The Archangel's Search

"My heart is, and always will be, yours." - Sense and Sensibility

Seraphina

It was the tenderness at her torso that woke Seraphina up and the thirst in her mouth. She opened her eyes and saw only darkness. At that moment, she wondered whether she was in heaven and this is judgement, waiting for Lord Death to welcome or scold her. A slight movement made her feel for her knife that was usually under her pillow but it wasn’t. Suddenly, a candle lit up and shone light on the grave face of her husband.

He placed the candle by her bedside table before he forced much needed water and medicine down her throat. She greedily welcomed the moisture and despite the strange taste of the water, she gulped it down like a willing patient. All through this, Michael neither spoke nor lectured her and Seraphina was grateful…yet at the same time, worried. When she drained the cup, Seraphina looked around the room to find that she was in her martial bed and it was night. A leather couch was pulled close to her vast bed and she realised that Michael must’ve watched over her while she recovered.

“What happened?” she asked thickly. Michael didn’t answer straight away but took the empty cup from her hands and moved to a side table to refill it and at the same time, he pulled the servant bell. He then returned to her and pushed the cup towards her again.

“You took a poisonous arrow and then went into a coma for nearly three weeks”, he answered. Seraphina looked up at Michael in shock over the news but then got a bigger shock when she saw how haggard and weary her husband was. Did he never leave her side, she asked herself. Did he worry himself to death while he watched over her, she wondered. Suddenly, immense regret and sorrow spread through Seraphina for she didn’t deserve Michael at all.

She looked up at her husband again and realised that he was avoiding her eyes. She wanted his forgiveness and for him to reassure her that he still cared for her but she never did because a knock sounded and servants baring a bowl of soup and a change of clothes entered. For the rest of the remaining day, Seraphina was forced to eat and sleep, which wasn’t too bad because she still felt tired from an exertion that she didn’t know about. The next morning was better except she was a bit disorientated and distressed because she didn’t know how she fell asleep and Michael was no longer in the room.

For the next three days, her routine was eat and sleep and each time, Michael was never there and it pained Seraphina even more when the leather couch moved back to its original place against the wall. It was like he was avoiding her and Seraphina was not coping well with it. On the 5th day, Seraphina woke up early, showered and made herself breakfast while the household slept. She didn’t know where Michael slept and at this moment, she didn’t want to know. It was already too obvious and late; Michael was definitely with Melody.

Dressed in her fine commander uniform, Seraphina spread out her wings and smiled slightly at the freedom that her wings felt after all those times confined and tightly folded. Then with a little push from her booted feet, Seraphina pushed off from the ground and flew hard. Once she regained familiarity, she tried out tricks and was happy to see that the injury did not hinder her skills. She then flew as fast as she could away from Michael’s manor and into the little retreat she made for herself away from the Gloria public and their gossips.

She was happy to see that the lake manor was well taken care off and landed by the lake to take a few moments to herself. She sat on a rock, which was big enough for her to lie on with her hands behind her head and stare up at the night sky. Then a breeze disturbed that peace causing Seraphina to look up and take stance only to be confronted by the commanding form of her husband.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded. The coldness that coated his words hurt Seraphina for a moment before she remembered that she was a commander and she should never show weakness.