Jayce wrapped me in the fluffy and warm blanket, gently and tenderly running his fingers wrapped in a towel down my hair as I was curled on his bed. The action was strange for two people who barely knew each other but it was soothing. Camille had washed me and dried the original shirt I was wearing so I could be dressed again. Jayce had then brought me over to the bed and tucked me. He refused to let her dry my hair, insistent that he would do it himself. Now he was hovering over me with a sweet cherishing smile on his face. It was too intimate and forgien to me that it peeked my interest. I was curious so I slipped on my eyes. His aura was a bright pink making my face go red. The vibrant pink that was surrounding him I had seen before in other people but they were lovers deeply in infatuated. I saw it when villagers looked at each other, or people looking at their pets. It made no sense why Jayce would be feeling that around me at all. Nothing about this situation made sense to me at all, but somehow it felt a little natural. His soft cotton tunic top acting as my night gown, the fleece blanket smothering me in soothing warmth. After Camille had helped me bathe, dry my body and dressed me he had sent her away. He dried him before she had reluctantly left as well. He asked her to help him deconstruct the tub after the storm or the next day. The storm was still raging outside like an angry god but for some reason I was completely calm.
"You really don't have to do any of this." Jayce flinched as I spoke, my voice cracked and hoarse from not speaking during the whole ordeal. He smiled brilliantly and just continued as happy as a duck in water. My heart was being sliced with the burning pain of guilt. If he knew that I was the reason he wouldn't have a happy ending, he wouldn't be doing this. He was my favorite character and I took everything from him. I gripped the bed underneath me harder that my fingers turned white. He didn't notice and happily went on his way while I was a gloomy mess.
"I like doing it." He hummed, stroking the towel against my free cheek, leaning over me like a protective shield. He almost looked like a puppy, smiling from ear to ear and cheeks tinted a soft pink. I still wasn't used to the characters being changed from the novel in such an extreme way.
"Why?" I felt like I was bringing down the atmosphere of the tent but nothing was fazing him. He was still cheery, his touch soft like feathers. He pursed his lips and his hands stopped for a moment. He pulled the towel away from me and I felt like a little empty.
"Do you not like it?" He was filled with sudden gloom, his aura turning a slight depressing blue as well. It was jarring to me and I pushed myself to a sitting position. I didn't like him looking so sad.
"N-No it's fine, I just don't want you to feel like you have to do it."
"I'm doing it because I want to do it." He sounded a bit like a wonderstruck child, as if he was worried that this was all a dream. I couldn't help but my face turned a little pink. This attention was strange. Just like Agatha he was different then in the novel. In the novel he was a cold, lonely and aloof figure. When he loved Agatha he was just like that, but showed a bit of warmth here and there. He was supposed to be that sturdy and strong figure that would protect her even if he struggled to show how much he cared. Based on what I've seen thus far, he was much warmer of a person than the book let on. He's cold and harsh to his subordinates to keep them in line, but to me someone he felt he owed something to he was kind and gentle. Everything is this world had been turned upside down and nothing was right. It hurt me even more that he was like this because he would have been a wonderful husband and lover to Agatha if she was a good woman, and now I've made it my mission to destroy her and inadvertently his happiness. He didn't deserve that. The hot knife of guilt dug into my once again and for a moment I couldn't hold back my sad expression. Jayce looked as jarred as I felt earlier. As if on instinct he reached out with his rough right hand and pressed it against my warm cheek. His hand was so large that it almost covered the one side of my face. It was cool against my feverish skin, his calloused fingers brushing against my soft cheek.
"Did I do something to upset you?" He asked, worry etched on his face. My heart throbbed uncomfortably at his actions, fingertips tingling and butterflies in my stomach. It was an automatic reaction, as I was quickly pulled from my negative gloomy thoughts into being flustered like a school girl. The sudden change of my emotions almost gave me whiplash.
"O-Oh! No you didn't!" I pulled myself back but he kept his hand on my cheek as I pushed myself back a bit. His sudden intimate closeness made me flustered, with a beet red face and quaking from nerves. His face softened instantly, stroking his thumb along my cheek and down to my jaw. No one in my previous life or this one looked at me the same way he was looking at me. He was looking at me like I was the only light in a dark world. Something about it didn't feel right, but it didn't feel unpleasant.
"That's good. Please let me know if I ever do." His voice was soft and filled with an emotion that was forgein to me. He dropped his hand to my shoulder, grabbing a few strands of my dampened hair and rubbing it between his fingers. I was trembling from his touch, a thickness in the air overplayed with an emotion. I didn't know if it was my eyes deceiving me, but Jayce seemed to be leaning forward. A loud crash if thunder outside made me jump and pulled me out of my stupor.
"Are you okay?" He asked as my trembling increased. I must have been shaking because of the storm outside, my heart racing a mile a minute.
"I'm just scared of storms." I managed to get out before lightning flashed across the sky lighting up the tent. I didn't have a moment to react before Jayce had scooped me up, placing me on his criss crossed legs. My back was pressed against his chest and I could feel his hot breath fan across my ear. I squeaked in surprise from our sudden closeness. He could feel my fawn like trembling and reacted instantly. The fleece blanket was wrapped around me, especially my exposed legs and he wrapped his arms around me. It felt secure and warm, but also the feeling of having him wrapped around me was both a nice but nerve-racking experience. Since I came to this world I know that people were affectionate with their touching, but it was still more conservative that what some people would pull in my world. Even by this worlds standards, a man holding a basically half naked woman so close to him was strange if they weren't lovers. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure that he could feel it through the blanket. It embarrassed me and I tried to wriggle out.
"Its okay," He almost whispered into my ear sending jolts of something down my spine. It tingled and zapped at my nerves making my legs shake a bit more.
"I-Its just w-we are very close right now. Its very inappropriate." He just chuckled at my words and held me tighter.
"Don't worry Mercy, I won't tell if you won't." I had the exact same tingling feeling shooting through me again with every word he said. My mind zoned in on my name however. His words ran through my mind, sounding to me more like a threat than a pledge.
"Your grace--"
"Jayce." He cut me off. I let out a small sigh.
"Your grace--"
"Jayce." He squeezed me this time as if to push his name into my body.
"You know who I am. Why are you playing around?" I decided to just not add a name for him, wanting to move on to what was important. He didn't seemed prepared for that question. Neither of us did as the fuzzy atmosphere turned cold for a brief moment. I could feel his breathing uptick and his muscles around me clench. I prepared myself mentally for the worst-- blackmail or something. What happened next though, nearly took my head off its shoulders.
"I heard that your family was claiming for you to be ill and unreachable. When I came here, I heard people calling you Rhea, so I figured their must be a reason why. I didn't want to expose you if you had a good reason to hide." It was the one answer I wasn't expecting. I couldn't see his face as he had me pointing to the head of the bed, but his voice was filled with sincerity. I tried to turn my head to see him, but he released my left hip with his criss crossed arms and grabbed my chin. He held my face forward so I wouldn't be able to look at him. His cold fingers were tight against my skin.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't look at me right now."
"Why?" I asked trying to shift on the spot. His fingers just tightened on my chin as he held me firmly in place.
"I would just appreciate it." His voice cracked and was hoarse for a moment. I couldn't pinpoint the reason as to why, but the wind whipped at the tent around us and I stayed still. We stayed like that longer than I could have imagined listening to the wing roar around us. We both had much to day, but we both stayed quiet.