Tate didn't know how he'd gotten home. As he woke in a dark room he could only remember flashes. He remembered seeing his butler at the door, he remembered a healer standing over him, he remembered his maids and housekeeper hovering by his side whenever he opened his eyes.
As he opened his eyes this time there was no one there, the room was dark and warm but as his eyes adjusted he realized that it was day. The curtains were drawn over his balcony doors.
He took a deep breath and settled deeper into his blankets. His nightclothes and sheets felt stiff and a little damp from sweat but he didn't feel like he could get up just yet. He dozed on and off for an indeterminable amount of time during which he did hear his door open. His eyes fluttered and he saw his housekeeper coming towards him. He kept his eyes closed hoping she would leave but he felt the back of her hand on his forehead and heard her take a sigh of relief. She then left the room.
It wasn't until he heard a thud that his mind snapped to awareness. Slowly and as silently as possible he turned in his bed until he could see the balcony. With the angle of the dim light coming through the curtains, he could make out a shadow. A crouched figure on his balcony.
He soundlessly stood, grateful that his bed didn't creak, and walked to the side of the doors. He held himself flat against the wall. The curtain moved a little as the handle was pushed down from the outside. Apparently, his doors were not locked.
The doors opened outward, they were designed to lay flat against the outside wall on days when you wanted to leave them open. A hand reached through the curtains almost near the floor.
He lunged and grabbed the intruder and yanked them inside. The person he had a hold of was surprisingly light compared to what he'd been expecting. He didn't know if this person was an assassin or not but he couldn't fathom what other type of person would come in secret through a second-story balcony.
"Tate it's me." A voice hissed desperately as he swung the figure around to face him.
Even in the near darkness, he could make out Aliya's face. He let go of her immediately and breathed heavily, his heart still racing.
"What are you doing, I thought you were someone else."
"Sorry about that Kilnik brought me, he told me which room was yours."
"Where is he?"
"On the roof."
Tate sighed and rubbed his face. "Ugh." He moaned feeling fatigue hit him once again. He unsteadily bypassed her and collapsed back onto his bed. Ignoring her he pulled the covers over himself in a messy fashion. "Why are you here?" He mumbled into a pillow.
"I uh- I came to talk to you."
"Couldn't it wait?"
"Well..." she trailed off.
He turned his head to look at her. She was standing where he had left her looking down at him. She obviously didn't know what to do or say now that she was here.
"I came to apologize." She said in a rush.
"Why?"
"What do you mean why, for getting so mad the other day and for not talking to you."
"Oh, that." He said with no energy. "You don't have to be sorry, I get it. We lived together for so long but I didn't tell you much about myself. I felt sorry for that after you left. Would it help to know it wasn't on purpose?"
Her lips tilted up at the corners just slightly and she seemed to come to a decision. She walked over to the side of the bed and sat down next to him. She felt his forehead. "I've decided it doesn't matter anymore. You're family and I'm sure one day you will tell me what you want me to know when you're ready."
He felt his closed lips curve but his eyes shut. "Thank you, I promise I'll tell you all my adventures one day." He took a deep breath. "Just not today."
"What happened, why are you like this?"
"Got caught in the storm."
"Why on earth were you even out in it in the first place."
"I was having dinner with the Emperor."
She froze for a second. "Oh, yeah that's something I keep forgetting about you now that we're back. You're pretty close with the Emperor, everyone talks about it."
"Humm."
He felt her touch his forehead again, then she pushed the hair back out of his face. Her hand felt familiar, cool, and dry. It was very pleasant and he hoped she kept combing his hair back. Maybe he did still have a fever, he didn't usually just lie still and let anyone touch him. The exception was probably his mother and even though Aliya and himself had shared a home for five years she'd never been allowed near his rooms if he was sick. He hardly ever got sick anyway, maybe twice in the last five years.
If anyone had gotten sick a lot it had been Aliya. When he'd first taken her to the castle her body had to do a lot of adjusting. She was not used to getting consistent food and she was also surprisingly vulnerable to colds when she was younger. He remembered putting wet wash clothes on her forehead when she was much smaller. Sometimes he had even read to her. He had hated her being sick but at the same time, he'd felt very needed, almost like what he imagined a father must feel when his own child is sick.
"So you had dinner with the Emperor, just you?"
"No, my family and Jillian's family." He mumbled getting sleepier.
"Oh! Instructor Jillian was there too. I know you spoke of her sometimes when we were away but she really is just like you described her. She is so kind and funny, I love her swordsmanship class!"
He couldn't help but smile even as he was on the verge of sleep at her glowing recommendation.
"So was the dinner to officially celebrate her engagement with your brother?"
His chest stung at the question. He sucked in a ragged breath as words said the night before washed over his mind.
"No, it was to switch her engagement to me." He mumbled unhappily. Sleep chose that moment to pull him forcefully back into the darkness despite the serious topic they were getting into.
He wasn't awake to see her hand freeze and the shock on her face.
=======
ALIYA
Aliya left Tate's side with mixed feelings. She'd said her apology but there had still been so much she'd wanted to say to him. His obvious need for sleep and his feverish forehead were not what she had been expecting to find when she'd decided to visit him. She'd been told he took a sick day but she hadn't really thought that through. She left him to keep sleeping and recover. She couched and waddled back to the open balcony. When she got outside she left the door open. It had been ridiculously stuffy in that room and it seemed a good idea to let some fresh air in for him.
"Kil, I'm ready."
"Why are you so fast today, was he not here either?"
"No he was here, come down already I feel ridiculous in this position I'll tell you once we leave."
Kilnik swept down but he was not visible to the eye. She only knew where he was because detecting him while he was cloaked was a skill Tate had made her practice over and over again until she could find the invisible dragon with her eyes shut.
It had to do with feeling the air currents around her, as a large creature and a dragon in the air no less, he disturbed the air quite a lot. She easily pinpointed the spot between the base of his neck and his wing joints where she sat and hopped on.
"So what happened, you said you saw him but that was too fast, did he kick you out?"
"No, but he really is sick like Instructor Norier said. He fell asleep on me in the middle of our conversation."
"How inconsiderate." Kilnik huffed, insulted on her behalf.
"It's fine, he was still a little feverish I think. At first, he must have taken me for an intruder but once he knew it was me he went straight back to bed."
"Did you get to say any of the things you wanted?"
"A few, but I'll talk to him about it more later. At least he knows I'm sorry for ignoring him and getting so mad. He promised he'd tell me more about himself later but you've got to hear what he said right before he went to sleep."
"What?"
"You know Instructor Jillian?"
"Oh, yes the nice human who teaches our combined swordsmanship class, right?"
"Yes."
"Isn't she engaged to Lord Tate's brother? What could he possibly have to say about her? We know that he likes her, they were comrades before Aquana passed away."
"Well, she's not engaged to his brother anymore..."