Forget About Me (Knight!Tom AU)

Forget About Me (7)

The glow of the fire was all that illuminated the small, tree covered cove, canceling out the shine of the stars and the crescent moon that littered the black sky. She glanced up periodically, watching the flickering orange glow that danced across Tom's face. His dark hair was stuck to his forehead as he wiped his blade with a wet piece of cloth, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Every so often, he'd glance up, meeting her eyes with a small, awkward smile, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.

His brown eyes reflected the orange glow of the fire and her thoughts roamed to a place where they could possibly be together and she succumbed to them.

She saw a crown atop his deep brown curls and him by her side in the palace where she grew up. She saw their shared room in the tower, hung with beautiful decor and children with hazel eyes and similar brown mops climbing into their bed during thunderstorms.

Her thoughts were forbidden and that is what made them all the more enticing.

The sound of the creek flowing and the fire crackling filled the silence and she didn't trust her voice in the open space.

Her knees were tucked up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, subconsciously touching her bow that was settled next to her every so often. The bottom of her dress was ripped and filthy, but that was the last thing on her mind as she listened into the distance. Sleeping definitely wouldn't be on the table tonight.

"You should rest," Tom's soft voice broke the silence. Its like he could read her mind.

"No, I-I don't think so," her voice was unsteady, "I don't think I can."

"I'll stay awake. You really need to sleep, your majesty," his voice was barely above a whisper.

She nodded, pushing her bow a little further from her body so she could lay down. Her arm lowered her onto the cold, leaf-covered ground and bent backwards so she could rest her head on it. She laid there for what seemed like an hour, with her eyes closed, but still painfully aware that she wasn't in her Kingdom, in her own bed and in constant danger, and even worse, she felt guilty.

Tom wouldn't be out here, stranded, and in danger if it weren't for her.

She wasn't sure how long it had been since she laid down, but she heard Tom rustle from across the fire. Her eyes opened to make sure it was only him, and when she saw his back turned to her, rustling through the bag that they had brought from the carriage, she felt safe enough to close her eyes again.

His feet crunched on leaves, slow and steady as he tried not to wake her. His hands grasped a saddle blanket they had stolen from one of the thieves horses and he flung it over her, pulling it up so it rested just below her shoulders.

She fought the urge to smile at the kind gesture, wanting him to believe she was asleep.

Once he finished the task, he sat down, only a few feet from her.

The blanket warmed her skin beneath her filthy dress and she actually began to drift off. Her fingers held tightly onto the fabric and the last thing she heard was Tom's whisper.

"You're going to get me in trouble, aren't you?"

Her eyes opened slowly and she was in her bedroom back in her palace. She was in her white silk nightgown on the edge of her bed. The beige room was abuzz with her lady's maids, several on the other side of the room, hemming a long white gown and a few others tending to the usual chores around the room.

"Your highness, wouldn't you like to take your bath? The wedding starts in less than three hours," one of them, Mary, stated. Mary had been tending to the royal family since before Adaline was born and treated her somewhat like a daughter.