hand grabbed her wrist and he pulled her back to his side.
His voice came out husky, “Don't stop.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks as her heart raced with guilt. Was he awake? She tried to free her hand.
“Isobel, don't stop,” he begged, gripping harder.
Jessica released the breath that she didn't know she was holding. He thought she was his deceased wife. He was still hallucinating.
Looking at his face, he had his eyes closed. She sat next to him and continued to caress his face. His hand released her wrist and his expression relaxed. Though, his high temperature concerned her.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, Jessica lay him on his back and left to bring a basin of water from the bathroom. Soaking the towel in the cool water, she folded it lengthwise and wrung out the excess. Then she wrapped the towel around his head to give him relief. Before the towel was dry, she soaked it again, and wrapped around his neck, after gently cleaning the sweat. Her hands traveled up his arm as her eyes lingered on his sculptured torso. His cotton shirt was dry and his body temperature was stable. There was no need to change him into clean clothes.
After a couple more of cold towels against his forehead, his temperature was back to normal. She got up and left to go to the bathroom to dispose of the water and wash her face and hands. Combing her hair with her fingers, she saw the pale reflection of her tired face in the mirror.
Mumbled words reached her ears and alerted her that the king was delirious again. She rushed to his side and caressed the hair near his forehead.
“Hush, I'm here,” she mumbled.
The king called, “Ellie.”
Jessica frowned to the unknown name. She leaned forward to tuck him in bed, but before she could, his arms reached and he drew her into an embrace that made her face land on his chest in an uncomfortable position. She gasped for air, aware that she was stuck between his arms. Before she could move,
his nose sniffed her hair, and his hand caressed the back of her neck. Shivers ran down her spine, and numbness took over her limbs. She fought to keep her eyes opened and resist the tornado of butterflies that took over her stomach. The urge to relax her body against his and let him hug her overpowered her rationality.
Securing her hands on the mattress, she tried to free herself from his embrace.
His voice echoed in the bedroom. “Don't go. Don't leave me alone.”
Jessica felt a lump form in her throat and stopped resisting. Tears welled up in her eyes with all the loneliness that filled her soul. She didn't want to leave him alone. But it wasn't her he was missing in his arms.
“Your Majesty,” she whispered, tilting her head to watch his face. His eyes were closed, but his hands were gently caressing her back. She wasn't comfortable, though. She was still seated with her torso over his chest and her hands clumsily sustaining her weight. “You need to let me go.”
No answer. She rotated her hips but he turned to her side and brought her closer until she was fully laying on the bed. Her head was under his chin, her lips a few inches from touching his throat, and her hands splayed over his broad chest.
It was warm and cozy inside his arms. She closed her eyes and relaxed, indulging herself in feeling the pleasure of having his strong arms wrapping around her. Nuzzling her nose against his skin, she bit her lower lip with lust and breathed slowly so that she didn't disturb his sleep. His hand trailed down her back and caressed her hip, pushing her closer to him. Her body ached with desire. Everything she had tried to keep quiet in her mind, all the lies she had told herself about the reasons why she was drawn to him, crumbled and shattered with their embrace.
With her heart racing and her body longing for more contact, she felt helpless. But more than aroused, she also felt sad. He didn't belong to her. She needed to stop fantasizing.
Her hands pushed him back and she slipped out of the bed. Straightening up, she fixed her clothes and hair as her hands trembled. The king grumbled and grabbed the pillow instead.
Jessica huffed and sat back on the armchair after turning off the light. Crossing her arms, she sat there, watching him sleep as her body cooled down.
The next day, Eric still couldn't find a nurse to take care of his dad. During the morning, Eric and Shane helped the king bathe and change pajamas. He reacted but didn't seem to be able to stay awake for long. Even when Jessica fed him pieces of fruit, he didn't seem to understand it was her. He kept calling her by his wife's name.
In the afternoon, the fever returned. Jessie was able to relieve it with medicine and cold towels against his head and neck. Unwilling to leave his side, she offered to stay another night. She had tried to go home to bathe and rest, but she couldn't relax. The only place she felt at peace was beside the king. Therefore, after another lukewarm bath, Eric and Shane put the king back in bed with clean clothes. Annabel had tried to feed him, but it seemed that Jessica was the only one who could convince him to eat. The prince had to give in and let her be his nurse for another night.
When everybody left the king's chambers, Jessie relaxed in the armchair, and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.
The soft glow from the lamp illuminated the room with its dim light when she woke up. She thought she had listened to him calling. But when she focused her eyes on his figure, he slept peacefully in his bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she trailed her fingers on his face, caressing his forehead. The fever was gone and his skin felt soft. Watching him sleep had become a ritual to her. She wanted him to get better, but she knew that once he was back on his feet, she couldn't look at him and touch him like she could in that moment. Things would go back to normal: she peeking at him, trying to conceal her attraction and him staying away because he couldn't stand her.
Suddenly, the king sucked in a breath and mumbled incomprehensible words. Startled, Jessica removed her hand from his hair and secured it against her chest.
She had to lean closer to hear what he was saying. “I'm thirsty.”
First, she helped him sit on the bed and then she grabbed the glass and took it to his lips.
“It tastes like dirt,” he complained, rejecting the water with a pained expression.
“What do you want to drink?” she asked with a soft voice as she placed the glass on the nightstand.
He seemed coherent and aware of where he was. She waited for him to look at her and realize it was her taking care of him. She didn't know how he would react.
The king looked around and then at her. She gulped when his eyes narrowed and his lips became a straight line.
“Do you know where you are?”
His voice came out gruff, “My bedroom.”
“You were sick,” she explained.
His gaze never left hers, doubling her anxiety. Then she frowned when she thought that his eye color changed to purple. It must have been her imagination.
“I don't want to talk to you looking like that,” he declared, pushing back the bedding and trying to get up.
“What are you doing?” Jessica grabbed him by his shoulders. “You can't leave the bed.”
“I'm thirsty, I need to drink,” he protested. He eventually fell back against the pillows with a tired expression. “What did you give me? I'm feeling weak.”
“The medicine makes you sleepy,” she explained.
He pushed her hands back when she tried to cover him up.
“I don't like this dream. Why am I dreaming this? I want to dream of something else,” he grumbled.
Jessica's brows drew together, then she grinned. “What do you want to dream about then?” Her voice came out soft and indulging as if she was trying to appease a child.
“Isobel. I want to dream of her.”
Jessie caressed his face with tender eyes. “Since you can't sleep.” She sat on the bed next to him. “Why don't you tell me about her?”
The king blinked several times before relaxing against the pillow. “What do you wish to know?”
“Anything you want to tell me.”
Clearing his throat, he started, “Isobel was beautiful.”
“I know. I saw the paintings.”
“No. She was beautiful on the inside. She was kind and innocent. She was incapable of doing harm to others. She liked to help everybody in need and made me a better person. I was completely lost when she was gone.”
Her hands caressed his hair as she asked softly, “When was she born?”
“She was born in 1314. I had waited a long time to meet her. I had almost given up when she touched my hand and brought me to my knees. The way she smiled. I miss it.” The king closed his eyes with a pained face.
Jessie's heart tugged at her chest as her throat constricted. She forced her voice to come out. “Tell me what she liked to do.”
The king entwined his fingers with Jessie's and brought her knuckles to his lips. “She loved music. She loved to dance. Collecting and keeping books was her passion. She also enjoyed keeping track of family history. Her free time was spent taking care of her garden and our children. All seems so far away now as if it was just an illusion.”
The sadness in his voice weaved tendrils of grief that wrapped around Jessica's lungs and made it hard for her to breathe. Tears welled in her eyes. “I wish I could...” The words got stuck in her throat. “You should close your eyes and try to sleep. Maybe she'll appear to you tonight.” Her lips curved into a smile as her left hand continued to stroke his hair.
The king closed his eyes. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Jessica let him hold her hand until she was sure he was deeply asleep. Then she returned to her armchair and tried to rest.
Chapter Nine—Prohibited Fruit
JESSICA
The next day, the king couldn't keep any food down. He also experienced severe abdominal pain. He was constantly thirsty but, no matter how much water he drank, he began to show signs of dehydrating. Eric called for the doctor again while Jessica p
repared barley water and fruit juices to give the king.
However, when she entered his bedroom with the beverage, the king reacted savagely to her presence.
“Send her away. This is all her fault. I don't want her here,” he screamed as he tried to leave the bed.
Eric held him by his shoulders and forced him to recline. The doctor recoiled, startled, and Jessica stood still with wide eyes and shallow breathing. Despite Eric efforts, his father managed to escape and jump from his bed. He lunged at Jessica. The tray fell from her hands. The glass broke into tiny pieces of glass, spilling the juice onto the wooden floor. The rage in his purple eyes wounded her more than frightened her.
The king towered over her as he snarled, “Leave, I don't want you here. This is all your fault! You are not welcome here!”
Before Jessica could blink, Eric reached his dad, holding him back. Meanwhile, the doctor sped to the king's side and injected him in his neck with some kind of calming drug. The king's eyes opened wide and his eyelids fluttered when his body slumped slowly into his son's arms.
“Are you okay?” Eric asked, turning his neck to watch her as he lifted his father with his arms wrapped around him.
Jessica gulped and nodded, trying to calm her racing heart down. “What's wrong with him? Is he hallucinating again?”
“He seemed fine just a moment ago,” he said, taking his dad to the bed.
“He may be presenting signs of dementia,” the doctor said as he disposed of the syringe and walked to his bag.
Jessica shut down all the voices around her. With trembling hands, she balled her fists and avoid looking at the king. “I'm going to get the broom to clean this up,” she mumbled.
Exiting the bedroom, tears fell down from her eyes. Her instinct led her to the kitchen. After cleaning her tears, she asked Rose to clean the mess the king made in his bedroom. Then she climbed back up the stairs but, instead of going to the king's quarters, she went to the guest bedroom and fell on the bed, crying.
She must have fallen asleep because the room was dark when she opened her eyes. Her head throbbed and she had a bad taste in her mouth.