CROWN PRINCE | LES MISÉRABLES

65.

My hip was healing with time. Combeferre had ordered me to rest but obviously, rest did not exist in Annelise Robillard's vocabulary. I had taken care of my little boy, who has now gotten better. I was so incredibly proud of him. He did it so well.

"My love, Combeferre told you to rest. I am not a doctor, but I am the Crown Prince and you are my subject. I order for you to go to bed."

"I don't like laying around all day long. You know, it's my habit to move. I cannot sit still.", I said.

He did not care. He lifted me in bridal style and carried me to our bedroom. He gently put me down on the soft mattress. He had a cold cloth for my hip. I could kill him for that.

"What are you doing with that cloth?"
"Put it on your hip?"
"Oh, I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Because it's cold?"

"So what?"
"You can keep that cloth for your bloody nose if you touch my hip just once."

Our faces were just mere inches away from each other.

"Game on then.", he whispered, pushing me down.

I had a dress that was easier to wear. I did not wear many layers of petticoats so I could cool the area. I took the cloth from his hands and he snatched it right back. That went back and forth a couple of times.

"Come on, let me help you.", he begged.
"You don't need to."
"Just because you say that, doesn't mean that I don't want to do it.", he said, "now stay still."

He put the cold cloth on my hip and suppressed a scream. It was really cold but a scream could scare Timothy. He would come up here and see us like this, was not something he needed to see.

"See? Is it so bad?"
"It is very cold."
"I want to help you. Please let me help you."
"I am an independent woman and I can take care of myself."

"Just because you can, does not mean you should. Besides, I love you. Words cannot express how much love I feel for you. If you're not close, I feel frightened, lonely, bare. But with you, I finally can calm down, I feel stronger than ever before. Like nothing can stop me. So please, let me do those things for you."

He was adorable.

"I want to take care of you for the rest of my days. So let's not waste those moments."

Tears began to fill my eyes. I was moved by his words and his actions. I've only seen this love from my own parents and read about it in fairytales. I feared for the worst as a teen: I feared marrying a man I didn't and couldn't love. But now I had everything I always wanted.

I had a son, who was my precious little boy, and my fiancé, who loved me unconditionally. I had a loving family and supporting grandparents, father, and uncle. I had the support of my siblings and the grandmother of Bastien.

What more could I ever want?

"Did I make you cry?"

I nodded.

"Your words. They moved me. It reminds me of times where you'd move and guide your people in the future. They didn't rise now but who knows about it now?"

"I cannot do this again. I cannot leave you two behind. I had some money for you. It is stashed away by your father and I told him to give it to you as soon as he reads about my death. It never occurred thankfully. But still.", he whispered.

He was now lying beside me. We looked at the ceiling, with our fingers intertwined and our rings touching.

"I never took down that ring from the necklace. I prefer to hold the items I love the closest to my heart."

He kissed my knuckles. And then we fell asleep, both knowing that nothing bad would happen again. Timothy played happily in his room. And we took our sweet time to relax and love together.