Moon of Misfortunes

14

"While we are," the Elder paused briefly while maintaining a neutral expression, "sorry for your loss, I am here to inform you that your appeal trial will continue as requested by yourself."

"You can't be serious," Rubio cut in, his eyes darkening as they locked onto the Elder. 

The Elder shifted uncomfortably under his burning gaze, clearly intimidated by Rubio's fierce presence.

"I am," the Elder affirmed, though his voice wavered slightly. 

Rubio took a strong step forward, forcing the Elder to step back. Rubio's posture became more imposing, his broad shoulders squaring as he seemed to grow larger, more formidable. The Elder glanced at me wide-eyed, gulping nervously before looking back at Rubio.

"She needs more time, and you will respect that," Rubio's voice was firm, a deep baritone that resonated with authority. 

The Elder stared at him for a moment, the tension in the room palpable. Finally, he nodded a couple of times, clearly thrown off by Rubio's commanding presence.

"Understood," the Elder huffed out, quickly retreating from the room.

Once the door closed behind him, Rubio turned to me, his face softening with concern. 

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, his eyes searching mine.

I nodded, though my heart still pounded from the confrontation. He reached out and took my hand, his touch warm and reassuring. 

"What's going to happen now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Rubio sighed, his eyes reflecting the same uncertainty that I felt. 

"We need to be careful. The Council is determined to see this through, but we have to be smart about our next steps. As for right now, you need to rest."

"Can I rest in my own room? I don't want to be in here anymore," I breathed out, motioning around the sterile room. "I'm really uncomfortable here."

"Let me ask if you're cleared to leave. With your healing, you should be relatively okay." Rubio furrowed his brow at that.

"How long was I out?" I asked, clearly confused by his comment. He looked hesitant, unsure how to explain the situation. He crossed his arms, causing his biceps to strain against his black t-shirt.

"A few days," he said slowly. "They kept you sedated to help you heal. They were going to wake you up, but then we got news that made your doctors rethink that."

"And what was the news?" I huffed out. He sucked in a breath, shaking his head softly. 

He approached me, allowing his arms to relax at his sides. He pulled a chair up to my bed, his knees almost touching the side of the mattress. He reached his right hand out, resting it on my lower thigh. The contact caused my stomach to flutter quickly. His thumb gently rubbed a few circles, offering comfort as he broke the news.

"Nikolai marked another during your surgery. You were very touch and go for a while," he said, carefully gauging my reaction. 

My mind felt completely blank. I felt myself grin before I laughed, really laughed.

"Are you serious?" I chuckled out. He frowned at my reaction, looking distressed at my sudden outburst.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, concerned about his shift in demeanor.

"I thought you would be upset about him doing that," he stated.

"I already moved on from him, Rubio. I moved on from our relationship a long time ago. What little we had was gone well before the Council took me," I said firmly.