Sorrows of Adoration by Kimberly Chapman

the window’s glare, and I saw that
it was Kurit, there when I awoke, just as he had promised.
    He took my hand and
said, “Careful, Aenna, you’re not well just yet.”
    I smiled at him
weakly.
    “Tash removed the bolt,
and he stopped the bleeding, but you lost a great deal of blood
before that, and you’re very weak. You must rest.”
    I tried to talk, to ask
him if my arm would be useable, if there had been any poison, or
even just to tell him that I was quite hungry, but he stopped
me.
    “Hush, Aenna, don’t try
to talk. Save your strength. You’re going to be just fine, Tash
said so himself. He said that once the bolt was out, he was able to
stitch you up well without having to cauterize much of the muscle,
which means you should regain full use of your arm. There’s nothing
to worry about. You’re safe here, and I’m going to stay with you,
right here by your side, until you’re well.”
    He rose from the chair
and leaned over the bed to kiss my forehead. Gently, he set my hand
down on the bed, went to the door on the other side of the room,
and opened it. He stepped half out, said something I could not
hear, and then re-entered and closed the door.
    “I know you’re very
tired, but just try to stay awake for a little while. A servant
will bring some soup in a few minutes. You need to eat something,
even if it’s just a little bit, to keep your strength up.
Especially since we had so little food on the way home.”
    I could hear that he
was doing something on the left side of the bed, but it hurt too
much to look that way, so I just closed my eyes and relaxed. Aside
from hunger, thirst, and a great fatigue, I did not feel all that
poorly. My shoulder was a persistent, dull ache, and I was aware of
a pungent and familiar odour from the wound’s dressing. I had
learned to make that numbing salve as a child from a particular
variety of tree root. Unfortunately, it really only worked on the
upper tissue layers, so the deeper part of my injury hurt a great
deal every time I breathed deeply.
    Kurit returned to the
side of the bed with a cup in his hands and a damp cloth. “Here,”
he said, putting the cup to my lips. “It’s cold water. You must be
parched.” He tipped the glass so I could drink but poured a little
too fast, and some of the water dribbled down my cheek.
    “Ah, I knew I would be
dreadful at this,” he said, removing the cup and patting my cheek
with the cloth. It was warm and felt very soothing. “Sorry,” he
said, smiling at me. “Shall I try again, or do you fear I’ll drown
you?”
    I smiled at him in
return and nodded.
    He laughed. “I’m a mad
fool. I expect you to nod an answer, yet I ask you a question that
cannot be answered by yes or no. Hopefully you were nodding that
you want more water, and don’t truly think I’d drown you. Do you
want some more?”
    I prevented myself from
laughing, lest it cause me further pain, but smiled broadly and
gave another little nod. He put the cup to my lips again and poured
again but more slowly. When I had taken several sips, he put the
cup aside and patted my lips with the cloth again. Then he sat
holding my hand, looking at me with great tenderness.
    “I’m sorry you didn’t
have the chance to have a nice hot bath when we returned, but that
will come in a few days. After you fell asleep, Tash shooed me away
while he tended you, and when he was done his nurse cut away your
old clothes and washed you, so you shouldn’t be too uncomfortable.
I hope you don’t mind that we discarded your old clothes, including
those ridiculous boots I made you.” He chuckled, and I smiled at
him.
    “She put a simple gown
over you for now, but don’t worry, I promise you’ll have an entire
wardrobe of beautiful dresses when you’re well. And your own room,
upstairs. Much nicer than this small guest room. This was just a
fast place to bring you. I hope you’re not offended. But then if I
let you speak you’d probably tell me it’s beautiful