The Curse on Eris

Chapter 12: Rest

After Nalsy fell asleep, Edmund came back home. He sighed as he made his way in, tired of everything that occurred.
After attending to the training grounds, he was summoned to Caspian's office for lengthy deliberations after the enemy's unusual movements had been observed by their informants.
The day was then extended further by the even lengthier interrogation for the three men captured back in Nalsy's home, a task Newly assigned to him by Caspian, who Edmund was sure tried to torture him.
Edmund threw his boots on the ground without much care and started heading for the stairwell.
But as he passed the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks. A rich smell suddenly filled his nostrils, and at the corner of his eye, he noticed something on the kitchen table.
Edmund turned around to find one plate laid on the plastic table, with multiple dishes filled with mouthwatering food around it. For a second, Edmund was sure that he either was dreaming or dying.
Not even attempting to resist the temptation, Edmund was eager to fill up his plate to the brim and devour the food in front of him. He didn't even bother heating any of it, yet the food was still delicious.
He only stopped once he felt as if his stomach was to burst, and even then, he hadn't touched half of what was prepared.
Without much thought, he tidied up and placed the leftovers in the fridge, which he was equally surprised to find well-stocked up.
Once the table was clear, he noticed his wallet in the centre of the table with receipts attached to it. He was surprised to find that Nalsy spent so little.
Unknowingly to him, a smile crept on his face. His initial annoyance towards Nalsy disappeared; instead, he mused about how easily pleased she seemed and how she tried to pay her dues by cooking.
He chuckled at her sheer stubbornness, but somehow it didn't bother him. If anything, he found it amusing.
Edmund looked at the untouched pie, skilfully prepared, just like the rest of the dinner. Then he remembered how injured she was, and he tried to imagine how she managed to cook and bake with such limited movements.
Edmund sat there for a while, silently pondering on Nalsy before he finally made his way to his bedroom, and it was already past midnight when he did. He slowed down by the bedroom in which Nalsy resided. He listened out for any movement, but hearing nothing, he slightly opened the door to ensure she was still there and safe. He felt guilty for leaving her alone for so long, asking himself what could have happened in his absence.
The moon shone through the window on the figure on the bed, barely highlighting her body which was well wrapped in the thick duvet.
She laid back to him, but Edmund could hear her steady breathing, and he was quick to observe a slight movement as she inhaled and exhaled. As his mind was put to rest, he closed the door and continued walking down the corridor to the neighbouring bedroom.
Without much ado, Edmund threw himself onto his bed in the hope of rest, which came to him surprisingly quickly, unlike every night before.

***

In the morning, Nalsy walked downstairs and found Edmund clattering in the kitchen again. Most of the items on the worktop disappeared, and now Edmund was dishing out food that he bought first thing this morning.
"Good morning", Edmund welcomed her cheerfully.
"Good morning" Nalsy furrowed her brows with curiosity. Edmund's smile made Nalsy stop in her tracks. Without knowing why, it felt as if her stomach started twisting at the sight of Edmund's excitement, which Nalsy wouldn't otherwise consider being noteworthy.
"Come on, sit down. I brought some breakfast." Edmund placed two plates on the table, pouring juice into two glasses. "Where did you find plates?" He asked, looking at the decorative set on the table.
"I found two plates under the sink and three more across the top cupboards," Nalsy answered, sitting down opposite Edmund.
"That's great," Edmund replied, pleased. Nalsy wondered what happened to put Edmund in such a good mood as she started picking at the food in front of her.
Edmund caught himself observing Nalsy. He inwardly told himself off. "I hope it's still warm. If not, I'll reheat it," he said, concerned still trying his hardest to not stare at Nalsy. This morning, Nalsy's face finally started recovering to its original shape as the swelling began to go down. Her big almond-shaped eyes were now unobstructed, with her eyelids losing their puffiness. Her face had round cheeks and a distinctive chin. She was very pale, probably from the blood loss, Edmund thought to himself.
"It's fine," Nalsy said quickly as she made her way through the food in front of her. Her appetite still hasn't returned, and even though she found the food delicious, she couldn't bear more than a few bites.
"You didn't have to cook last night. You're still unwell" he looked up at her wondering how she managed to cook with the cast and brace on her hands.
"At the moment, that's the only way I can thank you for your help" Nalsy was acting shyer today, mainly looking down at the food or the table
"I would be happy to hire a cook if you don't want to eat takeaways", Edmund suggested as he grew concerned for Nalsy's health.
"If you don't like my cooking, then hire one" Nalsy felt hurt at his suggestion, and her sharp tone showed it.
"I loved it," Edmund said defensively. "Did you buy everything that you needed?"
"Yes," she answered, embarrassed. They continued eating in silence for a while. Nalsy felt very awkward as she still didn't warm up to Edmund, and Edmund wasn't the most talkative person. As uncomfortable as Nalsy felt in the silence, Edmund didn't mind it.
"How was your day yesterday?" Nalsy broke the silence at last.
"It was alright" his short answer didn't make the conversation flow. "I'll do the dishes, go to bed", Edmund ordered at the end of the meal.
"But I just got up." Nalsy looked at him, confused.
"I'm pretty sure that you're meant to rest." Edmund gave her a stern look.
"I can't stay in bed all day," Nalsy said in a challenging tone.
"Why not?"
"It's boring," Nalsy said jokingly, but truthfully, she felt bad for sitting around and doing nothing.
"What would make it less boring?"
"If there's a library nearby, I'd be happy to walk over and get some books," she suggested excitedly.
"I'll bring you some," Edmund said, and Nalsy sighed in defeat. She hesitantly agreed to Edmund's suggestion.
After breakfast, Edmund disappeared outside, and Nalsy hid in her bedroom. Half an hour later, she heard Edmund coming back and running up the stairs. "The librarian suggested these", Edmund said as he knocked on an open bedroom's door. His cheeks were flushed in the lightest shade of pink from the run.
"You didn't have to! That's a lot of books! Thank you!" Nalsy jumped up with excitement. She ran over with a slight limp and gave him a brief hug, something she was accustomed to doing with her friends, but something that was very alien to Edmund. His body stiffened up with her touch. "I'm sorry," she said, noticing his reaction. "I'm not going to do that again." She shrunk in herself and took the pile of books off him.
"It's alright," Edmund said after the moment. He tried to be reassuring, but he felt conflicted about it. He didn't have many close friends or family, and he simply never had a chance to get used to physical contact with others. His reaction was of surprise, not that of being angry or repulsed by Nalsy, which she thought was the real reason for it.
What confused Edmund was how electrifying Nalsy's touch felt. That split second hug sent a shiver and radiated unexpected warmth across his body. "I'd discourage it for the sake of your foot," Edmund added seriously, watching Nalsy limp across the room with the books and laying them down on the empty bookcase by the armchair. Nalsy nodded while already distracted by the books. "You need to rest to heal," Edmund added as if he were giving out the orders.
"I'm resting," Nalsy said while still standing and looking at the book covers.
"Sit or lay down!" Edmund ordered. Nalsy looked back at him with dissatisfaction and some disbelief. After all, who was he to order HER around? To his surprise, she didn't react to his stern voice with obedience as his soldiers would often do. She sat down dramatically, looking back at Edmund with a scowl.
"Happy?" She asked, annoyed.
"Yes," Edmund said, trying not to laugh at her behaviour. He shook his head on the way out, and as soon as he was outside of the house, he let out a brief chuckle. He went to work with a wide smile.