Rose

Ch.8

When I came to, the fire had dimmed. I could tell based on the chill I was getting up my spine. With a yawn I sit up and stretch my head pounded slightly. I wince and look around my room before my eyes landed on him. Percival.

I get up unsteadily, Making sure to be quiet. He was sound asleep, his palm planted in his cheek and his elbow on the arm of his chair. He was sure to have a painful neck. I make my way closer to hun and shake him by the shoulder lightly.

"Come. Lay in my bed." I tell him as I place an an arm under his. He groans and his head lolls slightly before his eyes flutter open and he looks at me surprise. I flush as I realize what it sounded like.

    "I'm sorry, Percival. I... I meant that you can sleep in the bed whilst I call Senora for a bath." He nods and stands up towering over me easily now. He pats my head before moving past me and laying down on top of my covers. I smile briefly before I grab his cloak and throw it over him as a makeshift blanket. He gazes at me with a blankness before closing his eyes tiredly.

I ring the rope and step outside of the room to wait on her so we don't bother his dozing. I couldn't believe he agreed to sleeping there. Or that he stayed all night.

    "Tipaza, why are you outside your room in your condition?" She exclaims hurrying over to me. I was leaning against the wall from the pain in my knees. I wave her off with a chuckle.

"Can you take me to bathe? And maybe help me redress my wounds and redress me." I ask her and she only scoffs at my hardheaded-ness but finally smiles and goes to swing her arm around my waist as support for our walk. She ridicules me the whole way but it only made me smile at my feet.

"Here we are tipaza, I'll call Camille to get your clothes and I'll bring breakfast for you both back to your room." She tells me as she goes to step back out of the room but I stop her by gripping her wrist.

"Please be as silent as possible. I don't want to wake the prince after all he has done for me." I tell her shyly as step closer to the tub. She smirks at me and winks.

"Maids honor my dear." She says cheerily before leaving me be. I smile at the door she disappeared behind and I grab the pot of warmed water from the fireplace with cloth around my hands and pour it into the tub. I busy myself with grabbing a new towel and cloth for washing, albeit, slowly.

Once I'd gathered my items the water was no longer skin peeling hot. I dip inside and wince at the scrapes and cuts hitting the water. I grit my teeth before lowering myself completely into the bath and the burn of the cuts fading. I smile and relax slightly into the tub further.

I go ahead and wash up completely as Camille finally stepped inside and I call to her to come around the privacy screen. I no longer felt self conscious around this woman that's for sure.

"I'm done now, but could you assist me to dry off and sit quickly. I'm fairly sure my legs have some sort of injury beyond scrapes." I groan as I push myself slowly to stand with Camille hurrying to help by gripping my under arms. I say a quick gratitude before she dries my back and the back of my legs. And she sits me down swiftly.

"Well you're in quite the state." She sternly states as she wrapped a lilac dressing robe around me for my consciousness. I smile at her kindly and she gives me the smallest smile back. On the inside there was an uproar of accomplishment screaming that we'd made the hardass maid smile.

"I'll clean and redress your injuries before I'll dress you. I grabbed another nightgown-ish dress I found. Hopefully it's nice enough for your day but not informal enough to look like your lazy." She rambled to me as she gathers ointments and cloths for tying around.