A Queen's Traitor: A Medieval Historical Fiction Novel - Mercenary For Hire Book 2 by Burnell Sam

Author:Burnell, Sam [Burnell, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Richard opened the door to Jack’s room and, for the first time in over a week, met his brother’s focused steady stare and smiled. Richard had seen his brother little. Lucy’s remedies had rendered him mostly insensible and he preferred to leave his care to Lizbet. Today was different. The crystal blue eyes that held his own were clear, steady and sentient. Jack was propped up in bed but he was very much awake. The voice was also unmistakably Jack’s, even if its tone was a little quieted by illness and roughened by a throat reddened and painful with coughing.

Jack’s smile, though, was warm and like some conspiratorial schoolboy, Richard found himself returning it, saying, “God, it’s so good to see you looking better Jack.”

Jack pushed down on one elbow and painfully hoisted himself up on the pillows. “Christ.” Jack looked down at his bandaged, bruised and grazed body, and grinned, “How bad did I look before, then?”

“You cheated the Devil, Jack. Shift your feet over,” Richard sat down on the end of the bed, his back against the wall.

There was much to say; too much. The silence between them was not awkward or tinged with any kind of anticipation or need, it was a simple one borne of pure relief. Jack closed his eyes and rested his head back. He could sense his brother’s presence, hear his breathing, feel the weight of him on the bed resting against his feet. It was enough. Richard, his eye’s closed sat quietly, propped against the wall, his head forward, fallen locks obscuring his face from view, his thoughts his own.

Outside the coldest month of winter held London in an icy caress and both men listened to the uneven sound of her dull kisses as the rain met the shutters. The light noise ran on, a background to their thoughts, if they had any. Jack, breathing deeply, felt as if his lungs were able to fill freely with air for the first time in months. The choking pressure in his chest restricting his breathing had gone and Jack let out a long and easy breath.

Both men heard the noise at the same time: Lizbet’s step on the stairs up to the rooms. Jack opened his eyes and Richard raised his head and met his brother’s steady gaze. But it was Jack who broke the silence first, smiling he quietly said, “save me from that scold.”

“How would you have me do that?” Richard replied.

“Stay a while,” Jack requested, a serious tone to his voice. “Tell me what happened?” He closed his eyes again. “How are you here? Jamie said you were dead, then I heard your voice, I couldn’t see you, just hear you, I thought maybe I was dying.”

Richard considered his reply for a few moments. “Jamie thought I was going to die as well, but I didn’t and neither did you. It seems we shall both endure, despite both of us having received the last rites.”

Jack paled and looked seriously at Richard. “I was that bad?”

“I did say both of us.

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