After a few minutes, the pain in my throat began to fade, and shortly after, everyone except for Veren left the room. Ternia had hesitated, but Veren had assured her that he could handle anything that might happen.
At first he just sat on the side of my bed, holding onto my hand like he was afraid that I would slip away. Then he asked "Would it be alright if I laid down next to you?"
Logic would have had me send him away for the very suggestion, but, in all honesty, I didn't want to be alone. And while I would probably end up over heating from his internal temperature, it sounded kind of nice.
I managed a weak nod and he smiled softly.
He stood up and moved to the other side of the bed, raising the blanket to get under, laying just close enough that he still held onto one of my hands.
He lay on his left side, facing me, and I forced myself to turn my head enough to see him.
"Stop forcing yourself!" He said, as if he had seen my hidden grimace.
I looked at him, wishing I could use my voice, but knowing that the pain was still too raw to even try.
He sighed "Yeah, I can feel it. I feel everything that you feel. That's how I knew about your nightmare. To be honest, I've felt your feelings for years. It's something that is very rare among Dragons, but I knew that it meant that I would meet you someday." his face softened into a shy smile "You and me, Rae, we're linked."
My chest felt tight, thinking of all of the pain and fear I had felt over the years, knowing now that I wasn't the only one who felt my suffering all of these years. I felt guilty but needed to remind myself that he would also feel that from me as well.
"It isn't anything either of us can control. I just...I wish I could have somehow protected you through all those years of suffering." he squeezed my hand reassuringly.
Again, I wished I could say something more, but the sound of him breathing softly had told me that he had managed to already fall asleep. I smiled as best I could, knowing that he couldn't see it, but wishing that he could, then closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again, I was laying on my side, facing Veren, with my head resting on his arm. I hadn't even realized that I had fallen asleep, or how I had ended up in such an awkward position.
My body hurt as I forced myself into a sitting position, just out of his reach. I heard him groaning, and was reminded that he probably felt my pain again, and guilt filled me all over again.
"Stop that" He complained in his sleep "Don't start feeling like that so early."
I looked at him, surprised at the lack of pain from my throat, and felt a soft laugh escape at how childlike he looked with his messy hair and his eyes open just a crack.
Opening his eyes a little more, he smiled up at me and said "good morning."
"Good morning" I responded automatically, again, surprised at the lack of pain.
"Looks like that salve works really well on you. Even I would have still been in too much pain to talk after what you happened to you."
I looked down at my hands on my lap in front of me, seeing the remains of what was no doubt blood under my nails. I tried not to think back on my feelings from the night before, not wanting to relive the fear and not wanting Veren to sense the darkness in my mind. I knew that I would be reliving it when I told him and Ternia the truth. And, while that thought scared me, it seemed like a relief to get it off of my chest, and to know that no matter what, I would be understood.
"How do I call for a, um, maid, to help me clean myself up?" I asked, feeling sheepish at the idea of needing help just to bathe.
On the border between awake and asleep, Veren looked at me through one half opened eye, then raised his hand awkwardly to point at a desk that I hadn't noticed before.
"There's a call button over there" he said, sounding groggy.
Part of me had actually expected him to offer to help, though logic would obviously have me refuse. Still, the idea wasn't totally unappealing. I was a young woman after all, who would feel those annoying, but completely natural desires. He was unnaturally good looking after all, and what woman didn't fantasize about some godly looking creature falling head over heels for her. It was just an ego trip, really, but that didn't mean that the fantasy wasn't normal.
I did my best to ignore the small smile that I saw form on his face, as I forced myself off of the bed and took the 10, or so, shaky steps toward the desk.
The desk was bare, the same dark wood as everything else, except what I assumed was the call button. A small golden nob that looked a little like a thimble.
When I touched the small piece of metal, nothing happened. It didn't push in or move, it just stayed exactly where it was. I gave it a questioning look, until a knock came from my door, just before the same feline woman from the night before stepped into my room.
"You called for me?" She asked, her tone like an obedient doll. I hated that formality.
"Um, yeah..." I tried thinking of the best way to say what I needed to say "I just need some help with the bath. Since the doctor said I have a concussion, it's best that I don't go alone."
She looked me over, then looked on the bed, where Veren was laying. I knew that he wasn't asleep at this point, since his breathing was the same level of calm and even as when I had woken up.
"Right away" She smiled sweetly at me, some of the formality seeming to leave her tone.
I smiled back at her, wondering if I looked like a total mess, with the bandage on my throat, probable blood staining on my clothes and hands, and most definitely a bad case of bed head.
"Do you have a preferred outfit for the day?" She asked.
She gestured to the wardrobe and I hesitated.
"N-no...I haven't picked anything..."
"I'll pick something for her" Veren spoke, not moving from where he lay.
"Of course. Then let's go get you cleaned up"
Normally the idea of someone picking my clothes for me would have been all sorts of infuriating. But, considering I didn't know the customs of this world, and I was probably expected to have some level of formal appearance now, it was best that for the first couple days I get some help, so I wouldn't look like a total freak.
"Don't pick anything weird" I said over my shoulder, as the maid guided me over to a door that I hadn't noticed the night before.
The inside of the bathroom was absolutely pristine and gorgeous. White tiles with black veins lined the floor, and the walls were a pale white wood material. The ceiling was black, just like what was in my room. I kind of wished that this world had those glow in the dark stars so I could decorate the ceiling for the nights that I couldn't sleep.
The tub was almost as big as a hot tub, porcelain, claw foot, and in the center room, with a large golden pipe rising from the floor, curving over the edge of the tub. Another thimble looking bump was on the pipe and the maid stepped over to it, resting a clawed finger over it and starting a fast stream of hot water.
I wondered where the piping came and went to in this place, since this wasn't the kind of world that had things like electricity. But, it did have magic call buttons, so I figured it was best not to think about it too much.
I looked nervously at what looked like a large porcelain bowl that I guessed was the toilet, wondering if it would be totally weird if I went to the bathroom while the water ran. But my bladder was already screaming at me, so I just decided to do it.
The maid didn't seem even slightly phased as I did my business, then stared as the water in the bowl drained completely on its own, refilling it just like a normal toilet, just without the backing.
I then stepped over to her side, looking at the nearly full tub.
"Do you need any help undressing?" She asked innocently.
I flushed "I just, um, need someone to stay in here while I bathe, so nothing happens."
"I'll do my best to help you out" she gave a smile that told me that she meant to help me in more ways than I really needed.
I removed the ruined clothes that I had first worn into this world, my dirt covered jeans and shirt, with several spots of blood around my chest. The feline woman eased the clothe off of my throat, revealing what looked like bloody goo. Clearly the salve and my blood mixing together was more disgusting than I had originally expected, since my stomach was turning to the point that I almost threw up.
I Stepped next to the tub and I felt the maid put her furry fingers on my hips, keeping me steady as I stepped over the way too tall edge. The water burned my skin, but felt strangely comforting, as the heat worked the tension out of my sore muscles. Without me saying anything, the maid took a bucket and filled it from the tub, dumping it over the top of my head without even the slightest warning.
I gasped as the water burned my scalp, and tried going into my nose.
"Please don't do that" I pleaded, my voice mixed with coughing up water.
"We must make sure you get nice and clean" was all she said, with a playful tone.
She grabbed a clothe from somewhere beside the tub and started scrubbing at my skin with some kind of soapy fluid. I tried pulling away, wanting to be able to take care of myself, but she clearly wasn't having any of that, using her other hand to hold me in place with her inhuman strength.
It hurt as she washed off my throat, but not to the extent that I had predicted it would. She got another kind of pink colored fluid from somewhere beside the tub and began rubbing it into my head. I don't know how she didn't scratch me with her claws, but as soon as I stopped fighting her, it began to feel comforting.
"Another rinse" She said, just before dumping another bucket of hot water over my head.
She scrubbed my scalp a bit more, before dumping another bucket of water, until she was satisfied that there were no more suds in my hair.
"Alright, let's get you out of there and into some nice new clothes." She instructed.
I did as she wanted, standing, feeling a new strength in my limbs that I hadn't had when I first awoke, and stepped over the edge of the tub, with her hands on my hips to stabilize me.
As if it were self-aware, the tub began to immediately start draining, taking dirty and blood spotted water to some unknown place.
She wrapped a towel around me and it fit way too perfectly, like those movie model towel scenes. She opened the bathroom door faster than I could attempt to stop her, and I began an internal freak out at the thought that Veren could still be in my bed, and might see me looking like I was trying to be a seductress or something. But Veren was no where to be seen. Instead my bed was perfectly made and a pale blue, strapless dress lay on the bed, with what looked like white wool jacket to go over it.
"Hmm" The maid looked at it, then at me, and smiled "I must admit that he has good taste for you."
I flushed as she pulled me to stand next to bed and immediately started dressing me. She moved too fast for me to resist at all, making me feel rather like a child.
In the perfectly form fitting dress and soft white jacket, she pulled me toward a wall, where another golden button opened the wall to reveal a full-sized mirror.
I stared at myself as she ran a brush through my hair, pulling all of the tangles free without even the slightest pinching or pull of pain. She then set a single, small braided section down over the right side of my head, with a single flower clipped to a thin string tied around the end, to secure it.
I didn't look like myself at all, by the time she was finished with me. Yeah, I was still pale and had my freckles, but my skin looked too smooth and perfect, with no spotting or under-eye shadows that I was known to have. I looked like I belonged in a movie or a run-way. So foreign.