The Imprisoned Princess

Wade

Adelaide slept after she admitted what had happened. She didn’t wake up screaming. She just slept. The doctor set up fluids and nutrients on the second day as we were concerned. He said her body needed to heal; she had worked herself to the ground. I sent Trey back to the pack. Christopher wasn’t happy but my pack couldn’t continue without a leader.

During the day I trained with the royal guard, then I observed Xander in his duties hoping to learn how to run a pack well. Then at night, I would cuddle into Adelaide’s back, sometimes I couldn’t help myself and would slip my arm around her.

On the seventh day, I'm getting changed after training and hear something. I peer out of Adelaide’s dressing room and see her stirring. Finally! I rush to her. Her eyes fluttering open as if she had only been asleep a few hours, “You’re here?” her voice groggy and croaky

“Where else would I be?” She looks down as if she didn’t know the answer. She obviously got a glimpse of her arm which has a needle in it. She looks up questioningly to me “I’ll get the doctor, you’ve been asleep for a week my love.” Her eyes widen in surprise. I don’t want to leave her alone so I go to the doorway and motion for a guard telling him we needed the doctor.

“What do you mean I’ve been asleep for a week?” she asks as I’m walking back, I sigh quietly at her confusion, “We got you back from the woods, I put you to bed,” I explain quietly. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. “Yeah, I remember that.” Her eyebrows deepening. I wonder what she’s thinking. “That was seven days ago.” She still looks confused. But I suppose it was probably strange.

My eyes can’t help a little roam over her now awake form. It’s rather nice she’s now awake. It’s taking a little more restraint than I’d like to admit to not lean over and kiss her perfect, albeit slightly chapped, lips. I swallow, fighting the horny wolf back. Very, very far back.

“Have you marked me?” Her hand going to where her neck meets her shoulder. Her voice matches that of a child though, she doesn’t sound like herself at all. That strong confident princess? That’s not the women before me now. I’m not sure if she’s scared, or just broken. “No darling, you were asleep.”

‘Might have thought about it...’ I look up to the high ceiling, he’s going to be impossible to deal with. ‘Go chase some squirrels.’ I conjure up some images to make him happy. Adelaide brings me back from my mind. “Oh. Are you rejecting me?” Her chapped pale lips going between her teeth. I increase the squirrels in my head, it’s hard to focus on two things at once. “No darling, I’m never going to.” How could she think I’d ever reject her? She’s perfect.

“Will you mark me?” Her head tilting slightly with her question. I can’t think about doing it right now. Or I will. “Let’s take it slow,” I’m not just telling her, my wolf needs to hear it too. “You’ve only just woken up.” She has the expression of a child trying to figure out a really hard maths problem. I hold her hand, stroking soothing circles “Let’s get you fixed up, yeah?” She nods using the tiniest of movements.

Xander arrives, I was expecting the doctor first but makes sense he’d rush to his daughter. I move, allowing him to be at Adelaide’s side, he gently hugs her. “I’m sorry daddy.” He sighs as he kisses her head. “You have nothing to apologise for.” We’d all been worried, and although Xander had tried to just get on with his work, I knew he’d been worrying the most.

Finally, the doctor arrives all smiles “How are you feeling sleeping beauty?” His smile is a perfect fit for his position. His dark hair cropped for practicality. “OK,” she replies.

“Thirsty?” He asks, placing his fingers gently on her wrist, checking her pulse.

“A little,” I grabbed a water bottle from the dresser, ripping the top off I handed it to her. The doctor performed some tests. Then removed the drip from her arm “You may feel a little weak and groggy for a few days, but you’ll be back to normal soon”.

Xander ordered no-one but family and two guards in the family wing. He didn’t want Adelaide to have to see lots of people. He got a small kitchen put into the private sitting room so she didn’t have to leave if she didn’t want to.

Now she’s ready to start healing.