Chosen

Chapter 15

A bump woke me and I was vaguely aware I was laying down in the carriage.

My head was on Finn's thigh like a pillow and his vest draped over my shoulder.

I felt him brush the hair from my face with his fingers.

I sighed, content, and drifted back to sleep.

~

"Congratulations!" Cedric called and hugged me.

"Oh, Cedric!" I hugged him back, "Thank you."

I turned and grabbed Finn's hand. I looked in a mirror on the wall and saw both of us smiling. Me in a lacey white dress, him in a handsome black suit.

Pulling me to him, he kissed me sweetly.

"I love you," I told him and kissed him again.

"I love you more, Princess Rowan Wentworth," Finn grinned at me.

~

My head was pounding in pain. I groaned and rolled over in my bed.

My bed?

I sat up and thought I might be sick.

"Here, Lady Rowan, drink this." Norma handed me a small vial of blue liquid. I looked up at her confused.

"It's from the palace healer, for when you've drunk too much," she smiled sweetly and removed the cap for me.

I drank it in one gulp. It tasted like peppermint.

"Now this," she said and handed me a massive glass of water.

My throat was so dry, I drank half of the glass in seconds.

"What time is it?" I asked and looked around the room. All my curtains were drawn so I had no way of knowing.

"Probably about nine," Norma said and took my glass, she set it on my night table. "Can I get you anything else? Some food maybe?"

The idea of food made my stomach turn.

"No, no food, thank you," I said and massaged my temples.

She sat down in a chair next to my bed that had a pile of folded clothes next to it.

I guess she had been here a while. I felt bad making her look after me. Pulling a shirt on her lap, she started sewing its torn sleeve back together.

"Norma, how did I get here?"

"Prince Finneas brought you up. Gave all of us a fright. Poor Ella, one of the younger maids, thought you were dead," she rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Oh," was all I said.

I tried to replay the last part of the day in my head but it was pretty fuzzy.

The feeling of being carried and nuzzling into Finn's neck came to mind.

Oh no. What did I do while I was drunk?! Did I say anything? More importantly, did I do anything?!

"Um, Norma?" I asked, trying to sound casual and not panicked at all.

"Yes, Lady Rowan?"

"Did Finn say anything before he left?" I looked at my nails like it wasn't a big deal.

When she didn't reply I looked up at her. She looked a little pale and was looking side to side biting her lip like she was debating telling me something.

"Well, he seemed very happy when he brought you in, the happiest I've seen him in years, in fact. He said, 'This girl has the tolerance of a snowflake,' and told us you had too much to drink and to take care of you. But then, well..." Norma looked back at her sewing.