Chapter 57: Realized feelings
By the time the so-called noble had been treated by the practitioner, it was already dark, if not midnight. The few elites who had stayed while the practitioner treated him had finally left. The only people still walking about were the servants who were attending to the guests or the guards on night duties.
Lord Nicholas's wife was the only one remaining in Julian's room. "I do not want any servants here. I'll stay with my son myself. You all are dismissed!" she ordered the few guards who had come to stand near Julian's door to leave, suspicion pronounced in her voice.
Tynan was one of them.
They all bowed their heads in acceptance before departing, retiring themselves for the day.
When his fellow guardsmen had dispersed, Tynan looked around, making sure no one was watching him or lurking around and when he confirmed it, he turned in the opposite direction of the servants' quarters, heading for the infirmary.
Slowly but steadily, he strode there until he saw some wardens stationed at the entry of the infirmary, causing him to halt in his tracks.
He furrowed his brows, looking at them alarmed. Perhaps Prince Leon had truly sent servants to guard the infirmary? Because the last he remembered, the infirmary was always open to anyone as long as they were injured or needed medical help.
So why were there guards securing the place and why would the prince suddenly place such orders?
Was it indeed because of the maid?
It made Tynan wonder as he kept staring at the wardens with curiosity.
He stood with himself contemplating what to do and after some minutes, he sighed. He brought out a dagger he had been given at the camp this morning from the training.
He looked at it thoughtfully before he pulled a kerchief from his pockets. Putting the kerchief into his mouth, he looked at the dagger and then at the infirmary's entry where the wardens stood before looking back at the dagger again.
This would not be as easy as he thought...
He stared at the dagger again, still apprehensive about his decision but then made up his mind. Closing his eyes, he used the dagger to slice his wrist, cutting it deep enough to be noticed and muffling his screams with the kerchief he placed in his mouth as he bit hard into it.
Blood came gushing from the wound he had inflicted on his hands as he continued biting the kerchief inside his mouth forcefully. Then he looked at his wrist which was now soaked with blood.
'This had better work,' he mumbled to himself before removing the kerchief from his mouth, still enduring the pain as he tried not to make any noise. Then he used the kerchief to cover the wound lightly.
After he had waited for the blood to seep through his wrist enough, he felt his corner of hiding and began limping, reaching the entry to the infirmary.
"Tynan!" one of the wardens who stood guarding the place recognized him and he asked in horror, "What happened to you? How did you hurt yourself?" The guard looked truly concerned as he walked over to his friend, holding his wrist.
Tynan feigned a panting like he had been running to the infirmary and the wardens looked at each other before the other one spoke, "Take him inside to meet one of the practitioners. I'd do the watching," and with that, Tynan successfully entered the infirmary without creating suspicion.
It was the better way...
"I'd take it from here, Jeff! Thanks. Go back to your position now so we don't attract much attention," Tynan told his friend, giving him a reassuring smile but Jeff looked at him, giving him an apprehensive look as to whether he should leave his friend here when he bleeding profusely.
"I don't think it's a good idea, Tynan. Let me help-"
"No, Jeff. Don't bother yourself. It's not like it's my first time getting hurt. I'd deal with it," Tynan tried to persuade the young man with a tight smile.
The guard looked at him indecisively but after much contemplation, he nodded and turned back to the entry where he was guarding. He was right anyway. It wasn't like it was Tynan's first time getting hurt so he should be fine.
When Jeff had left sight, Tynan proceeded to go to one of the female practitioners he was familiar with. When she saw him, she looked excited at first but then petrified when she saw his hand.
"Tynan what happened to" she wanted to ask but he hushed her.
"Shh!" He put his finger on his lips, giving her a sign to not panic before he sat down and she quickly rushed to get a box to begin treating the wounds.
"Do you know where the maid who was brought to the infirmary this evening is located?" he asked the young girl who was applying something to his injury.
She blushed, lowering her head from the sudden question before she replied, "Yes, she is in Room 2 upstairs. Is there any problem?" she asked without looking at him.
"Not at all. I was just wondering what may have happened to her. Do you have an idea?" he spoke to the girl with a warm smile.
She seemed to be thinking for a moment before she replied with a low voice, "I heard the royal physician say he noticed some sort of struggle and inflicted wounds on her body. Her dress was also ripped from behind. From my little knowledge, I think she was assaulted but I don't know who would do such," she shrugged as she explained.
"Right" was the only thing Tynan said. He raised his chin as if trying to put some dots together but wasn't sure if it made sense.
"Although I don't know how the prince got involved," she added as if she was in thought too. It also didn't make sense to her. Why was it the prince to bring her? Perhaps he was the one who saved her but carrying her in his arms like that seemed too demeaning from anyone's standpoint.
"Thank you, Patricia," Tynan thanked her after she bandaged his wrist for him.
"Anytime," the girl replied shyly with a smile. Her behaviour was something Tynan was used to which didn't come from only her. A handful of servants had such fluttered expressions when he spoke to them and he always played along but truthfully, he wasn't interested in any of them.
Only one did genuinely catch his attention.
Music recommendation: Love in the dark- Adele
Although to anyone, it seemed like Tynan was simply in the infirmary, patrolling like a normal warden, it was the opposite.
When Tynan had sneakily reached the stairs to Room 2, he looked around to make sure no one was around before opening the door to be greeted by the cosy room with a variety of luxurious furniture.
Barely looking at it, one could tell this sort of room was not meant for the one currently using it. But that was the least of Tynan's problems at the moment.
He looked over at the bed where the young girl lay sleeping peacefully. Her small fragile head lay on the cushion with her red hair sprawled on it. His eyes softened.
For a moment, Tynan slowed down his tracks, just staring at her. The serenity in the room became prominent as the only thing he could hear was the steady breathing of the girl on the bed. Her chest heaved up and down in slow motion as Tynan stared at her peaceful innocent face.
A sleeping beauty, he muttered to himself as if he was in a reverie but then something caught his attention as he pulled back from his trance.
The marks on her body...
He walked to the bed and crouched almost immediately, reaching her level.
He looked at the scars on the sides of her hands which were now red like someone scratched her with force. He gazed at it ardently before his hands subconsciously came forward to trace the marks on her skin ever so softly, grazing them with his palms.
His face hardened when he remembered what the practitioner told him. She was assaulted.
His hands balled into fists, clutching the soft mattress of the bed Melina laid on. He had a strong feeling it had been Sir Julian's doing which explained why Prince Leon's hands were bloody when he brought Melina to the infirmary. Now that he thought of it, he could understand what may have transpired.
These elites and noble-borns did things the way they wanted without thinking of how the ones beneath them felt and what made it more painful was the commoners could do nothing about it.
But what he didn't understand was why Prince Leon brought it upon himself to bring Melina here despite knowing how despicable such an action was for his position. He could have simply asked anyone else to do it.
He even told the royal physician to attend to her, something only elites had the privilege to do. To sum it up, he had given her such a lavish room with protection too, Tynan conversed to himself as he looked around the well-painted room with all the adequate materials put in place.
Something was not making sense but he didn't want to make that his problem now. He wasn't here to deliberate on such issues and had only come to see Melina.
His eyes eased again when he stared at her face. He came closer to her and brought his hand forward before using it to rub her hair, straightening it.
But then, as if something struck him, he removed his hands abruptly before sighing and lowering his head.
He shook his head speedily like he was trying to suppress a feeling, a newfound emotion he felt he was succumbing to, which was fairly true.
He would be lying if he said he didn't feel a sting in his heart when he had seen Melina in such a deplorable state this evening and he had been very curious to know what had happened to her. Though he had told himself some time ago that he would be able to contain whatever feelings he may have been garnering for her, every action of his this evening proved him wrong.
From making up an order he wasn't given to disobeying Lady Jordyn then hurting himself just to get past the entry and sneaking here...
Even now, seeing her like this ignited something within him but he told himself it was just this one time.
'Just this once and it would never happen again' he muttered under his breath.
"Tynan?" Tynan looked up in shock when he heard Melina's voice, his mind that had drifted far came back immediately.
He had been too busy with his thoughts to have noticed the girl was awake.
"Mel" his voice came out like a breath. "You're awake," he said and stood up, a bit flustered.
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Fiona_103
Fiona_103 My first time recommending a song. I hope you liked it and can comment on how you feel about it.:)
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