Her Maiden

Chapter Thirteen: Gather

When you briefly awaken, half asleep, in the small hours of the night, you find Alcina is beginning to shift, as though she is about to get up and out of the bed.

You whine groggily and roll over, so you are now facing her. Through sleepy eyes you see hers gazing back at you, wide awake.

"Please, don't go," you whisper, trying not to break the stillness of the castle in these quiet hours where most would be asleep. You aren't entirely convinced, in your half conscious state, that you even said the words aloud.

Without thinking, you nestle closely against her, shutting your eyes, already feeling sleep once again overwhelming you.

You murmur contentedly to yourself when you feel her shift again, only this time, to bring herself closer to you. Her arms snake around you, pressing you to her chest, making you feel secure and comforted and held.

You feel her fingers play gently with your hair, as she whispers something you can't quite make out, to herself, before she kisses you gently on your forehead. You relish the feeling of her soft lips against your skin and sigh, happily, nuzzling into her a little closer.

You breathe her scent in, deeply. She smells of roses, jasmine and blood. You no longer feel disconcerted by the scent, rather it comes to you as a familiar comfort - because it's her.

You feel blissfully safe and at ease as you listen to the sound of her heartbeat as you lay, cocooned in the sanctuary of soft bedsheets together, just you and her, as the rest of the world slept.

The world could wait, you think. This, right now, was all you could ever want. She was holding you, protecting you. This woman who all at once was your lover, saviour, mistress and captor. She was an enigma, a puzzle of so many ill-fitting, conflicting pieces - yet you found yourself bewitched by each and every one. You didn't need to understand them in order to appreciate them. As long as she wanted you, you would inevitably be hers, you realise.

For whatever inexplicable reasoning, you would always be hers.

❦

In the morning, you awaken to find yourself, once again, left in an empty bed. Your heart sinks.

Then you hear the familiar sound of a metal quill scrawling over paper, just a few feet away and you find yourself filled with a surge of pleasant surprise.

You rouse, propping yourself up on your elbows to see Alcina sitting at her writing desk, once again busied with the task of what you can only assume is corresponding with wine merchants.

Once again, she is seemingly too preoccupied to acknowledge you, only this time, you decide to take a little bit of initiative.

You slide off of the high bed, clutching a silken blanket around your naked frame and make your way over to her.

"Good morning, my lady," you smile, brightly.

She pauses, but she doesn't seem irritated as you had half-expected. Rather, she turns, a small smile flirting on the edges of her lips, her hand meeting your chin, cupping your face.

"Good morning, pet. I am glad that you slept well. Someone should be along to draw your bath soon," she smiles, "you can go back to bed, if you like. Have a long lie."

You would much rather stay close to her.

"May I sit beside you instead, my lady? I promise that I won't be a bother," you offer, looking down a little, shyly.

She looks a little surprised but then her smile widens at this.

"Of course, pet. Just don't distract me," she allows.