Blog

She awoke to light streaming through a window.  But that window wasn’t what drew her notice.  She had eyes only for the man lying next to her.  His eyes were closed.  And he was breathing lightly.  He was clearly asleep.

She felt tenderness flood her heart as her eyes slid along his beautiful countenance.  Were she to live for a hundred years, she knew that she would never cease to love that face.  Or to crave the sight of his glorious jade eyes.  Even now she felt a little sad that they were closed in slumber.  Except that…his eyelids were gorgeous too.  And the pretty show of his midnight eyelashes nestled up against his tan cheeks delighted her heart almost as much as his captivating orbs did.

She missed his soft voice too.

But as she gazed at him, she recalled the drama of yesterday.  And her brow furrowed with concern.  She reached up a hand and touched his forehead with the back of it.  And breathed an instant sigh of relief. 

His fever had broken.

No wonder he was sleeping so peacefully.  And quietly.

“He’s just fine, my dear,” whispered a kind voice.

Ni Na glanced up into the eyes of Lady Lee.  And her own eyes widened. 

To be discovered in bed with the woman’s son was slightly embarrassing.  But then she remembered that Lady Lee was the one who had told her to sleep here.

“Have you been awake all night?” Ni Na queried quietly.

And amusement crinkled the corners of the older woman’s eyes.  “Oh, my dear!  It’s no longer morning.  You have slept well into the afternoon.  It is about half past three now.”

Ni Na’s eyes widened in dismay.  “Surely, you didn’t stay awake for the past twelve hours!”

That noble lady shook her head.  “No.  Beom Sook awoke around six.  I sent for my lady’s maid.  She sat with you two until I awoke from my sleep.  Oh, about a half hour ago.  I would say that we are all well and truly rested now.”  She looked down at her son.  “Except for Beom Sook.  But he’s still recovering.”

Her eyes found Ni Na’s again.  “How are you feeling, my dear?  Are you all right?”

Ni Na nodded.  But then she felt a pang in her stomach.  A moment later, it was followed by a loud rumble.  And Lady Lee smiled at her.

“I would imagine that you are now quite famished.  I will have a servant bring you lunch.”

Ni Na’s eyes traveled to Beom Sook’s face again.  “Is he truly all right?”

“Yes, my dear.  He’s well on his way to recovering.  The fever is gone.”

So it hadn’t been her imagination.  Ni Na touched his forehead again.  This time with her fingertips.  She ran them through a lock of his hair that had been threatening one of his eyes.  She drew it back away from his face.  And smiled.

Lady Lee watched her fondly.

“I think,” Ni Na finally asserted, “that I shall get up and stretch my legs a bit then.  And I will find my own lunch.  But thank you.”  Her eyes engaged his mother’s again.  And she smiled.

Then, slowly, she climbed from bed.  A little loathe to leave that comfortable spot.  Who knew when she would next lie in a bed with the man of her dreams?

She sighed.

But really, she had nothing to be sad about.  Hadn’t the man declared his love for her?

“I do love you as a friend.  But, no, Ni Na, not just as a friend.  I love you as a man loves a woman.” 

She nearly squealed as joy spiraled through her.  Yesterday, that lovely moment had been overshadowed too soon by her concern over his health.  But now, she could revel in it as she relived it in her memory. 

Beom Sook loved her! 

“…as a man loves a woman”!

A bright smile instantly lit up her face.  It would be there all day long.

––

He awoke again before dinner.  To find Ni Na sitting next to him on his bed.  But this time they were alone.

As his eyes fluttered open, he glanced up at her first before casting a look over his shoulder.  In the direction of the chair which his mother had occupied last night.  It was empty now.  He turned his beautiful eyes back on his beloved.

“Hello, my love,” he purred.

That was his intention anyway.  But his words came out sounding more like a croak.

She frowned.  “You must be so thirsty!” 

She made a move to jump off the bed then, but several long, slender fingers instantly wrapped themselves around her wrist.  Chaining her to the bed next to him.  She glanced down in surprise.  “Aren’t you?”

“I’m hungry,” he growled.

She blinked.

“For you,” he teased her as his lips widened into a grin.

She scoffed.  “Beom Sook, you don’t have a fever again, do you?  You sound a little delirious.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with me,” he muttered darkly.

But then as he shifted in the bed, he groaned again.

“Oh, yes, I can see that,” she agreed, snickering.  But then she pouted, “My poor baby!  Where does your body hurt?”

“Everywhere,” he gasped.  “I feel like someone beat on me yesterday.”

Concern darkened her brow.  “Does your head still hurt then?”

“No.  But everything else does.”

“Can I get you some broth?  And a little medicine?  I think it’s supposed to help with the pain.”

“All right,” he grumbled.  He didn’t want her to leave him.  “As long as you promise to come straight back.”

The corners of her lips flipped upwards into a smile.  “You want me to come back, do you?”

He shook his head.

And she frowned.

“I don’t want you to leave.  But there doesn’t seem to be anyone else hovering about to fetch me some broth.”  He glanced towards the open doorway.  And furrowed his brow.  “How can that be?  We live in a house with two dozen children and an army of servants.  Yet we managed to find some time alone.”

She wrinkled her brow as a smile teased the corners of her eyes.  “We live in a house together?” she queried in surprise.  “This is news to me.”

His eyes collided with hers.  “Ni Na, come here.”  He tugged on her wrist.

“Come here?  What do you mean, ‘come here’?  Where am I to come?  You are lying down.  And I am sitting up.”

“That’s what I mean.  Come lie down with me.”

She eyed him suspiciously.  “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

He shoved his lip out and looked like a recalcitrant four-year-old.  “But you did it last night.”

She gasped.  “I was just obeying your mother,” she responded defensively.

And he chortled.  “Indeed.  I always knew that I have the very best of mothers.”  He glanced towards the door again.  “Go find my mother and bring her back with you then.  She’ll make you lie down here with me.”

“You are ridiculous, sir!” she gasped, outraged.  And a little flustered.

She would have liked nothing more than to crawl back under those covers with him.  But…she did have her reputation to think of.  And a houseful of children.

With that thought, she flew out of the bed.  What if one of the children had seen them lying in this bed together over the last few hours?

Such a thought horrified her.  She stood next to the bed and smoothed her robes as she cleared her throat.  “I will be back with your broth soon, my lord,” she bobbed her head at him and disappeared through the doorway.

He groaned.

They were back to “my lord” again, were they?

He was definitely going to have to do something about that. 

Permanently.