All I Need ✔️

Chapter 48

Safania's POV

"You're awake."

I sat up and looked around the room. Sunlight streamed in from the window onto my bed. Sitting next to me was Emalina with her embroidery hoop.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm feeling fine," I said, surprised. "Better than fine actually. I feel good."

"We were really worried about you," she said, looking at the corner of the room. In the corner was Cassius, lying on the floor. He had a blanket and pillow and looked sound asleep.

"He would rather sleep on the floor than in his room?"

"He won't leave," Emalina replied. "He's been here the whole time."

"What do you mean the whole time?" I asked. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About a day," she replied.

A day? I had been asleep for an entire day?

"He never left the room," Emalina continued. "He insisted on staying in here. He didn't go to training, he didn't go to his meetings, he cancelled everything to stay here with you. Call me crazy, but I think he just might have a thing for you," she said with a small smirk. "Now come on, let's get you cleaned up."

She helped me out of bed into my familiar wheelchair. "Is this necessary?" I asked quietly, not wanting to wake Cassius. I felt completely fine.

"Prince's orders. And since I think I've defied enough of them for a lifetime, I'm actually going to follow this one," Emalina said firmly.

Emalina wheeled me into the bathroom and drew up a bath. She helped me out of my torn, bloody dress, and eased me into the tub.

"Did he hurt you?" I asked her as I washed myself.

"Not at all. He had Alton come get me from the dungeon. I was given some time to clean up, and then a guard came and brought me to your room. Prince Cassius explained that you were sick and that he was keeping an eye on you, but he wanted me here too in case he fell asleep."

Emalina grabbed a towel from the corner shelf for when I was finished and put it next to the tub.

"He told me you told him everything," she continued. "And he said that he isn't going to hurt you. I always had a feeling that you could trust him with this, but I'm so relieved I was right."

I shook my head. "The only reason I told him is because he threatened to have you executed. If he's capable of that, he's capable of anything."

"Saffy, that was a bluff. He would never have done that."

"How do you know that?"

"Because he told me everything," Emalina explained. "I know that you and the prince have a special bond. But you also should understand that I've known him for years and just might understand him a little better than you do. He told me that he needed to know what this big secret was, and he realized this might be the only way you would ever tell him. He thought a threat on my life would outweigh your fear. Which, thanks, by the way."

"So you're not mad at him?" I asked.

Emalina shook her head. "I don't keep secrets from the prince, so this has been a huge weight on me. I don't blame you of course – I know it was a risk to tell him and I understand why you didn't. But I'm so relieved it's over. If threatening my life is what it took to get everything out in the open...I'm okay with that."

Emalina was surprisingly tolerant about all of this. I'm not sure I would have been so understanding if someone threatened my life, even if it was just a bluff.