Warm rays of morning sun touched Skylar's face, gently waking her up. She lifted her heavy lids and blinked a few times, unsure where she was or how she ended up there. After a moment, her sleepy mind caught up, and she recognised the ceiling of her bedroom.

Her mouth was parched, and her left arm was throbbing with a dull pain. She turned her head to see if there was water at her bedside table and saw Gawyn sitting in a chair beside her bed.

He crossed his arms, and his head was lolling from side to side as if he were still trying to fight the sleep that had already caught him. Skylar noticed his usually perfectly combed black hair was messed up, and dark circles underlined his eyes. How long has he been sitting here?

Skylar tried to perch herself on her uninjured arm, but her body was weak, and she fell back on the pillow while the bed protested with a loud creak.

Gawyn jumped. "You're awake!" he said with a mixture of awe and relief.

"Hey, you," Skylar wanted to say, but her voice was barely a croak.

The General grabbed a glass of water and held it gently to her mouth to help her drink it. "It's high time. You've been asleep for a while, you know," he said sternly, but his voice had no edge. Just genuine relief. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak as a kitten," Skylar admitted when she emptied the whole glass. "You look terrible. You should get some sleep."

"Well, thank you. I can see you already getting better," Gawyn said with a smirk.

She gave him a weak smile, and her hand moved to her neck in search of the necklace. "I'm still alive, so I guess you used the pendant?"

"Yes. Thankfully, Kayla was close. Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Skylar scoffed. "As if I haven't tried. You've never listened."

Gawyn sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I guess I didn't. I am sorry for that."

"It's all right." Skylar tried to shrug, but she scowled when the pain inflamed her arm. "Do you believe me now?"

"I do. Why did you do this? You could have died," he said, and his voice shook slightly.

Skylar looked into his grey eyes, so full of emotions now. "If I didn't, you would have died for sure. I'm your wife, and I can't have that."

Gawyn reached for her right hand and squeezed it gently. "I didn't expect it. Thank you. I'm forever in your debt."

"Great! You can start with giving me a sword." Skylar grinned.

"Don't push it." He scoffed, but he couldn't suppress a smile.

They sat in silence for a moment, hands still linked.

"So," said Skylar. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Three days."

"Gods. No wonder I feel so weak."

"On the bright side, all the poison is out of your body. Only your arm needs to heal now. You must be hungry. I'll ask Kayla to bring you some food," he said, letting go of her hand. He got up and stretched. Sitting in the uncomfortable chair for a long time couldn't be comfortable. 

"Gawyn," Skylar called before he reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Get some sleep, all right?"

"I will. As soon as I make sure you have all you need."

***

Skylar, to her dismay, was forced to stay in bed for a whole week. After day one, she was so bored she was even willing to go and pay a visit to Lucinda, just to do anything at all. But after a week, Gawyn finally agreed she could walk freely around the mansion, though any trips out to the city were out of the question. Not to mention any activities more forceful than a brisk walk. Skylar, grudgingly, agreed. But only after Gawyn threatened to bind her to the bed. Her mind might have drifted into some inappropriate areas when he said it, but she would never admit it out loud.

After staying with her while she was unconscious, the General returned to his usual working routine from dawn till dusk. He also ordered not to let any visitors into the mansion. But Skylar did gain a surprising companion to make her long, tedious recovery a bit more bearable.

"You should see mother's face when she saw me at the party." Aliyah laughed. "I was pretty sure she would have a heart attack right there."

"I can't blame her. She was looking at me like I was gryphon's droppings, and my dress was half as unconventional as yours," Skylar replied with a grin. 

Surprisingly, she found it very easy to talk to Gawyn's sister. Aliyah was intelligent, witty, and completely disregarded what was appropriate at the royal court. She never seemed to run out of funny anecdotes from court life and mercilessly laughed at all absurd things the nobles were doing.

They were sitting in a little clearing in the forest, talking and looking at two gryphons playing together like oversized puppies. Aliyah's gryphon, Gale, was a female and was slightly smaller than Zephyr. Unlike his silver feathers and gold fur coat, she was white as snow, from the top of her head down to the tip of her tail. Only her eyes were brilliant red.

Since her recovery started, watching those two magnificent beasts playing together became Skylar's favourite pastime. Something was enchanting in those huge, dangerous creatures jumping up and down joyfully. She was aware that not many people were privileged to see those majestic creatures.

"You know, you are completely different than I expected," Aliyah said.

"What did you expect?" Skylar cocked her head, looking back at her companion.

Aliyah wore a simple dress today, the one she borrowed from Skylar's wardrobe. She didn't plan to stay so long after the party, but she changed her plans just to accompany her sister-in-law in her recovery. Her bright blue hair was a simple braid today. Even with everyday clothes, she still looked exotic and captivating.

"In his last letter before the wedding, Gawyn wrote that Alarat framed him into marrying not only a woman from a lower social circle, but the one that was, and I quote, uneducated, brash, and rude."

"How kind of him." Skylar scoffed. "Although, I can't say I'm surprised."

"I know. My dear brother is quite predictable with his responses. That's why I was astonished to find out that he became quite fond of you in such a short time."

"What do you mean?" asked Skylar, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Well, first, you looked quite comfortable together at the banquet. And Gawyn has never been comfortable at any party. The only place he is not stiff as a spear is in the command tent on the battlefield. And what did I see when I came to your mansion? You two happily twirling on the dancefloor like there's no tomorrow!"

"We were not twirling," Skylar protested, feeling embarrassed.

"You were totally twirling." Aliyah laughed, but then her face turned more serious. "But the real proof of just how much you mean to him already was how shaken he was when he held your lifeless body."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I don't know if you noticed, but Gawyn is not easily moved. He always keeps his cool, yet he completely lost it when you got hurt. I'm glad he found someone he genuinely cares for."

"I'm... glad to hear it," Skylar replied.

Recently, she couldn't sort out her feelings. She did enjoy Gawyn's company more every day, and they seemed to understand each other better too. And yet, they kept their relationship on the same level – polite companionship but still holding each other at arm's length. It wasn't real closeness, and Gawyn did not attempt to close that distance once. Which left Skylar confused and frustrated because she wouldn't mind crossing that bridge. Not at all.

"You've got silent," noticed Aliyah with a slight smirk. "Something on your mind? Or someone?"

Skylar shook her head hastily. "It's nothing. I'm only tired, I guess. We should get back now."

***

In the evening, after dinner, Gawyn asked Skylar to come to his office to discuss something. Since the incident, he was cautious around her, ensuring she was not forcing herself too much. She found it annoying. 

"Is it comfortable enough? Aren't you too tired? We can postpone it for another day...."

"Gawyn," Skylar interrupted him. "Stop coddling me. My arm is almost healed now. I'm perfectly fine."

"Right. Of course, you are." He sat behind his desk, and Skylar could swear his face turned a shade pinker.

"So, what did you want to talk about? It sounded rather official, as you didn't want to discuss it at dinner."

"Yes. It is. I tried to pull you out from the Queen's entourage, but she is unexpectedly reluctant. It seems she took a real liking to you."

"I'm flattered. But why would you want to pull me out? Isn't that what you wanted? Me polishing my skills amongst real noble ladies?" Skylar asked with a smirk.

"I did, but the situation has changed."

"How so?"

"I require your assistance myself."

Skylar cocked her head in surprise. "My assistance? With what?"

"I want you to be my advisor in the matters of Blighted Lands," the General said calmly, looking her right in the eye.

Skylar was just sitting there for a moment, looking at him in disbelief. She blinked a few times and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. You want me to do what?"

Gawyn raised his brow mockingly. "I didn't know you hit your head and impeded your hearing at the party. I said I want you to be my advisor in the matters of Blighted Lands."

"But... You said..." Skylar stammered, still not fully believing her ears. "You told me explicitly not to intervene with your work."

"And I was a fool, as you proved by banishing this... thing at the party." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, Skylar. I know I was acting like a stubborn old dunce. You proved me wrong, and now I realise how little I know about our enemy. I need you to share all your knowledge about the Blighted Lands with me. I promise I'll never doubt your word again. Do you think you can do that?"

Skylar couldn't stop the grin that appeared on her face. "When can I start?"