Page 36 of Love Me Forever

“Please.” She sounded as if she begged. “Please let me help you.”

He thought to deny her, but her eyes pleaded with him and he could not help but surrender. “I will gather what is necessary for you to tend me.”

“Nay,” she said anxiously, “you will sit and I will gather what I need.”

He was about to object, but she shook her head and a finger at him.

“You will not move. I will see to this. Now release me before you bleed to death.”

He wanted to smile but knew that was not wise. He released her with an order, and though his words sounded mumbled from his hand covering his mouth, they were clear enough. “Any pain and you return to bed.”

She nodded and slipped out of bed, his arm finally leaving her waist completely when she was steady on her feet. She felt a slight discomfort in her lower back, but she thought it more from being abed so much. It felt wonderful to move about, though she took ease with her steps.

He directed her to the clean cloths, and she managed without difficulty to scoop warm water from the pot near the flames into a bowl. She found her pouch of herbs and crushed a few in a small bowl.

Royce stood, intending to help her move the bowls to the small chest beside the bed. She would not have it.

“Stay where you are. I can manage.”

His dark green eyes questioned her, and she understood what he wished to hear. “I have no pain.”

“None?” he mumbled, then winced; his lip was beginning to throb.

She was honest. “I feel a small discomfort due probably to my lack of movement, which I intend to rectify beginning now.”

She had all the items she needed moved to the chest in a moment’s time, and without hesitation she proceeded to tend to his lip. She stood in front of him and eased his hand away from his mouth. The blood was smeared all around his mouth and covered his chin. She thought it probably looked worse than it actually was and went to work cleaning him off.

She immediately determined the problem. “The wound is deep and must heal within before it can properly heal on the outside. I am going to bathe the wound with the herbs that I crushed. It will lessen the soreness. Tomorrow I will make a poultice that I will place on your lip at night before you go to sleep. It will help it to heal more quickly.”

He made to respond and she stopped him.

“You must limit your talk at least for the remainder of this day and?—”

His eyes widened, for he knew what she was about to say.

“There will be no kissing until this lip heals.” She looked directly into his dark eyes. “And do not think that it does not upset me to say that.”

He looked about to smile.

“There will be no smiling, either.”

She seemed to be able to converse with him by looking into his eyes. Somehow she understood what he was not able to speak.

“Aye, I am the one who gives the orders now, and I expect to be obeyed.” She had to smile. She knew it was not fair to him, but the urge was too strong to ignore.

She was amazed to see that his eyes appeared to smile at her, and she proceeded with her task, working like a diligent healer. She did not realize that as she worked, she paused on occasion to rub her lower back and stretch to ease her discomfort.

Royce noticed her actions and paid close heed to them. He hoped she would be done soon, for he was not going to allow her to stand much longer. She did appear happy to be out of bed and on her feet, which he had allowed her to do, though he had made her sit in the chair by the fire. Perhaps it was time for her to walk about more and strengthen her back.

She rubbed her lower back again, but this time it was with a slight sigh that she did not even notice.

“Back to bed,” he ordered when she turned to drop the cloth in the bowl of water.

“I am fine and I have yet to finish tending you. Your hand needs cleaning and you should not be talking. The bleeding has finally stopped?—”

“Back to bed,” he said before she could finish.

She was about to argue when she realized that it would do her no good and that he would be the one to suffer. He would continue talking and cause his lip to bleed again.