Page 41 of Boundless
A lump formed in Len's throat, almost too big for him to speak around. "Th-thank you, S-Sev."
Sevren nodded, smiling weakly, then disappeared up the stairs. Len stayed on his knees, taking Daega's hand and watching her sleep. She looked peaceful now, after his healing, her brow smoothed and the pinched look to her eyes and mouth eased. She'd still have a few weeks of recovery ahead of her, and the wounds would likely leave nasty scars, but she was whole, and she was safe, and Len had never known relief as profound as what he felt when he realized that. He sagged forward, pressing his forehead to her chest and letting a few of the tears he'd been holding back fall.
Sevren returned to his side soon after and helped him set up a little pallet for the two of them to sleep in that was out of the way of the guards and other folk scrambling around the inn in the aftermath. Then he had two of the guards help lift Daega's considerable bulk to place her on it. Len lay down beside her, but he couldn't sleep; not yet. Not until she opened her eyes and said something to him. Anything. He just—he just needed it.
"C-come back to me, love," he whispered into her long pointed ear, using one finger to trace her proud, jutting profile. "Open your eyes for me. P-please." But of course she didn't.
After some time Sevren returned, tucking himself in by their feet and keeping quiet vigil with Len. Maleom even hobbled downstairs at one point, his face ashen and grim, to murmur quietly with Sev and the remaining guards.
It was near dawn when Daega finally stirred, the gray of the sky outside the same shade as her lovely skin.
"Len?" she croaked, her eyes not even open yet.
He sat up, stroking her cheek. "Here."
She looked up at him, blinking blearily. He was shocked when tears welled in her eyes, her uninjured hand reaching up to cup the back of his head. "You're alright. Thank the gods." She pursed her lips, clearly overwhelmed. "I was so worried," she finally managed.
Len chuckled, in utter disbelief. "I was f-fine the whole time, Dae," he told her, pressing his forehead to hers. "You w-were the one who—who—" Words failed him.
He half expected her to brush it off, like when she'd hurt her face after sparring with Tesse on that picnic lunch with her family so many long weeks ago. But she didn't. "How bad is it?" she asked instead, nerves creeping into her voice.
"I h-healed you," he murmured, nuzzling her cheek. "But it's still bad. The arrow in your leg nicked a-an a-artery. You were bleeding out. You l-lost a lot of blood. You'll have to stay off your leg and not use y-your arm for a while."
She sighed, nodding. "Yeah. A-alright." She kissed him, holding him close against her, her scent all around him, her breath fanning against his face.
It was a moment beyond precious, the only kind of home he'd ever known, and tears fell again, dripping shamefully onto her face.
Daega broke the kiss, cupping his cheek with her good hand. "What's wrong, dove?"
He shook his head, laughing shakily. "I-it's not—nothing’s w-wrong. I'm just...s-so relieved. That y-you're alright."
She smiled at him softly. "I understand. I feel the same relief that you're well." She pulled him down into her body, cuddling him close with her good arm, the right one. He had to be careful of her leg on that side, but he otherwise did his damndest to melt into her, uncaring of the eyes that fell upon them. What was the point? Anyone who would have seen them during the attack would already know they cared for each other. Maybe this was even better, for the people to see that old enemies could set anger and fear aside and choose love, instead.
The slipped into a deep slumber together, Sevren keeping his post and watching over them.
LEN AWOKE SOMEtime later to Daega sitting up abruptly, tumbling his sleeping body off of hers, and shouting, "The roof!"
She was standing and charging for the stairs before anyone could process what was happening. Len scrambled to his feet, rumpled and bleary-eyed but determined to stay by her side. "Dae? What?..."
"There might be one still on the roof that's alive. We should question them." That got him moving faster, Captain Rodrick and an especially pale Fenris staggering after them.
"Y-you shouldn't b-be walking, Dae," he chided, catching up to her. "Your l-leg i-is in pretty bad shape—"
"It feels fine. Well, notfine, but well enough. I told you, I heal fast, Len." He wanted to keep protesting, but the fact was that even with a heavy limp she was outstripping him on the stairs, so he contented himself with a deep sigh and let her lead the way.
When they made it to their room Daega strode right to the window, ducking her head out, but Len found himself frozen in the doorway, memories from last night flooding in so fast and heavy it made him dizzy. He sagged against the wall just inside the doorframe, rooted to the spot. Rodrick strode past him to join Daega at the window. They talked quietly, Daega pointing out onto the thatch roof and Rodrick climbing out to go inspect whatever she'd indicated. Len had started feeling lightheaded and faint, nausea burbling in his belly, as he'd spotted blood spatters and the severed hand of one of the invaders on the floor just beside his wife.
She seemed to notice then that he wasn't by her side, turning to him with a look of concern. "You're pale, sweet," she said, limping back over to him. "Do you want to wait in the hall? I don't want you being upset and fainting."
He shook his head, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to stand a little straighter. "I am to be king, one d-day. I sh-should get used to such things."
She cupped the back of his head with her good hand. "It's your choice, as in all things." He nodded, grateful she didn't push. But he did snatch up her hand and hold it tight as he inched closer to where Rodrick was currently dragging the limp body of one of their assailants through the window.
"Still alive, Princess," he grunted, clambering back into the room. "You damaged his spine, I think. He's not moving any of his limbs."
Len blanched at that, but he was fairly certain he still wanted to be here for this. He needed to steel himself so that he could hear for himself why all this pain and suffering had happened.
The captain laid the captive out on the floor on their belly, crouching down to do so with surprising gentleness. "Alright, I think you know what this situation is, son," Rodrick said, sounding weary. "So how are we doing this?"
