A Shade Darker ✔️

{Chapter Sixty Five}

Land Ho!

April 5th, 2018

Mike

"Mike...Mike, wake up. Hey, come on get up" My shoulder shakes lightly and my wife's soft voice fills my ears.

I feel a smile come to my face as I slowly open my eyes, letting them adjust to the light.

Flesh stares back at me, pink and healthy and bordered by white linen.

"Mike" My name came again, more demanding this time.

My eyes raise to look into hers and she sends me a look of mischief.

"Confused on where eyes are today, bud?" I blinked, sighed and rolled over.

I laid my head in her lap and rubbed my eyes.

"Alright then, up you get..." She threw my head off her lap and marched around the room, throwing various clothes at me.

She smiled brightly, excitement in her voice.

"We've got a full day ahead of us...We've reached land!"

Billie

"Common mistake on your part; she's my niece" I followed the woman who looked over her shoulder at me with eyes as interested as I have ever seen. The laundry basket was still propped casually on her hip, slender fingers gripped the handle.

No ring occupied either hand.

What are you thinking, Billie? The woman offers you a bit of advice and you're checking if she's married off?

"Niece? Oh..." The woman stopped walking and faced me. Recognition lit up her eyes and I swallowed, ashamed once more of my past mistakes. It would somehow set out to ruin my future, I knew it.

"The King's brother...shouldn't you be off fighting with the other men? Defending the colony?" Had she not heard, I suddenly wondered.

Maybe if she didn't know of my being human again, like her, then she could accept me. What was it about the female that was drawing me in so close, like a dog on her leash?

"Only one man of the household was sent to go. My brother recently shared his home with me, where I currently reside" Interest was in her eyes again.

She waited for me to join her side the continued walking slowly. Her eyes were placed firmly on the basket of clothes, still needing folding.

"Do you need help with chores, then? Seems as though you've got your hands full?" The woman let out a feminine chuckle, her cheeks tinted with pink.

She stopped, facing me. She nodded towards Snow.

"And you do not, with your niece to take care of?"

"Maybe we could help each other. You seem to know more about children, and I'm no stranger to doing a bit of laundry" A smile tilted her lips. They were pink, full.

Although she wore the dressings of a maid, a drab brown dress and spinsters bonnet, I cared nonetheless. I thought she was beautiful, a help...intriguing.

"My cottage is a bit of a walk...and besides" The woman looked down, cheeks heating "She is the daughter of royalty-"

"I was left instructions from the Queen that she was in my care. And some exercise would be good for me, I haven't left the house in days" She finally looked up and gave a small sigh.

"Alright...you may both tag along" Her voice sounded reluctant, on the verge of being put out to have me welcome her, but she turned away so quickly with a smile on her lips that I chose to trust the facial expression instead.