The Taming

A Mate Is

WaterRose, Meadow Mountain, Grier Country SEBASTIAN

It'd been days since the last time Elsabet and Sebastian spoke. Even after he'd returned from finding Rhyers to relieve Acharius. He'd come back only to find she had no interest in being in his company.

It's been days since we conversed.

Truth was, he dearly missed it. With his brothers, it was always updates on important matters.

Talking with her was different. It was a bit of brightness to his day. A touch of mental sparring and goading to bring him a touch of joy.

She was always lively, there was no boring day with her.

Elsabet had chastised him much that he'd risen and commenced his journeys too soon after his brush with death. But he hadn't heeded her until he'd been in the dining hall. Trying to will himself to eat some of Elengard's fine meat pie, when he'd felt the peripheral of his vision cinching in. Like someone was drawing the string on a cloth bag. His purview shrank smaller and smaller. His head grew light, and he began sweating.

He gripped the edge of the table to steady himself, but his hands fumbled over the smooth wood. He tipped out of his chair. Thudding to the floor.

"Elsabet!" Elengard screeched. Rushing into the dining hall to scoop his large frame under his arms. "He's gone down again."

"Dammit!" Elsabet raged.

Even in his state, Sebastian could hear the string of curses she emitted.

"I told him it was too soon! Is he running a fever? He is, isn't he?" The raw fury in her tone made him dread waking.

He felt himself slipping further into the comforting arms of darkness and he lost all awareness then. Knowing there would be hell to pay when she had words with him again.

***

"I know you're awake." She accused. "I can see your eyelids fluttering."

"I don't want to be awake."

"You don't want to hear what I have to say. You, infuriating snip of a man!"

"Snip?" He blinked his eyes open frowning. "Do you mean slip?"

"I know what I mean!"

He shook his head, willing to defer to her wording.

"Why do you never listen to me!"

"I should listen to you more." He confessed. Grimacing because the words pained him to say. But he was rewarded with her sputtering. She'd clearly expected a fight.

Seeing he had a moment to explain, he took it. "I knew when I felt myself falling from the table that I had errored."

"You knew because I'd rant?"

He chuckled in a self-deprecating way. "No, Elsabet. You rarely rant when it is not warranted. I regretted that I'd given you another reason to rant at me."

She looked a little flabbergasted.

"Despite what you may think," He slid his back further up his pillows which were piled behind him. Sitting up so he could face her on a more equal level rather than staring up at her angry features. "I don't enjoy provoking you."

"Yes, you do."

He sighed. "Yet again you're correct. Let me clarify. I love provoking you. I enjoy teasing you. But I don't savor causing you worry or frustrating you with my behavior."

"Then stop doing it."

He laughed outright. "Such a woman of words."

Her gaze roved his face. The bowl she had cradled in her hands lowered and she gave him a sincere look. "Why can't you just ever rest."