Chapter 17: Lumenovus Is Wounded

Pinvey's malicious nature manifests again.

 For the next few weeks, Lumenovus and I had talks like that.  I visited him as often as I dared, usually at least twice a day.  He asked for more baths as he finally started to believe that he wasn’t imposing.  He was right about the smell...  I hadn’t minded it before, but when he climbed out and dried himself, his scent seemed renewed somehow, and became as pleasing as the sight of him.

 I grew to admire his mind quickly.  For a mortal who had lived such a short time, he had poured so much effort into his desire to figure out life.  He said so many original things, nothing I would have ever heard from the mouth of a fairy.

 I continued to grow to admire his body...  Aside from watching him flow in the arena, I found he had a series of movements he performed every morning.  He told me they were breathing exercises.  I would observe them when I could, and it would give me a peaceful feeling.  Sometimes he folded his legs and sat with his eyes closed.  Meditating, he called it.  He let me watch that too.

 My eyes were increasingly drawn to him during his baths.  If I did not keep a sharp reign on my thoughts I would find myself wondering what those arms would feel like in my hands.  What that chest would feel like pressed against mine...

 I’d snap out of it, always amazed that he never caught my expression and asked what I was thinking about, or what was wrong with me.

 When I could think of anything, I brought him presents.  He always needed fresh cloth.  I also brought him special foods, and the occasional bottle of wine or mead, which he always said he’d refuse unless I stayed to split it with him.

 We both seemed to become better at finding reasons to hold hands.  We had several nights where I wondered what might have happened if not for the bars between us...

 What amazed me most was that he always seemed to be happy.  That was amazing in itself, but what really got to me was, I knew I was the cause.  It was impossible for me to believe, but impossible to deny.  For the first time since my mother left, I was making somebody happy...

 I could have gone on like that forever.  He said he could have too.  Then Pinvey’s treachery set events on a different course.

----

 There had been several attempts to score cuts on Lumenovus outside of his matches.  Cheating, just as Pinvey had warned me about.  Most of the attempts failed completely, some resulted in minor wounds.  Then one day, as the chamberlain stood next to him talking, the last fairy to yield walked past Lumenovus as if leaving the arena.  He didn’t have enough time to react before the soldier pulled a dagger and sank it into his shoulder.

 “Ha!” I heard Pinvey laugh behind me as Lumenovus cried out in pain.

 “No!” I yelled.

 Lumenovus sent the soldier staggering away with a blow to the nose, and put his hand to his shoulder.  The chamberlain hurried his ending speech, and Lumenovus was ushered from the arena.  I could tell he was really hurt...

 As soon as I could, I ran to his cell.  I found him sitting with his jacket and shirt off, his arms around his knees.  “Hey!” I said.  “Are you okay?”

 He gave a jagged sigh.  “I don’t think so, Lavender.”

 “Wait, what?”  You’re always okay!  “What’s wrong?”

 He turned to face the opposite direction, exposing his right side to me.  His wound was oozing thick blood, which he wiped at occasionally.  “This went through the muscle.  When this all clots, I won’t be able to move this arm.”

 “You’ve had bigger cuts than that...” I said.

 “Longer, maybe...  But I haven’t been stabbed before.  This isn’t like a cut on the skin.  This affects my ability to move.”

 “Use your other arm?”

 “My staff is a two-handed weapon.  And my right arm is my dominant one.”  He drew his knees tighter to him.  “It’s still hitting me, even now.  This is it, Lavender.  I can’t fight with an injury like this.  I’m going to die tomorrow.”

 “No...  Take a hot bath.  You said that helps.”

 He laughed sadly.  “That helps sore muscles.  Right now it might make me bleed right to death.”

 “Stop it!” I cried.  I did not want to hear about him dying.  “What can I do?”

 “Lavender...  There’s nothing.  Look, I need to be alone for awhile.  There’s some things I need to sort out.”

 “You don’t want me here with you?”

 A pained expression came over his face.  “I do, I just...  Can’t.  I need to be alone...”

 I ran from the briars, crying.