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He didn’t wake her.  He was so tempted to.  But he also reveled in watching her sleep.  And she looked so peaceful.  He just didn’t have the heart to disturb such perfect slumber.

Instead, he lay down next to her and reached out to find her fingers with his own.  He lay for a long time, pondering tomorrow.  Finally, he fell asleep holding her hand.

––

The first thing of which she was aware the next morning was the birdsong coming from outside his window.  Her eyes closed against the bright light streaming through that window, she lay still.  And identified the bird immediately.  She’d know that call anywhere.  It was a crow tit.  A tiny, fluffy, snow white bird that she had always adored.  She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she listened to its happy song welcoming the day.

Finally, she rolled away from that window, and her eyes fluttered open.  And widened in shock as a gasp left her lips.  And she identified something else.  The bed in which she was lying.  And the man next to whom she’d spent the night sleeping.

But her gasp must have disturbed his slumber, for the next instant, she found herself confronted by his gorgeous, chocolate eyes which slowly opened to drink in her countenance.  Their faces were only a scant few inches from each other.  She could see him fairly clearly. 

A lazy smile curved his lips as he drawled, “Good morning, beautiful.”

She cleared her throat.  And tried to retrieve her fleeing heart.  The smile in his eyes was meant to calm her.  But, instead, it wreaked havoc with her breathing.  Would she ever react normally to this man?

And how was it legal for any man to be so attractive?  Especially first thing in the morning.  When his long hair was rumpled.  And his eyes were languid with sleep.  Still, he managed to appear adorable.  Especially when he flashed that pretty smile at her.  He challenged the crow tit for her attention. 

And won.

“What am I doing in your bed?” she whispered gruffly as embarrassment turned her entire face a becoming pink.

He smiled with pleasure as he took in that beautiful color.  “I put you here.  Last night.  Your presence was my only solace since you were asleep when I returned last night.”

“That was your own fault for returning too late,” she retorted acerbically to cover how flustered she felt.

He chuckled.  “Ah, so you’re saying I deserved to spend the night alone because I neglected you yesterday?”

“What?” she gasped.  “No!” she denied his assertion as her skin continued to flood with heat.  “That is not what I meant at all!” 

She sat straight up and prepared to climb out of the bed.  But several strong, slender fingers reached out to wrap around her wrist, chaining her hand to the bed and preventing her forward movement.

Her head snapped around, and she confronted him with those haunting, indigo eyes.  “Let me go!”

“No,” he flat-out refused her demand.

She tugged on her wrist, but that elegant hand continued to hold tight to her arm. 

“Please.  Calm down.  Lie down.  I want to look at you.”

His words were like arrows piercing her consciousness with shock.  He wanted to look at her? 

“Why?” she whispered as she turned her face away from him.

“Because your beauty is a balm to me.”

Perplexed, she furrowed her brow as she turned back towards him.  “A balm?  For what pain?”

He inhaled sharply before breathing out a long breath as his eyes traced her fingers trapped on the blanket.  “For a lot of things.  I am walking through a very difficult time.”

“In your personal life?” she queried.

“And in my responsibilities.”

Concerned for him now as she heard some odd note in his voice and saw a certain sorrow crossing his countenance, she leaned towards him to study his face more clearly.  A moment later, she had once more pillowed her head against the bed as she lay, staring deeply into his captivating eyes.

After a few moments, she blinked several times.  Then she closed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sometimes my eyes bug me.  It’s like they’re twitching in my head.  They’re doing it now.”

Those eyes flew open a moment later as she felt something brush her cheek.  Momentarily mesmerized by her beauty, he had reached up to touch the side of her face with his fingertips.  Now they slid towards her eye.

“Close your eyes,” he commanded softly.

She couldn’t have explained why, but she instantly obeyed the authority she recognized in his voice.  Her eyes fluttered shut.

“Relax,” he breathed as he leaned towards her.

Very gently, he touched her eyelid, rubbing his thumb across it in a smooth path towards the outer edge of her eye. 

She giggled.  “You can’t massage it away.”

His hand dropped. 

Her eyes opened.  “But thank you for trying.” 

She stared at him for a few more moments.  Oddly moved by his concern for her. 

“You’re quite unusual,” she murmured.

He quirked a midnight eyebrow.  “I am?  How so?”

“I get this odd feeling that you care about me.  A stranger.  A strange stranger,” she quipped with a bitter twist of her lips.

“Don’t,” he warned in a low rumble.

“Don’t what?”

“Put yourself down again.”  He inched towards her.

She glanced down at his chest.  The one that was approaching her.  “What are you doing?” she asked with a quaver in her voice.

“Moving closer to you.”

“Why?”  Her eyes shifted to meet his again.

“Because I want to.”

She swallowed and scooted backwards.  Away from him.

He noticed and stopped moving.  Frustrated, he groaned, “I promised I wouldn’t hurt you.  Remember?”

“What are you hiding from?” she asked suddenly.

“What?”  He frowned, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Something challenging in your life has you in hiding this morning.  Otherwise, you would have left long ago to take care of the day’s business,” she asserted.

As he continued to stare silently at her, she commented, “I’m not wrong, am I?”

“Actually, I’m late for a meeting.  I must go.”

It was time to face his mother.  And demand her abdication.  From his throne. 

After that confrontation would follow several theatrical performances.  He had to face Ah Ro.  He’d had her brought to the palace a few minutes ago.  She was certain to be furious with him.  He must armor himself against her inevitable anger.  And put on a show for her.

Then, the hwarang would be next.

He took a deep breath.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure you are more than up to the challenge,” she remarked.

His lips twitched upward.  “What gives you such faith in me?”

She peered at him for a moment.  Squinting her gorgeous violet eyes at him.  “I’m not sure.  But I do believe in you.”  She shrugged.  “I mean, so far you have proven yourself to be exactly who you said you were.  And you’ve kept your word to me.” 

Her face lit up suddenly.  “And even provided me with everything I requested to make me happy while I’m here.  Thank you for the parchment, and quills, and ink, and the glass!  I was able to write much yesterday.”  She was simply beaming at him.  “And I can’t forget how considerate you were.”

“What do you mean?” he questioned her as confusion slid across his features.

“You wrote me a note.  In huge characters.  So I could read it.”  She shook her head.  “No one has ever been that thoughtful towards me.”

“Well, that isn’t as it should be,” he remarked as his eyes continued to probe the depths of hers.

She sniffed.  Uncertain how to respond to his comment.  So she simply ignored it to remind him, “You need to go.  I don’t want to make you any later for your appointment.”  She stretched suddenly and yawned.  “And I have a story to finish today.  Don’t worry about me.  I have much to occupy me.”

“I didn’t get to hear any more of your story.”

“It’ll still be here when you return tonight,” she smiled.

“Ah, but will the storyteller still be awake?”

“One can hope,” she grinned.  She was finding her encounter with him today to be easier to endure than she had anticipated all day yesterday.

Apparently, he had found her sleeping on the couch and carried her to his bed last night.  But she was still fully clothed.  She was fairly certain all he had done was sleep next to her.  Still, she did have to wonder if anything else had transpired between them. 

He watched in fascination as her entire face seemed to bloom scarlet.  “What are you thinking?” he asked abruptly.

She cleared her throat.  And her eyes fell away from his.  “What,” she stopped.  “Did anything happen between us last night?” she asked in a sudden rush.  “Why did you bring me to your bed?”

“That couch isn’t decent enough to sleep on,” he answered carelessly.  “Besides, I wanted your company.  I wanted to look at your beautiful face.  I…really wanted to hear your story.  But I didn’t have the heart to wake you.  You were sleeping so soundly.  Even after I carried you in here.”

She found the courage to glance up at him.  “So, you did carry me in here?”

He nodded.  “Yes.”

“Just to look at me?”

He bobbed his head again.

“You…you didn’t touch me?” she cringed as she asked her question.

“I did touch you,” he responded, shocking her with his forthrightness.

She drew back.  “You did?” her voice quavered.  He’d just pierced her consciousness with alarm.

“I held your hand as I fell asleep.  I didn’t think I could sleep, but your sweet presence lulled me into slumber, I guess.”

Her heart melted as she heard his first words reverberating down the hallways of her mind.

“I held your hand as I fell asleep.”

“You held my hand?” she whispered, astonished.  And oddly moved.

He nodded.  Then he jumped from bed.  “I must get ready to leave.”  He flashed her a pretty smile.  “Have fun writing today.”

Dumbly, she raised her head briefly.

Then he vanished out the doorway.

And she lay still in his bed.  Much on her mind now.