Jayce kept watch over her as she slept. She hadn't awoken for three days. Whispers were going around the camp from the Archduke's strange behaviour but he snuffed out most of the rumors with threats before they could manifest fully. He had spoken with the Cretor General Balder and one of the two Theosian princesses sent named Dahlia about quashing them from their own ranks. Balder was annoyed but followed through because she saved his soldiers, and Dahlia just gave him a coy smile. She must had done something because he didn't hear any rumors from any of the Theosian's, including her own sister Camille who was acting as Mercy's personal handmaid. Despite her high status, she was here from morning to night. She would dab Mercy's steaming forehead with cold water, and use her water magic to keep her cold and to feed to water. Mercy was sleeping soundly, and Camille seemed fiercely loyal so it made him relieved she was there. In those three days, Balder had pushed to take part in mini hunting parties despite that their only healer was out of commission. Each leader would take a handful of their men and go on the outskirts each day for minimum two hours and return. For those two hours, Jayce thought that his anxiety would make his heart explode. He was worried that in those two hours he was gone she would take a turn for the worst. Everyday he tore through the monsters with ease, cutting down as many as possible while being careful to not get hurt again. He was like an angel of death cutting down monsters with his sword glowing an eerie red light. He was fast and strong from years of training and hereditary gifts. Blood soaking the leaves and trees, corpses of monsters trailing behind him. When he did arrive back after each battle he could feel people tremble as he got close. His clothes were soaked from head to toe in blood, and no doubt so was his face. He hated people's mocking and trembling stares, feeling them quite burdensome. People his entire life saw him as only a monster, spitting in his face and barking insults at him. Sharp devillish eyes tearing into his skin deeply as if they were knives. All he wanted was to look at those mint green gems again filled with warmth and no hint of fear. He looked around the crowded camp as people were whispering and backing away from him like he was a plague.
"Your grace!" He heard a familiar droning voice over the whispers. His blood instantly boiled as he recognized it. He turned his cold gaze to the right to see a familiar auburn haired man pushing himself through the crowd. Lupin burst through the bustling herd of people, uncharacteristically red faced and timid.
"S-Should I prepare you a bath before you see Lady Rhea?" He pressed his hands together and rubbed them nervously. The usual troublemaker of a man knew he was in the dog house and was trying by any means to climb up to good standing with his commander. The sun was barely out through a stormy looking sky, but it was still nearly blinding to him as he looked at the shadow of the man before him. His commanders angry golden eyes were oppressive against Lupin, making him tremble and bow his head instinctively. Wind rustles through the burlap tents, pulling at the Theosian silks and the knights blood red capes. The red surrounded Jayce like a bloody aura rolling around him or perhaps a pair of devillish wings. To Lupin it looked like a painting that would be found in the imperial palace or a grand devil standing before him. Lupin couldn't help but tremble before him. He could still remember on the day 'Lady Rhea' collapsed how he was called before the Archduke. He thought he would have gotten praised for bringing such a devoted healer. Instead he was met with a sword to his throat and a stern warning. He saw his life flash before his eyes in that moment, and knew he was still in the dog house. Jayce just grunted and gave a curt nod to the man before pushing past the trembling figure. The sky was dark grey and the clouds were low. He could smell the rain in the air mixed with the heavy metallic scent of blood from him. He couldn't touch Mercy while like this but he wanted to check on her. His heart wouldn't stop racing as he sped up, zipping past people. The rain started to drop down from the sky as he approached the tent. He threw the tent open just as the heavens opened up and poured onto the tent. He could hear it hitting the tent hard, making it rattle. The chaos outside couldn't waver his heart as he saw Mercy sleeping peacefully. Camille was sitting next to her on a multiple pillows on the floor, reading a battered novel. The fire crackled next to her making it warm and comfortable on the tent. He was tunnel visioned on her, running over to her and leaving over his own bed to check on her. He wanted to reach out and touch her sleeping and sound face but the blood on his hands forced him back. He couldn't stand to see any if that vile liquid on her ever. He bit his bottom lip feeling intensely frustrated and worried. It was like a cyclone in his chest, tearing at his insides. The flames next to him made eerie shadows across the black fabric of his tent, the wold insignia almost mocking him with its bared teeth as it danced across the fabric.
"You should probably wash up." His eyes darted to Camille who didn't look up from her book. Her status and his was almost equal so she had a habit of speaking casually to him. She was also completely uninterested and used to his behaviour despite the severe rumors that followed him. She still trembled when he got angry, but she was able to speak to him more freely like how Jubilee would speak back but was still secretly scared of him. Despite her overwhelming beauty as well, his eyes were still only locked on Mercy.
"Can you come grab me if she wakes up?" She gave a small nod to the question he asked daily but didn't move her attention from her book. He wanted to bathe the sticky liquid and gore off of him so he could tend to her. He secretly thought it would be nice be her lone servant, being able to clean her skin and dress her. He had already let Camille and Thea put her in one of his long dress shirts since she didn't have any comfortable nightwear. His face turned bright scarlet and heated up as he delved deeper into his delusion. His mind wandered to the bath he was supposed to take, he wondered how it would be for Mercy to bathe. He was so entranced in his vision that he didn't see the sly smile from Camille.
"Yes I will come grab you." Her voice broke through his imagination as it wandered to a less then innocent thoughts. His stoic gave broke and brightened as he tried to hide it.
"T-Thank you. I shouldn't be long." He almost choked on his words and clearing his throat. He scurried out of the tent, not noticing the small movement on his precious crush's fingers flinching.
Lupin had prepped a large wooden tub of water in the sanitary tent about five minutes from Jayce's tent. It was a large tent with four tubs for baths. There was a privacy partition between them since it was a unisex tent. Usually they would be filled with other people, splashing water and joking around. When it was told that the Archduke would be arriving to bathe they all cleared out quickly. He arrived already soaked from head to toe. The water mixed with the blood and caused it to run freely from his face making him look like he had freshly murdered someone. Lupin flinched when he entered, placing down a dry pair of clothes next to the prepped tub.
"Here you go your grace." He chuckled uncomfortably and rubbed his hands hands together out of nerves again. Jayce stared daggers at him and cocked his head to the side in a clear gesture to leave. He scampered out immediately, running fully force into the harsh storm outside. Finally Jayce could relax. He let out a deep sigh and began to pull at his bloodied red tie from his neck. He was yanking his clothes off in a desperate attempt to get cleaned and run back. He couldn't help but chuckle after he managed to free himself from his cloak and dress shirt. He realized that his actions were like were like of a loyal dog. Despite the fact he didn't know how to approach her after she woke up, he was faithful and loyal to her unconditionally. It would be strange to most people seeing as they had only met once and he was pining for her so horribly. He walked over to the tub once he dropped his pants and quickly immersed himself in the boiling hot water. It was comforting, but left him feeling a little empty.
"How am I supposed to tell her how I feel?" He sighed into the open air, only hearing the pounding of rain and the howl of wind in response. It didn't help his question. He started to run his fingers through his hair, washing the blood from his pale skin. The water was quickly tinted red as he washed. The scent of sandlewood filled his noise from a bathing oil that Lupin had poured in for him. He didn't mind the scent but it wasn't the one that he wanted to smell at that moment.
"Should I buy her flowers?" He mused into the open air, seeing the dust from the grass floating around him.
"Maybe I should get her more clothes and jewelery?" He was getting frustrated the more he thought aloud as well as more confused he got. He didn't know the first thing about love nor how to express it. Everytime he thought about it he got flustered and felt like he was melting, but his heart would also almost explode in his chest. Based off of all the conversations he's overheard of his knights, love at first sight it very uncommon and usually just a hoax. He knew it wasn't a hoax, but he was unsure how Mercy felt about him. He didn't know how to start courting her, nor if his affections were even reciprocated. After the other day they probably weren't. As that thought trailed across his mind he froze in place feeling pain tear at him. It was emotional pain and was more painful than any he ever had before. He raised his hands, pressing his palms into his eye sockets as if to blind him from the world. He didn't know how he was going to cope if he couldn't win her over. He wouldn't force her and would only wish for her absolute happiness, but he didn't know how he would do with himself. As he pondered the painful thought the tent opening was ripped open. Cold air rolled in and he grimaced but didn't move his hands. He thought it was another man coming in for a bath until he noticed that the huffing if puffing was that of a woman.
"Your grace, Lady Rhea is missing!" Camille's voice belted out in the nearly empty tent. He could feel himself flinch but immediately his body reacted. He jumped out of the wooden tub, splinters piercing his hands but not breaking into his skin. Camille was looking at the floor, drenched and out of breathe.
"How is she missing?" He barked as he pulled on his black cotton pants and white linen tunic top over his soaked skin.
"I went to go get a new book from my tent only fifty feet away. When I got back she was gone!" She gasped for breathe, looking at him with panicked eyes. She was trembling in fear, her dark skin draining of blood as he was fuming before him. He opened his mouth to scream at her but words didn't come from his mouth. A large crashing sound was heard from outside, just a few feet away. He didn't have to wait before sprinting towards the noise in the pouring rain.