Midnight Rain:

Chapter 40: A Bee:

"So, is that why you spend so much time in the gardens?" Anthony asked, walking with his wife around the gardens like they love to do.

"My father... He loved to garden. He taught me and Amelia when we were very young. As soon as I learned to walk, I was walking around the gardens with him. I watched how he seemed relaxed by the time out in nature." Evelina smiled, thinking of her father. "He also gave me my passion for the stars. Introducing me to worlds that might be outside of ours. The stars are like a path. Did you know that sailors use the stars as a map? They can plot their courses with only the stars, and this incredible invention is called a sextant. It decyphers their maps. Like a code." Evelina smiled, looking at her husband, who had stopped walking for a moment to admire his wife. "What is it, my lord?" She asked, watching him smile at her.

"You interest me, my dear... I seem to always learn something from you." He smiled, letting out a chuckle.

"I do hope that is a good thing, my lord." She smiled at him as he nodded, chuckling.

"Of course, it is..." He smiled at her.

"Then, I must tell you about this one scholar... He--" Evelina began to say, but Anthony's smile turned to fear when he saw a small, flying creature approaching them.

"Do not move." He exclaimed, making Evelina furrow her brows as she seemed not to notice the bee flying around her chest.

"What?"

"Stand still..." He said as Evelina's brows furrowed as he grabbed her upper arm harshly, his eyes focused on the creature. He began to pant as his breath staggered.

Evelina followed his gaze, seeing the bee that landed on the fabric of her gown. She moved to swat it away since she had encountered many bees before because of her time in the gardens.

"No! Do not! Leave it!" he yelled at her as the bee began to fly around again.

"It is only a bee, my lord-- Ow!" Evelina tried to say calmly before the bee stung her around the collarbone area.

"Are you hurt?" Anthony asked as his eyes widened.

"What?" She asked him, groaning a bit from the slight sting.

"Can you breathe?" He asked, beginning to panic.

"It is only a sting... Of course, my lord." Evelina said softly, furrowing her brows.

"Are you certain?" His voice began to crack as he looked mortified.

"My lord?" She asked, seeing him struggle to control his breathing

"No, no. Do not--" He began to stutter.

"My lord?" She asked him, seeing him struggle to get his words out.

"Do not--" He began to breathe heavily as if he could not breathe at all.

"I am unharmed. I am unharmed." She said, taking one of his hands to hold it over her chest, where she got stung. She took his other hand, holding it to his chest. She looked into his eyes, smiling at him to know that it would be okay. "It was just a bee." She said, almost as a whisper, when she moved so that their foreheads touched together. "It was a bee..." She said as his breathing started to slow down.

She moved to hold the back of his head, lowering it to keep him close to her. She kissed his cheek as she continued to hold his hand to her chest.

"It is okay, my lord... I've got you." She said, kissing his head again as he began to calm down from his worries.

~season 2, episode 3: "A Bee in Your Bonnet"~

~591 words~