The young lady thought she was hallucinating when she saw the visage of the stablehand rushing towards her with his hat missing and long, blonde hair soaked from the rain. Only when he moved her arm did she realize he was there to her rescue and not a figment of her imagination.
Leonor didn't have it in her to be embarrassed by how she must look at that moment. She was covered in dirt, certainly not showing him her best side. However, after the initial shock wore off, pain took over. With trembling hands, Leonor reached down towards her leg, stopping at her knee.
Seeing that her back and neck were uninjured, Valerio decided to be bolder and lifted Leonor to a sitting position.
"M-my leg," Leonor sobbed. "I can't move it. Please help me."
Valerio gently shushed her and removed the cloak from himself, covering the lady with it because she was shivering and soaking wet. Since he was warmer and uninjured, he would manage in the rain longer than her.
"We have to get you back to the manor," he said. "I'll be able to stabilize your leg here but we need a healer."
It was far from the first time Valerio had dealt with another's injuries. Whether it be from when he lived in another country or simply from being around accident-prone children in the orphanage, he drew from years of experience.
Satisfied that she was warmer with his cloak, Valerio moved to her leg and tried to be as gentle as possible while turning her knee towards him and assessing the damage further. His actions caused her to bare her teeth in pain. Almost immediately, he realized that it was the bone in her shin that was fractured. It didn't seem to be broken clean through but it was at least crushed.
He tried to train his face so she wouldn't glean anything from his expression. His jaw clenched as he thought about what he should do next. After a deep, calming breath, he took a work knife from his belt and started cutting the edge of his cloak. When he had a long piece he was satisfied with, he tore it in half with his bare hands.
"My lady, please look at me," Valerio requested.
When Leonor dragged her watering eyes up to the man, he couldn't help reaching towards her face, wishing the anguish was gone. He didn't want her to be burdened any further. Her shy smiles lit up the stables on even cloudy days. They were few and far between but stuck out in his thoughts each time he witnessed one of them.
"This may hurt," he admitted. "Keep looking at my face."
He didn't want her to watch him tear her pants and wrap her leg. The bruising and swelling were already so severe that he knew there was damage to the bone. Even her knee had received damage. She would be off her feet for a long time. He felt responsible considering he could have suggested she not ride that day but he didn't.
Even if he wouldn't outwardly say it, he was also frustrated with the useless guard tasked with watching over her. If that man had truly done his job, she wouldn't be in the position she was in at that moment. Yet being an orphan with nothing to his name, he had no authority to voice his anger.
Leonor wasn't expecting to react in such an extreme manner but as he tightened the strips of cloth around her shin, she couldn't stop herself from grabbing his arm. He continued dutifully wrapping her leg and making sure she was secure enough to be moved even though she squeezed his arm tightly
Eventually, she squeezed her eyes shut and tears fell out of the corners.
"Are you done?" she asked in a strained voice. When he nodded, she let out a sigh of relief and instantly let go of his arm. "F-forgive me. It hurts so much."
Her fists immediately clenched and her knuckles turned white. After all her father had done to her, she thought her pain tolerance was far higher than that, but it seemed a fractured bone was more painful than she could have ever imagined.
"Please don't apologize," he asked, trying to keep himself calm so she felt she could rely on him. "Do I have permission to pick you up, my lady?"
He was itching to go forward as he pleased but he had witnessed how nervous she was around him. Even though he wasn't certain of the reason for her reactions, he didn't want to make her more uncomfortable than she already was. After a meek nod from Leonor, Valerio dutifully lifted her off the ground. He paid special attention to her legs and made sure he wasn't causing more harm than good.
When standing at his full height, Leonor had a sharp inhale of air, telling the teenager that the sudden shift hurt even though he had been as careful as he could be.
"We'll get you to someone with healing magic soon," he explained quietly, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the rain that had reduced in severity. "Please hold on a bit longer."
Valerio's skill was evident as he deftly climbed onto his horse despite the girl in his arms. He had been around horses his entire life. Working with them was second nature to him. When he heard of an opening at Count Braulio's manor, he was ecstatic at the prospect of doing work he was well-versed in.
Valerio and the lady adjusted themselves so that her leg was stabilized and not flopping around as the horse galloped forward. To have her sitting in the right position, Leonor had to lean into Valerio and she eventually wrapped an arm around his neck when the position fatigued her core. He assured her it was alright but her mind and heart were in one million different directions.
Even with the bad luck that had befallen Leonor, she was hyper-aware of the warm body she was clinging to. Never before had she been close enough to a boy to smell their masculine scent. However, the smell of him mixed with rain would forever be etched in her memories and she would think of him whenever it rained from that point forward.
Before she knew it, he had safely brought her back to the manor where the guard who had lost her in the first place had sounded the alarms regarding the missing daughter of the Count. Even if her father didn't care for her, she was all he had as an heir. Her sister hadn't done anything to strengthen her skills as the head of the house.
Count Mikael rushed out of his carriage just as Valerio appeared with his daughter in his arms as he carefully maneuvered the horse.
The stablehand was expecting worry on the Count's face but he saw irritation. It felt as if his daughter being injured was an inconvenience. It made it harder for Valerio to let the girl go.
"Take your hands off of my daughter," the Count snapped accusatorily.
While Count Mikael didn't touch his daughter, he had guards and maids deal with her instead.
Valerio could only bow his head in resignation as the girl was taken from him. He wasn't doing something to be thanked, but he was shocked the Count didn't even seem remotely grateful that someone had found his daughter and she was only injured rather than something worse.
In a whirlwind of action, Leonor was taken away from Valerio, but before she let go of his neck, Leonor whispered, "What is your name?"
"Valerio," he answered, but the second part of his answer surprised even him. "I think…"
He had never told another soul that his true name wasn't Valerio. She had no reason to know this bit of information about him, but the state she was in made him feel brutally honest. The way she couldn't hold back her emotions when she was in pain kept words falling from his lips easily.
The last he saw of her, her watery sapphire eyes were wide with confusion. All he could do was stare miserably as he wondered why his heart was telling him not to let her go with that man even though he was her father.
Valerio didn't see Leonor and his worrying never ceased for two days.
In his restlessness, he decided he ought to try.