The Seven Deadly Kingdoms

Chapter 17

At some point in the two soldiers' embrace, Adelaide had fallen asleep. At least, she assumed she did. There was a high possibility that she had fainted from the cold.

Adelaide woke up in a rather comfortable cot lined with hay and a thin sheet. She sat up, taking in her surroundings. She was inside the tent that she fell beside, and now that she focused her eyes, she noticed the tools and machinery that lined the tent. Was she in the armory?

"How are you feeling?" Andrew whispered, startling Adelaide. She jerked back slightly, frightened by the sudden noise. When she saw that it was just Andrew, her shoulders relaxed and she smiled softly. Andrew handed her a cup of tea, making this her third tea of the night. Adelaide feared if she drank one more drop of tea she might throw up, but she took the mug anyway, craving the warmth it radiated.

"I'm feeling alright. Did I faint?" She asked, cringing at herself. Andrew laughed and shook his head. "No, you just fell asleep is all. I was guessing it had been a hard night for you, so I brought you back here to get some rest. I wasn't sure where you stay.." He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling slightly. Adelaide laughed at his shyness. "Oh, well thank you. I would much rather be here than in my cot," Her eyes trailed to the floor as she thought about what she had just experienced just hours ago. "I'm so sorry to inconvenience you like this, Andrew. But thank you for your help. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there."

Andrew's smile fell to a frown as he sat beside Adelaide on the cot. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened? It's alright if you don't want to talk about it, I just want to help." He whispered. He had known that Adelaide was in a sensitive state and wanted to take care of her, and that warmed Adelaide's heart. She didn't really want to tell him about what had happened to her, but maybe it would feel better to let it out.

"Well.. I ran into General Toski," She said, attempting to be vague about how she had met the general, "and he.. He tried to.. force me to.." Andrew's eyes widened and he put a hand over her mouth, not letting her finish the sentence. Adelaide's eyes pooled with tears as she met his gaze, reliving the memory. Adelaide noticed that Andrew's eyes were slightly glazed with tears as well. He must have known what she was implying.

Without another word, Andrew pulled Adelaide into another tight embrace, holding onto her as if she had just returned home after a long war. The man barely even knew Adelaide, yet he still wanted to comfort her.

Adelaide, again, let her tears fall. "Adelaide.. I am so incredibly sorry. What a cruel, heartless man he must be." Andrew pulled away from the hug, holding onto her shoulders and locking his eyes on hers. "Are you ok? Did he.. hurt you? How did you get away?" He questioned, brows furrowed. Adelaide tried to muster a smile but failed. She looked down to her folded hands in embarrassment, not wanting Andrew to know what had almost happened to her. "I'm ok.. he didn't do anything. I broke his arm and just ran away as far as I could, then collapsed from the cold and shock where you found me. I was more hurt by the cold than I was him." She laughed slightly, but Andrew gave no response. He just continued to stare at Adelaide, dumbfounded at what had happened to her.

After a few long seconds, Andrew shook his head and stood up, grabbing several blankets from a nearby bin. Adelaide noticed that she was still shivering rather violently. She definitely had gotten hypothermia. Andrew wrapped the blankets around Adelaide's shoulders, tucking her now frizzy hair behind her ears. He gave her a sympathetic smile and kneeled in front of her. "You can stay here as long as you want, Adelaide. I won't let anyone know you're here." He whispered. For the first time since she had awoken earlier that night, Adelaide genuinely smiled. She didn't deserve to have a friend as loving as Andrew. This man had only known her a couple of months, and he already cared for her as if she were family.