Uncovered

Chapter Nine - Nyrie

Nyrie awoke from a broken sleep that lasted the whole night.

She felt like she didn't sleep a wink but the dreams she had told her otherwise.

They were all mixed together, fragmented snippets were all she remembered. She was soaring high over a vast field with floral scented wind pushing under her. Other parts were running but it felt like she was being pulled back at the same time. Often, her dreams would take her soaring through the skies. Wishful thinking on her behalf. There was no way she could get out of this place alive.

The house was too heavily guarded and even if she did manage to slip through it wouldn't take Ivan long to find her this town was too small, and she was far too recognizable. She gave up contemplating it a long time ago. There was nothing waiting for her out there anyway.

"Dreams are a waste of time anyway," she mumbled to herself and rolled over, smothering her face into her pink, satin covered pillow.

There weren't many times she let herself feel any grief, she kept it all bottled in, hidden away. Tears welled up in her eyes and she let out a muffled noise which sounded more like a growl.

That's enough, she thought to herself and was just about to get up on her own merit when the whirling feeling in her gut did it for her.

Bile stung her throat and she ran from her bed to the toilet and heaved up her meal from the night before. For the second afternoon in a row she was violently hurling up her stomach contents, the only explanation coming from Lorna that she was pregnant.

Stupid old bitch.

Nyrie refused to believe it even as she was still chucking up a delicious concoction of food. As much as she hated to admit this to herself, she did need to go back and see her again at least so she could get something to stop this nonsense. There was no way she was going to wake up like this every day.

After she was done washing her face and mouth out in the basin, Nyrie set about getting dressed.

Today she chose to wear a royal blue chiffon dress, cinched at the waist, and ended just below the knees. The top was a low v-cut in two pieces draped over her breasts. Casual and comfortable, yet still elegant and beautiful.

Her long ebony hair was already out from the braid it was in last night, so she finger-combed and spruced it up a little, accentuating the waves. She couldn't be bothered with makeup this morning.

When she exited her room, two different guards were there. Their faces were familiar, but she didn't know their names. She didn't care. It wasn't unusual if she woke up before Brax and Clive's rostered time for duty that she'd find different guards stationed outside her room. A small wave of relief rushed over her for a moment so she wouldn't have to face Brax just yet after what happened at their last encounter in the early hours of the morning. No doubt he'd try and apologise and quite frankly, she wasn't in the mood.

Nyrie was a little wobbly with nausea as she began heading for the medical room, the two guards following behind, a relative distance away. She huffed a sigh at their presence and mumbled under her breath.

"You think I'd be used to this bullshit by now."

Judging by the commotion in the halls on her way through Nyrie guessed it must have been around lunch time. More relaxed guards and servants present then at other time of the day, casually mingling within each separated group. As she passed, they quietened and stared. She looked forwards and ignored them all.

Entering the infirmary, her guards positioned outside, Lorna was nowhere to be seen. One young girl was there instead.

"Hi Nyrie!" Shaylin said with a beautiful smile.

Damn.

***

"Never mind I came to speak with Lorna." Nyrie said to Shaylin as way of greeting.

She was just about to turn around and leave when Shaylin said something that made her heart sink even more than the last time they spoke.

"Sorry I'm not good enough."

Damn her. Why did she have to say that?

"Ah," Nyrie began.

Shaylin stayed quiet. Nyrie knew this was her cue to continue but apologising for her was just so... difficult. She'd never had to apologise for anything before. The whole concept was as foreign to her as another language. The silence floated around them like a bad smell. It became awkward and this wasn't sitting well.

"Look," she tried again, but didn't get to finish as Lorna entered the room.

"What do you want girl?"

Shaylin walked away, and began to re-stock a cabinet near by.

"Umm," Nyrie looked in Shaylin's direction.

"Never mind the girl, spit it out!"

It was at this point Nyrie wasn't sure if the sweat breaking out on her forehead was due to the nausea creeping up or anxieties from this situation she was in. All she wanted to do was get out of here and forget it ever happened.

"Don't worry about it, I'll come back." Nyrie said. Then continued with, " Maybe."

She headed for the kitchen as she did the day before. The bread wouldn't be delicious but anything would make her feel better right now.

The dining hall was busy as expected but today, nobody even dared make eye contact with her. Then she realised why.

Standing at the entry to the kitchen, Brax was there, alone, as if he knew this is where she would end up eventually. His big, strong arms were folded, his full length cream tunic visible from under his tight, brown leather jerkin. A large sward strapped to his back and a smaller dagger at his waist. His features were stone cold and if Nyrie was being honest with herself, she could understand why the room went quiet at her arrival.

Nyrie straightened, rolled her eyes and marched straight through the entrance, right past him.

***

"Finished stuffing your mouth?"

A deep voice rumbled from behind her. She didn't turn around as she knew she'd find Brax there.

"That's very un-lady like of you."

She spat a little food out in shock at his funny quip and spun around to find him leaning against the door frame, one leg casually crossed over the other, smirking. The rest of the kitchen in full swing around them but it was like no one else existed.

"Taken a look at yourself lately?"

She replied in between big cow-like chews, looking him up and down and he stood to attention, like he'd forgotten briefly what his role here actually was.

He cleared his throat and began.

"Nyrie, about this morning-"

But she silenced him with her free hand raised in the air, the other one was still occupied with a half-eaten sweet bread roll. Belly full, headache and nausea gone, she felt much better and realised she was being a little bitch acting all crabby for absolutely no reason.

"Don't worry about it, I forgive you."

"Thank you. But what I was going to say is that Jaxon was escorted out safely."

Nyrie's cheeks burned.

"Oh..." the only word she could manage.

"I thought you might like to know."

Then he winked at her and wobbled his eyebrows and Nyrie threw her bread at him, which bounced right off his wide chest.

"You prick."

The room was filled with his beautiful deep laugh and she watched his grey eyes light up. Her chest tightened in response.

"Come on you big, sexy ginge, let's get out of here and do something productive with our time today."

He raised one single eyebrow in response.

She looped her arm through his and lead him out.

"I want to find out what happened to thedead girl."