Chapter 18 #2
“I hope Finlay is alright,” said River to Layla, as the other woman deftly braided Arya’s hair by the window, where the afternoon light streamed in and helped her see her handiwork.
Colby was running around the sitting room with a scone in one hand and a wooden sword in the other, attacking all sorts of terrible things—from bandits and monsters to the curtains that hung over the southern windows.
“Is there somethin’ the matter?” asked Layla with a concerned frown. “Now that I’m thinkin’ about it, I havenae seen him in a few days.”
“He says he ate somethin’ that bothered his stomach and has been in his chambers all this time,” said River, her heartbeat picking up at the thought that something could be truly wrong with him.
“He’s nae the kind of man to ask for help, that’s what concerns me.
It may be more serious than he wants us to think. ”
“Perhaps we could tell Jenson to visit him if he doesnae come out of his chambers soon,” said Layla. “It’s quite odd...no one else has fallen ill.”
“Aye, I ken,” said River. She did know, because now she was keeping track of the household like never before.
She was more involved in household matters, keeping track of everything that needed her attention, and so if anyone else had fallen ill, she would have found out immediately.
“With everythin’ happenin’ lately, it makes me wonder if somethin’ happened to him, too, and he doesnae ken it. ”
“An attack?” asked Layla. “With what? Poison?”
“It could be,” said River. She had been going through the various possibilities in her mind again and again, trying to figure out what was wrong. “I wouldnae be quick to discount a single possibility.”
“Me lady, if it was poison, surely he would ken,” said Layla gently, and River couldn’t deny that.
Finlay was a smart man; had he been poisoned, he would know what it was.
But that didn’t mean he would have alerted anyone else to it, but rather, considering his stubbornness, might have tried to get better on his own, without asking even Jenson for help.
“I just...I am concerned for him,” said River with a sigh. Throughout her life, Finlay had always been there. If something happened to him, if he was truly poisoned or even severely ill, what was she to do? Could she truly navigate a life without him by her side?
If something happened to him, River would mourn him like a father.
The knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts, and just like usual, Archer didn’t wait for her response before the door opened. He strode in first, and the mere sight of him was enough for heat to erupt in her stomach, reminding her of the moments they had shared together.
When would their next night together be, she wondered? Would he suggest it? Was that why he had come?
The reason for his visit soon became apparent, though, when two servants entered the room behind him, carrying a chest between them—though what that chest was carrying was mystery to River.
Colby was the first one to run to Archer, who greeted hm not with his usual ruffling of hair but rather with a curt nod.
River soon joined them while Layla finished up Arya’s braid, giving them a small, bemused smile.
“What’s this then?” she asked.
One of the servants opened the chest to reveal its contents—a large pile of toys, everything from dolls and wooden figurines to swords and shields.
River stood there, her mouth agape as she stared at the numerous—and surely expensive—toys, while the children squealed in delight and were quick to grab things out of the chest. Archer was soon surrounded by choruses of thank yes, the children running around his legs in delight.
But his eyes never left River’s, and she couldn’t help but stare back, her heart racing in her chest.
“Archer...this is too much,” she said. “Ye didnae have to do this.”
“Och aye, I did,” said Archer with a small shrug. “They’re bairns, they need the toys.”
“They have plenty already,” River pointed out.
“Eh...what are some more?”
He said it casually, very much so, as if he truly didn’t care that much; as if he hadn’t given it much thought. There was something different about him today, though River couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Ye didnae see what’s at the bottom of the chest,” Archer said then, and River took a step closer to see a mountain of fabric, dark blue in color with a fur trim.
Hesitantly, she picked it up and held it in front of her to realize it was a coat—luxurious, thick, perfect for the coming winter.
Once again, her mouth fell open in shock as she stared at the garment, and she could hardly believe that the man who had once treated her so badly was now buying her and the children such expensive gifts.
“Archer...I daenae ken what to say,” she said, almost breathless.
“Say if ye like it,” Archer said. “If ye daenae—”
“I do!” River was quick to say. “Of course I do, Archer, it’s so bonnie.”
Archer’s expression softened, a small smile appearing on his lips. “I’m glad.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They only stared into each other’s eyes as if mesmerized, as if looking away would be too painful. Then, when the moment passed, River turned to Layla.
“Layla...I willnae need me old coat anymore,” she said. “Would ye like to have it?”
“M-me?” Layla asked, stammering. “But me lady, it’s too expensive. I couldnae possibly.”
“Of course ye could,” River insisted. “Do ye want it?”
“I can have it?”
“Aye, ye can.”
“Me lady...thank ye,” said Layla, rushing to her and pulling her into a tight embrace, one that surprised her to the point of all the air rushing out of her lungs. River laughed softly, hugging Layla back, glad to see her happy. “I daenae ken how to thank ye enough.”
“Ye already did,” River assured her. “Please, just enjoy it, alright?”
Layla nodded in excitement as she stepped back and then proceeded to leave the room to chase after the children, who were playing excitedly all over the corridors. With a nod of his head, Archer dismissed the two servants, too, and suddenly, the two of them were alone in her sitting room.
And River couldn’t hold her words back if she tried.
“Will ye spend another night with me?”
The moment she had spoken, her cheeks heated to an unbearable degree, as if she were running a fever. Her mouth snapped shut suddenly, as she realized what she had just done, but Archer seemed amused rather than anything else.
“I...I cannae believe I said that,” she mumbled, so low that she doubted Archer heard her at all.
“Ye wish to spend another night with me?” Archer asked, raising a curious—and amused—eyebrow. “Truly?”
River’s heart was about to burst right out of her ribcage and fall between them on the floor. She stared into his dark eyes, taking in the glint of surprise and satisfaction, the embers of passion right behind them.
“If...if ye wish it too,” River managed to say though the mere act of speaking out loud seemed to pain her, her embarrassment too strong for her to escape its grip.
Archer gave a short, curt nod, unlike what River had come to expect from him. It was as if the old Archer was seeping through, as if she was seeing the same man she had married and not the one who assured her he was not like that anymore.
“Very well,” he said. “I can do that.”
At first, River hesitated. She didn’t know whether or not she should ruin this moment—or at least risk ruining it—by asking what was wrong, but she couldn’t help it. She had to know if something had suddenly changed between them.
“Is somethin’ the matter?” she asked. “Ye seem...different.”
“Nay,” Archer assured her. “Daenae fash.”
“But—”
Before she could speak another word, Archer was upon her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her flush against him, the gesture sending a shiver down her spine.
And when he kissed her, all thoughts were erased from her mind.