Chapter 27 #2
I swallow hard, remembering last night's nightmare—Harald's hand going limp in mine, monitors screaming into the darkness. But this isn't that Harald. This Harald is warm and alive under my hands, fighting his way back with every step.
"One more," I concede. "Then it's back to bed before Ingrid has my head for overworking you."
Harald's victorious grin at reaching the fourth step makes my heart flutter, even as I notice the way his chest heaves with exertion. I keep one hand pressed firmly against his lower back as we carefully turn to head down.
"Good work today," Ingrid's voice carries from the bottom of the stairs. She stands there in her practical cardigan, notebook tucked under her arm, watching us with those keen eyes that seem to see everything.
"He's pushing himself too hard," I tell her, not caring that Harald rolls his eyes.
"I'm right here, you know," he protests, but lets me guide him down the steps with exaggerated care.
"And getting stronger every day," Ingrid notes, her gaze moving between us. "Though perhaps that's as much about the motivation as the exercise."
I feel my cheeks warm, but can't deny how Harald seems to try harder when I'm here. Just as I can't sleep unless I'm in the room with him, listening to his steady breathing, reassuring myself that his heart monitor keeps its regular rhythm.
"Speaking of which," Ingrid continues, "Daniel, I'd like to discuss those night terrors you've been having. Perhaps we could schedule—"
"I'm fine," I interrupt, though Harald's hand tightens on mine. "They're just dreams."
"Daniel." Harald's voice is soft but firm. "You barely slept last night. I heard you crying out."
The concern in his voice makes my throat tight. Here he is, the one who nearly... who was in the hospital bed, and he's worried about me? I try to deflect with a shrug, but Harald isn't having it.
"If I have to talk to Ingrid, so do you," he says, using what I've come to think of as his prince voice. "We heal together, remember?"
Over the next few days, Harald's determination becomes almost unstoppable. Each morning, I find him already awake, doing the exercises the physiotherapist prescribed. The hospital gown has been replaced with proper workout clothes—a concession from his doctors after he complained enough times.
"You're staring again," Harald says, not pausing his arm curls with the small hand weights. A sheen of sweat makes his skin glow in the morning light filtering through the hospital windows.
"Can you blame me?" I settle into my usual chair, coffee in hand. "A week ago you could barely lift a spoon, and now look at you."
His chest, which had grown so frighteningly hollow, is starting to fill out again. The doctors are pleased with his progress, though I still catch them watching him carefully during their rounds. The heart monitors remain, a constant reminder of how close we came to—no. I push the thought away.
"Earth to Daniel." Harald's voice pulls me back. He's set down the weights and is studying me with that worried look I hate causing. "Where did you go just now?"
"Nowhere." I force a smile. "Just thinking about how handsome you're looking."
"Liar." He beckons me closer. When I reach his side, he takes my hand and places it over his heart. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, I can feel its strong, steady rhythm. "Feel that? Still beating. Still here."
I let out a shaky breath. "I know. I just—"
"I know." He pulls me down until our foreheads touch. "But I'm getting stronger every day. Thanks to you."
"Pretty sure that's thanks to your stubbornness and the medical team," I murmur.
"No." His hand cups my cheek. "Having you here... it gives me something to fight for. Someone to come back to."
Before I can respond, his physiotherapist arrives with a new set of resistance bands, and Harald's face lights up like it's Christmas morning. I settle back in my chair, watching as he tackles each new exercise with the same determination he showed on those first stairs.
The prince might be coming back to his full strength, but I'm the one who feels stronger just by being here with him.
"Look who's strutting," I tease as Harald completes another lap of the hospital wing without any support. His gait is steady now, confident, though I still hover nearby—just in case.
"Jealous of my catwalk?" He strikes an exaggerated pose that makes a passing nurse giggle. The sound of his laughter—real, full-bodied laughter—still makes my heart skip. Three weeks ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever hear it again.
"Show-off," I mutter, but can't hide my smile.
The physical changes are remarkable. His shoulders have filled out, his arms regaining their definition after weeks of proper meals and gradually increasing exercise.
The hollow look in his cheeks has been replaced by healthy colour that makes his blue eyes seem even brighter, like someone switched on lights behind them.
His clothes—proper clothes now, not just those depressing hospital gowns—fit him properly again, the soft grey henley hugging his chest in ways that I'm trying not to notice too obviously.
It's like watching a wilted plant come back to life after watering, each day bringing back more of the Harald I first met, though something new and resilient has taken root in him too.
Ingrid appears at the end of the corridor, watching our progress with her usual thoughtful expression. "Impressive improvement, Your Highness. Though perhaps we should discuss your tendency to overexert yourself?"
"I feel fine," Harald protests, but I catch the slight tremor in his legs.
"Bed," I announce, brooking no argument. "You've done enough for today."
"But—"
"Doctor's orders," Ingrid backs me up, though I catch the slight quirk of her lips. "And I believe your rather protective boyfriend's orders as well."
Harald sighs dramatically but lets me guide him back to his room. "You two are worse than Erik with your fussing."
"Speaking of Erik," I help Harald settle onto the bed, my hands lingering perhaps a moment longer than necessary on his shoulders as I ease him down against the pillows.
I can feel the tension in his muscles, the stubborn pride giving way to exhaustion.
"He called earlier. Something about the press getting restless about your condition?
Apparently, they're circling like sharks, demanding updates and spinning their own theories.
You know how they get when there's a vacuum of information. "
"Let them wait." Harald catches my hand, and a warm current races up my arm at his touch.
His fingers intertwine with mine—strong yet gentle—as he pulls me down to sit beside him on the bed.
The mattress dips slightly beneath our combined weight, bringing us closer together.
His eyes hold mine, soft yet determined, with a vulnerability that makes my chest ache.
"I'm not ready to share you with the world just yet. "
The intimacy in his voice wraps around me like a blanket.
I'm suddenly aware of how close we are, our thighs pressed together, his thumb absently stroking the back of my hand.
Something in the way he says "the world" reminds me that his world is different from mine—bigger, more complex—though I don't yet understand just how different.
All I know is that right here, in this quiet moment away from whatever storm is brewing outside this room, I feel like I matter to him in a way I haven't mattered to anyone in a long time.
"Harald..."
"I know, I know. Royal duties and all that." He traces patterns on my palm, each swirl of his fingertip sending little electric currents up my arm. His touch is gentle but deliberate, like he's writing promises into my skin. "But right now, in this room, I just want to be Harald. Your Harald."
"Always my Harald," I whisper, the words catching slightly in my throat.
Something about saying it aloud makes it feel both terrifying and true, like I'm making a vow I never expected to make to anyone again—especially not to someone like him.
The smile he gives me in return is radiant, transforming his entire face, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that makes my chest ache.
It's brighter than any crown, more valuable than any royal treasure, and it's meant just for me.
In this moment, the gap between our worlds doesn't seem so vast after all.