A Princess For Christmas (Of The Dreams We Seek)

Twenty- eight

The whole palace trembled under his tone. They knew he was very angry and Margret wasn't helping the cause at all."Your Princess? What do you mean by Your Princess?" She asked standing tall looking into Callahan's eyes. He never liked it, but on only one occasion, it was when Avni did it. Margret wasn't as half as brave as Avni was.

 "What it sounded like." And he reached to his wing. "Guards one of you please escort Miss Margret to her home and make sure no one disturbs me or Princess Avni for the night. Also, please bring some more hot water bottles." Margret looked at him with expression of disbelief. 

"She is in here? With you? And you are telling me you are going to share your room, your bed with her? You are unbelievable Callahan." Callahan had enough of her. "Guards escort her out immediately and make sure, until I say so, she cannot come near me or Avni." And before Margret can say a word more he walked inside.

 When he reached his room, he saw Avni looking all around her. And then her eyes met his. Another look of disbelief crossed his face. "Princess, thank god you are awake" She can hear the relief in his voice. But the question she cannot answer is why? Why she would even be here in his room? Didn't he hate her for harming his family? She started to get up when Callahan stopped her. 

"No, you must not get up Princess. You are weak and you had caught cold. The doctors told you to stay warm for tonight. I have brought few hot water bags which I am going to place under your blanket to keep you warm ok?" She didn't understand still why he would ever help her? What is in it for him? What is in it that can benefit him? 

"Why am I here? I can go to my room" "No" Callahan said a little too forcefully but then he realized it might not be good to excite her. "No, you cannot, someone need to watch over you for the night Princess. And I think right now I am the best candidate for it since mother is taking care of Sifi and Robert too with her leaving Philip to take care of the little children for the night. I volunteered for this" Callahan said thinking this must be safest way to approach this situation. Last thing he wanted to do was startle her.

"What happened to me?" She asked clearly still very much out of it. "You saved Serafina and then you fainted in my arms, again. Is that our thing? You fainting into my arms?" She glanced away with little red tinge on her skin.

 "I didn't mean to and there is nothing such as our thing, it is just me and just that, there is no such thing as having a specialized thing for us." Callahan held her hand and Avni gasped audibly. "Avni look at me." he asked in a gentle voice. She turned around looking at his soften expression. 

"Don't you ever do that again with me, don't you ever try and be a hero, sometimes you should let others be that for you. You don't know how scare I was, you weren't breathing, your heart was barely audible. It was like I was back in that hospital with you, seeing you hooked with contraptions that were keeping you alive, and I sat there next to you against everyone's protest, against the doctors wishes. I sat there holding your hand just like this praying" And he smiled feebly. 

"By the third day I had to leave, I had no choice, I had to return even if I wanted to fight, I couldn't. And believe me when I say this Princess, I had almost fueled my jet and returned to the place next to you, the week was the hardest that had been ever for me not knowing you are alright." Avni was moved by this confession. But still she had remembered what awful things he had said to her. 

"why do you care Prince Callahan? According to you I am expendable and I will die sooner or later. Why associate yourself with someone like me who is a ticking time bomb and sooner or later is going to leave you here alone. Is it right to be sad for someone who is not a bit important in your life, it is not wise Your Highness?" He stood up leaving her hand and walked towards the table on which he had placed the thermometer earlier.