Delphinium, or A Necromancer's Home (TCoLaD Book 2)

Blancræft

~ (Continued) Siwenday, 19th of Aprilis, 11831 ~

Pierre would not let her out of bed. And not, as she desired in her thoughts, as her husband. Her cough last night had worried him and he ordered her to rest today so that her illness would not resurface. It had been endearing to hear last night when she had been unwell, so she quickly agreed, but this morning she felt fine and did not truly wish to stay here all day.

"And what am I to do all day?" Lizzy asked him, crossing her arms. "Play solitaire?" They had eaten breakfast together and the dishes had been laid in the hall so they would be taken for cleaning, the door open so the guards could be construed as chaperons (Síofra had left them with a wink as she had gone to have breakfast with Renaud). Pierre had then returned to her side, Pluta jumping up into his lap.

"Solitaire is a good choice, as would be reading, though I do not see why I cannot keep you company," the duc said.

"Because you will not use me as an excuse to continue hiding. You are the duc, and while I know you are busy working with Lord Elwin and helping Alise, ignoring your other advisors because they did not do enough will not help. Some of them did not even have a way of knowing! Lord Tibault came to Spadille only some days before you yourself."

"I will make you a deal," he replied, scratching his familiar under her chin. She raised a paw to swat at him. "You rest in bed for today and I will speak with Vivien." Lizzy did not need to know that he had already intended to talk to his steward.

Before the girl could answer he yelped in pain, looking down at Pluta who had bit him. The cat smirked and jumped over to the bed before he could scold her.

"Oh, let me," Elizabeth said, reaching out to take his hand and moving closer. She took his glove off, revealing a small puncture, before he took back his hand and cupped her cheek instead, running his injured thumb over her lips. She kissed it.

"Monsieur," she whispered. He smiled, feeling the connection of their souls as the scant touch of blood was enough.

"I was just letting you help, as you desired," he said, showing her his hand and the now-healed skin. Her lips were red—from the intimacy or from his blood?

"And is there anything you desire?" she asked. In reply he raised her chin and kissed her. While attending her as a lover his hand wandered, caressing her jaw and throat, performing cræft in every movement.

A few of the microanimalia from the time she was ill were present when some days ago there were none. So the vampire's presence might bring the illness and awaken it? Had she not been cured before, but it become merely dormant?

She was thankfully neither too warm nor too cold, and her throat felt as it should with no swelling. He only barely managed to stop his hand from traveling too low, intent to only check her heartbeat and realizing as he did so that it would not be seen as such.

She was flush when he pulled back but that he attributed that to the kiss.

"I agree to the deal, Your Grace," she said, her voice a bit unsteady. His own mind was somewhat hazy after the kiss. Lizzy laying in bed before him, hair mussed from sleep, in a modest nightgown but a nightgown nonetheless. Her protests that she was well, and evidence with how she looked and acted, made it difficult for him to try and remain as only a friend and physician.

"Then I shall go find my steward immediately, my lady. Though... I do believe Lord Vivien is teaching you blancræft, no?"

"Yes. Or well, he said he would, on Iundays. After I began to help with Alise there was no time to begin last week."

"If you do not mind, since we know that those who practice blancræft can help this illness, perhaps your lesson can be today? I would prefer a blancmage near you."