This is war
Chapter 23: Avalyn’s POV
I sat on the bed and stared blankly into space. A thousand emotions swirled within me yet none stayed long enough for me to grasp them.
I took a deep breath and started from the very beginning. At first, I was scared. Then, I was happy. I enjoyed everything he did.
My fingers subconsciously went to my lips. I could still feel him suck mine. I could still feel the hot air leaving his nose…
I even forgot how wrong it was and then the bubble tore open the moment I told him I could manage on my own.
“Why did you have to say that Avalyn!” I groaned, falling back into the bed. Why didn’t I just let him carry me back to the room?
Suddenly the more rational part of my brain resumed and I sat up. What was wrong with me?
I shouldn’t be thinking of things like this. The king has his wife and I am only here to help them make a baby. I shouldn’t get too attached so that when the time came, it wouldn’t hurt too much.
I was about to fall back onto the bed when a soft knock echoed through the room, freezing me in time -was he back? Had he forgotten something?
But then no one came inside. If he was the one, he would have stepped in by now.
“Ye-yes?” I managed to croak out.
Then slowly the door clicked open and a maid stepped in. “I am sorry for disturbing you so late at night but I am here to change the sheets,” She said with her head bowed.
My cheeks immediately heated as I threw my eyes to the patch of blood on the bed sheet.
“Of course,” I said and scurried off the bed.
The maid bowed again before getting to work quickly. She pulled the stained bedsheet away and dropped it on the floor. Then she spread the news.
Not knowing what to do, I decided to help her.
“No no- please, let me do it. I can manage,” She protested as she saw me hold the other end of the new bedsheet.
I waved my hand at her. “No, it’s fine. I want to do it,” I insisted.
“But the King strictly instructed that I do this. I don’t want to anger him…” She said in a firm voice.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
I quickly dropped the sheet. “I am sorry…” I whispered as I watched her work.
Did the King threaten her or what? I was only trying to help…
She finished spreading the new sheets and then bent over to pick up the old ones. When she finished with that, she folded the old one she had dropped on the floor and headed to the door. She stopped and turned back to me.
“Forgive me if I startled you but I can’t disobey my King’s order… Please try to understand,” she said with her head bowed
“No, it’s fine. I understand,” I retorted quickly.
She bowed again and left the room.
I stared at the bed and the euphoria of what had happened between the King and me returned to my brain. I was still sore down there but I missed him already.
I lay on the bed but made sure to leave enough space, in case he decided to come back. We couldn’t just do it that once and expect a child… Right?
I held my stomach and rubbed my hand over it as my imagination took me to dreamland. In a world where there were no rules and no Willow. It was just me and my baby… And the King.
“Avalyn!”
Suddenly the image swirled away and I was standing in front of the castle. Someone was calling me. I turned around trying to find the person but there was no one.
“Avalyn!!”
This time, the voice was so loud that I snapped out of sleep and sat up in bed only for the voice to call again. This time I realized I was only dreaming.
“Avalyn! God, you sleep like a dead monkey! Get up!” Dawn yelled as she searched through my wardrobe.
There was still sleep in my eyes and after all the action and emotion that happened last night, all I wanted to do was to sleep.
“Hey! No sleeping, get up!” She said sternly pointing a finger to my face.
I rubbed the back of my hand over my eyes as I tried to drive away the sleep and wake my brain.
“Where are we going? Why can’t we just let it be?” I whined with a pout.
She threw a light dress to my face and pointed a finger at me.
“That pretty pout isn’t going to save you. Now get up before we waste all the time sleeping!”
She spoke sternly but I could see the amusement in her eyes. I narrowed my eyes at her as my brain finally snapped awake.
“Dawn, where are we going?” I asked.
She heaved and placed her hand on her waist. “We have been permitted to explore the gardens!”
My eyes widened in excitement. “Really?!”
“Yes! And we need to go there before the afternoon because the king is at a meeting by then, so come on!” Dawn said.
I got up and quickly slipped on the dress and then got down to find a sandal to wear.
“Looking for these?” Dawn asked and I raised my head to find her dangling my sandals in her hand.
I smiled and took them. But as I secured the straps around my ankles, I remembered something.
“Dawn, we haven’t had breakfast yet.”
She rolled her eyes and started for the door. “Do not worry about that, my dear friend. It has been sorted. We are having a picnic in the gardens!”
“A picnic? Is that allowed?” I asked, remembering how we had to run for our lives just the previous day when we went to get those berries.
Dawn paused at the door and pursed her lips at me. “We have the King’s permission! I don’t know what you did to him last night but girl whatever it is keep doing it!” She added with laughter.
There was a basket of food already waiting outside my door. Two maids helped us carry the basket and followed behind us as we made our way to the garden.
“Only the queen has exclusive access to this place. You don’t know the excitement I had when I was told that we could use it for a few hours!” Dawn squealed happily as we got to the door that led to the garden.
Two guards at the door pushed it open for us and Dawn thanked them before following me.
Inside, it was another world. It was like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ sort of experience. The entrance was covered in an arch of beautiful flowers in various colors like a rainbow splash.
Further down, it opened to lower rows of specific breeds of a flower.
This was so beautiful -The part I saw in my room was only a scratch from the main thing.
I wanted to be here every day but then I remembered what Dawn had said before we met the guards.
“Why is she the only one who uses it?” I suddenly asked.
Dawn shrugged, taking the basket from the maid. “Thank you,” She said to her and then turned to me. “I don’t know. Something about the royal property and stuff.”
“Oh,” I exclaimed as we walked further. It wasn’t fair that other people couldn’t use the beautiful garden.
“But don’t worry, as soon as Emily returns we can sleep in here if we want,” Dawn said with enthusiasm.
She walked faster and I could see a fountain just ahead of us. There was a statue of a wolf at the center and water spewed from the top of its head.
“This is really beautiful…” I exclaimed looking around me.
There was a glass walkway somewhere closer to the castle walls and Dawn returned just in time to see me staring at it.
“Oh, that leads to the throne room. Don’t worry we have permission. Loosen up!” She said wiggling my hands
I smiled and nodded. She was right. I should loosen up. But first I had to eat.
“Let me help you set up the food,” I suggested moving to the basket.
Dawn was more than happy about my change in mood. We spread the blanket she had packed and the food followed. Knowing Dawn, I wasn’t surprised when the first thing I saw was a plate of Chocolate pudding followed by a bowl of berries.
I turned to her with raised brows.
“What?” She squeaked and I shook my head laughing at her antics.
Soon, the whole place was set and we started eating the different food she had packed. We ate to our fill and dropped on the blanket to let out food digest.
“Avalyn,” Dawn whispered.
“Huh?” I replied, turning my head in her direction.
“I am happy you are here… But you really need to loosen up…” she said.
I frowned, not getting what she was saying. I have loosened up, right? I raised myself from the blanket and that was when I knew I had fallen into her trap.
She pressed a water gun all over her face.
“Dawn!” I cried out and she got to her feet running and laughing at my condition.
I got up too and the whole of my chest was wet. “Oh, Dawn, you are going to pay for this!” I declared.
I had no water gun to use, so I turned to the source of water I had seen earlier, the fountain!
I ran to it with the empty bowl of berries in my hand. I scooped up enough water and ran after her. Of course, my aim was terrible. She was a soldier and she had a water gun!
“You are cheating!” I cried out, stomping my feet like a child.
I was completely wet and it didn’t help that the light dress she had chosen for me was the only thing on me. I wasn’t putting on any bras.
The material clung to my skin, showing off my nipples. But I had nothing to worry about. It was just Dawn and me in the garden and before we decided to leave, it would have dried up.
Dawn threw her head back in laughter and aimed the gun at me one more time. “There is nothing fair in love and war. This is war Avalyn!” She yelled shooting more water at me.
I ran for my dear life shrieking excitedly like a little child until I bumped into a mass of muscle.
“What do you think you are doing?” A deep growl filled the garden making my heart stop.