Right Where We Belong
Thea
They had moved me to another room, one that wasn't so barren. Instead, the walls were covered in tapestries. I had almost fainted the first time I had gotten a good view outside of the window. I might not have traveled much, but I knew that what I saw outside was not anywhere near my home. In fact, it seemed more liked a place out of a story, a beautiful but unreal story. And yet I had stared at it for hours. I had blinked. I had pinched myself. I had slept. It was always the same landscape even at night.
Three days had passed since I had been moved and my mind was slowly coming to grips with the fact that I might actually be...well...I couldn't say it out loud yet. The other realization was harder to think of. My sisters were gone. I didn't know where. I didn't know if they were okay. I didn't know if they were together. All I knew was that they weren't with me. That fact was killing me. I wanted them near. I needed them. We were a part of each other. We always had been and now I couldn't be there to protect and guide them as I always had.
A knock came at the door as I sat in the chair that had been placed near the window. I called without bothering to look back. Only one person ever came to visit me anyway so I had a fair idea of who it was in the first place. "Good afternoon Lady Thea. I hope that you are feeling well?"
I considered continuing to stare out the window for a moment hoping that I might see something, but I gave up in the end turning and managing a smile to Theodred. "Good afternoon...I'm supposed to call you my lord aren't I?"
His cheeks turned a pale shade of red and I couldn't help but chuckle. The coloring deepened some at my response. "Uh, well, I am my father's son," he granted with a shrug. Yes, his father. I had yet to meet the infamous king, but from what I had heard, he had been sick for some time. Both Theodred and his cousins whom I had met a few days before were worried about him but could seem to do nothing.
"How do you fare today?" He asked moving forward. I watched him as he moved across the room and around the bed until he was sat down on the bed. I couldn't help but smile as I leaned back in the chair, the thick blanket draped across my legs. "Shouldn't you be abed still? I thought my sweet cousin ordered bed rest." I shrugged and bit my lip as I winced a little. The wound was healing nicely from what I could tell but it still loved to hurt when I moved it. It was a stated fact that I was bound to have a scar and a permanent deformity for the rest of my life. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I was too glad to be alive to really complain.
I had asked Theodred how I had come across the wound as he had carried me to my new room the first day I had really been awake. He had been almost thrilled to tell me the adventure of how he and his men had fought Orc like creatures (Orcs? Weren't those from fantasy worlds? they didn't exist I had kept telling myself) when I had appeared out of nowhere and called away the monsters' attention and gained their fury as well. That had been how I had gained the terrible wound on my shoulder. I had spent most of that night trying to decide if he was telling the truth.
Because of my dream,I was afraid he could well have been.
"Better than yesterday," I assured him with a little sigh. I saw the look of concern on his face and quickly forced a smile. I didn't know why he always came to see me, to ask about me, but I couldn't deny that I honestly enjoyed the company even as strange as it was. I wanted to add desperately that I was getting anxious. I had been since I had first woken up. I didn't say it, but I wanted to. I wondered if Theodred could tell. If he could, he hadn't done anything about it just yet. Maybe he would today. It was wishful thinking of course, but sometimes that's all you have. I had to leave and start looking for my sisters. I couldn't be alone anymore and I didn't want to stop until I found them.
"I never properly thanked you for saving our lives. If you had not arrived when you had, there is no doubt in my mind that me and my men would have died. I will never be able to repay you for what you did." Theodred said earnestly. Sometime during his little speech, he had reached across the space between us and taken my hand. Could it have been his way of trying to tell me just how sincere he was? That was what people back "home" would do. Our worlds couldn't be that different could they? I refused to believe that. The little that I had seen told me that there had to be similarities. Our worlds? His world? God I really was starting to believe it. As frightening as it was, it was the only real choice facing me.
I had to accept it or...well...what were my other options?
I was a little speechless and definitely embarrassed as the words sank into my mind. Could a person blame me though? After all, I had just been charged with saving a bunch of trained warriors (after all that was what they were in my dream). "I didn't do that much." I said trying to convince him. From the look on his face, he didn't believe it for a minute. "Besides, I'm sure that you all would have been fine on your own. I probably just made it all a lot easier." They were warriors. If I was right in believing this, this was their world. That should have meant something, right?
Theodred shook his head. "I assure you not. The men had given themselves up for dead. And in truth…so had I." My face fell as I watched the weariness fall over him. He was so weak in this moment. None of his men or family. Just me. For some reason, he had just chosen me...
"Those things…we could not have defeated them without you. You have become a symbol of hope to all of us. When we saw you and what you had done…what had happened to you…we had a reason to fight again. Each day after I leave you, the men demand a report of your health. You have more worth than you can imagine Lady Thea. Believe me, at this moment, you are the most valuable treasure that Rohan could ever wish to possess."
I really was speechless this time and it had all to do with what he had said. I didn't know what to say or how to respond and I knew for certain that a blush had taken control of my face. Without even meaning to, Theodred had gotten even. No one had ever said that they needed me that much. Annie and Jamie always did, but this wasn't the same. After all, I needed my sisters as much as they needed me. These men shouldn't have needed me at all, but from what Theodred was saying, they did.
"Would you dine with us tonight Lady Thea?" he continued coming forward so that he was on his knee before me looking into my eyes earnestly. "I know that my cousin wishes you to stay in bed and rest, but it might do everyone, especially you, some good to be out in the clean air and amongst other people."
Theodred couldn't have realized how happy he had just made me with that offer. He was probably thinking of his men and the supposed effect that seeing me up and about would have on them, but I was thinking of the fact that I would have the chance to actually get out and do something other than lie down. Part of me wanted to search for ways out. I still had to find my sisters after all, but another part...another part wanted to be free. For just a night, I wanted to not have a care in the world.
"I would be honored."
Three days had passed since I had been moved and my mind was slowly coming to grips with the fact that I might actually be...well...I couldn't say it out loud yet. The other realization was harder to think of. My sisters were gone. I didn't know where. I didn't know if they were okay. I didn't know if they were together. All I knew was that they weren't with me. That fact was killing me. I wanted them near. I needed them. We were a part of each other. We always had been and now I couldn't be there to protect and guide them as I always had.
A knock came at the door as I sat in the chair that had been placed near the window. I called without bothering to look back. Only one person ever came to visit me anyway so I had a fair idea of who it was in the first place. "Good afternoon Lady Thea. I hope that you are feeling well?"
I considered continuing to stare out the window for a moment hoping that I might see something, but I gave up in the end turning and managing a smile to Theodred. "Good afternoon...I'm supposed to call you my lord aren't I?"
His cheeks turned a pale shade of red and I couldn't help but chuckle. The coloring deepened some at my response. "Uh, well, I am my father's son," he granted with a shrug. Yes, his father. I had yet to meet the infamous king, but from what I had heard, he had been sick for some time. Both Theodred and his cousins whom I had met a few days before were worried about him but could seem to do nothing.
"How do you fare today?" He asked moving forward. I watched him as he moved across the room and around the bed until he was sat down on the bed. I couldn't help but smile as I leaned back in the chair, the thick blanket draped across my legs. "Shouldn't you be abed still? I thought my sweet cousin ordered bed rest." I shrugged and bit my lip as I winced a little. The wound was healing nicely from what I could tell but it still loved to hurt when I moved it. It was a stated fact that I was bound to have a scar and a permanent deformity for the rest of my life. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I was too glad to be alive to really complain.
I had asked Theodred how I had come across the wound as he had carried me to my new room the first day I had really been awake. He had been almost thrilled to tell me the adventure of how he and his men had fought Orc like creatures (Orcs? Weren't those from fantasy worlds? they didn't exist I had kept telling myself) when I had appeared out of nowhere and called away the monsters' attention and gained their fury as well. That had been how I had gained the terrible wound on my shoulder. I had spent most of that night trying to decide if he was telling the truth.
Because of my dream,I was afraid he could well have been.
"Better than yesterday," I assured him with a little sigh. I saw the look of concern on his face and quickly forced a smile. I didn't know why he always came to see me, to ask about me, but I couldn't deny that I honestly enjoyed the company even as strange as it was. I wanted to add desperately that I was getting anxious. I had been since I had first woken up. I didn't say it, but I wanted to. I wondered if Theodred could tell. If he could, he hadn't done anything about it just yet. Maybe he would today. It was wishful thinking of course, but sometimes that's all you have. I had to leave and start looking for my sisters. I couldn't be alone anymore and I didn't want to stop until I found them.
"I never properly thanked you for saving our lives. If you had not arrived when you had, there is no doubt in my mind that me and my men would have died. I will never be able to repay you for what you did." Theodred said earnestly. Sometime during his little speech, he had reached across the space between us and taken my hand. Could it have been his way of trying to tell me just how sincere he was? That was what people back "home" would do. Our worlds couldn't be that different could they? I refused to believe that. The little that I had seen told me that there had to be similarities. Our worlds? His world? God I really was starting to believe it. As frightening as it was, it was the only real choice facing me.
I had to accept it or...well...what were my other options?
I was a little speechless and definitely embarrassed as the words sank into my mind. Could a person blame me though? After all, I had just been charged with saving a bunch of trained warriors (after all that was what they were in my dream). "I didn't do that much." I said trying to convince him. From the look on his face, he didn't believe it for a minute. "Besides, I'm sure that you all would have been fine on your own. I probably just made it all a lot easier." They were warriors. If I was right in believing this, this was their world. That should have meant something, right?
Theodred shook his head. "I assure you not. The men had given themselves up for dead. And in truth…so had I." My face fell as I watched the weariness fall over him. He was so weak in this moment. None of his men or family. Just me. For some reason, he had just chosen me...
"Those things…we could not have defeated them without you. You have become a symbol of hope to all of us. When we saw you and what you had done…what had happened to you…we had a reason to fight again. Each day after I leave you, the men demand a report of your health. You have more worth than you can imagine Lady Thea. Believe me, at this moment, you are the most valuable treasure that Rohan could ever wish to possess."
I really was speechless this time and it had all to do with what he had said. I didn't know what to say or how to respond and I knew for certain that a blush had taken control of my face. Without even meaning to, Theodred had gotten even. No one had ever said that they needed me that much. Annie and Jamie always did, but this wasn't the same. After all, I needed my sisters as much as they needed me. These men shouldn't have needed me at all, but from what Theodred was saying, they did.
"Would you dine with us tonight Lady Thea?" he continued coming forward so that he was on his knee before me looking into my eyes earnestly. "I know that my cousin wishes you to stay in bed and rest, but it might do everyone, especially you, some good to be out in the clean air and amongst other people."
Theodred couldn't have realized how happy he had just made me with that offer. He was probably thinking of his men and the supposed effect that seeing me up and about would have on them, but I was thinking of the fact that I would have the chance to actually get out and do something other than lie down. Part of me wanted to search for ways out. I still had to find my sisters after all, but another part...another part wanted to be free. For just a night, I wanted to not have a care in the world.
"I would be honored."