Cloaked Beauty

Chapter Twenty - Three

Dear Readers,

Don't hate me for what happens in this chapter! It has to happen, or in my opinion it does. It's better if this happens, and you'll be happier with the outcome... of the next book, and some other parts of this story, but I can't exactly say.

That would just ruin it.

Here's a quote, that I guess kind of fits with the chapter, and the main ideal of the book, but I won't say what.

“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken.”

"Emma" Jane Austen

Chapter Twenty – Three – Derek

-------------------------------

This was all my fault.

The castle infirmary was tiny but well equipped. A window in the wall showed a view of the marketplace. The walls were a tan beige and held a sofa and three wooden chairs.

My eyes felt heavy, and I was stressed with fatigue, but my mind kept running with worry. I leaned back slightly in my chair which was was next to the bed Celeste rested in. Her breathing was normal, her chest moving up and down in a fair pace. Her eyes were shut, and her hair spread around her face like a pool of brown. Celeste looked so innocent at the moment. It was hard to believe that she could fight. That she was my knight. But looks were deceiving.

And I had done this to her. She had fainted because of me.

Celeste wasn't suppose to get hurt this way. She was a knight, she was suppose to be injured physically. And she protected me. It wasn't my job to hurt her. Physically or mentally. They were both horrible.

My stupid mouth should have stayed close. Celeste probably went into shock because she didn't love me. My words must have been torture to hear. Her words replayed in my had.

I'm sorry Derek, I can't.

She didn't love me? She couldn't? Or she wouldn't.

I had been looking blankly at my hands when something stirred in my peripheral vision. Celeste was waking up.

My whole body froze in the seat. Should I leave? Would she want to see me when she woke up? I didn't have any time to do anything because her eyes sprang open before I could move into action. She blinked repeatedly, then her eyes searched the room. They widened when they focused on me.

“Derek! What are you doing here?”

“Am I not suppose to be here?” She opened her mouth in protest, then closed it as she glanced around confusingly. Technically, I wasn't suppose to be here. The doctor had told me last night to stay out of the room, but I had refused. He kept on arguing, but when I brought my status into the argument, it was impossible for him to argue. I hadn't slept since I entered the room, and sleep deprivation was starting to take its toll on me.

“Where are we?”

“This is the infirmary. Do you remember what happened?” Celeste narrowed her eyes in confusion, then they widened once more in remembrance.