Caspar drew close to his estate and decided to take a roundabout way to the lake. Walking through the different paths calmed him and gave him a chance to think. What was he going to do, he thought. In his heart he had no desire to marry Vashti.
He knew the people of Azzaran would sometimes arrange marriages to one another so both the families benefit, but as far as he had heard, both of the parties were willing participants. So that's it, he thought! Maybe he could ask her to refuse. If she knew that he didn't love her, she wouldn't want to marry him right? But then he grew discouraged knowing that some union was needed to receive help from Azzaran.
Caspar kicked a rock on the path, watching it skip farther and farther. He took a breath and ran his hand through his hair, drawing closer to the lake. He listened to the sound the waterfall was making and let it soothe his raw nerves.
Finally Caspar took the last step, breaking through the trees and coming to view the water. He loved this place, his own little glimpse of heaven. He walked closer, letting his eyes roam across the surface of the water, when something strange caught his eyes. He squinted a bit at what looked to be red material floating in the water, bobbing slightly. How strange, he thought, what was material doing in the water. He stared more closely, trying to see anything that would help him understand it's presence, and then his eyes widened in horror and he moved automatically, running towards the water. Hair, his mind screamed at him, that looks like hair.
He dove into the water like an arrow and then used broad strokes, pushing his body as fast as he could to get to her. He hoped he was wrong but he knew he was right. A few more strokes and he reached her, kicking his feet to remain in place and used one arm to turn her face towards the air. It was her, he thought and dread filled his heart.
Caspar maneuvered one of his arms, weaving it through her arms, drawing her close to him so he could swim back to shore while keeping her head above the water. The whole way back he chanted for her to live in his mind.
Once he reached the shore he picked her up and carried her to a dry spot, placing her down as gently as possible. Her face looked pale and she wasn't breathing, and her lips had a bluish tint. He took one hand with an open palm and placed it on her chest, close to her heart and then took his other, making a fist and placed it on top of his first. He then began to push rhythmically against her ribs, forcing air out of her mouth. After about 20 seconds he adjusted himself to give her the kiss of life. He bent his head and when his lips were an inch from hers, her mouth erupted water suddenly.
He drew back, observing Sarina closely. After the water flowed from her mouth, she began coughing in fits. Her eyes remained closed for a bit longer, before finally fluttering and she took ragged shallow breaths. Caspar exhaled in relief, falling back into a sitting position and resting his arms on his knees. Well that was quite a fright. He let her take in more air before finally talking,
'Sarina, are you alright?'
Sarina coughed some more before trying to reply, 'I ..I think so' and then she broke out into more coughing fits.
Once Caspar was sure she would live, he stood and captured her in his arms once again, lifting her up and walked quickly towards the trail, being careful not to jostle her. Sarina was too exhausted to complain about him holding her this time, so they walked in silence, while Caspar listened to her quiet ragged breaths, counting each one with relief.
They reached the house quickly, and Hashem stared at them with wide eyes before quickly opening the door for them to walk through. Caspar walked with purpose until they reached her room, opening the door and walking inside. He set her in the chair next to the window and began helping her to remove her wet shoes.
'What are you doing' Sarina asked hoarsely.
'I'm helping you get out of these wet clothes' he responded without looking at her, now removing her wet stockings that rose to mid-calf. Sarina was looking highly uncomfortable but she was still so tired from drowning that she could not refuse.
'Can you stand' he asked.
Sarina nodded her head and pushed off of her chair with her arms. Caspar grabbed her arm, gently pulling her up to help. Then he walked quickly to the closet looking for anything for her to wear, but when he looked there wasn't anything. He cursed under his breath and removed his tunic, showing his muscular upper body to her.
He then told her,
'I am going to face this direction. Slip out the dress and put this on' he said holding out the shirt to one side. 'I don't want you falling sick because of the clothes. I will send Darya in when i find her and she will give you something proper to wear after.
Sarina's cheeks burned but she followed his instructions, removing the dress easily. She walked up behind him, taking the tunic and retreating quickly and slipped on the shirt, which covered her body and reached to her knees. He nodded his approval.
'Go and rest on the bed, I will send Darya with a dress and some tea for you' Caspar said and then left the room quickly.
Once outside of her door, Caspar stood there, letting his heart settle. Why?, he thought, why did it feel like his soul would die if she perished?
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