^^Literally obsessed with this song. Help me O.O^^

"Together forever,
never apart,
maybe in distance,
but never in heart."

Chapter 57

River's POV

"-Stress?"

Hushed whispers sang within my haze-filled mind as I bordered between drifting and alertness. My eyes remained shut, body still as I listened in on the conversation around me.

"He is only seventeen," a voice rose.

"Will he get any better?" Another asked, a voice so smooth yet anxiety-ridden nonetheless. The speaker's voice was closer than the other's, a mere few centimeters from me. A pair of fingers brushed through my hair. The movements were careful, as if afraid of breaking me.

"If you can keep his stress level down it would definitely help with his recovery. Maybe try to keep him away from the courtroom for a while. Keep him...here. In this room under gentle care and we will see how that goes." The first voice spoke, his voice getting closer than previously.

A light creek hummed beside me as an additional weight sat beside me. The bed bent downwards and the fingers in my hair shifted, traveling down to my face to where they began drawing feathery circles against my one exposed cheek as the other laid face-deep in a pillow.

Unconsciously my face moved forward, nuzzling into the gentle hand. My head brushed lightly against a chest and the fingers against my face stilled.

"We will speak again later," the first voice suddenly grew far again. The voice was beginning to grow more apparent with my clearing mind, becoming more and more familiar with each vowel's utterance.

"Let me know immediately if you discover anything else," said the voice beside me. A smile bloomed on my face as recognition hit me with my clearing mind. Such a voice, I could never mistake as anyone else's. One that was both deep and soothing simultaneously.

Alastair.

It seemed as if with my clearing mind so did the room as the sound of footsteps filled the room, filing of feet as the sound of a turning knob squeaked through the room.

It was then, as the door whined that my eyes unsealed themselves and in the moment of blinding light that I saw a head of golden curls disappear out the door.

Michael?

"Good morning," Alastair's lips brushed against my ear, interrupting my moment of brief confusion.

"Good morning," I turned to whisper against his lips, lightly brushing them like a butterfly wing against a soft flower bud. And like that, the bud slowly opened, engulfing me in its sweet warmth.

His fingers combed through my hair, lifting me to deepen our kiss. A light moan escaped my throat as his desire consumed me.

"What a beautiful sound," Alastair growled against my lips as his fingers shifted from a gentle combing to a passionate raking.

A tingle ran down my spine, resting just above my hardening member. I attempted to lift my legs, to wrap around his waist only to find myself frozen. It was a strange feeling, I could feel the muscles contracting in my thighs. Yet, they refused to move.

"A-Alastair," I breathed as his teeth locked around my lobe and nibbled lightly.

He hummed a response as his lips descended down my neck.

My fingers entwined with the baby hair by the tip of his neck, "Alastair," I tried again.

"Yes?" His lips rested on my shoulder.

"It's spreading, the numbing feeling. It's spreading."

"Do not fret, love," he lifted himself on his hands to peer down at me, "Michael told me this would happen. You merely need to relax. That is all," he whispered out the last words as he brushed his lips against mine.

Though as he spoke such calming words I couldn't help but feel a pit of unease form in my stomach.

Perhaps it was a remnant of last night's nausea.

I just need to settle my stomach.

"Could we get some Chai from the kitchen?"

A small smile pulled to his lips and he nodded, hoisting himself from the bed.

I raised my arms up, waiting to be lifted into his arms. Yet, instead, I received a sorry-full gaze.

"Michael recommended that you do not leave the room."

"...Why?" For what purpose?

"To help with your stress."

My brows knitted together.

What stress?

"Alastair, I am not-"

"I will get you that tea," he interrupted as he made his exit, closing the door behind him with a soft thump.

My hands fell to my side as I watched the door with an exasperated sigh. I sat on our bed, legs taking the form of cooked pasta by my side as what felt like hard stone, lodged itself in my throat.

It never felt so strange to be sitting in our bed as it did now.

What is happening?

My head shook from side to side as I fell back onto the bed, met with the poofed embrace of my pillow.

A knock resounded at the door just as I settled myself beneath the sheets. With a quirked brow, I pushed the sheets down to see the door.

"Who is it?"

"Your servant Hannah with breakfast, Your Majesty," a feminine voice rang from behind the door.

Breakfast? Did she not see Alastair going to the kitchen? They tended to dismiss the morning maid lest Alastair and I slept in. They knew that Alastair appreciated our privacy during the morning time. After all, it was our only real time together before he had to leave for private meetings.

She was undoubtedly new to her job.

Good thing Alastair isn't here. He surely would have fired her.

I'll merely call her in and inform her of our ways.

"You may enter."

The knob turned as the door creaked open. The first thing I saw was a small tray, followed by the face of a petite blond.

My brows pulled quizzically as the face registered in my mind.

It was the same maid from yesterday who had brought breakfast to our room.

"Hannah?" I hoped I had said the correct name.

She nodded, bowing her head slightly.

"I'm not sure if you are aware of how our morning regiments work," I said carefully. "The mornings in which Alastair and I don't sleep in, maids are called off duty for our room."

Her eyes widened as she grew suddenly panicked.

"Oh," she gasped. "I am so sorry, Your Majesty. I had no idea."

"Are you a new hire, Hannah?"

She nodded with a hint of flurry.

"You are quite lucky that my mate was not here, Hannah," I said softly, hoping not to frighten her too much.

Her eyes grew downcasted.

A sudden guilt filled my chest.

Poor thing.

"Do not worry too much about it," her eyes lifted. "Just be a bit more careful in the future, alright?"

She nodded, eyes growing vaguely more bright.

"You are dismissed."

She bowed her head, "thank you, Your Majesty."

I merely nodded as she sent me one last nerve-filled look and exited the room, tray in hand.

It only took a few minutes for the door to open again, except this time by my handsome mate with a kettle and cup in hand. He placed them on the night table and poured me a cup. Steam sizzled from the ceramic cup, wafting past my nose with a bitter-sweet aroma.

He helped me sit up against my pillow and carefully handed me the cup, as to not spill it onto our sheets. I took the teacup into my hands and lifted it to my lips, a hummed moan escaping my throat as the hot liquid ran down my throat and to my stirring stomach.

I peeked up at him as I drank. He was silent, eyes lost on the sheet as his mouth formed a line across his face. Finally, I laid the tea down onto the night table and scooted closer to him so I could take his face into my palms. I brushed a single, black strand behind his ear and watched as his eyes settled onto mine.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

His hands reached up to cup mine. He was silent, lost in his own thoughts it would seem as his eyes searched mine.

Finally, a gust of air escaped his throat and his mouth opened, "Nothing you should worry about, love. Merely my own fears."

Fears?

"What kind of fears?"

"Of not having you by my side forever." His voice came out chipped and eyes twinkled with such fear.

My heart tightened and for a second I couldn't breathe.

"I can't promise to live forever," I breathed out, "but I can promise to try my damnedest."

A light laugh breezed past my cheek as he nuzzled his nose against mine.

"I do not think I have ever heard you curse before, love."

A chuckle escaped my throat as I pulled a single hand from his face to lightly push him.

"And you?"

"Hm?"

"Forever only works if we both promise to it," I poked his side.

He dropped his hands from mine to cup my face and pull me forward, "I promise," he pressed a light kiss to my cheek, "to try my damnedest to live forever by your side."

I lifted my pinky with a raised brow.

"This again?" He laughed.

"It doesn't count otherwise. Everyone knows that."

"Oh, really?" He smirked.

I huffed, waiting.

Finally, he entwined his pink with mine and sealed the deal.

"Now you are stuck with me," I chimed with raised hands.

"Oh, how unfortunate," he cooed before pressing me down onto the sheets and proceeding to thoroughly show me just how 'unfortunate' it truly was.

I awoke in a state of alarm. A cold sweat washed over my body in a sea of ice and sudden nausia as my body shook and teeth chattered. My arms wrapped around my waist, nails stabbing into the skin of my stomach.

Bile crawled up my throat, its nails clawing up from my stomach like a swarm of locus. My head rang as I bent over the bed, nails digging into my skin as the nausea took form and spewed out my mouth. My body convulsed, unseemingly sounds choking from my throat as I retched off the bed over and over again.

It won't end.

My body grew weak, fingers tingling against my stomach as the wave of nausea took everything I had.

Finally, it stopped. After gagging nothing but air for a good few minutes it seemed to have gotten bored of my helpless form and left to seek another victim to torch.

There my body laid, half dangling from the bed yet without the energy or will to move. A whimpered cry broke past my desiccated throat, my fingers clawed at my face as my head shook with a thunderous growl.

'What have you done?'

Dun dun duuunnn! *intense music playing in the background*
So...who's close to strangling me? Lol :,) I joke, you guys love me too much :P Love you guys tunzzzzz!! *blows kisses* <3