Kingmaker

Nightmares #1

In the early hours of the morning, Ava woke with a start. Her breathing ragged as she sat bolt upright. Her eyes refusing to settle on the room around her as she clenched her fists in her hair, tears spilling from the edges of her eyes. Her torso shivered violently as she cried silently, her breathing never taking a steadier pace. She let out a whimper from her lips, taking in sharp breaths as her mind raced with her capture by York. The memories twisting and replaying over and over.
Sir Richard had shifted slightly to get more comfortable, feeling that Ava had moved. In his weary state, he opened his eyes ever so slightly. Only then did he pick up on the sound of Ava's staggered breathing and whimpering in the darkness. He quickly scrambled to his knees, nearly falling off of the sofa they had fallen asleep on; before he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Usually, she would know it was him. But tonight. She screamed and cried, trying to pull away from him. Her mind still locked in the nightmare as Sir Richard desperately tried to calm her. When he finally managed to pin her arms at her sides, he rested his head close to hers. "Sshh. It's Richard, Ava. It's just me" he whispered in her ear, keeping a firm grip on her arms. 
When she finally calmed enough for him to release her, he sighed. Keeping his head close to hers as he shifted his arms around her torso properly. Feeling her hands lock onto his forearms tightly as she cried softly; relaxing back against him. All he could do was hold her tightly. Making sure he knew it was him that held her and not Sir Henry Stafford. The nightmare had been aggressive, and in her thrashing, crying and screaming; she'd tore open a few of her stitches in her face. Small trails of blood leading from them. "It's just me" he whispered again, feeling tears in his own eyes as he felt Ava trembling in his arms as she turned to hold onto him. In his arms he held her securely, locking one arm around her torso; and the other around her shoulders. Whereas she locked her arms solely around his torso. Fearing what lay beyond him and his arms. "They want to kill me" she whimpered against his chest; showing her true vulnerability. It would take her a few weeks to recover. But knowing Ava, she would try and recover quicker. Mentally and physically. It was understandable that she had had nightmares after the incident with York. It was traumatic. And since it had involved the very men she had fled from. It made it all the more traumatic for her.
Sir Richard wasn't going to ask her to explain the nightmare. Not after how she had reacted to it. He knew it was bad by how she had woken up, by how she cried and how she breathed. How she had feared his arms for that singular moment. In all the noise, Sir George had walked back down to the pair. His sword drawn before him, but when he saw the room in stillness except for Ava and Sir Richard. He lowered the blade. Walking to the pair as he sheathed the weapon. "I heard screaming" he murmured softly, sitting at the end of the sofa. His eyes going to Ava and to how tightly Sir Richard was holding her. He gave Sir Richard a questioning look, his question being anwered soflty; "A very aggressive nightmare. I think being captive under York for those 2 days is still lingering in her mind. She was so scared... She even feared my arms for a moment thinking I was Stafford" murmured Sir Richard, still holding Ava close to him. He could hear her breathing beginning to steady once more, the low whimpers in her throat fading. "She needs a few days to recover. Mentally, and physically. Maybe something more happened to her whilst she was with them. I knew she hated Stafford, but to fear him is something new" murmured Sir George, saying what they had both feared. Something else happened to her whilst she was with them. They didn't know what. But something had to have happened for her to all of a sudden fear Stafford. It wasn't sexual. They knew that much. The man wouldn't stoop that low. It was a crime and he knew it. But something had happened. And to find out, they had to ask her. But in asking her, they risked surfacing more than they bargained for; and causing Ava more distress.
Ava had heard what they had spoken of, and merely chose to ignore it for now. She didn't want to dwell on things that had scared her. Even if it was vital information. The two knights remained close in the following hours after Ava had woken. They watched how she closed her eyes tightly and jolted awake every so often. It wasn't until breakfast time that she slept undisturbed. Sir Richard had chosen to remain with her and had said he would eat breakfast with Ava when she woke. There was no way he was going to leave her side. He wouldn't treat her like a child for the nightmares. They were actually quite common in soldiers and those that had experienced traumatic events. He himself had experienced them at one point, and still did from time to time. Ava's experience had been no different in the way that she had reacted. The situation may have been different. But the reaction had not been.
"Are you going to speak to the King about this?" asked Sir George softly as he brought a tray of food through for himself, Sir Richard and Ava. Setting it on the oak dining table behind the sofa. "No. He doesn't need to know. If he finds out, he'll have Ava removed from duty. And I know that to her. That. Is a fate worse than death"

[Authors Note: Ava's nightmares are based around what happened to her with York! What do you think happened? Remember, it's nothing sexual because that was quite the crime. And a knight wouldn't fall that low.
But leave your comments on what you think happened!]