Sanity

10. A Minor Setback

"I humbly beg your forgiveness, your majesties," the man bumbled as soon as he approached them, stumbling slightly as he fell to his knees with a thud. He was outrageously out of breath, his chubby cheeks glistening with sweat and flushed in colour. His suspenders that were draped over his white shirt were half attached, one clip swinging by his knees, and Jaelyn could see the sweat pooling beneath his arms. Jaelyn's eyes widened instinctively as she stepped forward, kneeling before the man.

"Sir, are you alright?" she asked quickly. "What happened to you?"

"I rushed to get here from the hospital on the other side of Rokq, my Lady," he panted, a few strands of curly black hair falling to his face and sticking to his scalp. "Please forgive me, I came as soon as I was physically able!"

"Are you in good health?" Jaelyn pressed, searching the man for injuries.

The man tried catching his breath and replying to Jaelyn as quickly as he could. "It is not me, it is my wife," he managed to choke out, his breathing slowly becoming steadier and steadier. "She went into labour as I was meant to come here, and I had to take her to the hospital."

"Sir, why are you even here?" Jaelyn demanded. "You should be with your wife! She is giving birth to your child!"

"But..." the man cowered slightly, "I was summoned by the Queen. I had to come."

"No offence to the Queen, but I think your child's birth is more important than some stupid dancing lesson. Go."

"But-"

"I said go!" Jaelyn shot back, struggling to contain a laugh. "It is your family! Do not worry about the Queen, I will deal with her. I promise."

The man hesitated, glancing over Jaelyn's shoulder to William, looking to see if this was serious or not.

"Go!" Jaelyn laughed, and the man stood up quickly, grabbing Jaelyn's hands and kissing them as many times as he could as he went to move backwards at the same time.

"Thank you, your Highness, thank you, thank you so much," he sobbed, backtracking towards the doors he came through until there was almost a visible trail of smoke following him out. Jaelyn rose to her feet, a smile plastered to her face.

"That was... sweet," William's voice spoke from behind her finally, and she turned to look at him. He was studying her with a look she had become accustomed to seeing on his beautiful features. Some kind of adoration.

"What, did you expect me to force him to teach us to dance when the woman he loves is in the hospital on the other side of the city giving birth to his child?" she demanded.

"Not at all," he replied, a small smile staying on his lips. "I just..." his voice trailed off as he ran a hand through his tousled hair, suddenly looking frustrated.

"What?" Jaelyn asked, suddenly panicked. "Will?"

He looked at her, almost tortured, as he crossed the floor to stand right in front of her, cupping her face with his gentle hands. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to fall out of love with you," he whispered, and before she could even react with a changed expression, he had brought her face right in front of his and smashed his lips into hers, entangling their breaths in a toxic addiction Jaelyn couldn't seem to bring herself to pull away from. She responded to his passion in turn, unable to stop herself from merging their lips together as if it was the only way they could breathe, through each other.

"Shit," William gasped abruptly as he pulled back, discontinuing the sparks that were shooting between them with one step backward. Jaelyn stumbled slightly at the sudden loss of him, almost moaning in disappoint at the sudden amount of space between them. She blinked a few times, as if bringing herself out of a trance, feeling a strange tingling sensation spread through her entire body. She had never felt anything like it before.