72 -- Healing.

Laura heard a shout from her father's room and dashed inside, sidestepping Lily who stood in front of her. Elaine rushed inside as well and they both closed the door. Laura walked slowly to his bed, watching as the healer hefted him up to a sitting position and made him rest against the headboard.
The healer turned, her huge fur coat obstructing their view of the king as she spoke. "It's done, Princess. Why don't you move closer?"
Laura couldn't help the apprehension that skittered down her back. What if he'd turn his face away from her? What if he'd look at her with hate? She had brought about the destruction of her people after all.
Laura sniffled a bit, hating how she felt. She was shocked when she saw a head pop around the healer's white coat. Her father.
He smiled widely at her, his hand weakly lifting to the healer's elbow and moving her out of the way. His strength was non-existent at this point, so Laura knew that the healer moved all by herself.
She ran towards him when he stretched his arms wide, imploring her to come to him for a hug. His withered and pale face was stretched into a broad smile and she could see the father that she had slowly lost because of Banks and also herself.
She fell against him, almost pushing him into the wood if not for the balanced hand he had placed on the bed before her descent. A cry rose up within her and she cried, unashamed, on his bare shoulder, snot running down his skin as she kept at it.
Without anyone telling her, she knew that she had cried for a while and lifted her head to see Nicholas enter the room. How dare he? When he knew that her father would be mad and furious at him? Her Father couldn't afford yelling at someone with his frail health but still, Nicholas had walked in. Was he trying to get a raise out of her Father? To get him to react?
The bloody murder was evident in her eyes and Elaine quickly walked up to Nicholas, whispering something in his ear that made him glance up at her immediately and with shock evident in his face. He inclined his head to her, mouthing an apology and walked out.
Laura could see the commander, Lily, standing outside the door when Nicholas pulled it open and she wondered why she had not entered in to pay her respects. She had been the one to save the werewolf kingdom and she had gotten the healer for them, so she had expected her to come in. Maybe to make sure that her healer had actually healed her father? She didn't think too much about it, instead she focused all her attention on her father.
Who could see again and was looking around the room. He eyed the healer suspiciously and the woman huffed, taking up her things and walking out. Laura shouted a thank you to her and the woman nodded, stepping out of the room.
"I can see that you're as good as new, Your Highness." Elaine chortled at the king and he threw a pillow at her, although she deftly sidestepped it as she hurried to the door.
"Now, just get better and take good girl of My Princess. She's been lonely without you." Elaine walked out and shut the door.
Laura wouldn't lie, now that it was just her father and her, she felt scared. She prepared herself to receive at least a scolding from him and she flinched when he lifted his hand. But instead of the hand coming down on her face, he placed his hand on her head and smiled.
"My brave, brave, daughter." She felt tears well up in her eyes and she looked away. She didn't want to give him the impression that she had been weak when all those things happened with King Eric. She didn't want him to know that it'd be a long time before she got back to normal.
She definitely didn't want him to know that she wasn't brave like he thought. That she was a coward and that she had cried herself to sleep every night, with the feeling of hopelessness and entrapment strong in her heart.
"I'm so sorry, Father." She broke down again, crying against him. It felt like a dam had been broken within her. Try as she may, it didn't seem that she'd ever get her tears back under lock and key. They had tasted freedom and wanted a river.
"Forgive me, Father." She sniffled against his chest. She had made the gravest mistake by blindly trusting someone and it had cost her dearly. Now? She'd do anything to gain back her father's trust.
And the first thing was to show him how much she cared about him.
She realized then that she had been putting all her weight on him and she stood, adjusting his blanket over his legs.
"You should get some rest, Father. Relax your eyes." She smiled down at him as he took her hand in his and squeezed.
"I've missed you. The you before this whole Vampire business." His eyes looked so sad and it made her said as well. She knew that he won't ever truly get over the guilt he had been carrying for pushing Laura towards Prince Nicholas. She just hoped that he'd be able to manage it as the years goes by. Because he'd have to stay with her for a very long time.
"I'm still here, Father. And you need your sleep more than anything, so go to sleep." She didn't wait for a reply for him. She helped him lay down and tucked in his blankets around him, cocooning his arms this time and propping pillows under his head. She kissed his cheeks and watched as his eyes grew misty.
"That's enough waterworks for one day, Father. It's really good to see you so happy."
"Same." He pulled out his arms and drew her face to him, dropping a peck on her forehead and nose. She laughed, feeling so much joy at that moment. Her father had never been a really affectionate man when she was growing up.
It wasn't his fault, the kingdom somehow took more precedence, but he always made sure to visit her in the nursery and always showed her that he was available. This, this feeling between them was new and she loved it. She could get used to it.
She kissed his cheeks, putting his blanket around him and shooting him a look, letting him know that she wouldn't be doing this for the third time and that he should just go to bed.
He didn't stop her or call out to her as she left the room and she silently prayed to the moon goddess that he would have a good night's rest.
Laura walked into her room, releasing a breath when she saw that Nicholas wasn't in the room. She didn't know what she would've done it he was there. She couldn't be comfortable with him and even though he had restored her kingdom back, he had also been the one to destroy it. And she didn't think she could ever forgive him.
Infact, she saw the way he looked at that commander and that was another issue in itself. He was married to her and he still played games? Sure, the both of them weren't on talking terms and he had committed a grave sin against her and her people. But wasn't his guilt meant to bring him to his knees? Make him stay by her side always, an apology being offered frequently?
Instead, she lingered at the commander's side, his eyes never leaving her. He didn't even acknowledge what he had done. He definitely didn't act like someone who was sorry.
Laura cast these thoughts from her mind and prepared herself for bed, taking her time with her toilette before getting into bed. She realized that her mind had been quiet throughout and she sighed, content. That was the peace that she wanted and had been seeking.
She lay on her bed, wishing for sleep to come but it evaded her. She kept thinking on everything that had happened so far and she missed the mom she never knew right then. She desperately wished she had someone that she could pour out her heart to and the person wouldn't judge her.
She cried. She thought she had expelled all the tears from her body, but they came in huge sobs, tearing her into two with their ferocity. Laura didn't know when she went to bed or how, but the next time she woke, it was to Suzy shaking her awake and calling out to her.
"Laura? Laura, dear?" Laura felt so tired but she got up, knowing that a lot needed to be done today. And then there was the news about her father.
She hurriedly dressed and ate the soup that Suzy had set out for her. Hugging Suzy tightly when she was about to leave, she pecked her cheeks. Suzy stared at her, flabbergasted, not knowing where that strong tide of emotion had risen up in Laura.
Laura felt like today was going to be monumental for her. It felt like a good day. Giddy, albeit tired, she walked down the hall and it was only when she passed by the door that she had ordered Mary to be kept that she remembered her friend.
She felt guilt assuage her then. She hadn't checked up on her friend since, even though she was the cause of her predicament. She had been told that Mary barely spoke and she didn't speak to anyone. She reached out to open the door but the door was pulled in from the inside.
A maid, carrying an armful of sheets stepped out. Laura peeked through and saw that all was calm and quiet inside.
"My princess." The maid bowed.
"Where is Mary?" The maid looked like she wanted to ask who that was but she glanced back into the room and gave a shake of her head.
"Her mom came to get her this morning." Laura felt bad that she had been sleeping through this and she made sure that she'd remember to pay a visit to Mary after she stopped by her father's room.
Her Father was up once she got there. He had just finished eating his breakfast, a bit early for him, but he smiled when he saw her come inside.
"Father, good morning." She came to him, dropping a kiss on his forehead. Elaine was busy putting away the dishes he had used and Laura gave her a side hug.
"Good morning, Love." Elaine smiled and rolled the trolley out of the room. Everything felt right then. Not back to the way it was, but better. And it might sound strange because things became better after a horrible storm, but, she felt like they had needed it. She wasn't going to share that opinion with anyone though.
"We have so much to discuss." At first, her heart dropped when he said this. But it fluttered to life when she saw him rise from his table, all by himself, and walk slowly to his bed, seating himself.
"Tell me what has happened so far. I only knew that part about Nicholas but I don't fully comprehend everything that happened." He made himself comfortable, pulling a throw cloth over his legs to ward off the cold. Laura came to sit beside him and began to tell him everything.
From when he had told her to marry Nicholas, to Banks betrayal, to Nicholas's visit to the Kayaans and how they had unknowingly had a hand in what happened, although she had recently learned of that fact from a warrior named Ralph, who didn't mind running his mouth to her.
She told him about what Nicholas had really done, the whole ritual that he has dessicated on. She told him about how King Eric had taken over and the experiments he carried out on their people. And lastly, she told him about how they were saved, how the various clans had joined forces to help them.
Through all this, her Father sat quietly, never interrupting, just simply absorbing the facts, a wet sheen in his eyes. He sat up there, clearing his throat. But the first thing he said wasn't what she had expected.
"Who is this Commander Lily, of the Kayaans.